surferlove007

I've noticed something about myself, recently I find it annoying to have to wash my face every morning and every night just to avoid acne or bad breakouts. So a question came to mind, at what age did other people's acne finally calm down?
I'm 19 I was hoping it would end by now!
I know genetics has an influence, stress, etc. But I'm still curious.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Does make up really make it worse?

Dilbert1234567

I'm 22, it calmed down in my teens, i don't have issues unless i shave, then i have to clean like a mad man or else i break out on my neck.

make up... no comment.

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Bill O'Rights

I'm 44...so I'm hoping that it'll clear up any day now.



Ummm...yeah...
with the exception of the occasional "rogue zit", I cleared up in my late teens...very early twenties...sometime around there.

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Halx

It cleared up after I started using Accutane in my late teens. I wasn't sporting puss volcanos all over my face or anything, but I felt I needed it none the less and it worked beautifully.

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Jinn

Accutane made me angrier than a bull with its balls in a vice. I can't handle being moody as hell, and Accutane did enough to my brain chemistry to make mood almost impossible to be consciously aware of.

That said, it started when I was about 15 (quite bad) and has improved a bit (21, now). I used to wash three times a day to reach an 'alright, well thats as good as I can expect,' now I can get the same thing washing once or twice a day.

Having a steady girlfriend has made it a lot less nerve-wracking and ego-destroying.

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snowy

Yes, certain kinds of makeup can make it worse. Some makeup has irritants in it that are just going to make acne more inflamed. Similarly, facial products with camphor, menthol, or peppermint oil should be avoided. They will inflame your skin. Otherwise, a basic regimen of gentle cleanser (like Cetaphil) plus a moisturizer is good. You can add specialty products to fight your acne if necessary, but your first mission should be to not irritate your skin. Currently I use Cetaphil daily with Neutrogena's Pore Refining toner (to keep my skin clear) and Nivea's Simply Glowing moisturizer. I only get the occasional rogue pimple, as Bill said.

If your skin is really bothering you that much, you need to talk to your dermatologist.

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Willravel

It's died down considerably, but I still have to be vigilant. Always have clean pillows, wash face when awaking in the morning, apply oil free spf 30, wash face after work or exercise, wash before bed. I prefer Neutrogena brand face washes and sunscreen myself, but a lot of my friends have good things to say about Proactive. During the summer, I just use a real sunscreen, like Banana Boat (makes me smell like the beach, which I love).

sapiens

My acne cleared up near the end of my teens. Now, I only get acne if I eat greasy food or too many sweets. I wash my face in the morning with warm water. I never use soap on my face.

noodle

It was better when I was on the Pill. I fried out my skin in high school by following the dermatologist's advice and using Retin-A whilst in 3:00pm tennis classes in Florida every day. I went through 5 layers of skin before it finally stopped peeling. So now I have hyper-sensitive skin that I can't wear makeup on at all (except almay mascara) without a horrible rash and breakouts. But Proactiv was awesome for awhile until I got too lax with it. I have to start all over once the Depo fades because my skin's decided that I just turned 15 again. Argh!

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Lizra

Washing your face every morning and night is simple good hygine, just like brushing teeth! I don't feel right till I wash my face.....

I took acutane twice....once in my 30's, and after I had my last baby in my
40's. I thought it was great. Dried my skin out, which was thrilling.
No mood problems...the only thing depressing is big fat cyst zits....now that's depressing.
I still must be vigilent too (I'm 51). If you have large pores and oily skin...you gotta deal with it. The skin itself can produce the hormones or whatever it is that triggers zits, but I still see a tendency at the onset of my period.
My skin is very sensitive after all these years, I like Aveeno combination skin bar soap,used with a sponge.
I don't wear face make-up...just a touch of blush to even out redness....face make up makes me look like a wooden puppet head....ick!

Retin A and azalex and all those other weird things...I tried them all...they work for awhile, but they do oversensitize and fry your skin!

