Nine Ways to Enjoy Adult Acne
1. Stare at your face and wonder if this is actually a joke. Think about your past. Is this karmic upswing? Ha, no totally, this is a joke. Right those wrongs, you jag.
2. It's important to use warm, NO, lukewarm water when washing your face. Here's how you find the perfect temperature: run the hot tap and let it really heat up. Using your fingertips as guides, adjust the cold tap with a scientist's precision. How does it feel to you? Good? You're on the right track, but get it to a point where it feels just perfect — it's so perfect that you could stand there letting the warm water hit your wrists all day. Then, turn up the cold tap some more. Sorry.
3. Stare at people's skin when you're in public. Think about what it must be like for them to have such nice skin. Skin, skin, skin. They are racist, and yet have better skin than you. Remember that time you read an article about Alexa Chung where she said something like, "I don't use any special products because I've never really had a red mark," and think, "UMMM."
4. Read no less than 3 billion online lists about what is and isn't good for your skin. None of them will be conclusive, and actually all of them will be conflicting. The stress you will feel from determining which list to trust will really fire up whatever is already happening on your face.
5. EAT ALMONDS!!!!
6. Eat four almonds.
8. Watch The Judds on the OWN Network and are you serious Naomi Judd who is 70 has better skin than you?
9. Come up with insane hypotheticals about what you would do for better skin. Would you … oh my god I can't believe I'm thinking this but would I skin a baby's face and then drape it on my own? I would do it!
Erin Sullivan is going to read Ashely Judd's memoir if anyone wants to do a book club.
114 Comments / Post A Comment
- Sort by:
- Chronological
- Reverse-Chronological
- Popularity
Post a Comment
I was just lamenting about how I have both gray hairs and zits, simultaneously. The acne bothers me more than the grays.
@misfit: Acne and wrinkles, often millimeters apart. Soon my wrinkles will have acne.
@Bittersweet: Yes, one of my dearest friends pointed out that she'd imagined a brief but delightful period some time in her twenties when she'd have outgrown acne but was still too young to have wrinkles. But it turned out to be a Venn diagram.
@ejcsanfran I am currently coming to this realization as well. My sister said that her skin got way better after she had her first child… sometimes I think it might be worth it.
(Just kidding I would not actually have a child for the sole reason of trying to make my skin better.)
@theharpoon
But then if having a baby didn't work, you could try Erin's idea of the skinning…
j/k. I SAID J/K. Please don't call CPS, my kids both have their own faces still attached.
@SeaKat: Still attached – for now…
@misfit Exactly. Zits and grey hair at the same time on me is how I know there is no god.
@theharpoon I'll try it, cause it won't ruin anything else on my precious body, right?
@anna to the infinite power Nope, nothing! There will be no other body changes, guaranteed.
Seriously. I just turned 26, they should stop now that I can no longer be a prodigy at things.
@Tragically Ludicrous When I first started getting acne when I was ten (which just a STUPID age for a little girl to start getting acne), anytime I felt embarrassed I would calm my worries by telling myself that when I was an adult I most definitely wouldn't have acne anymore. I'm 23 now, and guess what, STILL GOT ACNE!
@ratchet The only benefit is that when I was buying vodka the other day in Germany, where the buying-vodka age is 18, the lady at the store asked me how old I was.
@Tragically Ludicrous Oh yeah, a grocery store wouldn't let me buy booze once because they were so convinced I was underage, even after seeing my license and debit card. So, that's cool!
The cause of adult acne is DEFINITELY a mean, horrible, chemical from the 20th century, right? This could not have existed before they had in-home toilets? RIGHT? Cave women were not doubly screwed by no TV + adult acne? I just want to believe this is a evening-out measure from God. Otherwise, WTF WTF WTF.
@PBandJ I was just thinking about this the other day whilst looking at pictures of Elizabeth Taylor and thinking about 40s starlets with effortlessly beautiful skin. Is it the hormones in our food? Pollution? Is it just because less photographs were taken back then? WHATT??? WHAT IS IT?!?? #apocalypse
@PBandJ according to my super glamourour 98 yr old neighbor lady it was pancake makeup.
@heroicdestinysquad Thank you, this makes me feel lots better.
@PBandJ I've heard the hormones in milk can cause acne/make it worse. All the people that I know with really bad skin drink a lot of milk, but I feel like I can't tell them because they didn't ask. (Like, it would be rude to bring it up.)
@punkahontas: Have been drinking organic, hormone-free milk for 9 years. Still have acne.
@Bittersweet Maybe it could be the hormones that occur naturally in milk? That sounds sort of creepy and vegan (which I'm not!) but maybe? What is IN milk really?
@punkahontas None of the Dutch girls I know have acne, and no one drinks milk like the Dutch.
I drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of dairy, and don't get acne anymore. Mine is much more climate-related apparently. I moved to Boston from DC, my skin looked horrible for 3 weeks, and then nothing, nada, zilch, acne free for nearly a year. I think it might be the water (minerals, etc) and/or humidity differences.
To clarify, when I lived in DC I would get the monthly really bad icky zit above my lip or on my chin like clockwork every 3 weeks. I broke the cycle, apparently. But seriously, the people who tell you it's diet are wrong.
@PBandJ THANK YOU. The water in DC has been terrible for my face AND hair. Signed, DC resident whose nice personality is masked by her horror-show skin
Maybe the milk only causes problems for some acne sufferers. Like wheat causes problems for others. And hormonal fluctuations for others still. Oh Acne, you're SUCH A DICK.
@charmcity Dude, DC was the bane of my acne-riddled existence. I grew up there, and could never understand why my 13 year old self had perfect skin a week into summer camp in Charlottesville, and would revert back to my usual T-zone horrors immediately after. I was the only teenager with severely dry skin (Rx for moisturizers) and acne I knew. My poor pediatrician was so perplexed. Maybe a water filter or something? I was convinced it was the water (face washing, showering, etc). But man, Boston is awesome for my skin.
@PBandJ Girl, yes. I moved here a year ago and my skin remains displeased. Maybe it's all the political rancor floating around in the air. LE SIGH.
@PBandJ Did you see John Adams? I feel like they really played up how truly horrible everyone looked back in the 1700s due to poor hygiene, no showers, no toothbrushes, diseases etc.
@Tragically Ludicrous US milk has more hormones in it though.
@S. Elizabeth If I lived in Hawaii I think my skin would look flawless all the time. Or my tanned, surf-toned body & my natural highlights would distract from any residual acne.
@S. Elizabeth: Grew up in DC and have lived in Boston for 12 years now. Unfortunately didn't see the same miraculous changes you did. I'm gonna go ahead and blame hormones. And my mother.
@charmcity Just left DC for NY, and after 5 months here, skin and hair are definitely better. I think it's a universal allergy to Congressional Interns.
Here's what FINALLY worked for me, at 30. Derm gave me a 'scrip for Adapalene gel (aka Differin). Probably not for everyone, but it was the first thing that really worked for me (I was about to try Accutane). Bonus side-effect is how smooth and "young-looking" it makes your skin. Worth a try, and I got the generic, which, under my plan, was maybe $10 if I recall?
@ChapClap Sorry–I know this wasn't an advice article (that's Jane Feltes territory), but the trials and tribs of adult acne was something I knew all-too-well (especially being envious of people far older than me with better skin).
@ChapClap I just got this too, after finally caving and going to a derm. I'm only on week 2, so my skin is still trying to achieve some balance (and I'm still under massive stress right now, so I'm not surprised I still have awful giant zits), but yes on the soft smoothness!! I'm hoping it'll lessen wrinkles a bit too, since it's basically a less-harsh version of Retin-A.
@ChapClap I've been using Differin for over 10 years now and seriously did a happy dance when it finally became available in generic form. It works the best of any product but I still have some breakouts. Definitely an improvement though, and worth the $10 co-pay. My primary care physician gives me a script for it too so that I don't have to go to a dermatologist.
@ChapClap – Retin-A was the best thing that ever happened to my complexion. No zits, and my skin is ridiculously smooth.
@ChapClap Differin! I use the lotion because my dermo had a ton of samples of it and I am an insurance free student up until Saturday, when I became plain old unemployed. Anyway, I had acne on my chin and now it's gone, but I am fair skinned so I had red marks still. Even those are going away, and my skin looks brand new!
Anyone who has acne, the best thing you can do is get to a dermatologist! I am also on solodyn, which I take once a day. Between those two things, plus I use Cetaphil with me Clarisonic in the morning, and then Dermify clay mask and lotion in the evening, and my skin is so beautiful all of the sudden. I went to a women's health and beauty convention a couple of weeks ago and the make up people just fawned over my complexion. I am being really annoying now, and I'm sorry. But don't lose hope!! I cried A LOT over my skin, and now I can go make up free and feel good. I hate that I put so much stock in that shit, but you know, issues. Ok, I'm stopping now.
@silly*goose: Started Retin-A a few months ago. Fewer (and smaller) zits, and my eye wrinkles have even receded some. So thrilled…the slightly drier skin seems a small price to pay.
I do #3, #4, and #9 constantly.
After going through numbers 1-9 on a daily basis for over a decade, I finally discovered spironolactone, which transformed me into Alexa Chung. Please go to the doctor and get yourselves some, other lady acne sufferers!
