Busting acne before the interviews

[YouDontKnowJack]

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proactive is a scam.

you can get so much benzoyl peroxide (the active ingredient in proactiv) for $40. Dilute it yourself. and smear it all over your face.

 

[mshheaddoc]

proactive is a scam.

you can get so much benzoyl peroxide (the active ingredient in proactiv) for $40. Dilute it yourself. and smear it all over your face.

BUT IT WORKS 😀

 

[Thundrstorm]

When I find something that actually beats my acne, I will come back to this thread and report, but don't hold your breath. Whenever I think I've got it under control, I get stressed or approach PMS time and it's all over. I'm currently using a warming blackhead scrub by Biore. I have to confess; I don't even know what a blackhead is. I don't think I get them, but I like the fact that it's self-warming. 😀

 

[erin682]

My college roommate went on accutane our junior year. She was already susceptible to low self-esteem and what not but accutane drove her off the deep end. You couldn't say a word to her without her being convinced you and the rest of the world hated her.

I just recently ordered proactiv. It hasn't gotten here yet but this thread is giving me hope. I tried the neutrogena advanced solutions system with little success.

 

[Variance]

for immediate... quick results
try to get a prescription for benzaclin...

its a antibiotic + benzoyl perioxide.. it can clear you up in a day or two.
or it did to me. but it needs to consistent or else the bacteria will become resistent to the antibiotic.

 

[yrodri15]

I would recommend:

1) Drink LOTS and LOTS of water.
2) 2.5% (if you have never used it) or 5% benzoyl Peroxide. This is the magic bullet... you see, bacteria can adapt to different antibiotics... but this, there is no escaping this.

3) I wash my face twice a day, once in the morning and once at around ~8.. warm water, no soap.

Thats what works for me, and I have tried everything.

 

[oompa loompa]

Hmmmmm...come to think of it, the period of 2 years when I was completely clear, I was using Proactiv! I always had mild acne in high school, but then I put a little too much Retin-A, my face turned totally red for a week, then it peeled off and I was left with new, clear skin...I also started using Proactiv during this time.

Junior/Senior years of college, my lifestyle took a downturn and I became really stressed...the acne came back, and my wearing a ton of makeup to cover it probably made things worse. Now, I'm convinced my acne has to do with hormonal reasons, b/c my skin will always be relatively clear then, BOOM, one wk before my period, I start breaking out. Sooo, I've bought 3 packs of Trinessa (the generic brand of Ortho-tri-cyclin). However, one look at this site has made me wonder if I should just return it....

http://www.acne.org/rate_item.php?item_id=62

Plus, I'm going on interviews soon! I don't want to have to deal with any mood swings, nausea, or the initial worsening of acne that seem to be common. So, guess I'm back to square one.

 

[oompa loompa]

for immediate... quick results
try to get a prescription for benzaclin...

its a antibiotic + benzoyl perioxide.. it can clear you up in a day or two.
or it did to me. but it needs to consistent or else the bacteria will become resistent to the antibiotic.

did you experience any side-effects? I had an antibiotic (doxycyclin) and it gave me stomach aches for hours...also, I think it messed up my cycle, because my period came a week late. I was also nervous because of interviews, so I don't know what caused what.

 

[CoffeeFreak]

..above poster....i thought your wrote "stomach acne"....... that sounded painful

 

[Megalofyia]

in regions of the world where there are no processed sugars (white bread, white rice etc), there are almost NO cases of acne. processed sugars are also as useless nutritionally as a chicken bone. ponder that one for a while.
-mota

There are certain races that are just not as prone to acne too.... regardless of what they eat.

 

[SpyPuts]

did you experience any side-effects? I had an antibiotic (doxycyclin) and it gave me stomach aches for hours...also, I think it messed up my cycle, because my period came a week late. I was also nervous because of interviews, so I don't know what caused what.

I've been on doxycyclin for going on 2 years now and wouldn't consider stopping if you paid me (saftey guidelines be damned).

If you take 100mg on an empty stomach, of course you are going to have a time bomb on your hands. I've only made this mistake twice so far, because, as you noted, it can mess your day up verrry quickly. A combination of doxycyclin, sulfur face wash, and low conc. benzoyl peroxide has kept me 99% clear since I began using them in combination. Also, if you opt for the generic brands, the total comes to just under $10 per month.

 

[oompa loompa]

I've been on doxycyclin for going on 2 years now and wouldn't consider stopping if you paid me (saftey guidelines be damned).

