Acne is ruining my life!

[FriendlyShadow]

Hey everyone. Okay, so let me start off by saying I'm 14 years old and i have horrible acne. It's on my forehead, nose, chin, around my lips(the ones that look like you have a cold sore) and just practically everywhere on my face. Not only that but some of them are just really itchy while others kind of burn and are blemishes. I've tried acne treatments like clearasil, clear skin professional, and other things. But yet I don't see any difference, so I'm not that impressed. It's really starting to frustrate me though. I don't usually put on make up, I eat healthy, although i might eat junk food like ice cream, but it's not that frequent. Plus, I do drink water and I try not to pick on my pimples. It's just so embarrassing because I can't just go one day without these stupid, ugly bumps forming on my face. Does anyone know how to fix my situation?

 

[Lorraine Manca]

wash your face gently, use benzoyl peroxide at night. if you use it during the day, you need to put sunscreen on to because the sun makes benzoyl peroxide sting.

 

[DeadmanWalking]

The reason your acne is so prevalent and unending is probably because you have naturally oily skin, like I do. My acne is ridiculous, with pimples and whatnot constantly plastered across my face::; it doesn't help that my foods are usually high in oil sometimes. What I do for that is to just take a cotton ball and put some alcohol on it (not the drinking kind: and just rub my face with it. It's probably worse for you because you're 14, the prime time for puberty and everything else, but I'm neither a doctor nor a dermatologist, so I could be wrong. How often do you clean your face? That may also be a problem.

 

[FriendlyShadow]

The reason your acne is so prevalent and unending is probably because you have naturally oily skin, like I do. My acne is ridiculous, with pimples and whatnot constantly plastered across my face::; it doesn't help that my foods are usually high in oil sometimes. What I do for that is to just take a cotton ball and put some alcohol on it (not the drinking kind: and just rub my face with it. It's probably worse for you because you're 14, the prime time for puberty and everything else, but I'm neither a doctor nor a dermatologist, so I could be wrong. How often do you clean your face? That may also be a problem.

I don't clean my face on a regular basis. But, yeah that might be a problem too. Thanks for you advice and Lorraine Manca's too!

 

[Hoppy]

Wait 6 years, that's what I did.

Anyway, when I had the same problem everybody told me to wash my face and I thought I do, it took me a long time to realize that it means washing as often as possible to help get the oil away. I started to wash about every hour, and it helped a lot.

 

[Shyangel]

I had a horrible a acne problem when I as your age to, I still struggle with it, but it's not nearly as bad. It ruined my life, I would stay in my room crying for hours because I was so ugly and didn't want anyone to see me that way. I would every morning put make up on for hours and wouldn't leave the room until I felt like I didn't look hideous, which would hardly ever happen. It ruled my life, I wouldn't go places, meet people or anything. I caused my acne though. I picked at hit ALL the time and would never leave it alone. I caused my acne for the most part, when I stopped obsessing over it, it got better and eventually went mostly away. My acne now is just because of my laziness. Just clean your face every day and do NOT touch, rub, or pick at your face and it should go away.

 

[1BlackSheep]

If you're able to, it would be good to go see a dermatologist.

I've always had oily skin and got bad acne cysts when I was younger. My dermatologist put me on a course of Accutane, and that solved the problem! I'm not sure if they still prescribe Accutane any more because I heard that it was linked to bone problems (which is why you can only take it for a short time).

Now that I'm older, I rarely get pimples, although I still have to battle the oilies!

 

[Nanita]

My ex boyfriend had extreme acne (he was 20 years old at that time), and he couldn´t find out what exactly caused it. He tried drinking lots of water, he tried cleaning with different products, and he tried not cleaning facial skin at all. Anyway, nothing helped, but 3 years later it suddenly went away completely.

 

[this_portrait]

I had pretty bad acne as a teen, too, especially when I was 16. This was not only due to oily skin, but also rampant hormones, so that might be what's causing your breakouts. I used Proactiv, which helped quite a bit, but my acne didn't start to really decline until my late teens and transition into my 20's. Even then I would still get quite a few zits. What ultimately ended up giving me the clearest skin I've ever had was birth control pills (but since you're only 14, that might be a bit difficult to obtain, depending on the circumstances).

But yeah, washing your face regularly will help, for one, but from my own experience, BC has helped the most. If you can't get that, then age and time cures all.

