Acne Scars

I feel for you-I have the same problem. My skin has been haywire since I was 14. I went back and forth to the dermatlogist for years, and they would prescribe an antibiotic, and my skin would clear up, I would go off the anti, and I would break out.
Finnally, I worried about developing antibiotic resistance, and as a last resort, tried Proactive. Not to try to sell you something, but the stuff works great.It took about 4 months to clear up initially, but it keeps my skin clear without drying or flaking. The cleanser is exfoliating, so over time, it has even lightened some acne scars.It's kinda expensive, but I consider it a neccesary expense.I know how hard it is physcologically to have bad skin, some people just don't realize, so I wish you the best of luck and hope you find something that works for you!
~S.

I have not tried it yet, but I just learned about bio-oil, so just google that. Avail in traditional drug stores like wallgreens and cvs. nothing fancy.

Have you very looked in with AVON line of either ANEW or,Botanisource,avon solution? well have a lot of other items that a cheap and 100% money back if your aren't happy with the items
Take a look at my web page at:
wwww.youravon.com/cheller
or
Email me at:
____@____.com

You are not alone. I've been battling with acne since I was 17. I've been with the same dermatologist for 10 years and tried antibiotics, OTC products, birth control pills to control female hormones, and used many more suggestions. One thing that has worked for me is reading labels on any beauty products. Try to stay away with products with ingredients you can't pronounce, especially any ingredient ending with PARABEN. This is an unnatural preservative used in products and can be irritating. There are a lot of organic and natural products on the market now. Wegman's and Giant have a great health section of beauty products. Proactive worked for me in the summer, but was too harsh in the winter. I had to stop using it and it was very expensive.

Everyone is different so be ready to experiment. Here are some things that have helped me:

I see you work as a pastry cook. Try not to touch your face when you are working especially when using oils. Also try to wash your hands as much as you can.

Stay away from really hot showers. It will increase oil activity and can also dry out your skin.

Drink lots of water.

Tea tree oil that is diluted is great for night treatments on cysts or pimples. You can get it at health food stores or the grocery stores. I know it's called an oil, but it actually helps fight bacteria.

As for acne scars, since my face is sensitive to a lot of products, time is only thing that I can bank on. Redness will go away in time. I know it may seem forever, but it does go away.

Don't pick! I've been there and done it too and it only aggrevates acne and can worsen the scar healing time.

Hope this helps! Just know that you are not alone. Good luck!!

Have you ever tried Mary Kay products. I am an Idependant Beauty Consultant and absolutely am in love with the products. Mary Kay is on the cutting edge and spends the most money each year on scientific research to advance our products than any other cosmetic company. Plus you get the 100% satisfaction guaruntee and personal consultation. Sorry if this sounds like an add but I do just really love our products. If you would like to give it a try feel free to send me a message.

Try Sensiclear,I've been using it daily to keep my skin clear. It works great! You can get a free 30 day supply at sensiclear.com also mederma works great on scars, but you have to use it 2x daily for a few months. Hope this helps

Shaklee has a real good skin care line. I was really impressed when I tried it. The liquid foundation covers really well and it has their repair complex in it and it's all natural. It runs about $25 but it lasts me about seven months using it just about everyday. I was never one to put foundation on everyday but I liked this so much that I prefer how I look with it on that I don't go out without putting it on now. Their toners are really good too. It's expensive to get the whole set at once so I bought some here and there over time until I had all the makeup and my skin is much nicer looking. Here is the link to the beauty products if you'd like to check them out - http://www.shaklee.net/dudinyak/product/CosmeticsFace My 13 year old daughter had success using the purifying cleanser and the purifying toner and within days there was a big improvement. Hope this is helpful.

For scars try Murad Acne Spot Lightening Gel. It can be found at Sephora. They can also set you up with a good skincare regimen.

Hi,
I am from work at home united. All my Products are GREEN. I have over 300 products. There is products for everything. That may help..

Thanks,
A.
htt://livetotalwellness.com/bell04

try one of the derm abrasion kits they sell over the counter. i think loreal makes one so does olay. get a foundation that will not clog pores. they have many that help even out skin tones. do not pick your pimples,that is what makes the scars. make sure you are washing twice a day and using astringent after you wash your skin and moisturize.