@piekin I started taking spironolactone last week! After undergoing various elimination diets, antibiotics, chemical peels, and what have you for the past ten years, at least. I'm praying it'll work (so far it hasn't seemed to do anything to my skin but my boobs have grown an alarming amount and I have to pee every 15 minutes).
@alana BIG BOOBS and NO ACNE? Where do you live because I'm coming to your house and stealing your spiralactose or whatever it is. It sounds like the fairy godmother I've been praying for since I was sixteen.
@Meghan-Sara Karre@facebook I know! I saw the boobs thing listed as a side effect in spiro reviews I read online but was NOT expecting it to actually happen. It can take 3+ months for the no-acne part to kick in though, apparently…
@piekin Just to be the contrarian here, I've been on spironolactone for almost 15 years for other reasons and my face is still the mess it was when I started (possibly worse). Plus, that stuff depletes liver enzymes (so eat your bananas) and can have interesting effects on other hormones, since it's an androgen suppressant – hence alana's new boobage. It's also used as a diuretic in transplant patients – hence the peeing.
@alana @piekin Guess what kind of a weekend I'm having? I'm having a two-months-into-taking-Spironolactone-but-still-broken-out-and-actually-it's-worse-than-it-ever-was-before, crying about my skin weekend. How long did it take for you guys to see an improvement? My doc said to give it two months. I'm not sure I can stand this skin for another two, but am willing to try.
@vanillawaif Oh babe, I'm sorry! Stick with it, though! The first time I took spiro I made it about two months before getting frustrated with the lack of results and giving up. Of course, nothing I found over the subsequent years worked either, so when my derm recommended spiro again, I gave it another shot. Honestly, I think it might have taken 3.5 months before I started to see noticeable results. But the wait was totally worth it, because I literally-literally have not had another cystic nodule since then! I'm still kicking myself for not sticking with it the first time and saving myself years of acne-anguish. FYI, I do still get little black and whiteheads sometimes in my t-zone, but they are so minor and easily covered with foundation that it's ZERO PROBLEM compared to having a face full of cysts. And if I weren't so lazy about using my Tazorac every day, my skin would probably be perfect.
Get some type of retinoid from your derm if you haven't already – it will help unclog your pores and fade your old acne marks, which is the next thing you'll be worried about after your skin does clear up. Also, ask her about your spiro dosage. After a couple of months my derm upped me from 100mg to 150mg a day. I was on 150mg for a few months, then went down to 100mg for a year, and now I'm down to 50mg a day, and my skin has remained clear. Stay strong, and good luck!
@piekin Thank you so much for such a fast and kind reply. It gives me a lot of hope to know that if I stick with it for another four or six weeks, I might see an improvment! I'm using a retinol about three to four times a week — I get fairly itchy if I use it too much since I'm dry/sensitive as well as acneic. I'll be doing a series of blood draws over the next few weeks to see how well I'm absorbing the progesterone cream I am also taking, and maybe I'll see a dosage change with the Spiro somewhere along the line.
Once again, thank you! Is there any problem in the world that the Hairpin can't solve? xo
Sadly the only thing that seems to work for me is avoiding alcohol. If I drink, without fail I break out. Total crap as adulthood is much easier to deal with while intoxicated.
girls, thanks to none other than some off-hand tips from Hairpiñata commenters, I started taking evening primrose oil, morning and evening. Six weeks in, and it has literally changed my life. And my face. Also it's supposed to help with PMS, which, bonus!
@annierebekah Please tell about this life changingness. I like life changes (good ones) AND natural/hippie shit. My credit card is halfway out of my pocket.
@dearheart This guy: http://organicpharmacy.org/products/EPO.(Evening.Primrose.Oil) I purchase at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods (TJ's preferable, obvi). I just started taking it in the morn and then before bed with all my other vitamins and hippy-dippy supplements and, honestly? I noticed a difference within a week. Also, I live in a very polluted 3rd world city that tends to bring out the worst in my skin, and upon my return I have nothing but the occasional (easily concealed) spot.
@dearheart also, my mom noticed, which def means I'm doing SOMETHING right!
@annierebekah Big thanks! Just ran out on my lunch hour and purchased some (at TJs, fist bump).
10. Go to the dermatologist, get lots of prescription face washes, lotions, creams, etc.
11. Only wash your face when you shower, use creams sparingly, pick at your zits even though you're not supposed to, complain to your friends that your doctor sucks.
(Please say it's not just me.)
@juliannasays No, don't pick! I'm a terrible picker but they go away so much faster when I can keep myself from doing it.
@juliannasays The amount of time I waste deciding if I should use soap A, B, or C and whether or not I should bust out the Clarisonic is matched only by the time I spend staring at my face, guessing if a zit will pop in a non-scarring way, popping the zit, and then realizing I guessed wrong.