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ngdawg

Don't overwash-it will strip your natural oils and make the acne worse. Use a hypoallergetic wash or one for sensitive skin. My kids are using Biore products and I swear by those-I'd been taking my daughter to a dermatologist for 18 months. When the PA said "Accutane", we stopped going, tried the Biore and Panoxyl creme and she's almost clear and smooth.
Son uses Loreal Adult Acne Treatment in addition to the Biore and it works great on him.
I've had acne since 1964 and it hasn't gone away yet! But it's not as bad as when I was in high school-mostly clogged pores and occasional flare-ups now.
I use Revlon ColorStay and it's worked pretty well for coverage without looking like a manequin.

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Lizra

Heh! We're all so different.....I'm a compulsive face washer, and I must use hot water to "open" the pores .....I know they don't really do that, but after all those years of imagining "closing" pores on oil and dirt and making pimples....well, I feel like Joan Crawford with the ice water in "Mommy Dearest".... A real nut.

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Psycho Dad

I never really had a big problem with it, but two of my sons, my wife, all three sister-in-laws did. Accutane did the trick. I didn't notice any side effects other than I took one of my sons golfing and he burned like a Georgia Pine soaked in gasoline. My wife didn't really have any side effects at all and my bat shit crazy sister-in-law can't blame Accutane on any of her problems.

However I still think Accutane should be a last ditch effort for only very sever acne. Even with a vasectomy the doctor wanted us to use a second birth control method. And there are reports that link Accutane to depression.

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insidious_machinae

Another vote for using accutane. I had horrific acne (borderline cystic) until I went on it at age 16. I had tried all sorts of benzoids and proactive and whatnot, but nothing worked even slightly. La_petite_moi had to take accutane as well, though it didn't work as well for her.

On a completely unrelated note, I also never lost any teeth. Every single tooth I've "lost" had to be pulled by my dentist.

eyeronic

I once had a dermatologist tell me that the only kind of food that had been proven to cause acne was sodium-rich food. My acne cleared up when I was in my early 20s.

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MexicanOnABike

funny this thread should appear now, i'm starting to get random zits now. I think it's work /stress related but i've also been eating a ton of natchos recently. hmm. time to cut back!

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Charlatan

I had acne at about age 13 and then I started using a product called Topax. Cleared them right up.

I still get a random zit every once in a while and even had a them more than usual when I first arrived in Singapore. All the sweating really brought them out but I seem to have adapted as I don't get them any more than usual now.

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kevpdx

I had bad zits at 13, I took accutane at 14 and it cleared up completely for a year, I still had to use topical creams (Avita and Tazorac) up to now. Still hasn't cleared up :/.

Willravel

I've also heard high in saturated fat foods and foods that include serotonin and phenethylamine (that may effect hormones) can cause acne.

Vitalsigns2000

Contrary to popular belief, the food you eat is not the cause of acne.

Acne Causes

Several factors contribute to the development of acne. The primary problem is that the abnormal flaking of cells inside the hair follicle leads to the formation of a plug. The plug can enlarge and even rupture the hair follicle. A ruptured hair follicle spills its contents of oil and debris into the skin where it leads to swelling and causes redness (inflammation).

Bacteria that normally live on the skin also play a role in acne development. The bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes are responsible for causing acne. These bacteria produce substances that cause redness and irritation (inflammation). They also make enzymes, which dissolve the sebum (oil from oil glands in the skin) into irritating substances. These substances also make the inflammation worse.


Certain hormones called androgens are an additional factor in causing acne. Androgens are male hormones that are present in both men and women, but are higher in men. Androgens do two things: First, they enlarge the sebaceous glands in the skin. Second, they cause these glands to increase sebum (oil) production. The increased sebum leads to plug formation and serves as more "food" for the bacteria. Androgens surge at puberty, which is why teens develop armpit and pubic hair, and why boys develop facial hair and deeper voices. This hormonal surge also contributes to the development of acne in teens.

And thats all I have to say about that.

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ngdawg

I took my daughter off milk and that helped(while she was still going to the Dr). Trying with the son, not so much, but there was/is an improvement.
Some acne can be food related like an allergy. Best way to find out is have the suspected food for a week, then not at all for a week and see if there's a change. It took about 3 weeks off milk plus starting the Biore/Panoxyl regiment that made the big improvement.

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kevpdx

I'm pretty sure genetics have a big part, and that testosterone is also a cause. Most guys that have bad zits are hairy, have deep voices, and are in puberty.