 

[coyote]

i had pretty bad skin when i was a teen

cleared up when i went into the marines

the intensive training apparently got rid of a lot of toxins

our bodies are complex pieces of biochemical/biomechanical engineering

the better overall condition the whole apparatus is in, the better each component works

proper diet and exercise will help your skin be at it's healthiest

they also help your emotional and mental well being

 

[9407]

I had pretty bad acne when I was 14 too. I still have it, but not as bad. I personally use blue laundry soap from Jamaica and it works better than any medication I've ever been on.

 

[Barry1979]

It does really suck, I had it horrible at times when I was a youngster....it will go away in time.

 

[Jessica7]

I know how you feel, I used to have bad skin too
I started seeing a dermatologist and I am on medication for it and it has all cleared up, but if you don't want to do that you could try benzoyl peroxide, I really noticed a difference when I used that

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

Hello, lions!

Let me just say first... I'm almost 24 and still have acne as bad as I had in highschool. My hormones are insane and it runs in the family, so I can expect to have breakouts well into my 50's.

The best solution I could give to you is to learn an easy routine of concealer and lightweight foundation.
People tell me all the time (when they actually get a chance to peek at me) that I have amazing clear skin but that's not true... I've just adapted to applying very natural looking makeup to simulate having clear skin.
You can put on makeup without feeling like you have makeup on and if you have exhausted all of your options after speaking with your doctor and a dermatologist-- makeup can become your best friend.
I just say this from experience.

One other thing to keep in mind... teenagers have acne-- aside from the few lucky freaks of nature; everyone around you is more worried about their skin than they are about how you look. guaranteed.

 

[razzle dazzle rose]

I feel your pain.

Acne sucks. It is not just a teenage problem either. My problem with acne began when I began college. All that stress made me break out. Unlike you, I would pick, which has given me scars. So good for you for not picking!

Going to a dermatologist would probably be best, as there all sorts of treatments now. Some have really bad side effects though, like accutane. It makes people suicidal :/ I have not been to a dermatologist, but I have pretty much tried everything else. I still have spots but I can live with those. This is what has worked for me:

1. Cetaphil!!!! It is a very gentle creamy face wash. You can even use it without water. Just rub your face gently with it and take off with a washcloth. I cannot recommend it enough. It is cheap and you can find it at all the drugstores, Target and Walmart. The generic store versions work as well and will save you a couple bucks.

2. A spot treatment with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide. I get the generic Target version. This I apply after washing my face. Just a little bit on each pimple. I only use this once a day when necessarily. It dries my skin out if I use it too frequently.

3. A moisturizer is a must. Even oily types need to moisturize. I use an Aveno moisturizer. It has SPF as well. I use it after the spot treatment.

4. Also, be sure to change your pillowcases often. And don't pick! Scars are something else!

Covering up the spots is next, and this I do with makeup. I know you mentioned in another thread you don't use it. That is fine..though it can make you feel less self-conscious about your spots as they do a good job at covering it up. Last year I found these two products that really work miracles on my skin. I can't imagine going without them.

1. Sephora: Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment: Primer

2. Sephora: Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation: Liquid Foundation

They are a bit on the pricey side, but the good thing is that they work. Worth every penny. Let me know if you decide to use these and I can give you tips as to how to apply them. I do a full face of makeup each time I go out btw, so these are not the only two products I use.

A few weeks ago I saw this inspiring video of this girl with bad acne showing us the whole process she goes through to cover up her skin. She uses a ton of products but her skin looks flawless. Still, I cannot imagine going through all that. I only do about a third of what she does (though my acne is not as severe). Here it is if you want to see:

Foundation Routine Flawless Skin (Full Coverage, Fingertips) Acne Scaring Make Up For Ever HD - YouTube

I hope these tips help!

 

[1BlackSheep]

Some have really bad side effects though, like accutane. It makes people suicidal :/

I had not heard this about Accutane, but it was many years ago when I took it. I do have to say it did wonders for my skin! I think it would be tough to use if you have normal/dry skin with acne because it's very drying, but with my oily skin it actually made it normal!

1. Sephora: Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment: Primer

I've just recently started using a primer and love it! I'm using Smashbox's Oil-Free Photofinish Primer (not the "light" one - it doesn't work as well, imo).

I loooove Sephora but have found that the Smashbox primer is cheaper at Ulta, and I can order it online from them too!