Thank you all for the helpful advice! I really appreciate it!

Don't use on your skin what you won't put in your mouth.

todd, have you tried Clindagel? It has antibiotic in it, plus try taking a litte more vitamin C. (if you aren't already) Also todd, how old are you? maybe (it that's not a secret?)maybe its something hormonal?

Someone mentioned Retin-A; it works great. How bad is your acne? Acutane will absolutely wipe it out. I had bad acne in high school and Acutane saved my life. I dont know if they let women take though, because of pregnancy issues. You didn't mention your gender.
But anyway, your dermatologist should be able to prescribe you SOMEthing. I've found that most over-the-counter stuff does nothing.

a friend of mine in college had it bad and took accutane and it worked wonders. I know there are alot of potential side effects and issues to worry about if you take that, so be careful if you try it.

Scented, I have tried Clindagel and it worked for awhile. It wore off as the season grew progressively colder.
I am 20 years old and still suffering from the same kind of acne I have had since I was eleven. My dad said it would all be over by 18. He lied. And he still owes me $20.

Normart9, I am male so there will probably be no pregnancy issues if I take acutane. However, I would like to know...

If acutane is THAT effective, when do you stop using it for good? Is it a drug used for maintaining the outbreaks? Or completely destroying them... (dramatic pause)... for good.

?


Oh, and I second that statement about over-the-counter products. It's all [excrement].

Todd~

Both of my kids took Acutane for their acne. My son was in 11th grade and had been seeing a dermatologist since he was 14 or 15. He had tried virtually everything and the Acutane was the last resort. He was to the point of not even wanting to go to school because the acne was so bad. He took the medicine for 5 months, during which he saw the Dr. every month for a blood test to make sure there were no problems with his blood or liver. The acne actually gets worse before it gets better, but after about 2 months it was markedly better. By the end of the 5 months, his face was clear except for the occasional normal breakout. After about 6 months he started to get slight acne again...the Dr. put him back on Acutane for a month "booster" which he said is fairly common in bad cases. My son's case was a little unusual because he has needed 3 "boosters", but now he is 19 and just has the normal breakouts here and there.

My daughter also saw a dermatologist from the time she was 16, and at 18 ended up on Acutane. She took it for the 5 months and had the blood tests every month, which was difficult because she was working on a cruise ship then, but it all worked out and her face has been clear (except for the normal hormonal/stress/stage make-up breakouts) ever since.

I know that the media has really played up the depression/suicidal end of Acutane, but if you've ever had truly bad acne, you know that the condition can cause the same feelings. My son was honestly very depressed about it, and the treatment changed his life. I'm not saying that everyone who gets a zit needs Acutane, but I think that there is great benifit to using it after you try other things and work together with your Dr.

Bottom line...it sounds like you have a dermatologist and have tried numerous medications. Talk to him seriously about Acutane and see what he recommends.

My brother took Acutane for a set prescribed period of time and has had no acne problems since then. You never have to repeat it that I know of. But make sure you educate yourself about all the side effects - I believe there's quite a few - before you decide if that's the avenue you want to go down.

Hi Todd-

I know this is a little late, but I wanted to tell you about my experience.

I took Accutane twice. Yes, twice. The first time, I was 22. It definitely cleared my skin during the treatment, and for a while after I stopped taking it. But then it came back. I tried other stuff, but ended up going back to it, thinking this second time would be the final one. I was 27. Well, the same thing happened. And since it happened twice, I decided that this drug was not for me.

I am now using a new line of products that have incredibly helped my skin. Some of the products are a bit expensive, but it's really clearing my skin, and we acne sufferers know that it's worth it if it works.

The line is by Sonya Dakar. She's regarded as the "problem skin specialist" here in LA.

You can buy her products online at: http://www.sonyadakar.com/

You can also call them to order via phone, and they have skin specialists who can help you figure out what products to try.

The first time I heard about this line, I got the Mini-Kit for Acne, which contains all the acne products in sample sizes, so you can try before making a big investment in the products.

Again, the products can be a bit pricey, and I don't know your financial situation. And, no, I don't work for them, and have no affiliations with them besides the fact that I use their products and that they are working for me :-)

If you have any questions, please send me an email (I sometimes forget to come to this section of the boards!)

Good luck,
Fernanda

Just created a new natural vitamin/mineral product to treat MY acne. Called Frutels (www.frutels.com). It is in a gummy candy form(no sugar) and it really works! Tested in a good portion of the Manhattan private school population, with an 86% success ratio. Tastes a little like Campari, I have been told.

I have a couple of secrets for getting rid of acne- which I rarely get b/c I pretty much live to avoid it... Depending on how hard core you go at it. If you have a week here's my prescription:Choose an Aveeno Bar to cleanse your face(2.50-3.00 walmart)My favorites currently are the Clear Complexion Bar and the Positivly Radiant Bar.Scrub your face in the morning and at night before you go to bed using a hand loofah mit(about 1.50-2.00 from one of the spa sections of the any store)Then find a good moisturizer to put on your face( I often Use a small dab Nivea body firming cream and put spf 30 sunblock over it).

