Why am I still breaking out (I'll be forever grateful if you can figure this out!)?
I'm going crazy trying to figure out why my acne seems to be returning.
Background:
-I'm an 18 year old female
-I've always had moderate acne and recently found out I have PCOS, (1 year ago) so that explains the hormonal acne I was getting. (jawline, under the skin, etc)
-I was put on birth control (about a year ago) and spironolactone (maybe 6 months ago) to control the hormonal aspect of the acne
-I was given benzoyl peroxide face wash, clindamycin topical lotion, and tretinoin (retin a) topical gel (maybe a little less than a year ago)
**My acne cleared after all this!! My skin was wonderful up until now.
Now, for the past few weeks, I've been getting these breakouts. The first was strange..I had symmetrical under the skin acne on either side of my jaw, as well as on the side of my nose. Since then, it's been whiteheads, small pimples on my forehead, near my mouth, and now another under the skin pimple along my jawline.
The only thing I've recently done differently (maybe a little over a month ago) is that I'm taking supplements, mainly Vitamin D3. Now I've read this is supposed to treat acne, not cause it! (although, whats the deal with milk causing acne, which contains vit. d?) The other supplements never used to give me acne so I ruled them out. I also began a multi vitamin with 100% iodine but recently switched (last week) b/c my mom breaks out from iodine so I figured that might not be helping.
The only other thing I'm testing out is chewing gum. I began chewing sugar gum cuz sugar substitutes give me canker sores. Could the sugar be making me break out near my jaw/mouth (even if I chew 1/3 of the stick)? I will keep testing this.
One last idea: Is it true acne meds stop working after a while? If so, is this the case?
Other than this, I've done nothing different. I eat right, I sleep well, I exercise, I drink a decent amount of water, I wash my face twice a day (after working out included), I try not to touch my face.
Sorry this was long, but I really appreciate it if you read this far. One of the best things that happened to me was clear skin, and the thought of having painful acne again makes me want to cry =[
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
I would wean off the supplements and see what happens to your skin after a month or so.
If your skin doesn’t clear up after that month, stop sampling the gum.
Another reason why your skin may be breaking out is from the change in weather. None the less, consult a dermatologist because they’re more knowledgeable about skin conditions.
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
PROACTIV
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
i say go to the doctor.. a nice female one because they are always more sympathetic!
i know how you feel after being a tad spot prone myself. good luck, hope it clears up soon!
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
take green tea extracts (vitamin) daily and it will clean you from the inside out. stop switching so much with treatments and try to stick with one product and be consistent. i say wash with citaphil, use the tretinoin gel and take the vitamins everyday.
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
well you may have answered this for yourself. but here is something i just read:
It’s likely that the skin reaction you are experiencing if from whatever carrier or filler is WITH the Vitamin D and not from the Vitamin D ITSELF.
So, your best bet is to try different vitamin D formulations to see which doesn’t cause you to have a reaction.
The one that I would recommend FIRST is this Vitamin D Spray that has the least amount of carriers and fillers because it doesn’t have a pill coating- which is perfect for someone like you who doesn’t like to take pills at all.
so maybe you should either try and stop taking it or switch formulations or to the spray. i hope your acne subsides. it’s so stressful. ):
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
every1 gets akne yo
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
I sympathize. When I was a teen I had to go to the dermatologist for that. I didn’t like to take the pills, they gave me body pains after a while. Strange but true. I had to stop the medications. I know the misery first hand and having to fight it all the time I felt. I can say hormone levels play a part, birth control pills can as they are hormone related , the dose may be too high for you. There is something in milk that does aggrivate skin and cause break outs if you have too much of it. I believe products only work for so long usually as the body gets used to them and don’t respond later.
Try to take a BRIEF break from what works best, not use too many products at one time as that can and does cause the skin to get more natural oil production to compensate and blocks pores.
I know iodine and soy are known foods to cause break out reactions if you are sensitive to those items.
Best to avoid the iodine in the supplement. It can be too concentrated for you. Chewing gum with sugar may be a problem as that can sit in the saliva when you chew and circulate in the body, the excess sugar in this is not a recommended thing in general. I don’t know if it causes skin problems though, never heard of that but everyone’s body is different in how it reacts.
Try having orange juice as that has vitamin C and Calcium and can be better than milk for the skin.
Vitamin C is known for healing of the skin in many ways, it can’t hurt to drink that. I feel you are doing the right things to get plenty of rest, to eat right and take healthy supplements, drink plenty of water daily. But MAYBE the work out may be causing a change in the body chemistry some? If you work out often and do hard work out like aerobics at a gym, this could be a suspected cause.
I would TRY THIS..to maybe cut down on the work out if it’s strenuous to not more than 30 minutes 3 or 4 days a week and try to do less strained things like mini trampoline excercises or just brisk walking some days. They are not weight bearing, also swimming as that is a good overall body conditioning. It can help to clean out the skin instead of letting sweat during the work out get into your pores.
I just looked up the pcos condition, it can be a VERY likely cause or factor in breaking out. I would so talk to your gyn and see what they recommend is best to try to treat that and help this. Try a webmd or mayoclinic. com search on this.
Best wishes and fast results in the outcome, I know living with acne is not ever easy. It does stop usually when one ages but in the meantime it’s no fun and nothing nice to have ever.
October 6th, 2010 - 10:00
drink green tea and use green tea to wash your face
check http://ktbeautyplace.blogspot.com for more natural beauty tips
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ktmakeupfx