If you take 100mg on an empty stomach, of course you are going to have a time bomb on your hands. I've only made this mistake twice so far, because, as you noted, it can mess your day up verrry quickly. A combination of doxycyclin, sulfur face wash, and low conc. benzoyl peroxide has kept me 99% clear since I began using them in combination. Also, if you opt for the generic brands, the total comes to just under $10 per month.

are you a girl? what if I think at least 75% of my acne is hormonally related and comes a week before my period? I'm willing to give doxycyclin another try cuz trinessa is starting to look scary. What benzoyl peroxide (OTC) would you recommend? My derm offered to write a prescription for me, but I said no. THANKS 🙂🙂

 

[silas2642]

are you a girl? what if I think at least 75% of my acne is hormonally related and comes a week before my period? I'm willing to give doxycyclin another try cuz trinessa is starting to look scary. What benzoyl peroxide (OTC) would you recommend? My derm offered to write a prescription for me, but I said no. THANKS 🙂🙂

There's an otc called Acnefree sold at Wal-mart. I'm trying it, and so far I'm pretty happy. I've heard a lot of people get drying and have bad reactions to the benzoyl peroxide, but I think this may be avoided by starting off slow (i.e. using it only once a day to begin)

 

[LJoo83]

I had clear skin until the age of 17. I am now 22 and acne has been the bane of my existence.

I have tried EVERYTHING. I have spent countless of hours and time trying to fix this problem of mine. I've tried everything from Cetaphil to Clearsil, Nozema, toothpaste, face masks, clay masks, this special soap with gold flakes in it (it was a korean thing, don't ask), Neutrogena, Clinique, face steamer, Nature's Cure, birth control, oxyclean, that three step thing you mentioned, 10% benzoyl peroxide, special kinds of makeup...EVERYTHING.

After spending hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars trying to find the right regimen that would work for me. I finally threw in the towel and tried something that they sold on TV. I tried Proactiv.

It has been my miracle in a bottle. I swear by Proactiv--I have been using it for three months and my face is clear. I still have the occasional pimple but nothing like it used to be. In combination of Proactive and the at home microdermabrasion kit my scars have significantly diminished.

The reason why it works is because Proactiv has finely milled exfoliators to helps to regulate your new skin growth and get rid of old layers that may cause your pores to clog. And the fact that all the products contain benzoyl peroxide doesn't hurt either.

I think you have to try different things to see what works for your skin, but for me I will recommend Proactiv to anyone. As for expense, it isn't that bad because it's 45 dollars for two months worth of product. That's averaged to 22.50 per month. Which I was spending much more per month trying to find something that would work for me, so Proactiv was a bargain.

I hope you will find your solution.

 

[gujuDoc]

I have tried. It works. No joke.

I also use proactive. Have for about 8 years now. I live by it.

I heard about the toothpaste thing 4.5 years ago when I started college and have tried it. It never works for me. I tried Proactiv and it didn't do any good for me.

I tried this thing called alcosulph which a friend told me about that helped her, and it didn't work for me.

The one thing that did work for me was Retin-A, but it dried my skin and caused it to get burned.

So more recently, I have been using NEUTROGENA for the past year and a half at the recommendation of my roommate. It has worked wonders for me.

Likewise, a friend of mine also tried different things and nothing worked. She tried accutane and it made her acne worse rather then better.

So she tried neutrogena, and that clearned up her face tremendously.

 

[Variance]

did you experience any side-effects? I had an antibiotic (doxycyclin) and it gave me stomach aches for hours...also, I think it messed up my cycle, because my period came a week late. I was also nervous because of interviews, so I don't know what caused what.

Side-effects? it's not internal its a topical antibiotic.
(active ingredients are clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide)

its worked wonders compared to regular ol BP for me..

as for problems with my cycle. For some strange reason
I've never had my cycle, ever.

am I pregnant like the governator in his movie "Junior"?

on a serious note
try to a generic Benzoyl Peroxide+ Clindamycin topical

the Benzaclin brand name one is freaking expensive if you don't have full coverage on your meds. In the Phillippines i was able to get Clindamycin and BP in big bottles separately prescribed to me. the amount i could make mixing them together would cost like 1500 dollars here. I dont remember how much i paid (in dollars) cuz I forgot the exchange rate of piso's to $ at the time but I know it couldnt have been more than 100 bucks.