But just also just as important to what you but on your skin is what your feeding it thru your diet.Try cutting out a lot of the extra grease, fat, and sugar. Stick w/ a lot of seafood(tuna, makeral) get creative and vegetables. Lay off the dairy, eggs, legumes and even fruit. Drink lots of water. Try it flavored or w/ lemon and a nonsugar sweetner in it. Take a good vitamin supplement( plse don't waste your money on the ALL-IN-ONE vitamins). Lastly sweat IT OUT AT THE GYM. IN 7 DAYS YOUR SKIN WILL LOOK AIRBRUSHED ON W/O MAKEUP!!!

In case of emergency(4 days or less): FAST and use the skin regime above. after either 1 of these you can go back to regular eating after your skin clears. Just don't overdo it w/ the junk food too often and cont. to take care of your skin.

I have a couple of secrets for getting rid of acne- which I rarely get b/c I pretty much live to avoid it... Depending on how hard core you go at it. If you have a week here's my prescription:Choose an Aveeno Bar to cleanse your face(2.50-3.00 walmart)My favorites currently are the Clear Complexion Bar and the Positivly Radiant Bar.Scrub your face in the morning and at night before you go to bed using a hand loofah mit(about 1.50-2.00 from one of the spa sections of the any store)Then find a good moisturizer to put on your face( I often Use a small dab Nivea body firming cream and put spf 30 sunblock over it).

But just as important to what you but on your skin is what your feeding it thru your diet.Try cutting out a lot of the extra grease, fat, and sugar. Stick w/ a lot of seafood(tuna, makeral) get creative and vegetables. Lay off the dairy, eggs, legumes and even fruit. Drink lots of water. Try it flavored or w/ lemon and a nonsugar sweetner in it. Take a good vitamin supplement( plse don't waste your money on the ALL-IN-ONE vitamins). Lastly sweat IT OUT AT THE GYM. IN 7 DAYS YOUR SKIN WILL LOOK AIRBRUSHED ON W/O MAKEUP!!!

In case of emergency(4 days or less): FAST and use the skin regime above. after either 1 of these you can go back to regular eating after your skin clears. Just don't overdo it w/ the junk food too often and cont. to take care of your skin.

Sorry Todd, I haven't been on here in awhile. To answer your question, the Tea Tree Oil products can be drying, so I always use a moisturizer. I've only been using them for a few months, so I can't tell you how they work in the winter, but my skin gets dried out from the windy NYC streets.

Anyway, I also used Accutane and my skin was gorgeous for awhile. Now I get occasional breakouts: when I don't sleep enough, when I'm stressed, certain times of the month, etc. But my skin has drastically improved since Accutane.

I used Clindagel, Retin-A, antibiotics, you name it. EVERYTHING dried out my skin and burned it. I have super sensitive skin, so the last resort was Accutane. But things seem to be pretty under control with the Body Shop products so far. Oh, and when I feel a pimple coming on or if one pops up, I get the duane reade benzyoil (?) peroxide stuff and dab it on. My skin's not perfect, but it's much better than it had been. Good luck!

family secrets:

1: antibacterial soap (without moisturizer or anything extra)
2: light moisturizer while the face is still damp (from almond oil to shea butter to fancy schmancy expensive stuff, whatever you like, as long as it won't suffocate the skin)
3: sunshine (don't go overboard but it helps)
4: toothpaste on the bumps at night (regular old school paste, not gel)
5: no processed foods, lots of water
6: keep your hair out of your face and stop touching your face (even putting your chin in your hand)
7: avoid air pollution

what works for one person might not work for someone else, but this old school regimen has worked pretty well in my family, and you can get it all from the dollar store, which is helpful if you can't afford proactiv because you can't get any work because your face looks jacked up.

the antibacterial soap gets the germs in the pores and then the skin gets remoisturized. i have no idea why toothpaste works but it will get rid of a zit overnight like magic. sunshine seems to be good on a clean face, maybe it's the vitamin d.

what is put into the body (chemicals from food, fumes from traffic, etc) can show in the skin, which, as we remember from health class, is the body's biggest organ.

I used to use ProActive and it did work, but unfortunately I was allergic to it. My skin itched like crazy, felt all tight, especially around my mouth and and my eyelids were horribly itchy and swollen - it was awful. The worst part of it is that even though I had such problems, whenever I was breaking out badly, I would still use it to clear up my skin - lol. Since then I haven't found anything that works great for me - I have oilier skin, but its still dehydrated since I don't drink enough water.

I'll be keeping my eye on this post to see what useful hints I can pick up as well.