acne - is it true?

[glam8babe]

is it true when they say your acne or blemishes will worsen before they will completely go?

I have been doing a new skincare regimen for the past week (clinique mild liquid facial soap, clinique anti-blemish clarifying lotion, then my usual liz earle oil free moisturizer)

my skin has broken out SOO bad i cant bare to leave the house i just feel depressed all of a sudden

i have heard it will get really bad before it clears up but i dunno i just feel like washing my face every 10 minutes to make sure my face is clean and just feel like crying

 

[glam8babe]

 

[Simply Elegant]

Well it depends on what you're using and there could be other reasons for the breakout too. Usually prescription topical creams and pills do that though, something stronger. I'm not sure if products with lower dosages do that as much because they're not nearly as strong. It could be stress, hormones, hair or hands on your face, pillow cases and sheets, dirty makeup brushes, sweat. I wouldn't rule out the new stuff just yet. It needs awhile to work.

 

[girlsaidwhat]

It certainly /can/ be true, when starting a new skin care regimen.

If you have any plugs (clogged pores), a new routine can cause those to want to come to the surface (in the form of pimples). It's like your skin is purging itself.

Washing your face more frequently isn't going to help things at all. The more frequently you wash your face, the more your face needs to up it's oil production...which will only make the issue worse in the long run.

Try to be patient! I know it's hard, I'm going through it myself right now with Retin A. It too is causing my skin to purge, I've been going through the worst breakouts the last few weeks. It's depressing...but I can also see the improvement in my skin. Patience is key.

 

[richelleneB]

Hi glam8babe, i am reading this book called Beautiful Skin of Color and they have explanation here about ACNE. Here it goes:

Acne is humbling. It doesnt matter who you are. Although the breakouts are beyond your control and it is important to understand that there is no cure for Acne, it is possible to manage it. Tackling the problem by yourself is difficult.
ACNE is primarily caused by what happens inside your body. Your hormonal system gets acne going.

FACTS: Fried foods or chocolate may cause acne flare-ups in some people. For most people, however, food does not trigger acne. Yet in every case, a healthy diet including fish, grains, green vegetables, fruits, fiber, and water can help to improve your skin.

I hope you find this helpful.

I am breaking out for some reason right now too. Like big pimple that is really red and really hurts just inside of it.

I am very stress at the moment because of some family matters and thats why i understand why i am breaking out. Its my STRESS!

Oh, eventually it`ll go away. I just hope its soon but i know its not.

Take care xox

 

[richelleneB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by girlsaidwhat It certainly /can/ be true, when starting a new skin care regimen. If you have any plugs (clogged pores), a new routine can cause those to want to come to the surface (in the form of pimples). It's like your skin is purging itself. Washing your face more frequently isn't going to help things at all. The more frequently you wash your face, the more your face needs to up it's oil production...which will only make the issue worse in the long run. Try to be patient! I know it's hard, I'm going through it myself right now with Retin A. It too is causing my skin to purge, I've been going through the worst breakouts the last few weeks. It's depressing...but I can also see the improvement in my skin. Patience is key.

I agree to this very much! I just read this too in this book that im reading. PATIENCE IS THE KEY, really TRUE.

 

[k.a.t]

I've heard of people's acne getting worse before it gets better when they first start using a product to get rid of it, but only time will tell i guess

That's why you have to keep using that same product for up to 3 months before you decide to switch because they can take that long to have an effect on your acne (i've heard this about acne creams etc but i'm not sure about clinique)
I'm currently using a benzouyl peroxide gel and although it does seem to be helping my acne i still get a few breakouts (big painful cysts

) Oh well i guess the key is patience (as richelleneB said) and we're just gonna have to put up with it until something works lol

xx

 

[moonlit]

Hi glam8babe!

Are you sure its not that time of the month?I had acne like since I was 14 years old.. im 25 now! The only thing that cured me was diane 35.(I have PCOS)Then i had to stop (side effects) after a year..

My skin is good now.I use retinoid cream and glycolic acid cream 8%.

I am not sure why you had Acne flare up but I understand how it sucks to stay at home.I was so depressed many times and wouldnt wana meet ANYONE!

dont let that get to you.wait for a day or two and if possible try out retin a- it dries out you skin so u gota moisturise ur skin.It also helps to get rid of the scars

One thing that really works for me is - chanel's acne blemish control.If you get your hands on it, try it.I loveeeee that stuff.. its HG for me.

 

[glam8babe]

no it isnt time of the month

the only thing i have done is changed my skin routine, i hardly eat junk food and i drink lots of water
im hoping its just my skin getting used to it

i didnt know chanel did an acne control line ill have to check it out

thanks!

