[zombiefluff]

I'm so frustrated I could punch a wall but I don't want to leave a stain. so my dillema is this:
I have had mild acne since I was like 15, yay puberty! I'm 23 now and my acne has always been fairly managable. When I deployed in october of last year my acne exploded in a fit of rage. I personally think it was my body's self defense kicking in.
(I can be so nasty gross the terrorists will run away!)

anywho... 8 months roll around and it's still super bad nasty so I go to the Doc (my super sexy medic boyfriend btw) and beg him to fix me up. they give me this stuff called Retin-A. I squeel with happy super gushing awesome because finally my problem will be solved forever with magic white cream that I am to smear all over my face! (shoo gutter brains!)

I run to my tent and commence the smearing...

An hour passes by and I look in a mirror to find my acne roaring in angst and swelling and just generally being gross. I've continued to use Retin-A in hopes maybe my body has to adjust to it or something but to my utter distaste it has only proven to make my acne just look more disgusting and my face is super greasy along with my whole body in general. I am a grease bucket...


my question is this:
Have you found acne medications to make your acne worse?
salycilic acids make my face super dry which causes my body to make more oil thus more acne in the long run. and well... Retin-A is a super fail...

((cries in corner))

[Funkduder]

How much water do you drink, fluffy? I bet that has something to do with it.
I took one acne med that failed, kinda, and now, I'm on a second one called acutain. It's extreme stuff, but my doc recommended it because I have olive skin, which scars easily.
...BTW, what do you mean by "tent"? are you in the army?

[zombiefluff]

yessir I'm in the army.

[zombiefluff]

I think I drink enough water. I do however drink a lot of crap too. I'm drinking less soda than I used to but I havent noticed a difference in my skin at all.

[Funkduder]

It takes time. I'm sure that if you consulted your boyfriend (or should I call him your doctor?) than he would tell you more or less then same. I have a pretty bad case of back-acne which didn't change with the 1st med, and still hasn't made much progress on the even though I'm using the 2nd med, now. However, It's a 6 month prescription and I'm only in month 1 of the 2nd prescription. How log have you been on your meds?

[Madam Kira]

Well I have a scheduled doctors appointment for my acne next Wednesday. My mom says the more then likely my acne will get a lot worse, then clear up, with the medicine. >.<

[Echo-chan713]

Well there are a lot of factor played to it, I can only think a few right now as the following:

1. Stress can cause hormones to be active and one of those hormones inacted acne

2. The enviroment where all the dirt and the atmosphere can react to your skin differently.

3. Hygeine, at an area whaere water can be scare out in the hot weather bundled up in layers of heavy fabric can induce sweat which gets into the pores and with that can cause acne

[Fey]

Ah, the joys of acne...or lack there of.

What everyone has said is right, a lot of things contribute to it, and you're in a situation where you can't control a lot of them. The things I did to help with my acne:

1) No more super greasy foods or lots of sodas. I replaced them with water and the WANT to eat greasy foods that I just ignore.

2) I cleaned my face with a mild cleanser twice a day and then used an oil controlling lotion afterwards. If you JUST wash your face your body will create more oil to replace what you just took off; however, if you replace it with a dryer lotion your body will slow down the oil production.(I use Mary Kay, but I don't imagine you can get that out where you are...) We often assume that if we're oily/greasy lotion will just make it worse, but it actually HELPS.

3) I do NOT touch my face with my fingers or palms any more. At all. A lot of times we cause breakouts by pressing against our pores with greasy/grimy hands. I saw a HUGE reduction in my acne just by only touching my face with the back of my hands(there's no oil glands there).

4) Stop using a medication that is only making things worse, lol. Sorta silly to have to say, but it's true. If you're NOT seeing results you won't see them by persistence. Every body had different reactions, and obviously your's isn't a good one.

So, in a nutshell: More water! Clean and LOTION! NO TOUCHIE!!

[Nanka]

My acne isn't terrible and I use lots of cover up. >.>