Skin issues :( any advice?

[australorpchick]

No hot water! Luke warm water. You can further aggrevate your skin with hot water. I went to the dermatologist last year for a similar problem. I was breaking out more at 32 than when I was in high school and they wouldn't go away. I had 3 pimples for months! I stopped using a wash cloth too, just wash and rinse with my hands. The Dr. had me on some antibiotics, but that didn't do anything but cost money and make my skin more prone to burning. She did give me some cream, can't remember the name, but it cost $50 (with insurance). You use very little, so it lasts a long time (over a year and still have about 75%). I have occassional pimples now, but nothing like last year. I wash my face in the morning and night with Mark Kay Timewise bar soap and luke warm water. I've also used Burts Bees Carrot Complexion Soap and liked that too. Once a week I scrub with St. Yves Sensitive Skin Apricot scrub. At night I use Jergens All-Purpose cream. I know totally old-school right, but it's like $3 for a 15 oz. tub at Walmart. I also use the Jergens to take off my eyemakeup. Easiest thing I've found for mascara and doesn't get in my eyes. In the morning I use Jergens around my eyes & cheekbones and Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference cream (2 x 2.5oz jars for $30 at Costco) on the rest. Then I slather with Neutrogena 70spf sunscreen. I use the expensive pimple oinment sparingly when needed (usually clears up within 24 hours). My complexion has gotten so much nicer. My melasma (freckles) are also clearing up little by little.

Oh yeah, drink water, water, and more water.

Good luck on finding what works for you!

 

[luvarabhorses]

Wow, Bravo to you for the dietary changes! The only thing I was able to completely cut out of my diet was iodine and that made a big difference for me.
Maybe a restricted diet would have worked for me but I just could not give up chocolate, sugar or dairy, especially yogurt.
I really recommend Accutane for the weak willed. It dries the heck out of your nose etc.. but the results are really quick and your face will stay clear for years afterwards. It is actually a vitamin A derivative ( so is trentinoin btw) so it is not as evil as it has been made out to be.

 

[NancyDz]

My niece had the same issue, it was hormonal and her doc put her on a low dose birth control pill and they went away. So unless you are wanting to get pregnant maybe that would be a way to regulate it? Have you talked to you doc that took you off the estrogen? It sounds like some tweeking with the estrogen needs to be done to get you at normal levels .


Good luck!

Nancy

 

[KDbeads]

Quote:
Yeah, we spent 3 years tweeking the estrogen, I really wish I could have stayed on it but the week I was taken off and put on progesterone only my BP dropped to 'tolerable' levels. I felt better on the estrogen but I'd also like to live a while and not be on high doses of BP meds and not deal with a stroke too early on

Had to pick my poison

Update.... This morning I hunted down one of the ladies here in town that makes old fashioned plain old lye soap. As soon as I got home with it I tried it out. No bleeding (which is a biggy, most soaps make my face bleed), no cracking, no overly dry skin. So now I do this once a day and wait to see what happens. If it works I'm going to be making my own ASAP to get it set and aged before this bar runs out.

And for those of you who have problems with moisturizers I found one that's worth EVERY penny
http://www.nonieofbeverlyhills.com/...ypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=11&category_id=2

 

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
Ok, since Bare Minerals is pure, I am gonna go ahead and say this driven by a hormone imbalance or something that needs a Derm to diagnose.

I agree, Bare Minerals helps me too. I sometimes use it when I break out and I'm not even going anywhere.

Also, I wouldn't wash my face with a super hot towel, that's unnecessary. You've been brainwashed into thinking you have to have soap and water to wash your face or else

I'd just use warm water, don't scrub it, and it's probably better, in fact, if you don't use soap. If you absolutely feel cheezy without soap, find something hypoallergenic and very gentle. Even if parts of your face are oily, I've driven myself to breakouts by washing too much and too harshly. If you can go to a dermatologist, you might be able to get samples of something from him/her.

I know this is an oxymoron, but sometimes dry skin manifests as oily skin
as a protective measure. Are you sure your oily areas are truly oily?

Also, what are you eating? I know this sounds corny and silly, but my skin gets better the more I try to stay away from processed foods and sugar. Try to go as pure as you can, and try to get as much nutrient dense foods as you can. That will help, I think.

I would not resort to birth control pills. There are too many long-lasting side effects, one of which you already have been affected by (high blood pressure). If you already are experiencing some of them, I wouldn't go back on birth control.

 

[raroo]

Quote:
YES! I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin as well. Doesn't matter what I use, EVERYTHING will make me break out. I went through many agonizing years and even used birth control to help my skin until I finally figured it out. Don't use ANYTHING! Every morning, and every night, just splash and rinse your face really well with very warm water. Then soak a clean washcloth in hot water, ring it out and scrub your face. I know some people will tell you not to do that but scrubbing with a washcloth sloughs off all the dead skin cells, and it doesn't make things worse. Trust me, if it did, I wouldn't be doing it.

Seriously. I've been to dermatologists, been prescribed special pills and creams, tried different face washes. When I finally stopped putting anything other than water on my face it magically cleared up!

Certain makeup will make you break out as well. Anything with oil in it. I use Almay cosmetics and they are just fine on my skin. In fact, I find using a foundation actually protects my skin as it is SPF 15 and blocks out the sun and dirt and stuff.

Please try using just water! It truly did work for me, and is worth trying! Your skin will probably need a few weeks to repair itself though so try and be patient. I went through my entire adolescence and teen years, and part of my early twenties trying everything under the sun. Just hot water and a washcloth, it works!

 

[lorieMN]

you may at this point have an underlying staff infection,,which will take meds to clear up..I had the same problem..now I use proactive and thats all and I rarely have a breakout,and now when I do its actually very minor to what it used to be..and no makeup,I tried the bare minerals,dead sea minerals,mary kay,antibitoics..nothing actually helped until the proactive.

 

[TammyTX]

Because I'm allergic to the Benzoyl Peroxide treatments, I use Tazorac gel to keep my skin clear but it's NOT for very sensitive skin. I'm fair complected and my skin is sensitive to fragrances...I can wear perfume but only in my hair line so it doesn't touch my neck.

Also, someone said for you not to use iodized salt...that's wrong for people with HYPOthyroid! You need to use iodized salt. Your Endo should have told you to make sure to use iodized salt.

Drink plenty of plain water to get your body flushed out, too.

 

[NRacine]

May not be a total cure, but put a clean towel over your pillow every night. I bet all the bacteria from your acne, especially if you have open sores, find a wonderful place to live on your pillow case. Since your face spends so much time there, it probably just gets reinfected every night. And I would also talk to your regular doctor about antibiotics.

 

[patman75]

IMHO, (or medically speaking)

Accutane and antibiotics can cause many other problems. I would not touch either with a 100 foot pole.

Accunate has been known to cause ulcerative colitis and there are many lawsuits out there because of it.

Antibiotics can wipe out your good bacteria as well as the bad and then weaken your immune system. Antibiotics will not help if your acne is being caused by fungal or yeast.