Very Very very bad skin

horrible acne. Like, it's really really bad. On my face not so much some days but it's insanely bad on my chest+back. Even though I have a shirt on I tend to avoid speaking to people that I would blame on this. people I been hanging out with wanted to go swimming after basketball but I couldn't just for that. I really wanted to, it was 85+ degrees, the sun was shining down hard and it would've been good to go swimming but I couldn't. This also makes me avoid intimate contact with women. I hate this about me, it makes me hate myself for this. Mainly it was back in high school i would get made fun of because of my bad skin but it just got worse over time. I hate it so much. I've led to the conclusion that this is why I'm probably going to end up alone forever. Sounds like its too much but this is how I honestly think and know how my life is going to be

Have you tried different acne treatment products? Have you been to a dermatologist?

No to both. They both cost money of which I don't really have

What about trying a shower gel that has salicylic acid (for acne) in it? You could use it instead of soap or a regular shower gel so it's not really an extra expense. Just a different product.

Do you know any specific kinds?

The acid stuff for acne is bunk (at least it was for me)

Get a tube of generic 10% benzoil peroxide. It will cost $2-$3 or something.

Get some cetaphil lotion. It's not expensive either.

Before bed, put on the peroxide. Let it get a little dry and then put on the lotion. Try just putting it on before bed for a few weeks.

This simple regimen cleared up my acne easily. I saw a difference in how fast the acne dried up and healed the first week and the acne stops in about 3 weeks. After that, I just need to put on a little peroxide every 2 or 3 days. a tube lasts me a month now.

Try it out.

There's so much complication in the acne industry. All the products include a cleaner (not necessary, I've found...but you may find you prefer it) a peroxide containing solution you put on (because that's what actually works) and a lotion to because the peroxide dries out your skin. Just buying the peroxide yourself cuts out the markup and hype.

I've been using Proactiv Solution for awhile. It hasn't cleared my acne although it helps. I find it's hard to use it persistently enough to get good results. The body wash works okay but it's nothing amazing either. I have fewer breakouts when I use it, but they get worse again if I stop and switch to a regular body wash. That's probably a more expensive option anyway.

I know Neutrogena and Oxy make body washes for acne. There should be a variety of brands available. Just go to a pharmacy and check both the body wash section and the acne treatment section. Look for something with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Just a warning though, benzoyl peroxide can bleach clothing or towels, but it might be alright as a body wash because it gets rinsed away. When it stays on your skin, that can be a problem.

Try searching around the internet first. Maybe you can find some reviews and see what other people say before trying something. Here's a good starting point: Back Acne - Treating Back Acne

Hey I feel for you. I had acne until I went on the pill, then I had amazing skin and couldn't get enough compliments. So for me it seemed that hormones were a problem. However when I went off the pill what helped was to simplify what you put on your skin, and that includes hair care products. Often people forget that shampoo and conditioner contain harsh chemicals and all commercial products are harsh. Whenever I used to wash my hair with Pantene, herbal essence etc I used to get a redness and bumpiness along my hairline and this is where trouble areas persist. I didn't realise until a few years ago what was the culprit. When I tried the no poo experiment (abstaining from use of shampoo and conditioner) I had clear skin. I now use A'kin which is an Austrlian brand that is completely organic and naturally derived (all ingredients on the back are accounted for), and it has been gentle on my skin.

So although hormonal problems contributed to my skin problem, my skin was made sensitive and by using commercial face washes and shampoos and conditioners my skin was constantly aggravated.

I tried benzyl peroxide in the past and they can dry things out quickly though it causes dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles and make you very susceptible to sun damage. I also don't want to put harsh chemicals on my skin and that includes bp (NOT British Petroleum!)

It could be any set of factors that cause your skin to flare up - hormonal imbalance, constant stress, senstive skin, sensitivity to hormones, over active oil glands, too much washing and aggravating of skin, constrictive clothing and too much bedding at night (especially suspect if affected areas are chest and back). You can try and rule out different things which you think may cause your acne to see if it makes a difference. This can be from drinking a lot of water in a 2 week period, to changing your bedding every week.

Also the rubbish they spew about how there is no scientific proof that food can cause acne, that's not true. My personal experience says otherwise - if I eat chocolate, sugary food and drinks and too much fried foods and alcohol, I get spots instantly. Other people have had the same experience.

I had it too, however now I'm using all kinds of products to make your skin feel dryer (that a word?) and if you can keep it up it helps alot, almost everything is gone now. However my nephew had it worse then me, he went to the doctor and got some pills, after a month or so everything was gone so I guess the pills are easier instead of doing all those products like I do twice a day...

I had very bad eczema when I was younger and I used coconut oil to get rid of it coconut oil is better for eczema than anything you get from a chemist I don't know if it would work for acne tho I found this article that says it is also good treatment for acne
Coconut Oil for Acne

I'm going to try one thing at a time, thanks everyone

It all depends on your skin. Do you have, oily, dry, normal, combination skin?
I could suggest some products and stuff for you (I have acne too and know of some stuff.) I'm not an expert but I have some tips

I had spots & acne for years. From about the age of 12 up to 18. I finially decided to go on roaccutane at about 17/18, which cleared it up, but it dried my skin out something ridiuclous and it's never been the same since. Even now (6 years later) it's still all red and dry. It's more sensitive now than it ever was back then (2 seconds under warm water in the shower and i looked like i've been horrifically sun burnt), plus now I get all these weird allergic itchy lump things on my face if I get too hot or too cold (or whenever my body feels like depressing me further).

So I can't offer much advice really. I'd stay away from the hard drugs like roaccutane, but other than that nothing ever actually worked for me, I must have tried every product on the market at some time or another. Wouldn't be surprised if these companies know they don't work, just sell them anyway to make money on people's desperation.

Iluv said:

It all depends on your skin. Do you have, oily, dry, normal, combination skin?
I could suggest some products and stuff for you (I have acne too and know of some stuff.) I'm not an expert but I have some tips

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Sadly it's Oily :/

User12 said:

Sadly it's Oily :/

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Ok, so don't use any harsh cleansers. (Mild-cleansers) Personally I like Clean & Clear because they aren't expensive and I find they don't contribute to sometimes my oily skin. It's probably around 10 dollars like that.
It's good to just go into your drug store and look through the different cleansers and moisturizers to see what is around your price range!
It's good to exfoliate your skin 1-2 times a week. Get off the dead skin cells. St. Ive's has this AMAZING exfoliate (It's the apricot scrub) that leaves my skin really smooth.
Always make sure they are water-based! Oil based = bad news.
Change your pillow cases like once a week because sometimes the oil from your face may rub off onto it and contribute to it.
Even though your face is oily use moisturizer! But a light weight one.
It's all about a good skin routine and you should see an improvement!
I wish you best of luck if you have any questions feel free to ask.
(I'm sort of like a skin obsessive person!)

Exfoliate? Like use lotion? Okay, I'll go back and get that Cetaphil lotion someone posted about then

User12 said:

Exfoliate? Like use lotion? Okay, I'll go back and get that Cetaphil lotion someone posted about then

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Exfoliating is separate from using lotion. Usually when you exfoliate you don't use lotion after unless your skin is really drying out. Use lotion after you cleanse.

I really wanted tattoos too but a llace it wont be visible. But its THAT bad to where i cant get one because of bad skin and scars ive left.
Was invited to the beach but I had to turn down because of this it's really bad. When I say it's bad I mean it's insanely bad