Acne most of my life :(

[Emsky]

I started getting acne when I was about 10 and now 24 my face hasn't been clear since then, I was at the dermatologist in April this year and was told I also had rosacea, but again treatment not working, I've lost all hope as every treatment I've tried has had no impact I feel like I'm going to be like this forever, I've lost out on money buying things online that I was told would work and nothing it makes me feel so ugly and down I can't even look at myself in the mirror make up free

[Gorgonite]

I hear what your saying, I feel exactly the same. Hopefully you might eventually get somewhere with the dermatologist. All this takes time. I've been messed around for over 3 years.

[lonleyhelpless in reply to Gorgonite]

hey, if you don't mind what treatment worked for you at the end ? my derm is suggesting Roaccutane and i am quite worried!

[lonleyhelpless]

Hey, I really feel for you. I am in a very similar position ( slightly different). hope you will get help soon and love your skin again.. Check Cerave hydrating cleanser & moisturizer, it says for very dry skin but it works for my oily skin.. Please read about it, this is the only thing that started to calm my skin..

[Gorgonite in reply to lonleyhelpless]

Nothing has worked for me so far. I haven't seen a dermatologist yet. The doctors have had me trying creams and meds and nothing worked so they have just referred me to a dermatologist. My appointment is on the 2nd of September so hopefully something comes of that but I wouldn't be surprised if they just say to try this and that. The docs messed me around so much a don't really think my skin will ever get better but I'm hopeful, that's all you can be. I will check out the medication you mentioned and also roaccutane is really strong. That's what I'm hoping to get. The side affects are bad but it works in over 90% of cases. I'm sure that's what I will get eventually. I heard you need plenty of moisturizer when your on it as it stops oil production. Let me know if you do get it.

[Emsky in reply to Gorgonite]

I've been told roaccutane last time I was at dermatologist but when I was there yesterday because the stuff they gave me last time didn't work they've not given me trimethoprim, got told if these don't work I need to go on hormone treatment which Im scared off as they said when on that I need to get bloods taken every 2 weeks and km terrified of needles and getting blood done 😭

[Gorgonite in reply to Emsky]

I understand about being afraid of needles but I'm sure you'll get through it. Just think it might work and if it does you'll be able to lead a normal life again. Surely that is worth getting some bloods done. It's only a minute or so. Just don't look. That's what I do.

[Emsky in reply to Gorgonite]

I don't look still doesn't help, had them done more in my life this year than I ever had, last time I was on tablets for my acne I got told I need to get bloods done if I want to continue and just stopped taken the tablets I really hate it it's painful and scary and the more I have it done the more scared I am, and my arm ends up bruised for 2/3 weeks after it 😭

[Gorgonite in reply to Emsky]

If its what you have to go through in order to get your life back you need to be strong. Its over in a 30 seconds.

[Emsky in reply to Gorgonite]

I don't know whether it will get my life back though and given my arm is on pain for weeks after it its not a 30 second thing for me

[lonleyhelpless in reply to Gorgonite]

I’ll certainly let you all know .. I hope everyone finds cure to all their skin issues.

Sending you all lots of love xx

[littlemy7]

Hey Emsky, thanks for posting! Safe to say it's really rough what you've been going through. I'm 23 and have been struggling for the past 10 years or so, and your feelings are so relatable. It's basically completely crap and unfair that even trying all of the things that are supposed to help, some of us just seem to suffer from acne regardless.

Going through the roughest time of my life a couple of years ago, I'd been on roaccutane and steroids for months to try to calm my face but it was still worse than I'd ever seen acne on anyone else. I felt very much to blame for my predicament, didn't want to see anyone else, felt very physically ill and emotionally horrible. It felt like it would never end and that was terrible for my mental health. But I guess basically what I thought during that time was like you, that it wouldn't be cured (I guess I was right) but that all the coping strategies that I had and were available were geared towards curing it rather than coping with it. Essentially, I had some changing faces counselling over the phone and booked to get skin camouflage. Skin camouflage might be tricky if you have rosacea though, because I struggle to stick it on my face when it's flaky and dry. I actually found it much gentler on my face than my previous ('gentle') makeup which I found excruciatingly painful to put on though. It's also waterproof, so I felt able to be out in the rain, swim and do watersports for the first time in ages. Liberating!

Changing faces also helped me so much socially, through giving me the confidence to talk to people about my skin and to realise that beyond initially noticing you, people won't really care about your skin except to perhaps feel sympathy towards you. This has got me to a point where my self-confidence is actually better than before this horrible period which left me with lots of scarring. I'm actually much more outgoing socially too. I guess years of suffering with acne on my face eroded it over the years and it's amazing to have it back! We all have parts of us that we're less proud of, and I know it's horrible if that part is the skin on your face. But at the same time, I'm sure you're so beautiful (visually and as a whole person) in very many ways. The two aren't mutually exclusive!

