I’m fed up of these breakouts !
I’m struggling with acne since I was 11, I’m almost 20 now and my skin hasn’t improved a bit.
For the past 2 weeks, I have weird pimples that once gone, leave purple/bluish scars.
What can I do to fade these spots and prevent pimples ?
**I have tried the acne.org regimen, seen dermatologists, done most of the desi totkas… *
Re: Breakouts !
chemical peels helped me a lot.. but I was out in Sun so much that had to stop using peels.. back to ugly acne once again :(
Breakouts !
The only thing that helped my adult acne (which I got when I turned 25) was birth control pills, I currently use Diane 35 and it has helped me to clear up, I still get a pimple here and there but nothing like what I had before! Lactic acid and glycolic acid peels help, as well as retin A
Re: Breakouts !
Sidra, I know exactly how you feel. I started getting acne around 12 and dealt with the constant pimples/scars until about 20/21. Have you already tried the things Jewel mentioned? Those are the exact same things that helped me too. These days I get a pimple or two like once or twice a year.
1) Chemical peels (glycolic & lactic is what I use; if you have SUPER oily skin and SEVERE cystic acne, you can try salicylic)
2) Retin A (I use .025% cream)
3) Birth control pills (This was the very first useful thing I did during college; I take Ortho Tri Cyclen)
In addition to the 3 things listed above, over the years I also made changes to my diet, and skin care routine (ie. how often I wash my face, makeup usage etc.).
Re: Breakouts !
Retin A...all the way.
Re: Breakouts !
I feel your pain!!
Though now I get occasional ones once in a blue moon.
I found certain things to help me though ::
Increase your intake of Vit A, B, C & K. You'll find that in lots of fresh fruit and veggies (may I suggest dark green leafy ones). Also yogurt as it contains anti-bacterial properties- opt for Greek yogurt if possible. Water all the way - flushes toxins outta your system! Oh and grapefruit!!
I found out that I can't use any anti-acne or "for acne" face wash or moisturizes. So with trial & error, found that regular face wash and moisturizes for sensitive skin works best for me. Currently I use Purity by Philosophy (works amazing and got some people hooked) and Oil of Olay moisturizer for sensitive skin. I did use active moist by Dermalogica but found Oil of Olay as a cheaper and better alternative. I don't use toners etc. If you are going to use a scrub, use a very mild one.
Since yogurt got some anti-bacterial properties, putting yogurt (without cream/not flavored - plain one ) on my face on spots helped! Its an old remedy but damn did it work!!
Facials for sensitive skin
Green tea, opt for Matcha (high grade one if possible). Overall, amazing for you in terms of health. Green smoothie?
For makeup, Bare Escentuals gave me nightmares. So check what sort of makeup you are using and be sure to clean your brushes regularly (if you do use makeup). If you do need coverage, try a tinted moisturizer maybe?
Eat Salmon!!!
Work out and sweat it missy!! Sweat draws out impurities :D
Dont get hung up on antibiotics. They work for several months and boom acne comes back again (sometimes). Plus antibiotics mess up your good bacteria, which you don't want. So less is better.
For lil' spots, I put toothpaste on them :D works for me. Not sure about others.
Re: Breakouts !
I do suffer from adult acne and one thing that has helped me alhumdulilah is a paste of yogurt, honey and turmeric powder (haldi). I dab honey onto my acne spots and then some turmeric on top. I also make a paste of 1/2 tablespoon of yogurt (full cream), 1/3 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon of honey. I mix it up and leave it on my face overnight and wash it off in the shower. It does stain my face a bit but it washes off with soap. Honey and turmeric both have anti-inflammatory properties so it helps with acne and the scars.
Make sure you don't go overboard with the turmeric because it will stain you face and always mix turmeric up with honey, yogurt or something else because it will come off harder if you put it in on by itself. Try the mask on a day when you won't be going out and than adjust the amount of turmeric. It doesn't work overnight so just be patient. Also like others have said drink lots of water. I think it really helps.
Last but not least just try to relax. Having acne can be so stressful that people loose sight of how good they really do have it. They forget to have fun and be grateful for the good things in their lives.
Re: Breakouts !
Thanks a lot for your replies 
I’m in a rush right now but I’ll post my routine soon inshaAllah and I’m thinking of posting a pic of how my scar look like (eventhough I know it sounds gross)
Re: Breakouts !
The last things I haven't tried are birth control pills and retin A. I did have a long discussion with my doc and she eventually said that I shouldn't use retinA (because it has a lot of side-effects) and for the birth control pills I'm scared of them, because I have hypothyroidism (since I was ~12) so don't want to play with my hormones :/
My pimples/scars are mainly on my cheeks, but it can pop up anywhere on my face. Luckily I don't have them anywhere on my body. And yeah, nobody is/was suffering from acne apart me, even in my extended family !
My routine :
I avoid using cleansers made for acne prone skin (it dries out my skin a lot thus having more pimples)
use a moisturizer for sensitive skin (olaz complete care)
have to wash my face twice a day
I don't use a toner as it also dries out my skin
For the makeup : Concealer-Foundation-Powder to set the Tzone- eye liner mascara- blush and carmex for my lips.
I scrub once a week or once in two weeks and same goes for a mud mask.
Until now I never had the urge to "hide my face under makeup" but now I just try my best to cover my acne with some concealer and foundation (I'm really that embarrassed)
Plus I HATE those aunties who just keep reminding me that I have a big nasty bump on my face (yeah I don't have a mirror at home right ?) or You shouldn't use a lot of products on your face, that's why your skin is like that or stop eating garam cheezein (like wth ?)
I'm thinking of starting again on the haldi-besan, it did help a bit but later I stopped. For the yoghurt I didn't know abt that, thanks ;) Uhm I won't lie, I do try my best to force myself to drink water but I can't drink more than 50cl, I had 2-3 50cls bottles in my bag few months ago, it did work but again I stopped it (instead of having 1 big bottle, yeah weird trick to fool my mind actually :P)
Re: Breakouts !
Well, whether or not you use RetinA or BCP is a personal decision. I have used Retin A for several years without any issues and several other people on this board use it too.
So you have already tried chemical peels? May I ask how long you did the peels for, how often during that time, and exactly which peels you used in what strength? Also, which glycolic cream have you tried?
The scrub and mask that you use once a week.....how does that help your skin? Do you think it MIGHT be drying out the skin?
What's your diet like? Do you eat a lot of fried/sweet/greasy food?