# Adult Acne



## mcrhyson (Jan 11, 2013)

Hey I'm 23 and suffer from adult ance, it is pretty bad sometimes. I have tried everything that I could afford, I don't have much money and food and paying the bills is much more important honestly and I can't go to doctor yet atleast for it. I know sugar and some foods can cause it and might and I also know stress is a big problem but I'm trying my best on that but when you are dealing with social anxiety stress is a giving sometimes. The big problem is I use to be a very happy out going kind of guy before I turned 16 and things started going wrong. I never got acne til I was about 21 and before it was hard to go out without being scared that people were talking about me or making fun of me or something. Now it is like walking into hell everytime I leave the house, I miss being able to just go out with my mom to store but I always think people are like look at him and his face. I think girls won't like me cause of it and etc.. I just need some advice or atleast maybe someone that understands how I feel.


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## ManOfFewWords (Mar 20, 2012)

Try apple cider vinegar yet?


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## mcrhyson (Jan 11, 2013)

No I haven't. But I have heard about it, should I try using it ?


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

mcrhyson said:


> No I haven't. But I have heard about it, should I try using it ?


different things work for different people. just see how your face reacts to it. I think the worst thing you can do is not put anything at all on your face.


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## caelle (Sep 9, 2008)

I know how that is. It is difficult to have to be around other people when you have acne. It's not good for your self esteem.

Do you use Benzoyl Peroxide? The 2.5% one? Usually the over the counter ones you find at walmart or something are 10%, which I've heard isn't nearly as good as the 2.5. A lot of people have had success with it. It seems to be a little pricier though, but at least you don't need a prescription.


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## JohnLem (Jan 13, 2013)

*Keep your head up.*



mcrhyson said:


> Hey I'm 23 and suffer from adult ance, it is pretty bad sometimes. I have tried everything that I could afford, I don't have much money and food and paying the bills is much more important honestly and I can't go to doctor yet atleast for it. I know sugar and some foods can cause it and might and I also know stress is a big problem but I'm trying my best on that but when you are dealing with social anxiety stress is a giving sometimes. The big problem is I use to be a very happy out going kind of guy before I turned 16 and things started going wrong. I never got acne til I was about 21 and before it was hard to go out without being scared that people were talking about me or making fun of me or something. Now it is like walking into hell everytime I leave the house, I miss being able to just go out with my mom to store but I always think people are like look at him and his face. I think girls won't like me cause of it and etc.. I just need some advice or atleast maybe someone that understands how I feel.


Understanding what you are going through goes without saying. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Keep your head up and proud of who you are. Be expressive and think beyond your appearance alone.
You'll get through this time of trouble and get on with your life.
Acne vulgaris affects millions of people. You are certainly not alone.

Depending on where you live you might be able to attend a free product trial in your town. I'll post a link that shows some of them here. Clinical trials for acne treatment.

Don't be afraid to try natural treatments for acne. There are many of them out there. Usually the older cultures have figured it out. Places like India an d China will have remedies that are just what you need. Seek them out. You might be surprised.

Keep your head up and be strong. You'll get through this.


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## Boring Loser (Oct 21, 2011)

SilverBells said:


> I know how that is. It is difficult to have to be around other people when you have acne. It's not good for your self esteem.
> 
> Do you use Benzoyl Peroxide? The 2.5% one? Usually the over the counter ones you find at walmart or something are 10%, which I've heard isn't nearly as good as the 2.5. A lot of people have had success with it. It seems to be a little pricier though, but at least you don't need a prescription.


2.5% Benzoyl peroxide is great for acne, from my experience. Helped me a lot. But only on the face. It is too harsh to be used on any other problem acne areas like your back and chest. Best/cheapest way to get it is in the 8 oz from acne.org.

To op: i am in my late 20s, and i have very bad acne not on my face, but completely covering my back and arms. Yeah sure i can cover it up with clothes but i'm always all itchy from it and feel gross and in the really hot weather you don't really want to be all covered up in clothes. I've had this problem starting when i was 22. So anyone who says acne is a teenage thing and is always outgrown with age is totally wrong and doesn't know what they're talking about. First i had lots of it all over my face, neck, chest, back and arms, but now just my back and arms. It almost completely went away for a while, when i was 23 and 24, when i eliminated dairy and almost all processed foods, and exercised every day, but let's face it, that's really hard to keep up and eventually i get lazy and go back to my sedentary not so health conscious lifestyle. I am thinking maybe i need to eliminate dairy and refined sugar again, but it's really hard because i would never be able to eat with my parents ever again or eat anywhere outside my own home. So i'm wondering if i should ask my doctor to try me on some medicine for acne. But i don't know.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

My acne got progressively worse throughout my twenties (it was never bad as a teenager) until I tried changing my diet at 26. The dietary changes (avoiding high-glycemic foods, eating plenty of vegetables, trying to avoid too high of an omega-6 : omega-3 ratio) work pretty well to control it for me, although it's definitely not easy to always eat well, and it took several months for my skin to really start clearing up.


