Curing Acne

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My skin is clearing up again, whether it stays like that or not has yet to be seen. I took this moment of clarity to take some pictures. lol

Given that you say its spontaneous, makes me believe it has more to do with body changes.

Hardening of the natural skin seems likely...and I don't mean hardening as in flaky skin. Rather your skin is likely due to age, in the process of an altered state. Some get this at puberty, some later, some at puberty and later, some go through many of these changes.

The hardening will allow for deeper bacterial penetration and entrapment. This would result in outbreaks of acne...that if you cleared away, could disappear entirely than return.

That is my assumption...but given that I am no dermatologist and certainly am talking over the net, this may not be the case.

mine has been with me for a few years. it's never been really bad, and it was worse during puberty, but like you it comes and goes, apparently spontaneously. the proactiv products do seem to help me with it, they seem to reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts, but nothing i've done has completely eliminated the problem for any length of time. i find that sun exposure helps, although i've heard of others where sun exposure makes it worse. in the summer i get fewer pimples on my face (breakouts are almost non-existent in the summer) and none on my back, whereas i'll get the occasional pimple or two on my back during the winter.

it'll probably get better as time goes on. have you found it's gotten better, worse, or it's remained unchanged over the past few years?

When I was in high school, there was a book on acne years ago where it said to rub ice cubes on the infected area and it worked well to a point. I still had severe acne throughout my H.S. days until my senior year when it finally cleared up.

I heard accutane is guaranteed to work, but it nukes your body and has some apparently permanent side effects that sound much worse than acne.

Hope I don't sound like a harbinger of dread here, but at 41 I've dealt with acne as much in adulthood as when I was a teenager.

- I know it can have a lot to do with genetics. One of my sisters has also always had adult acne.

- Allergic to benzoyl peroxide. Ironically, just about the only chemical/medicine/food/anything allergy I have. But BP gives me an instant rash and makes me break out worse.

- Really hate the idea of prescription drugs (or most anything nearly that harsh).

- In the last 4 years or so it's gotten way, way better (almost non-existent and easier to deal with when I do break out). Maybe it's FINALLY aging out of it, or maybe...

- I've been washing my face just as much, but with *less* anti-biotic type face wash and more gentle soaps. Also using more lotion on my face. Always thought that was counter-intuitive (oil=acne, so why put something oily on my skin?) But like the health pros and others here have indicated, I suspect that's been the star treatment as it were.

- When I do get the (now thankfully occasional) zit, it's often in the same place over and over. I've found that the ice lessens the look/severity of it and at night I'll put a band-aid with antibiotic cream on it. That's when the antibiotic seems to come in handy.


Good luck - and I too will be watching this thread for any further tips!


- Jo