@theharpoon It's so hard not to! I think it's developed into this unconscious nervous habit.
((
DERMATOLOGIST who doesn't even believe you when you say you're 23 until he looks at your chart. Then recommends a whole different set of meds.
No, Dr. I am not 15.
But seriously, the only thing that worked for me was moving to an island where there is a lot of salt water and sun. Oh, my demanding skin.
I always had great skin, but started getting acne when I went off the pill. Maybe we can hope the same for Alexa Chung. (You just DON'T SAY THAT, Alexa Chung.)
Yes. All of these. Except #8 because I don't get the OWN network, but if I did I would do that.
@likethestore http://watchseries.eu/serie/the_judds
Definitely go to a dermatologist or some other professional! I started using dermalogica products a few months ago as recommended, and they are wonderful! A little pricey, but I'm sure anyone who has adult acne like myself is willing to do anything to get rid of it!
And #4, totally! I can so relate.
what's even more exciting is that not only do I still have acne as an adult, it's developed into cystic acne, which is brilliant to have while I have grey hair and am pretty sure I'm getting an old lady turkey neck.
Wait, are almonds supposed to do something? I need to know if I should be eating more almonds!
@theharpoon I KNOW! I couldn't tell if almonds make acne worse or better!
Oh acne, I thought you and I were destined never to meet until I turned 21 and you demolished my face. Does anyone have any tips to fade post zit red marks? By the way, I do everything on this list. My best friend tells me on a daily basis to stop staring at her cheeks (they're just so smooth!)
@TheRani Obagi C-Serum works for me, but it takes patience. I use the 10% serum which is meant for dry/sensitive skin. If you are more on the oily side you can try the 20%. I use the C-serum in the morning and a milder retinol (Skinceuticals .05) in the evenings, but only 2x a week or else my face gets beet-red and flakes off in attractive sheets. I am struggling, struggling, struggling with hormonal breakouts in my mid-30s and spent the money on saliva testing with my awesome doctor. It turns out that I am estrogen dominant (sounds great but it's actually rotten) and my poor progesterone can't keep up.
I really hope the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (pih) you're dealing with is helped with the C-serum and a retinol. I also cover my pih with Neutrogena concealer that has salicylic acid in it, which also seems to help with the fading. And I'm always relearning the hardest lesson: KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF YOUR FACE!
@TheRani I am very fair-skinned and have a handful of red dots on my chin. I tried the little spot-treatment tube from Aveeno helped tons, but then my chin broke out fiercely. I got mini sample bottles of Differin from my derma and they cleared up my zits very quickly and my red spots are slowly going away. Two weeks ago I had to put concealer on them, and now all I need is foundation!
So like, I had amazing skin until I was 27 (I'm 30) then it got shitty and adult acne like crazy and I tried everything (aside from going to the dermatologist, of course, cuz whatever). BUT I did go to a holistic health care practitioner and was like HELP ME! and she was all like ok, let's do some tests, and then she was like, oh it's cuz you have a wheat allergy. SO I went through the hell that is avoiding gluten (it's easy now) and I feel way better and my acne is gone. Should I trick myself into thinking I can eat wheat, I get a zit immediately. Like within an hour. Go figure. You could figure out on your own if this is the problem for you by quitting wheat for a month. Worth a shot, maybe?
I NEVER got acne until I was in my mid twenties, and then it was a sudden acneic hell. Birth control helped the acne (a lot), but turned me into a screaming, emotional shell of myself. I tried everything. I finally had a wonderful nurse practitioner who put me on Yaz (along with acne, I had the worst periods on earth). The acne cleared up right away, but the Yaz was too expensive for me and my insurance wouldn't cover it. My NP gave me all the samples she had every time I came in until one sad day she told me that the Yaz people wouldn't be giving her samples any more. Sadly, I had to stop taking my beloved BC. I moved to a new town, went to a new doctor, and once again went through the trial and error of trying every single birth control to find one that worked with my body and emotions AND corrected my acne (instead of making it worse). Finally we tried the Yaz generic and by some wonderful twist of fate my insurance agreed to pay for it this time. I am once again clear skinned and feeling much happier.
/pointless comment.
@confirmedspinster I was on Yaz for a while and I was INSANE. Like, wife in the attic in Jane Eyre insane. it was rough.
@cloudburst Yeah, people react different ways to different types of BC. Ortho Tricyclen made me horribly, horribly depressed. And when I tried to tell my doctor, he wouldn't believe me. He said it was impossible for birth control to make a person depressed. Yeah, I don't go to male docs anymore.
people who tell you to change your diet/lifestyle can suck a dick. I eat a healthful, balanced diet, get plenty of exercise and sleep, and am a perennial pizza face. My sister lives on soda and candy, never sleeps, and has always had perfect skin.
also, birth control hasn't done DIDDLY SQUAT for my skin. I finally went to the dermatologist last fall and got some topical drugs (tretinoin cream and benzoyl peroxide wash) that are doing a decent job.