Hi, S..
That's unfortunate, but you are certainly not alone!!!
This will probably sound like a sales pitch, but I absolutely SWEAR by it!
There's a company called L'Bri Pure n' Natural & they have some things that WILL help! Their basic system will help to reduce some of the smaller, minor scars & then their AHA (Time Erase serum) is a miracle! I have seen it make my friends acne scars disappear within 1-2 months of regular use! It really is amazing!
Please feel free to message w/ any questions. I'd be more than happy to answer them. Other than that, IF you would like to check them out & order some FREE samples, the site is www.A..lbri.com

I hope you find some relief!

Everyone has different products that work for them and it's because there are different skin types out there. I had gone to a dermatologist and tried quite a few things that are prescription. NOTHING WORKED!! I found this stuff called Nature's Cure Anti-Acne Papaya Skin Care System. You can buy it at Rite Aide and it's $19.99 (not to mention they always have a $2.00 off coupon inside). It's the cheapest stuff I've found and it was the ONLY thing that took my acne away. I am completely acne free and am sooo thankful I found the stuff because I felt just as frustrated as you! Here's a link to paste in your browser if you want to see what it looks like...
http://www.drugstore.com/qxp147981_333181_sespider/nature...

The doctor recommended vitamin E for my oldest son with his acne scars and chicken pox scars. Just take a pin and puncture a vitamin E capsule, squeeze it on your finger and put it on the areas needed. Use as many as you need, a couple times a day. These won't take them away but it will start to fade the coloring.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat

I am 49 and still have very oily skin and occasional breakouts. Believe it or not, there is one good thing about it, the oily skins seems to be the reason why I have very few wrinkles.

I used Proactiv for several years and found it to be very good. I started using AcneFree by University Medical Pharmaceuticals from Walmart a year or so ago and found it to be just as good and it is cheaper.

I tried the proactive..but found it was so expensive and couldn't keep it up. Tried the Acne Free..and it's super. I have very oily skin and always had acne. I've been using the acne free for about 6 months and have only had 2 pimples since then! I can't use their repair lotion all the time as it dries my face out terribly but I use everything else and the repair lotion when I feel a pimple starting (and it helps keep it from surfacing)

They have it for sale at Costco now too...it's very cost effective. And I like that you can buy the facial soap separately if you don't need everything.

GOod luck! I feel your pain!

Hi S.,

I have battled acne breakouts since my early twenties and the only time it went away was when I was pregnant with my son! Since being pregnant is not a viable solution to this problem, I have tried many things to remedy it. Proactiv worked for me, but didn't stop the breakouts entirely and it bleaches colored fabric that gets close to your face. I hated ruining my clothes and towels. You're never going to believe this, but I now use a skincare line that isn't even supposed to treat acne - Mary Kay Timewise for oily/combination skin. They also have a microdermabrasion set that works wonders too. I rarely get anything more than the occassional whitehead, but it did take about 2-3 months to see dramatic results. Good Luck!

A.

maderma for scars.
you can get it at walmart and target(they have their won brand but I dont know anything about it)
its expensive, but it really helps. if you go to their website they also have a coupon.

also, origins, has a great face wash that helps with acne. its mint. its also a bit pricey, but it really helped for me. and it lasts a really long time. you only have to use a tiny tiny bit or it will suds up. you also use cool water with it.

hope it helps.

I work with Melaleuca and we have a wonderful company that has a wonderful acne product. Our product is suppose to prevent future outbreaks. Let me know if you are interested, email me.

Not sure how bad your scars are but my skin isnt pocked but ruddy from scars. I've used things like scarzone or merderma at walmart and its helped fade them. Use a suscreen 15 SPF everyday if you can becuase the scars will become darker in the sun. Scarzone has some SPF in it. Sometimes I've used neosporin on a particualry nasty spot to help reduce the likelihood of scarring. Also the less I pick, squeeeze the better even though sometimes thats hard when it looks so yucky!

