1st March 2003
Hi, I've been lurking in thie board for months but now I feel like I have something to contribute :)
Here is a little about my acne history:
I am 28. As a teenager, I had acne and oily skin but it wasn't cystic. When I turned 19, I don't know what happened but I started breaking out in full force,bordering on servere cystic acne. I went to the derm and went through the normal cycle of trying every antibiotic and topical known to man for year. Finally, the derm put me on accutane. I was one of the lucky people who after popping the first pill, the cysts started to go down and I never had an initial outbreak, It was like a miracle. Unfourtnately I was left with a lot of saucer and icepick scars and red marks. In the 9 years after Acutaane, My acne is coming back. I still get cysts and whiteheads. Gradually I'm getting more and more and I'm freaking out. I've started the many trips to the derm but he started me back with antibiotics and they don't seem to work anymore-plus I've been left with the worlds worst yeast infections (sorry guys).I get at least one infection per month even though I eat a ton of youghurt and take acidophilous. My gynocologist says theres virtually no 'good bacteria' in my body and the strain of yeast I get isn't the common kind (I guess it mutated or something) and can't be cleared easily with over the counter or even diflucan. I've been miserable. I think taking so many antibiotics for acne has created this problem.
Then I found this board and it is giving me hope. At first, I tried the Carley's but it was horrible for me. I've never done well with BP and should have known better but the testimonials sounded good and I thought maybe it was 'different' from other BP products. Wrong. It made my skin itch, burn, and peel and I got horrible cysts. i'm not trying to say it doesn't work, but if you don't do well with BP, don't go there. Then I tried Dermafina and I have to say it has helped ME. It's not a miracle but it helps. I'm better with SA anyway and it doesn't make me turn red and peel the way BP does. I'm still breaking out but I can see it's controlling the breakouts and when I do get a cyst, it dries it up(very very slowly but at least the cyst doesn't stay there for 2 months like usual.) I know some people on this board hate this product, but I think it's a good alternative for people who can't tolerate BP products. Proactiv left my face a mess. So did Carleys. Retnin-A and Differen do nothing for me except make me peel like a mother. At least i can say Dermafina is gentle on my face even if it's not 'the' cure.
Here is a little about my acne history:
I am 28. As a teenager, I had acne and oily skin but it wasn't cystic. When I turned 19, I don't know what happened but I started breaking out in full force,bordering on servere cystic acne. I went to the derm and went through the normal cycle of trying every antibiotic and topical known to man for year. Finally, the derm put me on accutane. I was one of the lucky people who after popping the first pill, the cysts started to go down and I never had an initial outbreak, It was like a miracle. Unfourtnately I was left with a lot of saucer and icepick scars and red marks. In the 9 years after Acutaane, My acne is coming back. I still get cysts and whiteheads. Gradually I'm getting more and more and I'm freaking out. I've started the many trips to the derm but he started me back with antibiotics and they don't seem to work anymore-plus I've been left with the worlds worst yeast infections (sorry guys).I get at least one infection per month even though I eat a ton of youghurt and take acidophilous. My gynocologist says theres virtually no 'good bacteria' in my body and the strain of yeast I get isn't the common kind (I guess it mutated or something) and can't be cleared easily with over the counter or even diflucan. I've been miserable. I think taking so many antibiotics for acne has created this problem.
Then I found this board and it is giving me hope. At first, I tried the Carley's but it was horrible for me. I've never done well with BP and should have known better but the testimonials sounded good and I thought maybe it was 'different' from other BP products. Wrong. It made my skin itch, burn, and peel and I got horrible cysts. i'm not trying to say it doesn't work, but if you don't do well with BP, don't go there. Then I tried Dermafina and I have to say it has helped ME. It's not a miracle but it helps. I'm better with SA anyway and it doesn't make me turn red and peel the way BP does. I'm still breaking out but I can see it's controlling the breakouts and when I do get a cyst, it dries it up(very very slowly but at least the cyst doesn't stay there for 2 months like usual.) I know some people on this board hate this product, but I think it's a good alternative for people who can't tolerate BP products. Proactiv left my face a mess. So did Carleys. Retnin-A and Differen do nothing for me except make me peel like a mother. At least i can say Dermafina is gentle on my face even if it's not 'the' cure.