@elysian fields yes, I too have tried everything ever to fix my adult acne. If it didn't come with some terrible side effect, it didn't work at all. So, finally, I decided FUCK IT, I am going to stop using anything, stop even washing my face. And you know what happened? DIDDLY SQUAT. I have exactly the same horrible pizza face as I did 2 years ago when I was still washing my face and taking pills and smearing creams on myself. It's not worth it to me. I just totally own it and people think DAMN her confidence is sexy. I can hear them whisper about me while I squeeze my zits.
@elysian fields dude, for real! they told me BC would clear up my skin, and they fucking lied to me. i am not going to get over that one in a hurry.
Staring at the skin of the ridiculously smooth faced is massively absorbing, as is staring at someone whose nose is well endowed with generously proportioned pores, espesh when they scrunch it up, and their whole nose is just lots..of..little…holes…a whole nose of holes….a nose sponge….hdopcnzxf. Shivers. Kinda love staring at it can't look away shivers.
bottom line, i have weird forehead acne, the occasional gigantic pimple that lasts for a week and have never laughed so hard at a bar….. by myself…… with my computer……and a beer….. i feel like i should have shame acne…… (i'm 28)
I finally found a way to get rid of my acne at age 32, then came the hormonal acne. Shit! That stuff is mean mean mean. I just started Retina.
oh my god you guys there is no #7. but what do i do after the almond part?!?! cry?
i am going to try primrose oil, starvation, and bottling my own tears then bathing with them next to a space heater (as i do not live on an island with salt water and great sun.)
(thank you. this piece is hilarious + dead on.)
What happened to tip number 7? Here I'll make one up for you:
7. Then eat all of the rest of the almonds.
@myeviltwin clap clap clap!
Also, I hate almonds. Am I doomed to keep getting these things on my forehead that makes it look like my third eye is trying to appear? Will I soon be able to see teh future? Am I then required to hold a flashlight under my chin at all times and constantly sing "in the yeeeeeeeeear two thooooooooousand"?
10. Go on birth control that will not help with acne (but baby freeeee!).
Try a grain and dairy free diet. It worked for me (google "paleo diet") – I finally quit the Retin-A I was blasting my face with for 10+ years.
I'm almost 30 & pretty much spent all my cash over the years on different face washes etc. Got a sample of this shit: http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/dr-alkaitis-organic-soothing-gel.html & lo and behold…it knocks zits out faster than anything i have used. Doesn't dry out skin & is totally natural. LOVE it. (I use the face wash and toner also – this toner doesn't sting or dry the face out either. It's amazing.)
@messofme For the last hour and a half, I've been trying to decide whether or not to buy this stuff. I want to believe…
@vanillawaif Yes. Am currently eating almonds by the handful and drinking litres of water while compiling an extensive shopping list because of this thread. My wallet is in serious trouble…
@clairedelune My wallet already hates me because to make up for my skin being broken out almost constantly, I have been shopping to comfort myself. Too bad that broken-out skin makes a person hide out like a hermit instead of going out into the world and getting some use out of lots of new clothes…
Oh god, this is making my morning. All I want to do ever is obsess over adult acne and none of my friends have it. I read those crazy acne.org message boards and started using a couple of things that some people posted about and they have been kind of miraculous: every night I take a 50 mg of zinc, 1 8,000iu of vitamin A and 2 1,000 of vitamin D. Thanks to a commenter somewhere on this site, I've been using CeraVe face wash and lotion (at the drugstore–a big bottle is $15) along with Clinique acne control toner at night. I'm also on Ortho Tricyclen Lo, but it doesn't do much (I've been on it for many years). In a cruel twist of fate, I started to acne in college, thinking all through High School that I had been spared that particular axe (in the hopes that braces until graduation and chunky baby fat were enough to please the gods), and this is the first time since then that my face has been consistenly without any pimples.
Oh, and water! I drink about 3 liters a day. I have to pee all the time, but it's worth it. Diet doesn't seem to make a difference: I eat a ton of sugar and when I did a trial run of no sugar, I still broke out.
I started taking Cod Liver Oil in response to an article on this site, and it totally helps clear my skin. I am not consistent with it, so I notice that when I do take it it really makes a difference. Unexpected side effect of, uhm,oil, but what can I say.
@smartastic I've been taking the cod liver oil too. It hasn't helped my skin. At all. I keep taking it only because the vitamin D boost is supposedly good for my health.
it's sad when people have bad skin, thank goodness i have no idea what that's like
I'm 36 and starting breaking out horribly about a year ago. All through my teens and 20s, my skin was perfectly clear. I blame years of, ahem, Clean Living.