 

[spongiebob]

i was having lots of breakouts in my face/back since i started college. Recently i started taking evening primrose oil capsules, and using tea tree oil 2 or tree times a day in my face, and onlly wear makeup for special occasions. BP never worked for me too well. I also tried a progesterone cream this past month to see if it would help with near-period breakouts, but i don't know if that has anything to do with.......

the fact that my skin has improved tremendously. Now i just have 1 tiny pimple in my jaw, which is already dry by the tea tree oil.. I feel that the evening primrose oil makes sebum less oily, so your pimples don't come out inflammed as before. I don't know. I'll keep you all posted. 🙂

 

[bluefirefliez]

A long time ago, I tried Proactiv. I had an allergic reaction with hives all over my face!!

For the past month, I have been using a cleansing system called Murad. You can buy it at Sephora's or online from their website. My skin is glowing, and I don't use foundation or any makeup (and very rarely get a pimple). The facewash is $24. You only have to use a pea-size amount, so it lasts for a long time.

 

[doctorFred]

oh man.. an acne thread in a pre-med student forum is just so stereotypically appropriate. 😀

 

[Pretty POHA]

1. Don't touch your face. Stop. No picking, no feeling, no little squeezes on an inviting little bump. In addition to oil and dirt there are billions of bacteria just waiting to crawl into your moist little pores. Keep those filthy paws off your mug.

I struggled w/ acne, too... It's dibilitating at times!!!

The not touching/picking your face thing is HUGE. Seriously-- I have a really tough time not picking at my skin-- but when you can simply refrain, you'd be surprised at how much it clears up. IF you MUST touch yer dang face, though, use a Q-Tip or something that is sanitized, will be thrown away, and won't ever touch your skin after that initial touching.

Another thing you need to know is that food does affect how your skin looks. It may not directly give you zits, but yes, the quality of what goes in affects the quality of what comes out. This includes drinking a ton of water...

So far no one has mentioned sleep... I know it seems like sleep is out if you're pre-med (or post-med for that matter), but sleep makes a huge difference in your skin. Just like any other organ, it heals faster when you're sleeping. So get your daily dose. And if your sleep patterns are all messed up, it could actually be encouraging the flair-up... 😴

Also, check your allergies... I have a friend w/ a dairy allergy and the direct reaction is breakouts--everywhere!

 

[mustangsally65]

Something else to remember is wash/change your pillowcase often. If you have breakouts and you sleep and produce more oil etc. then it will get on your pillow and you will spread it around every time you sleep on the pillow.

I just had my first interview yesterday, and I went to Belk's and got my colors matched at the Prescriptives counter, and got some great makeup that evens out your skin tone and doesn't look like you're wearing makeup. They also advertise their skin-care regimen, so for those of you who don't wear much makeup (like me!) but need to look professional for interviews, I loved their makeup, it is so easy. It's just a foundation, blush if you want it (I've never worn blush in my life but it's easy and looks great), and powder. Very easy. And the best part was they custom-mixed it for me because my skin is very very fair and every foundation I've ever used has been too dark, even the lightest kind. This stuff is a perfect match, and they have kinds for oily skin, dry skin, normal skin etc. It was a bit pricey, but what isn't in this process? I love it and am so glad I tried it out.

 

[MollyMalone]

did you experience any side-effects? I had an antibiotic (doxycyclin) and it gave me stomach aches for hours...also, I think it messed up my cycle, because my period came a week late. I was also nervous because of interviews, so I don't know what caused what.

Doxycycline killed my stomach. There was nothing I could eat with it that would help. It was awful. So I was put on tetracycline instead. No problems at all! And boy, does it help.

 

[N1DERL&]

Hey Sally,

How much was it? Was the foundation a liquid or a powder? Did you feel that it concealed dark circles and redness pretty well?

I like your tip about changing pillowcases often. It really can improve your skin!

 

[mustangsally65]

Hey Sally,

How much was it? Was the foundation a liquid or a powder? Did you feel that it concealed dark circles and redness pretty well?

I like your tip about changing pillowcases often. It really can improve your skin!

I got a liquid foundation, but they have four or five different kinds if you want a powder. You can go to www.prescriptives.com to check out prices. I think the foundation I got (matte for oily skin) was around 40 dollars. I really like it, and you can put more on where you need more coverage. Do you have a Prescriptives counter near where you live? You should go and have them make you up, and you can see how it looks on you.

Let me know what happens with it!

 

[Doctormo24]

I say you keep the acne and zits, this way the adcoms will remember who you are when they make the important decision.