Me and my acne: Week 11 update.

God, what was meant to be a "weekly feature" has been pushed to the side. For four whole weeks. I am such a bad person, tschk.
I'll promise to try and be more reliable from now on!

If you've never read the other 'acne-update' posts I've written before, then basically what I did 11 weeks ago was come off my oral antibiotic (Lymecycline) which was prescribed to me for my acne. I had been on it for about two years, and had tried to stop before, with horrible consequences (my acne came back raging), so I gave up the abstinence and started taking them again.
This time I thought I would try stop taking the antibiotics and really stick it out, charting my success/failure on this small part of the internet.
I started the 'trail' (as I liked to call it) back at the beginning of December, and did a post explaining why I wanted to give it up here, and subsequently did a week 1, 2/3, 4, and 5 update, just in case you wanted to have a look at the pictures of my skin and/or read about my experience about giving up my antibiotics.
Right, at the moment, as you can see in the pictures, my skin is a little red and sore looking, especially around the forehead area. And my eye-bags are terrible and I'm not looking attractive at all, FML. This is only due to my Retin-A where it's made my skin peel off, revealing new skin which is a little tender and, let's say raw. Yum!

My skin recently has cleared up a hell of a lot though, and I'm actually amazed about how good it's been. I still get the odd few spots, but it's literally like ten small ones, and on a good day I may only have three tiny ones, as opposed to having those plus big fat 'boil' type spots.
This is really pleasing, because when I came off my oral antibiotic, I thought I wouldn't be able to cope. But I can, I don't actually need it any more at all! I still need and use my Retin-A to keep them under control and to help reduce the little red marks and the slight scarring I've got, but my skin is nothing like what it used to be.
To be honest I think this is all thanks to the Clarisonic 'Mia' I got in January which will be getting a glowing review all by itself soon enough! I'm always updating and swapping the cleansers and face creams, and always was, so I don't think I can attribute my clearer skin to any of the new products, I definitely think it's 'Mia'.

So that's a little update on the acne front. Short and sweet I know, but I don't want to babble because it's only an update!

Fucibet.

As I've explained in this post, I explain that I came across this product whilst having a bit of a breakdown about my peeling and spotty cream.
Whilst looking despairingly at my face in the bathroom mirror (as I do on a regular basis) I saw this out of the corner of my eye. Like a magpie drawn to silver, I swooped upon it and claimed it as my own.

After a wee bit of research (after I plastered it on my skin) on the British National Formulary (a medical database for health professionals) I found out that it is a topical corticosteroid. Now these have few side-effects but should be used 'with care'. They are to be used in inflammatory conditions such as eczema or contact dermatitis.
I have NONE of those, however, I was desperate to try and 'fix' my skin, so I slapped it on regardless of any side effects or indications for use (quite silly of me really).

Now this is what the tube looks like. Very medical-looking and not so pretty. Although I like the wee lion on the tube and the red and yellow stripe...
It's in a 30g aluminium (I think) tube, which I think are the best tubes to put cream in. I don't like plastic tubes very much, I don't know why, I just prefer the metal ones.

So it comes out of the tube as an opaque white cream. It's not really that thick in texture, it's quite light, which I totally wasn't expecting. I would have thought it would have been a thick heavy-weight cream, but not so.
There is a smell associated with steriod creams, and the only way I can describe it is that it reminds me of the faint smell of PVA glue, you know, you glue you stuck pasta to paper when you were in little school?
It might be quite unpleasant to some people because it is quite strong, but personally I don't mind the smell.
But if you don't like strong-smelling creams then this clearly isn't for you.


After you've rubbed it in (or as I do, let it soak into the skin), it doesn't really leave any residue upon the surface of the skin. There is a slight shine (which you can't actually see on my hands-it looks quite matte!), but I mean, that's to be expected with a prescribed steroid cream such as this.