A friend hipped me to zinc and quercetin supplements to help, and it seems to be working. The zinc dries out excess oil and quercetin gives your immune system a boost, because sometimes, SOMETIMES, adult acne can be caused by an allergic reaction.
I also started using a very gentle cleasner (Clearacil, if you can believe it) in the morning and evening. Before, I was using tea tree oil which did nothing but dry the shit out of my skin and cause more breakouts.
Oh, and I cut way WAY back on alcohol. Sorry. No one wants to hear that, but the hootch will jack your skin up worse than standing over a Fry-a-lator all day.
oh adult acne!!! WHY? I went off the pill at age 30 and BOOM, there she was, my first experience with real true acne. It was horrible. This post so hits home. Trying so many remedies, some conflicting, none working! At one point I was drinking 14 glasses of water a day, to no avail. Steaming my face with tea; changing my diet; exercising more; intentional sweating; RUBBING MY FACE WITH RAW GARLIC (do not do this); crying; dreaming about it; raging; considering going back on the pill. Nothing helped. It just had to run its course. It took over a year and is now gone. I so deeply feel for those who have it continually and without cease. For those whose adult acne is due to going off the pill, HAVE FAITH. Give it a year.
I totally agree with the people who say it's just completely fickle and unpredictable. I know chain smokers with shitty diets who have gorgeous skin, and vice versa. Genetics, food, lifestyle, washing/not washing, products/no products, the amorphous "stress" that's supposedly making us all into hags…I don't think any of it has any bearing! Hence the lack of a reliable hippie remedy! DAMN YOU, LACK OF HIPPIE REMEDY!
ugh. Acne: what even is it?! What is the biological point of it? my stupid dog doesn't get acne, the asshole
@dracula's ghost this article gives the best explanation I've seen: http://www.slate.com/id/2291519
You guys are nuts. I would so much rather get a second head on my chin every so often than forever forgo the pleasure of a baguette with pecorino tartufo.
@MollyculeTheory This is my rationale every time I eat wheat. Then an hour later when I'm wanting to die and getting uglier I remember that I really am allergic.
@magnificentjane I'm uglier with zits, not any of you guys. You guys probably look way better than normal with adult acne. No offense intended.
omg I just registered so I could let ya'll know how hard I like this post. I'm only 21, but I have been suffering with acne since I was 8, and it's really depressing to think that I've had shitty skin for over half of my life. My acne actually got WORSE last year, but my derm refused to prescribe anything since he thought I would grow out of it. My gyno was smarter and gave me a different bc that helped a bit.
So now I'm just doing chemical peels and EPO and crying myself to sleep.
@the ghost of amy lee
I'm so sorry.
@the ghost of amy lee I'm with you! I remember buying my first concealer at 10. Now I'm 29 and a pro at covering all those spots my doc promised would go away when I grew up. I've tried everything, including peels, accutane, proactiv and it always comes back. I won't touch birth control anymore after it made me an emotionally unstable wreck. Am now convinced there is NO SOLUTION other than buying expensive makeup, covering the damn things and walking around like you don't give a shit.
Also, I've been told that other people don't notice my bad skin as much as I think. They're probably lying but I appreciate the illusion.
I recall a conversation with my Mother where she told me she never got spots, which I took as boding well for me. "However", said she, "I did get agonising boils instead".
I'm 26 now and every mark on my face could be the beginning of the end.
I had the worst breakouts of all time after quitting Yasmin in November…which of course turned into the worst scarring + acne of all time, like *all over* my face and chest and back. I just laid around and cried for months and spent zillions on peels, creams, weird soaps, etc. I kept thinking stupid crap like, "If only I had
something simple and treatable like cancer, not ACNE!" (My mom had cancer and they fixed her!)
Anyways, FINALLY breaking down and going to a dermatologist was the best thing I ever did and I have some small amount of hope for my life again! <3 I highly recommend it for anybody that has insurance, which is probably nobody! :/
Along with some prescription creams, he told me to clean twice a day with Hibiclens (found in the first aid section of the drug store). It kills the bacteria that causes acne. <3 OMG TOTALLY TRY HIBICLENS YOU GUYS! <3 The acne is finally gone, but at least the hideous blotchy scars will remain FOREVERRRRRR!
I just turned 29 and had a decent amount of adult acne pop up [ew] about two years ago. I started going back to the gym after reading a random article on exercise + acne. I focused mostly on cardio but did some weight training when too tired to run. This, combined with cutting down on the booze (horror), seemed to take care of it.
I have no idea why this worked or if it would work for anyone else or even if it was something totally different that helped.
