Acne Support Group

I so know what you mean!!!when my acne was at its peak I didn't get out of the house for 2 months!
It was awful
I suffered so much!! I hated every second of it!!Even thinking abt it now makes me cry!
Accutane saved me but I still have bumps under my skin which I just hate and they won't go away.
Now I am using Retin A on a daily basis, Diane 35 and I wash my face with Uriace facial cleanser. It's working
I wish so much something will work for you too! Please don't give up! No one has to go through all the pain that acne brings about!!

Accutane almost cost me my vision, I am nearly legally blind. I have been on it for 8 or 9 years though. It is a chemotherapy drug. That is why it causes hair loss. It causes premature aging because it shortens the telomeres in your replicating cells, like skin, and advances aging by doing so. It does this to stop cells from proliferating, which is why your skin clears in most cases. I also had psychotic depression from it and attempted suicide twice (both times by overdosing with the antidepressants they put me on due to the accutane mood effects). Birth control is no different, I had huge weight gain, chronic migraines and extreme depression from any birth control I tried, and none of them helped my skin. I am just going to have to try to live with it I guess. I'd rather have pimples than lose my mind.

Okay...let's get things straight about Accutane here. If you have been taking it for YEARS then it's probably going to mess you up.

My understanding is that a dermatologist will use it as a last resort and there are new laws in place for females to make sure they aren't getting pregnant while taking it. That being said, they also do NOT prescribe years of it. A 4-8 month cycle should permanently alter the sebaceous glands enough to reduce acne both during and after the Accutane treatment. The dosage should be no more than half your body weight in pounds (i.e. if you weigh 140 lbs, then no more than 70 mg/day.) IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING BLOODWORK DONE MONTHLY, YOU SHOULD SEE ANOTHER DOCTOR! My dermatologist was very clear about the risks to my liver and kidneys, made sure that I was on the shortest effective cycle and the best dosage schedule for my size and acne severity. I took Accutane for 6 months and my skin cleared up SO NICELY. 2 months after I stopped, I started getting little bumps and eventually regular pimples again. I tried a short cycle again but didn't take the meds enough to make it work. Now (4 years later) my skin is still full of blackheads and small cysts, but it's nowhere near as red and irritated as it used to be.

My point is, Accutane is not meant for long-term use. It is a highly controlled medication and if you have other conditions like depression, it can make it worse, but if your acne is making you depressed to begin with, it can only get better. Just be sure to TALK to your doctor. Don't expect miracles, but don't discredit a possible improvement. Be informed.

Hi there.
I know its hard for you right now.
But ending it is not a solution.
You are just 17 and have long life ahead.
I'll advice you to stop using artificial creams and lotions.Stick to natural things as much as possible.Eat fresh fruits,vegetables and avoid junk food as much as possible.Drinks as much water as you can.Trust me it really helps.And one more thing if you start practicing yoga,it will create wonders for you.

TAKE CARE.

I do yoga.
I eat extremely healthy. I do everything I can.
I feel like my whole adolescence was wasted over this.

I know EXACTLY how you feel.
I'm a teenager too and my acne has gotten so bad that i literally would sit in my room and cry.
I've gotten called dramatic, but people with perfect skin don't understand the struggle that acne really is.
My acne is FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY starting to look a little better.
I have tried nearly every medicine and facewash and it has put quite a hole in my parents' wallet. But this is what has been working for me:

I cleanse and moisturize with clearasil because it is gentle on the skin. In the morning i use this new product called Acanya gel that has been working wonderfully. then at night i use tazorac cream.
I still have scarring but i use non comedogenic physician's formula mineral makeup to cover it.

Honestly, feel free to message me because i feel like you're the only person who understands what i have to go through on a daily basis. :)

I find from all the people I've talked to over the years, the more who took Accutane in developmental years, which really is anything under the age of 22 or 23, had the most severe long term issues such as bone, joint and digestive disorders.

A friend of mine has chrones disease and it is most likely due to her Accutane use at age 15. Wait until you are older to try it , (if you ever want to) just to make sure you don't screw up the normal development of your body.

But take it from me, it doesn't work permanently, that's why my doc just kept putting me on it again and again. After a month or so off it, I broke out every time. Not worth it, andmy derm is obviously an idiot who should be sued.

I'm getting a filter for my shower to remove the chlorine and crap, and I will see if that helps. I have heard good things about doing this from other people who had nothing else work for their acne until they got the filter.

I'm sick of acne too.
Today was my breaking point (I should say my "FINAL" breaking point)...everyday has basically sucked balls for the last 6 years or so-and the sad thing is that I'm only 18.

I think I've finally figured out how to stop the pain, though: all you have to do is...let go.

LET GO-forget about all the pain that acne has caused you in the past. DROP IT. DROP THE BURDEN!!! Have the mindset of an animal-perhaps an ugly animal. Think of it this way: a vulture doesn't know that it's ugly and it lives it's life peacefully day to day. You can too. Throw away your pride and live.
and that doesn't mean you have to stop trying either...there are ways to strive and live at the same time- IN FACT, some would say that if you had nothing to strive for, you wouldn't be living at all.

Continue living your life...painfree.

There is ALWAYS hope:)

I am new to this group and this is the first discussion I have read. To the younger girls on this post (especially hippylu) I want you to know that I am a "survivor" of acne I guess you could say. At your age I was just like you, I hated EVERY picture ever taken of me. Even if my breakouts were that bad, I could still see oily skin and the bumps forming of what will be a horrible break out. When I went to the dermotologist, they gave me crap that didnt work, so for 5 years I had to "deal" with it. I got comments about breaking out, I got the make up comments, I got advice on how to fix it, but NO one gets it unless you have it. SO my advice is to wait it out. Your hormones are CONSTANTLY changing. Around age 21-22 my skin Finally started clearing up. By no means is it perfect now. As I'm typing this I have a huge, sore, bright red zit on my upper right side of my lip and a smaller bright red zit on the bridge of my nose. I'll always have oily skin and little zitty looking bumps, but all you can do is let your confidence push through it. YOU are the only one that can control what other people think of you. If you walk with your head up and smile at whoever talks to you, TRUST ME, they will respond in a way that will suprise you. The hard part is, YOU have to believe you are beautiful no matter what. Even though you HATE how you look on the outside, picture how you want to look and RUN with it. You can push through it and know your beautiful. After years of horrible acne, I've finally learned this. I wish the best for all of you and hope to hear things get better :) Best wishes!!

(I could not agree with you more, ksommerdh.)
It all depends on your attitude. You can wake up and not get out of bed- or you can jump up, pour yourself some coffee and say, "HEY-this is a new day, dammnit! I don't care what I look like and neither should you!!!" :)