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Skin Care (pg. 4)
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| jeeper_095 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Cro_Addict
back acne |
how do you get rid of that? |
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| Cro_Addict |
| quote: | Originally posted by jeeper_095
how do you get rid of that? |
thats what i had. My face was fine except for a few here and there.
I tried a bunch of different cream and over the counter stuff...it doesn't work.
I used a few different prescriptions including Tetracycline. They only helped while I was using them, but as soon as I stopped, the acne came back within 1-2 weeks.
My dermatologist then recommended Accutane which is pretty much the best product out there, and only used once everything else has been tried and didn't work.
If you need more info on Acutane let me know and i'll PM u. But pretty much you are put on a 3-6 month treatment. At first it gets worse, but then after 3 weeks or so it starts to work and dry up the acne. The way it works is that it really drys up you skin. The side effect is that you get really chapped lips and possible other parts of the face thought this depends on the individual. Hoever everyone gets dry lips. |
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| jeeper_095 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Cro_Addict
If you need more info on Acutane let me know and i'll PM u. But pretty much you are put on a 3-6 month treatment. At first it gets worse, but then after 3 weeks or so it starts to work and dry up the acne. The way it works is that it really drys up you skin. The side effect is that you get really chapped lips and possible other parts of the face thought this depends on the individual. Hoever everyone gets dry lips.
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I did a quick research on it but I want to know about it from somebody who tried it already, so please send PM with more info or even post here to help other people who might have the same problem.
I don't know how my liver is going to act on this, but it's worth considering. |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by jeeper_095
I did a quick research on it but I want to know about it from somebody who tried it already, so please send PM with more info or even post here to help other people who might have the same problem.
I don't know how my liver is going to act on this, but it's worth considering. |
is your face THAT bad? because from what I heard you peel badly for a few months... girls usually have to sign an agreement that they won't get pregnant while on it... it's a very strong treatement |
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| jeeper_095 |
| quote: | Originally posted by FunkyCrew
is your face THAT bad? because from what I heard you peel badly for a few months... .. it's a very strong treatement |
I'm just inquiring for more info...
My face is clean, never even had a problem with in since I was 12, it's my back that's got some, gets annoying some times when I get some big ass pimple regardless of how often I change my shirts or shower.
Re: peeling, from what I've read, that's what Accutane does, supplementing vitamin A into the body. Skin dries-> skin peels->skin rejuvenates.
If it's for peeling, I might as well torch my back in the sun. Without even paying attention, it worked when I was in trades; |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by jeeper_095
I'm just inquiring for more info...
My face is clean, never even had a problem with in since I was 12, it's my back that's got some, gets annoying some times when I get some big ass pimple regardless of how often I change my shirts or shower.
Re: peeling, from what I've read, that's what Accutane does, supplementing vitamin A into the body. Skin dries-> skin peels->skin rejuvenates.
If it's for peeling, I might as well torch my back in the sun. Without even paying attention, it worked when I was in trades; |
yeah that's what I meant - Accutane is for ppl with severe cases of facial acne, but the peeling happens all over - body and face... if it's just your back, then try something less strong
from what I've learned about acne treatments, anything with active ingredient Benzy* works well
but honestly, if you have time, just pop in for a dermatologist appointment, 90% of the time they know their acne stuff |
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| Cro_Addict |
OK I'll put the info here. This is from what i know and my experience.
The way it works is that it reduces the amount of oil released by the oil glands and this makes your skin regenerate faster and makes it very dry.
The most common dryness is in the lips. Mine were very chapped, and I had to used chapstick very very often; probably every 15 minutes. I also experience dryness around my lips and chin. It is also possible to get dry eyelids and other parts of your face, however I did not experience this. I had to make sure to use a NON-medicated chapstick and make sure its not mint floured. Medicated chapstcik or the ones that are minty will burn the lips only agrevating them even more. So the plainer, the better. The one I found worked best for me was the Neutrogena one. For the face you have to use a good oil free moisturizer. The best ones are by Avene or ROC. The women here will be familiar with these brands most likely while the men might not. These brands you won't find in the regular section, but in the cosmetics. Avene and ROC make special cremes that are designed for people on accutane or other acne medicines that cause dryness. They are pretty expensive ($25 for 30ml) but do the job...i was on accutane but had baby face skin after few weeks of use. Another thing that it does is that it makes your skin more sensitive, so you have to make sure you use a good sunscreen with a high SPF (at least 30).
Some people also experience muscle and joint pains while on it, however i did not have this. Since accutane is very very strong, women have to sign a form saying they will not get pregnant (as funky said). This is because Accutane can cause serious birth defects. The pills come in a blister pack (like gum) and on the back of every blister of the pill there is a picture of a woman pregnant that is crossed out... Thats 30 little pictures in a 5x5 inch area...so its very important that you don't get pregnant. There are some other crazy side effects like you might get depressed and suicidal (i am not kidding). So if you are depressed you might want to discuss this with your doctor.
While on Accutane you are not to drink excesivley. A drink here and there is fine, but you can't go out binge drinking. Accutane puts quite a strain on your liver and alcohol will not help the situation. I will admit, I had a drink or 2 on the weekend, and it didnt kill me.
Now that I have told you all the side effects, for those of you who arent scared yet...here is more info about the usage and so on.