But just wanted to share. I just have a lot of feelings.
You guys, you guys. I'm totally going to sound like an infomercial, but I bought this a week ago: http://www.amazon.com/Olay-Professional-Advanced-Cleansing-System/dp/B0043OYFKU
It's basically a poor person version of the $200+ Clarisonic cleanser thing. And I am NOT EVEN JOKING, after a WEEK my skin looks and feels better than it has ever looked in my entire post-puberty life. I'm talking like, friends and family are looking at me and going "your skin looks amazing!" without any prompting. And my skin was/is gnarly; adult acne, pores you could fall into, totally dull, etc etc.
You can use it with whatever cleanser you want, it's weirdly relaxing to just exfoliate the fuck out of your face, and it isn't abrasive or irritating at all, just a lil soft brush that swirls around on your face. And $30 isn't all that bad!
Seriously, I love love love it.
HAVE to comment on this post! I could write a book on this topic so I'll try to keep it short.
I have struggled with putsy/difficult skin since puberty. Went away in college, but unfortunately, returned with a vengeance in my early 20s (22-24), after moving back to my hometown post-college. After this, I began trying anything and everything (and can completely relate to above article).
After about 6 months of intense obsessive trial & error/extensive research and having NOTHING work, I finally discovered a successful skincare routine for me.
Ok here it is (and this is what works FOR ME):
-FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT: I purchased a filtered showerhead (from amazon.com). I got this idea after I found an article that discussed that sometimes certain city tap water can cause breakouts … SERIOUSLY: Drop everything you're doing right now and go buy one of those suckers! Your skin and hair with thank you. I'm afraid to wash my face with any other kind of water. So I don't. If that means bringing moistened face wipes with me and using that to cleanse my face when on vacation/out of town/away from my magic showerhead/etc. then so be it. Anyway…
-Just twice a day, morning and night: I only use a very gentle, unscented, PH-balanced cleanser. My favorites are cetephil, purpose, or neutrogena extra gentle face wash. Twice a week, I swap with a gentle, unscented exfoliating face wash, such as one with AHA. When too lazy to wash, I use one of those face wipes (any of the kinds made for “sensitive skin” are my fave).
-Alternating nights: retinol, which is key. I was on prescription Retin-A, but now I use an over-the-counter retinol: Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Night Moisturizer. Which is pricey ($19) but does the trick.
-On the other nights: OILS. Don't be afraid of natural oils, ironically sometimes they are just what acne-covered skin needs. *Make sure all these oils are cold-pressed, organic if possible. Try either Argan Oil (jose maran has a good one, found at sephora), OR: rosehip oil (I order from amazon), which is a natural source of Vitamin-A. Apply after cleansing.
-AND/OR Jojoba oil (acne.org brand is cheapest/best): I add a couple drops to my regular moisturizer for an extra moisture boost, when needed (awesome in the winter months).
-Daily: SPF moisturizer, such as cetaphil, neutrogena, or ceraVe (I usually try to match the brand with whatever cleanser I'm using at the time). More SPF if the situation calls for it.
-A week or two before and during my period, every night: After washing, smear a 2.5% (no more!) benzyol peroxide cream (some people respond better to salycic acid, but I'm not one of them) all over my face. Let it dry for 10 min, then use moisturizer.
-Daily: I take an Omega-3 supplement, Vitamin D, calcium and probiotics (sooo important for me). I avoid milk, but mostly cuz I think it’s nasty.
Important: don't over-wash!!! If you strip your skin of its natural, healthy oils, it'll start to "overcompensate" and produce too much oil=more pimples. And for god's sake DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE with your greasy hands!
I could keep going, but I'll stop…
I've seen it mentioned before on threads here, but I have to bring it up again – the oil cleansing method. I had bad, disgusting, really painful acne all across my shoulders throughout my teens and early 20s and nothing NOTHING cleared it up – nothing i got on prescription, not the pill, not topical creams, not special cleansers. But i never had it on my face so I was like, ok it could be worse (and was always getting compliments on having "porcelain" face skin).
Anyway I hit 30, went through various life-evaluation related meltdowns, started a PhD, ended a long-term relationship and BOOM, face acne like crazy. 18 months of arguments with patronising dermatologists, visits to witch doctors, agnostic praying and then a friend suggested the oil cleansing method.
It took about a week to transition but my skin has been clear and actually kind of beautiful for about 4 months now. Even the pre-period chin breakout is this almost pretty little attempt at a pimple that recedes after 48 hours and conceals really well in-between.
If you google it, the article on acne.org is great and is the one I followed. As I've gotten more confident I've played around with my own mixtures and now use a castor oil based mix with sweet almond oil, jojoba, bit of tea tree, bit of lavender. Make sure the cloth is super clean and don't wash them in irritable detergents.
i do it at night to take off my make-up and tone with rose water. It's cheap and essentially home-made, which i have found so empowering. Stick with it for a month and see if it works for you.