 

[LMD84]

hi sweetie. i knwo exactly how you feel as this happened to me... and guess what brand i switched to? clineque!!! it broke me out bad too. i usually use clarins stuff but tried this about 4 months ago and it wrecked my face.

but to help it clear uip a bit quicker rather than ride it out and see it get worse i went back to clarins and bought some clearasil ultra rapid action treatment cream. which does what it says on teh packet. within a week my face was alot clearer and just had a few small bumps left on my forehead. hopw this helps

 

[Temptasia]

I've used the Clinique 3 Step skin line and my skin got worse...it's very drying and harsh.

I learned that my acne prone skin did better with more gentle and simple products like Spectrojel or Cetaphil as a cleanser, simple oil-free and scent-free moisturizer, and exfoliation with the aspirin mask (calms inflammation and helps acne heal faster without getting worse)

The products I use are a fraction of the price of Clinique products...so it's possible to have good skin with drugstore products!

 

[Kiseki]

Actually, and note that I'm not a dermatologist, I don't agree with the whole "your acne will get worse before it gets better" theory. Many skincare brands and their respective lines use that "it's purging, etc etc" line, but quite honestly 99% of the time it's hogwash. When I did treatment for acne (involving isotretinoin sp, a peel and a specific skincare regimen that was fairly simple, basically a cleanser and a lightweight, oil free lightweight moisturizer for sensitive skin), never did I break out worse, on the contrary, I started seeing improvements after a couple of days.

I never got lucky with Clinique, their skincare always broke me out and quite honestly you should consider switching to another line.

Acne is mostly due to over productive sebaceous glands that along with dead skin cells and bacteria tend to clog pores and make you break out and the only "definite" cure I experienced was while on isotretinoin (sp)
, however I suffered from very dry lips that hurt like crazy, becoming photosensitive and wearing SPF 60 everyday and avoiding sun exposure (even for 5 minutes) and dry eyes that made wearing contacts rather troublesome.

Sorry for the long reply.

 

[stacey4415]

When starting anything new, even if, going from a bad diet to a good one e.g, your skin will change. Years ago when i stopped drinking, for about a week my skin was HORRENDOUS, but then it settled down to almost perfect, when your body changes it goes through lots of different methods of showing that and reacting to the different things

Smile hun, it will be fine

 

[ashleydenise]

I used to use the Clinique 3 Step and it did me dirty... The only thing I use from it now is the Moisture Gel and then I use AcneFree for face wash and my face has MAJORLY cleared up.

 

[fillintheblank]

I've been using retin-a micro(gel) which my derm prescribed for my acne and the info did say it would seem like it was worse, so that everything could be brought to the surface of the skin and then be reduced. that did happen and after about a week it began to clear up. I have tried a clinique regimen that didn't really seem to work for me. Actually I've tried a bunch of things but the only thing that works is prescription stuff, so I'd suggest going to a dermotologist if you can.

 

[glam8babe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fillintheblank so I'd suggest going to a dermotologist if you can.

i wish i could, its just too expensive here

 

[fafinette21]

I know how you feel

earlier this year I started breaking out badly and it seemed like when one went away another one appeared right away. I definitely did cry once or twice because I was thinking "i must look so ugly". But you are probably harsher on yourself than anyone else and likely no one else thinks you look as bad as you think you do.
Seems a few people on here have had the same problems with the Clinique line so maybe you should try something else? I know you are supposed to wait however long to see the effect, but I don't think it should get worse before it's get better, that doesn't sound very good.
I don't know if you get Biore over there, but I used Biore Ice Cleanser for Acne Prone skin and then a mild toner every night at bedtime followed with just a regular drugstore brand Clean and Clear Oil-Free night moisturizer and my skin was noticably better within about a week or so. I really like the Biore line, I also have their Cleansing Self Heating Masks and their Pore Unclogging scrub and they are really effective but still gentle. I hope you can find one that works for you!

 

[KellyBean]

No, I don't think so. I've used many things which claim this and I've used them for months. I generally use a St. Ives face wash and then Witch hazel as a toner and a Clean and Clear moisturizer. With this, I cleared up within just a few weeks. Also, be sure to remove your makeup as soon as possible each day. I just use some baby wipes to do this.

Hth, PM me anytime. I know acne sucks but I promise you something will work!

 

[KellyBean]

Oh and also, I'd reccomend sticking with the Clinique for another week or two. The key is consistency!

 

[seabird]

although it isn't acne, i used to suffer from severe eczema on my face (it sometimes still shows up) and if it was going to clear up, it'd get so so terrible then completely go. i remember when my friend had some prescribed acne treatment and hers got worse before it improved. now her skin is almost completely clear

i'd stick at it for a bit longer and don't wash your face so much, it stimulates oil production as you're washing it all off and your skin needs some natural oils, just like your hair does if you wash it so often.