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## Regrets (Jan 15, 2013)

You should talk to your doctor. I recommend to anyone prescription of differin gel, it really works wonders.


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

We all know that diet has an effect, but I wish people would suggest other solutions.


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## DesertStar91 (Feb 1, 2012)

I have it too except I've had acne since I was a kid about 10 or so. I need to go to a dermatologist, but I can't afford it. I have it even worse on my back. It really sucks when I have to take my shirt off like to go swimming in a bikini or something...everybody I know has to pretend they're not staring at it. I use this stuff they sell called "clean and clear". It works pretty well, along with back wash. It's not as bad as it was when I was 14-17. The bacne just popped up when I was 18, for some reason. I had it on my chest too. I should probably just should save money and go to the doctor.


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## Jene (Jan 13, 2012)

Salicylic acid is also really helpful for acne, especially when used with benzoyl peroxide. Salicylic acid is an exfoliant, which means that it helps get rid of some of those dead skin cells that can clog your pores. Sometimes using these two products together can cause skin to dry out a little, so it's good to have a light, non-greasy moisturizer on hand for whenever you might need it. Oh, and it's a good idea to stay away from anything with fragrance in it, as that can irritate the skin. Hope this helps a little!


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## TheExplosionist (Apr 13, 2009)

There's evidence that benzoyl peroxide causes premature aging.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

TheExplosionist said:


> There's evidence that benzoyl peroxide causes premature aging.


I hope that is where the moisturizer comes in.

I don't want to look further along in the 29+ Club than I already am! :afr


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## rubyruby (Jun 17, 2009)

Raw garlic two cloves crushed. Cut into small pieces and swallow with a beveridge

It works but you will reek o garlic the next day.
Garlic is natures antobiotic.


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## catcharay (Sep 15, 2011)

I truly believe spot treatment with retin-A will soothe your acne troubles away. Being a potent vitamin A agent, it will help speed skin cell turnover rate, leaving skin free from clogged pores..

It's prescribed by the dr and is cheaper than standard acne treatments in the skin care industry..hooray!


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I have rosacea which kind of looks like acne. It started up in my early 30s.


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## brandonmag (Jan 21, 2013)

regularly wash ur face


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## SilentArtChild (Jan 18, 2013)

I had to get a medication for mine. I never had an issue until I was 19 where my entire forehead had broken out overnight. I got it again just last summer, it wouldnt go away, and I wanted to scream at people for telling me to wash my face more often because this wasn't your run of the mill breakout I was experiencing a bacterial infection of some kind. At this point today I just gotta deal with the scars and a couple new pimples here and there.


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## clogsy (Jan 29, 2013)

Hi, i know exactly how u feel. I got adult Acne at age 27. I had it on my face, arms, and back and it was very painful. I live in UK and got prescribed Roaccutane by my doctor. it took about 18 months to get rid of it but it worked. The side effect are really bad though. I got very very depressed, my lips peeled and were sore, scabs up my nose. They are no longer available in UK as there have been alot of reports of suicide being associated with Roaccutane (which i can well believe). I hope this helps


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## buklti (Jul 23, 2010)

What worked best for me was finding a soap that wasnt too harsh, exfoliating, changing my pillow case regularly, not touching my face(it happens anyways, so keep your nails short and hands clean), not washing my face before bed, and not popping existing zits. You kill one and all his buddies come to the funeral. Like mosquitos.


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

bucklti said:


> What worked best for me was finding a soap that wasnt too harsh, exfoliating, changing my pillow case regularly, not touching my face(it happens anyways, so keep your nails short and hands clean), not washing my face before bed, and not popping existing zits. You kill one and all his buddies come to the funeral. Like mosquitos.


how do you exfoliate? before I used the electronic brushes but it felt like my face was being irritated. i'm switching over to oatmeal because i read that can exfoliate, but I wish it wasn't so messy.


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## buklti (Jul 23, 2010)

I just use a wash cloth with moisturizing soap.


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## zraktor (Jan 27, 2013)

Do you have acute sinusitis?