The dosage is determined by your doctor. They take a blood test and use that information along with your weight and the severity of the acne to determine a dosage. You will only get a prescription that gives you enough pills for 30 days. After this you have to go back to the doctor. He then takes another blood test and give you a new prescription. The doctors keep a good eye on you, and make sure you are back every month for a check up. I started with 2 pills a day, and then went down to alternating 2 one day then 1 the next. If you miss a dose, don't try to take it late, just forget about it and take ur next scheduled one.
The treatment lasts 3-6 months. After this period if it didnt work you must pause for a little and then go back for a second treatment. Most prescriptions start acting right away, but accutane takes about 3-4 weeks. The first 3-4 it actually agravates the acne and it gets 5 times worse. After this 3-4 week period it gets better slowly. So its a long treatment but it works.
Oh another few things you must avoid while on Accutane. You CAN NOT give blood. DO NOT get any type of waxing done or any dermabrasions or laser skin treatments. Also avoid any surgery or any scaring of the skin. This is to be avoided during treatment and for AT LEAST 6 MONTHS AFTER finishing treatment. You could scar badly if you do these during treatment.
It seems very bad...and you might think why would someone use this, but it does work. This is the best treatment out there.
Thats all i could think of right now...if i think of anything else...or if anyone has any specific questions about my experience please ask. |
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| beefy k |
Before you go to accutane just try my method (cold-hot-cold-hot-cold) and make sure to do that after heavy exercise too. I use a moisturizer at night. I only use dove soap for my face since it has a good level of moisturizers and it doesn't leave my face feeling tight.
Try it for a few weeks and I think you'll see a good change. |
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| Cro_Addict |
| quote: | Originally posted by FunkyCrew
yeah that's what I meant - Accutane is for ppl with severe cases of facial acne, but the peeling happens all over - body and face... if it's just your back, then try something less strong
from what I've learned about acne treatments, anything with active ingredient Benzy* works well
but honestly, if you have time, just pop in for a dermatologist appointment, 90% of the time they know their acne stuff |
While the Benzy* does work. It doesn't in all cases.
I didn't have sever acne at all but always had some on my back and at times i would get this big annoying pimples.
All the Benzy* products worked while i was on them and then they would stop right after. I was on some of those products for about 3 years on and off, and every time i stopped using them the acne came back.
Oh, and the doctor will try all of these treatments first before accutane. You will probably get 5-6 different prescription drugs and creams before they go to accutane. There is an exception of course if you are sever case. |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by Cro_Addict
While the Benzy* does work. It doesn't in all cases.
I didn't have sever acne at all but always had some on my back and at times i would get this big annoying pimples.
All the Benzy* products worked while i was on them and then they would stop right after. I was on some of those products for about 3 years on and off, and every time i stopped using them the acne came back.
Oh, and the doctor will try all of these treatments first before accutane. You will probably get 5-6 different prescription drugs and creams before they go to accutane. There is an exception of course if you are sever case. |
I also used to suffer from a case of a few massive pimples in the upper area... but somehow they just stopped coming up, after I gave up treating them
I just use a rough wash cloth and body scrub often, so the pores don't get clogged up |
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| jeeper_095 |
Yeah, I read about some of the stuff Cro_ outlined here, it's strong, and most people said it works, however I'm suspicious of the side effects as it is a strong chemical in your body.
I know for one thing that my liver can't take any of that, I'll rather go natural, say sauna or sun power.
| quote: | | (cold-hot-cold-hot-cold) and make sure to do that after heavy exercise |
never go cold on a "hot" body, hot after exercise, that's just asking for trouble.
Maybe you meant warm- hot - warm-cold-warm-hot-warm-cold. I used to do a lot of cold showers, I'd gradually reduce hot to warm to cold until my body took it.
Pores open at hot temperature; what I do, when I can reach to wash the whole back is turn on the warm-hot-hot hot, until the skin is nearly red and then apply soap/rough brush or cloth (or sandpaper :tongue2, if I run out of scrubbing options). rinse with warm water, finish cold. |
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| The Highroller |
| quote: | Originally posted by FunkyCrew
as I said, I have 11 years of battling with acne
all those points are helpful yes, but they do not get the acne removed completely, just slightly... monthly break outs still occur |
You make it sound like in 100% of cases, this will only work slightly. Just because it didn't work for you, doesn't mean it won't work for everyone else. Your skin condition is not identical to everyone else's.
| quote: | | dermotologist should NOT be the last thing to do, it should be the first and foremost thing - consulting a specialist, maybe even doing a blood test too does help a lot... I know, because for the longest time I didn't, and when I did, I saw extensive improvement within the first month |
[color=ccff00]It should be the last thing you do after you've tried the methods I suggested above. A very large percentage of teenagers and young adults have acne, and if every single one of them went to a dermatologist right away before trying to solve the problem themselves first, it would over burden the health care system. Your attitude of seeing a specialist before you change your pillow case may be preventing someone from getting medical attention who actually really needs to see a specialist immediately.
| quote: | Originally posted by Cro_Addict
My dermatologist then recommended Accutane which is pretty much the best product out there, and only used once everything else has been tried and didn't work. |
While I agree that Accutane is an effective treatment, I think anyone using it should think long and hard about it first. The negative side effects can be pretty severe. One of the more serious ones is depression that has even lead some teenagers to suicide. I find that doctor's are way too quick to prescribe this medication.
Without taking care of my face, my acne can get pretty bad, but after trying Accutane for one week, I through it in the garbage and never tried it again. |
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