So this is what it looks like on my skin when applied, and then when it's sunk into the skin.
As you can see, I put a lot of the cream onto my skin, but even so it's all gone and only left a small smear on my nose.
It has left a slight shine, but this is irrelevant, because I would only use this overnight, because it is so intensive and doesn't have an SPF.
It does feel light upon the skin, and doesn't feel as though it's smothering it. Which is good, because skin needs to breathe otherwise it'll get clogged up with cream and other nasties. It was quite smoothing too, I think because it's for inflammatory skin conditions, it really helped sort out the redness resulting from my Retin-A.

Aaaand this is what my skin looked like in the morning. No peeling, no dead skin, no irritation. Just the nice healthy moisturised feeling which makes a girl like me so happy.

Obviously, it is a medication, so unless you go to your doctor (or possibly the black market-I JOKE) you won't be able to get your hands on this.
I won't be able to use this everyday because of the side-effects (just Google it and you'll find lists of side-effects) and the fact that just dry, peely skin IS NOT what it's meant to be used for.
I think it is to be used in the case of emergency and when I'm near a mental breakdown because my skin is playing up.

This is kind of an irrelevant review in light of the fact you can't go out and buy it off the shelf, but I'm just showing that it has helped me and my skin.
If you do have any of the ailments (psoriasis, contact dermatitis, eczema) then it would probably be quite helpful. Obviously I'm no doctor so I can't say 'people with this should go on this and that blah blah blah' but it might be something to look into.

Me and my acne: Week 5 update.

So this week has been quite, well, more interesting than my other acne updates.
I've also got a few more photographs of my trails and tribulations, because I think it's nice to see what other people are going through, and a paragraph full of words isn't as powerful as when it's accompanied by a photograph.
I do think that most people will be getting sick of my make-up free face, and the fact I look like a complete ming in them! But it's to illustrate a point, so apologies!

If this is the first 'acne update post' of mine you've seen, basically I came off my oral antibiotic (Lymecycline) about 5 weeks ago, which I have been prescribed for the past two years. I am still using a topical medication (Retin-A), and this is just a little journal to see if I can really get on without my oral medication or whether I need to go back on it. Also, I explain what products help and don't help my skin.

So this week I used my Retin-A on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday night because my skin can't seem to shake the spots. This has left my with red, peely skin. I know this is hard to imagine, so I took some pictures (be warned, I look terrible and it isn't flattering at all);



Notice around my hairline you can see the peeling skin on the bottom picture, and around the nose in the top picture. They are small pictures so squint and you might see what I'm on about.

When my skin is like this I feel pretty awful. I have spots and plus I'm peeling like mad, so I'm not feeling at my most attractive. Earlier on the day these above pictures were taken, I applied some Eucerin, but OH MY GOD it stang like hell and brought me out in a reddish-pink rash before I had to leave to go to university.
See below;

However, I was in the bathroom staring despairingly into the mirror (surely other people do that?) when a little white tube caught my eye.
Mummy Clements had suffered from a small patch of psoriasis, and the doctor prescribed her this cream.
So, as a last resort, I plastered it all on my face and no stinging or anything occured. I thought, wow, this is good stuff already. Unlike most creams like this I've encountered before, this one sank right into my skin. I'll do a proper review of the cream on it's own, so keep your eyes peeled.
But this is what my skin looked like this morning...

Absolutely no peeling or redness, although my spots and red marks are still there (sad face). You can't really see because the photo is quite small (bummer) but my skin seems to be in a much better shape than it was 12 hours ago.

So in summary, it's been a bit of a tough week for my poor skin. My spots don't seem to be going, I'm still pressing on with using my Retin-A which is giving me peely and sore skin, I have found a cream which helps with the peeling, but all in all no drastic improvements or worsening.
Sigh.
It's never ending...

Retin-A.

My life practically revolves around this little wonder. Every part of my skin-care regimen circulates on whether I'm using it or not; what facial washes I use, what creams I buy, whether I use foundation or go au naturel...

It was prescribed to me two years ago because I had/have acne. Apparently, you're only meant to be on it for several months. However, I want to be on it forever.
It really does help my skin, and every time I come off it to see if my skin improves of it's own accord, my spots come back worse than ever and it really gets me down. Sad face.