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## dismiss (Jul 26, 2012)

weird woman said:


> 2.5% Benzoyl peroxide is great for acne, from my experience. Helped me a lot. But only on the face. It is too harsh to be used on any other problem acne areas like your back and chest. Best/cheapest way to get it is in the 8 oz from acne.org.
> 
> To op: i am in my late 20s, and i have very bad acne not on my face, but completely covering my back and arms. Yeah sure i can cover it up with clothes but i'm always all itchy from it and feel gross and in the really hot weather you don't really want to be all covered up in clothes. I've had this problem starting when i was 22. So anyone who says acne is a teenage thing and is always outgrown with age is totally wrong and doesn't know what they're talking about. First i had lots of it all over my face, neck, chest, back and arms, but now just my back and arms. It almost completely went away for a while, when i was 23 and 24, when i eliminated dairy and almost all processed foods, and exercised every day, but let's face it, that's really hard to keep up and eventually i get lazy and go back to my sedentary not so health conscious lifestyle. I am thinking maybe i need to eliminate dairy and refined sugar again, but it's really hard because i would never be able to eat with my parents ever again or eat anywhere outside my own home. So i'm wondering if i should ask my doctor to try me on some medicine for acne. But i don't know.


Yeah, acne dot org is a good resource. Just don't believe everything ppl say. Research is an excellent idea. Also, consider that your skin may be very sensitive. Avoid over washing.
I used to use 2% bha (salicylic acid) now that I'm older, I use a 1%. & It is important to keep your skin's barrier healthy, so consistent night time use of a non irritating moisturizer is important. 
Ultimately, what got me the clearest was salicylic/glycolic & jojoba as a moisturizer. If you are getting inflammation you can take aleve or other nsaids to help bring it down. 
Opt for a liquid soap instead of bar soap. Bar soap is the wrong ph for the face, strips the barrier.
I've read on there that people had some luck using dial antibacterial liquid bodywash to help reduce body acne.


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## MikeinNirvana (Dec 2, 2012)

catcharay said:


> I truly believe spot treatment with retin-A will soothe your acne troubles away. Being a potent vitamin A agent, it will help speed skin cell turnover rate, leaving skin free from clogged pores..
> 
> It's prescribed by the dr and is cheaper than standard acne treatments in the skin care industry..hooray!


If you can get your hands on retin A, that will help in the long run, jojoba oil is good many people got better by this, since jojoba oil mimics the oil in our face.


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## lockS (Sep 15, 2011)

I completelt understand how you feel. I've had acne since I was about 11 and it still hasn't gone away completely (but it has decreased a LOT). Have tried a lot of things, nothing in particularly helped it a lot....my skin just cleared up a little over the years. I recently went to a beautician. Got some advice on skincare and products I should use. She told me that the products I used to use on my face were bad, so I switched to others. Maybe you should give it a try once (cause I know it's expensive), just so you can get some advice?


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## jimmythekid (Apr 26, 2010)

Differin worked for me. Clindamycin Lotion did too. See a dermatologist if you can, otherwise a GP.


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## jimmythekid (Apr 26, 2010)

To cure it, yeah, but topical retinoids, antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide etc can keep it under control. Roaccutane has pretty bad side effects.


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## dismiss (Jul 26, 2012)

I was on accutane a few times when I was younger. It got rid of it temporarily, but it always came back.
Now, I keep it at bay with what I mentioned in my last post.

Birth control pills can help control hormonal acne, commonly clustered in the chin area.


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## rawrguy (Mar 29, 2008)

It's a little expensive, but Proactiv Extra Strength works wonder for me.


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## Post_Punk_Proclivity (Oct 12, 2008)

I mix Q10 Nivea cream with a 5% benzoyl peroxide, and the Q10 is there basically to keep my skin healthy and moisturised while the 5% works to kill bacteria. Of course when I was a bit younger it didn't do much since you have no control over hormones, but there are things you can do to drastically decrease it to almost nil. I change my bed linen once a week maximum, drink plenty of water and always make sure I scrub my face and keep it moisturised. Honestly though the Q10 with the BP has been my best option ever especially since I used to have a huge amount of acne.


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## Implicate (Feb 1, 2011)

I've found dead sea mud soap clears my face without any irritation (I have extremely sensitive skin)


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## SnowJoke (Nov 7, 2012)

I had it quite bad from the age of 15 - not whiteheads/blackheads but horrible red lumps that don't seem to come to a head of any sort, so there was no chance of popping them. These would last months and would shatter any confidence I had. I'd find myself pretending to scratch my face when talking to people so my hand covered them.

Only recently (I'm nearly 23) have I found an antibiotic that seems to work somewhat.
Still get lumps, but they're considerably smaller and last not nearly as long as they used to which is nice.


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