For those of us who struggle horribly with acne etc. for years, it's really unpleasant, and challenging, and there are days and weeks when this positivity just doesn't shine through which is fine and understandable. Your comment about the mirror is so relatable! It's a perfectly justifiable reaction and like everything else, it'll take time to change it. Being confident is very much a 'fake it till you make it', gradual type thing. However, trying to be more positive about yourself as a whole person, and understanding that you are in control of some things, just not your skin, is so helpful in all avenues of life and especially for people like us.

I find doing sport/exercise really helps me to feel better about my body as a whole, because I'm doing something good for my body, and I'm reminded in a visceral sense that my body is working really well overall despite my skin on my face. It's similar with taking a long shower and putting some nice body butter or something on the rest of your body. I try to eat healthily- it won't harm my skin and psychologically it makes me feel like I'm being kind and good to myself. I also like to wear nice clothes and experiment with my hair and eye make-up when my skin is making me feel less beautiful. Just because my face has acne doesn't mean I don't deserve to feel good! But if this doesn't help too much, perhaps give changing faces a call about their counselling service because they can tailor it more towards what you're going through.

In terms of your physical skin, it's tricky not to get sucked into it, but (and my dermatologist agrees about this much more than me) acne is an internal process and daubing expensive things on it will tend to not be useful. Interestingly, being consistent with what you use and when you use it is more important. Apparently so is not exfoliating too much and trying to moisturise with something very non-greasy everyday. Feels counter-intuitive but perhaps it helps a little! I don't know what you've tried medication-wise, but if you're a woman then there are a couple more options. For me, nothing worked until roaccutane, which was horribly harsh on my entire body, and I want to go nowhere near it ever again (that said, I have some friends who've had amazing experiences taking it, we're all different!). My acne was back a few months later. For brain and vascular reasons doctors won't prescribe me the BCP but apparently that's great, and has helped my housemate's skin so much. However, my dermatologist has been prescribing me spironolactone since last October. It's off-label for use in acne and barely prescribed over here (common in the US I think though) so it might be tricky to get hold of unless you're a bit backed into a corner medication-wise like I was. It's honestly been so, so easy though! I worked out in January (from trawling the internet) that I should be taking it fairly precisely 12hours apart, rather than double that dose every 24hours. It doesn't make logical sense to me but it's quite honestly been a miracle. I still get the odd breakout when I'm more lax about the timing etc., but I honestly feel it's given me a few roaccutane months and years I wouldn't otherwise have had. Perhaps speak to your dermatologist to see if this could be an option for you. If not, and even if so, hang in there. Acne is so, so horrid, and it must be even more tough to have it in combination with rosacea. You're amazing and beautiful in so many ways though, even if you don't see it right now. Your face will improve to an extent at some stage, but it's so important to try to see and act like you're absolutely worthy of everything great in life regardless of what your skin looks like.

Essay, sorry. Please feel free to message me if you like too, and I really hope you're feeling better soon! <3

[Emsky in reply to littlemy7]

I've been told I can go on that medication you're on if the one I got given yesterday doesn't work, the thing is I don't like anything about my body at all and the last medication I got given for my acne gave me chronic diarrhoea which I'm still suffering so overall I'm really down in the dumps can't work and can barely leave my house

[Emsky in reply to Emsky]

Also how do you get in touch with changing faces to get counselling?

[littlemy7 in reply to Emsky]

Erm... I just ticked a thing saying I'd like to hear about counselling when I self-referred for skin cam. But you could probably ring/email to enquire about it too x

[littlemy7 in reply to Emsky]

That sucks, I'm sorry. I was on antibiotics for years for my skin which only succeeded in completely messing with my gut too. It doesn't help with the whole trusting/loving your body thing either. A couple of years down the line though and I'm good again! Fruit and veg help-I think it's a gut bacteria thing. Spiro is great, no side effects on my gut whatsoever if I take it with some food. And roaccutane is fine I think too in that regard. Hope things look up for you soon x

[Emsky in reply to littlemy7]

Thanks, I have ibs so I already have a sensitive gut but this is just dreadful the way I am now, never responded to antibiotics like that before

[littlemy7 in reply to Emsky]

I'm sorry to hear that. I think it's the long term antibiotics which do it. They're not the innocent things doctors make them out to be, but the damage isn't permanent. Google probiotics and prebiotics. Helps so much! Fingers crossed you'll have some better luck on your new drug. It will probably take a few months to help your skin, but (if experience is anything to go by) it should be well worth the wait!

Also, blood tests for me were like once a month for roaccutane for two months (my lipids were so low they didn't bother after that) and now once every several months (beyond month 1) for spiro. It's apparently really unlikely your potassium will climb high when you're young and have decent kidney function. It's less of a big deal than you might initially be told tbh, and so, so worth it! x