If you're reading this, chances are you or someone you love is enduring the torture of acne. Acne isn't just a little pimple a teenager gets, it's a medical condition that is extremely painful, embarrassing and affects millions upon millions of people from teenagers to adults. It appears in various places in our bodies, but for crying out loud why in our faces?! The place the world sees??? I will never understand even if a dermatologist says the scientific reasons and how we have so many oil glands here or there, it just isn't fair is it?
I am one of those adults. I have had acne since I was 14 years and I'm now 44! You do the math. That's a long time to deal with something that for some reason with all the medical advances doesn't seem to have a cure. It's very frustrating and it is very easy to get depressed because of it.
I have received the most amazing compliments on my skin and I STILL have acne. So I want to share some of what I have done to help me deal with it. I've become very creative since none of the traditional treatments have worked. Some of what I'm gong to share in future posts I have not personally tried and I will clearly to say that. For now, and this post I will tell you what I have tried as a treatment for the insidious acne.
Lies about acne cures
Speaking of traditional treatments, I'm sure by now, almost everybody has seen the late night and early morning acne infomercials with all kinds of celebrities like Julianne Hough, Jessica Simpson or Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Let me just say that featuring a celebrity claiming to have acne when they have an occasional blemish or breakout does not acne make. In other words, this is very insulting to the person suffering from acne covering their face, neck back, arms. It hurts physically and emotionally.
Many people for some reason feel that if a celebrity vouches for something, it must be true or accurate. If they trust something you should too because they are famous. When you really think about it that makes no sense.If the promises made for any given product sound surreal, and miraculous it's probably to good to be true. The truth is that acne can be tricky. It can respond to a treatment temporarily then return with a vengeance. People should know this before they let their desperation for a cure give them false hope.
Sadly, those celebrities are not there when someone is staring at you, judging and taunting you for a medical condition that isn't your fault. What bothers me the most is that many advertisers are lying. They are claiming to cure acne when truthfully the condition can persist for years. The best way to discuss this is to be honest about this condition. Sure there can be relief and we'll take it but don't make a claim that isn't true. If and when a break out does returns, you won't feel there is something wrong with you. You have to treat it and yourself gently to find a way of at least controlling it a bit.
What I tried
Please note this is my personal experience and opinion. It is not a substitute for professional advise or consultations. Also note that what did or didn't work for me may not affect others the same way. In a nutshell. I started going to the doctor as a teenager and they gave me antibiotics. No it didn't help. I tried over-the-counter medicine with color coverage and that helped cover it a bit. But the acne continued and even got worse. I tried birth control pills. Men can't use this type of remedy for obvious reasons. It helped a bit but the long term effects of the antibiotics and birth control pills affected by good/bad bacteria balance and caused all kinds of other issues. Thank goodness for probiotics, they have helped balance things out quite a bit. I later tried some other prescription treatments like Retin-A and that helped for a while but again the acne returned.
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| Source: Drugwatch.com |
In my late twenties I heard about the miracle cure of Accutane. I tried it. Let me just say that I don't care how desperate one gets, this is very, very toxic. If you read the warning label, I ask you take everything there very seriously. I needed to take 3 full courses of it. I got all the side effects of drying, peeling, digestion issues and some that weren't very widely discussed. My joints were in tremendous pain I had problems doing any type of physical activity. Unfortunately, I never got better and the acne returned. You can read more about its side effects here
In my thirties and now being in my forties I discovered a few things.
- Using products that are right for my skin is crucial for treating it the best I can. I have oily skin and now I'm aging as well. Although many say I look younger than my age, I am aging and must moisturize in addition to treating. It is very important to keep skin moisturized with non acnegenic moisturizer no matter what. I use currently use plain old benzoyl peroxide or something with sulfur for severe breakouts. Choose the right cleanser, moisturizer and treatment produce for your skin type.
- Covering acne with the right product has become a very important part of living with this condition. Even if you are a man, there are tinted products that treat and conceal blemishes. There are many great concealers and foundations that cover without making your condition worse.
- Using a face brush does help. Just don't scrub too hard. It cleanses a bit better than using your hands alone.
- What you eat does matter. I'm not saying that any specific food causes or cures acne. But the healthier the diet, the better for your overall health. After all, the skin is the largest organ. It needs proper nutrients from inside out.
Remember, though you may feel like it, you are not alone in your pain. I know it doesn't make the acne go away but there are ways of dealing with it. You can be happy and healthy even with acne. So although the age-old confidence destroyer is still around and
going strong, we are getting better at dealing with it.
If you would like more information on me and my quest please do contact me. I am of course on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, Google+, Pinterest, Blogger, and BlogTalkRadio and all can be accessed via my website: www.thisisdiana.com and
~Always with Love, Light and Common Sense Manners~
Diana Navarro, M.S.
On a Quest to Bring Common Sense Manners Back!
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