Yup, I've got the dreaded red dots popping up everywhere. My face has really been breaking out the last 2 days and my mom and I both are at a loss. I went to the dermatologist about 2 weeks ago, and she prescribed two medications along with a special soap and creme. I've been doing everything she said and for the most part it was going away and my face was really clearing up. But all of the sudden it's coming back. I can't figure out if it might be something I'm eating, or if I'm too stressed, or what. This doesn't make any sense. Does anyone have any health tips for me about this?
Stress can definitely be a part of it, and so could what you're eating. Chocolatey stuff can do it, greasy stuff as I'm sure you know will almost definitely do it, junk food etc. Even what you drink, like a lot of soda can do it as well. Using what you have plus simple stuff like drinking more water can go a long way
OK, well I didn't think about my liquid intake being apart of it. That's a very good point. I've had a lot of soda recently...
http://www.emptyclosets.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1004&highlight=skin Remember that the causes of bad skin are different for everyone. Also keep in mind that it's going to fluctuate due to stress and other causes. If it doesn't clear up by atleast 50% in the first or second month then go back to your dermatologist. If it's VERY severe, try to go back sooner, since the longer you leave it, the more likely it is to leave little scars on your face when you get older. And never touch them, besides when you wash, since it'll only spread the bacteria and cause those nasty scars. Avoid shaving whenever you can if you find that you cut them when you shave.
Hehe, I don't shave yet XD Thank you for that post Dave, I'll take all of those factors into consideration
Stress can be a factor because of the release of hormones that cause the liver to push more sugars into the blood stream, as a result the insulin cycle gets kicked in and climbs higher. There appears to be a correlation between high insulin cycling and the oils that are normally put out onto the skin. The oils thicken up with this cycling of the insulin, thus it is easier for pores to clog up and become infected. Definitely sugar load is a factor, again the insulin cycling. But along with that is refined flour of various sorts, Donuts, cakes, cookies, white bread, crackers, etc. All will have the same effect as sugar as the refined flour is turned into sugar when digested. Avoiding that will greatly help. Also soda consumption will cause problems too. Hope this helps but as Dave said above, if you don't see improvement in a short time, definitely see your dermatologist.
choclate and grease don't affect zits; that's a myth. also, lack of vitamin k (sunlight) can be a cause. do you sit inside all day? another cause, at least for me, is when my sleep pattern is thrown out of whack. like, did you stay up late over the summer, and now have to sleep early because of school?
Recent study has shown that (like jayhew said) a higher level of insulin can lead to more oil being produced on the face, which can block the pores and cause infections (pimples). Chocolate and other sugars affect the insulin cycle. Of course, it is different for everyone, but generally food has some impact on a person's acne.
I had quite bad acne when I was in my teens (I could show you a photo....) and found that improving my diet did help. For me eating more fatty food did seem to make it worse. Eating more fruit and veg, and drinking more water helped. For me the skin cleansers and creams did not work at all. I found that washing my hair every day (I had greasy hair then) with mild shampoo and washing my face with mild soap (baby soap) was the most effective. Different things work for different people though. Just because something doesn't work for you doesn't mean it's a myth or rubbish. Another thing that seemed to be connected for me was excessive masturbation. If I got into a mood where I was masturbating several times a day the acne got worse. That may have been the result of the mood (stress etc) rather than the masturbation though.
sorry but i disagree. i've gone through proactiv, and the fact that it contains benzoyl peroxide (which is pretty much bleach) is pretty bad... it does help with clearing it up, but if you use it for too long your skin becomes resistant towards it and you either have to start using something else or you have to go to a higher strength bp cream like oxy-5. that along with the fact that if you dont wash your hands properly you'll bleach your clothes and towels if you get it on them... it is also an abrasive, so your skin is reeeeally prone to becoming dry and red. i know when i started using it i got chemical burns because my skin wasnt used to it.. i've also done the pills and they do work, but once your course is done after about a month or so the acne starts coming back. it's not good to start another course of the pills because you can get side-effects such as thrush (yeah, guys can get it too...) and a build up of fluid in your spinal cord, which you'll need a spinal tap to fix. so temporarily, the pills are good. but what i recommend you do is to get a prescription from the doctor for clindatech (clindamycin hydrochloride). it works better than anything else i've used, and it doesn't dry out your skin. well, it didnt dry my skin out anyway... mind you, this is only for mild acne. i dunno about severe acne, but i'd recommend going to a dermatologist for anyone just for the most reliable advice.