Since you cant afford a doctor ask your local pharmasist. They are really good about giving out any advice for over the counter remidies.. Good Luck

I don't have any ideas about the scars but I feel your pain with the acne. I am 38 and since I was pregnant with my daughter (who is almost 3) I have been fighting acne.

I have been using ProActiv since April and I love it! It is amazing. It cleared up my face within 2 weeks. I do get a blemish every once in a while but it is gone quickly. I am amazed at the amount of people who have commented on how clear my skin has become. I guess I didn't realize how bad it was before.

I work with a wellness company that has a great naturally made acne line! I always get pimples and stuff right around time for my period, but they arent as bad as they used to be since I have been using these products. They are naturally formulated and patented products. And we have a skin therapy lotion that can help heal the scaring! One of my friends has been using the lotion from my company and says it has been working wonders for his psoriasis! I can give you more information on these products, as well as the 400+ other products in our product line if you would like. Just let me know.

Other than that, I personally havent found a good store brand over the counter product that has helped my acne problems. This is the only stuff that has worked well without leaving my skin feeling dried out and painful.

Good luck,

D. L.
www.wellnessworkforus.go.cc

You are not alone in your struggles! The week before my period...every month...my skin turns on me and leaves the marks behind for weeks. Once my skin finally clears up I have a few good days of descency until the cycle starts all over again. It's so embarrassing! I teach 8th grade and there are many times that my skin is much worse than theirs! I have used ProActive in the past and was fairly successful. It's not really cheap and for some reason stains any green fabrics (towels, shirts, etc.). I have recently started using a similar product that you can buy at Wal-Mart called Acne Response, made by L'Oreal. I know that I exacerbate the problem by 'picking' at any imperfection on my skin. If you have the same compulsion it may actually be a form of OCD. If you think 'picking' is a big part of your problem (like it is mine) talk to your family doctor. I have been on medication for OCD (picking is NOT my only symptom) in the past and ended up helping my skin A LOT because I was able to leave it alone. When I got pregnant I obviously stopped taking the meds. and will ask about it again once I'm finished breastfeeding. Good luck

Hey S.,

Sorry to hear about your skin struggle.

I hope you're using a good, gentle cleansing routine. When I used to have bad skin, my dermotologist recommended either Basis or Purpose (both can be found in the average supermarket or drugstore.) They come in either pump (at least Purpose does) or soap form; however, they are not considered "soap" because they don't have have ingredients that dry out your skin.

You also need a good toner -- avoid toners with alcohol. Again, they dry out your skin.

Purpose makes a moisturizer. I switched to Aveeno for sensitive skin. It has some element in it that helps tone down redness.

Now if you have some money, I suggest heading over to a Clinique counter (Macy's, JC Penney's, etc...) and investing in the three step program. You'll get a soap, toner and moisturizer designed for your skin. I noticed that my skin always did great when I used these products.

Make sure you're not picking at your pimples. I know that sounds gross, but that's coming from someone who did just that and wound up infecting one. Facial surgery and six stitches later, I still have that visual reminder of what picking at pores does to one's skin.

I hope that helps, S.. I realize I didn't recommend acne treatment stuff because from my experience, I found that stuff actually aggravated my already bad skin. It did that because the acne treatment stuff was so harsh and drying to my skin.

Good luck!

T. :)

Hi S., I know of people who have been successful with a product called Vitashield OPC Triple Serum. If you go to healthmadesimple.net and in the search type it in, it will come up.
You should be able to read all the info on it after you click on it. Hope this helps. Or you can try Pentaxyl.

Dear S.,

There is a product made by Shaklee. It's Enfuselle Nutrition Therapy Skin Care. While it does not claim to remove acne scars, it does provide nutrients for your skin to enhance your beauty. I have been using Enfuselle since it was introduced about 12 years ago, and even though scars from acne were pronounced, they seem to be less noticeable now. People compliment me all the time on my "beautiful skin".
To find out more, go to http://www.shaklee.net/giftsfromnature/product/59236
Remember, you'll receive a 10% rebate from me on your first order from this web site.
Thanks in advance,
E. B