GOOD LUCK!
I've seen it mentioned before on threads here, but I have to bring it up again – the oil cleansing method. I had bad, disgusting, really painful acne all across my shoulders throughout my teens and early 20s and nothing NOTHING cleared it up – nothing i got on prescription, not the pill, not topical creams, not special cleansers. But i never had it on my face so I was like, ok it could be worse (and was always getting compliments on having "porcelain" face skin).
Anyway I hit 30, went through various life-evaluation related meltdowns, started a PhD, ended a long-term relationship and BOOM, face acne like crazy. 18 months of arguments with patronising dermatologists, visits to witch doctors, agnostic praying and then a friend suggested the oil cleansing method.
It took about a week to transition but my skin has been clear and actually kind of beautiful for about 4 months now. Even the pre-period chin breakout is this almost pretty little attempt at a pimple that recedes after 48 hours and conceals really well in-between.
If you google it, the article on acne.org is great and is the one I followed. As I've gotten more confident I've played around with my own mixtures and now use a castor oil based mix with sweet almond oil, jojoba, bit of tea tree, bit of lavender. Make sure the cloth is super clean and don't wash them in irritable detergents.
i do it at night to take off my make-up and tone with rose water. It's cheap and essentially home-made, which i have found so empowering. Stick with it for a month and see if it works for you.
GOOD LUCK!
I REALLY wanted the oil cleansing method to work for me, as I know for a fact it has worked for lots of people (like @rararuby), but just for the record, it did NOT work for me. My skin became twice as hideous. I gave it a month and then stopped.
Isn't it so weird how different all our faces are?? You'd think we'd be more similar in terms of what works/what gives us acne/etc. How can everyone be so different? It's just skin and guts in there, right?
@dracula's ghost Such a bummer that oil cleansing didn't work for you, it was like a miracle for me, but yes you're right, I suppose we are all so different. Any kind of imbalance – which I think acne is a sign of – is a mix of physiology and psychology.
One of the things I tried for my skin was homeopathy. Now I simply couldn't get past the obvious placebo nature of the medicine but the homeopathic approach of understanding and treating the whole person rather than the symptoms of the imbalance is interesting. I've reflected in the past that my acne flared up when I felt I'd lost my sense of control over, well, lots of shit. Mixing my own remedies (I now make most of my own skincare and love it) felt like regaining control, so maybe it worked on that level too.
Anyway, my point is that we're not just blood and guts, really. We're emotions and experiences and fears and joys and expectations along with all the viscera.
I used to suffer from adult acne every winter and I didn't understand it. I then found out I was suffering from "winter skin" I started washing my face only once a day, and never with teen acne treatments but instead a very mild/calming face wash. I started with the fresh farmacy by Lush.
Then although it seemed against everything I learned in my teens I started moisturizing twice as much.
I was over-drying my skin, causing it to act up. I still breakout every time I get my period, but its nothing compared to the shit show that used to happen every Winter.
I think adult acne is often times not knowing how to adjust your skincare routine from your teens to early adulthood when drying/abusing the hell out of your skin is no longer the answer.
not to get all alternative medicine on you, but your liver is a huge contributer to your skins condition. i've had terrible acne since my early teens, i'm 23 now, and it's only just started to clear up alongside some life style changes. hormones are an obvious contributer to acne, but it's your liver that often times messes with your hormones. your hormones are processed in your liver alongside alcohol, drugs, toxins, and fatty fats and sugar. when you have a lot of beer and processed food, it over works your liver and your hormones get messed up through that. your liver is supposed to expell whatever toxins it processes through urine sweat and poo. but when you have a lot, and especially if you're not drinking enough water and eating enough fiber to get things to move through, your liver resports to expelling toxins through your skin. I think this is why a lot of people in their 20's and 30's are just starting to get bad acne as well, their liver just isn't as efficient anymore. holistic approaches to things are really fun to look at, because you start to understand what a delicate puzzle your body is, and how everything effects everything. but it's also challanging because then there's a bigger sense of responsibility…but-since quitting smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, and cutting way back on sugar and booze, my skin is 90% better. of course, my skin routine helps. cetephil or calendula soap, retin a at night (a god send for scars and keeping things clear!). but for reals, i was one of those crazies who was all "MUST SANITIZE CELL PHONE AND TOWELS AND PILLOWCASES BECAUSE THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR BREAKING ME OUT" but really-non of that did jack. benzol peroxide was a quick fix that damaged my skin in the long run. everything else irritated it. get yourself some dandelion tea and detox that liver. your skin will be like FINALLY!