It is a retinoid (a vitamin A derivative...I think), and basically what it does (in normal-speak) is that it exfoliates the skin from the inside out, thus shedding and flaking off the upper-most layer of the skin at a rapid rate. This means that when you are using the medication you look disgusting and you need to take serious care of your skin (no exfoliating, and no harsh skin treatments) because it is so sensitive.

Exposure to UV light (including sunlight!) should be avoided when using this medication. This means that I am a deathly shade of white and in the summer months do my absolute utmost to stay out of the sun. I have tried almost every sun cream known to man and my large sunhat was an absolute essential last summer during holidays and trips to the beach (cue my boyfriend calling me a 'vampire', alas, ignorance).

It is topical medication, meaning you put it directly on your skin. It is a clear gel that has a slight yellow-ish tinge, and you apply it in a thin layer and it dries on your skin.
You can't use any products over the top of it or beneath it, your skin needs to be clean in order for Retin-A to be any use. For this reason I use it overnight, and wash it off in the morning.

As I've said before, you do have to be careful how you treat your skin during the period you are applying it. Most of the skincare products I have used have stung my skin like mad (imagine me running around the room fanning face), and only a few products have soothed my skin. Aquaphor is a really good cream that hydrates and soothes sore cracked skin, and I always use it when using Retin-A. Definitely my 'go-to' product of late. When using Retin-A, I use facial washes that are designed for sensitive skin, and you certainly don't want facial washes advertising some form of chemical exfoliation or physical exfoliation like grains or beads, you will regret it.

I think without this medication I would have a nervous breakdown. This really helps keep my skin in check, and even though my acne is slowly coming back (damn the doctor taking me off my oral medication, DAMN HIM) I think this medication is keeping the worst at bay.
Because it peels away the top layer of skin every time you use it, I found that it has really helped with my scars and red marks that acne has left me with. I'm nowhere near 'perfect skin' (although I will be one day), but I can cope with that.
I know I'd be in a worse place without my little tube of Retin-A.

(Consult a doctor before using this, it is a medication and can have prominent and quite dangerous side-effects.)

Me and my acne.

As I mentioned in my very first post, I was on antibiotics for my acne, and have been for about three years.

As recommended, I came off it during the summer to see how I could cope without it, and if my skin could cope with it.
Turns out it couldn't, and I got about ten really big, really cystic spots. I expected my skin to get a little bit spotty, however these spots were like boils. Really big, horribly sore, and really delicate (I remember coming out of the shower and they had all spontaneously burst, which horrified me). Also, they left really nasty red marks on my skin that still haven't gone after a few months, which actually is the thing I hate most about myself right now.
So after a couple of months of doing what the doctor said, I literally couldn't cope any more. I ran to the pharmacist with my little repeat prescription paper and got myself my antibiotics again!

There are a lot of people with worse acne than me, I admit that.
But even so, no matter if it's just ten or twenty, nothing compares to how utterly shit you feel when you look in the mirror and all you see is spot after spot.
Your confidence goes, and I was definitely less enthusiastic about stuff as I used to be, due to the fact I didn't want people to look and notice me (and at my spots).
Also you feel like people are judging. I think things have changed more recently and a lot more people have more understanding about acne, but I still think there is a stigma attached to having it. 'Urgh you don't wash your face' is the sort of thing I think people still think. But again, as I have said, there is a lot more support and help available for people these days with acne, whereas many years ago it was brushed off with 'you'll grow out of it'.

But I'm giving myself another trail at the moment.
I've finished my current box of antibiotics, so I felt that it is a good time to see if my skin has finally cleared up, or if I need something else. I am aware that I need to come off my antibiotics at some point, but I don't want to suffer!
I am still on my topical retinoid (Retin-A), so hopefully that helps my skin along whilst I'm off my antibiotics. The emphasis being on hopefully!

So I'm going to do a post a week about how my skin is doing and keep everyone posted (you lucky things!) on how it goes. I might not post pictures because if I'm feeling shitty about my skin I'm not exactly going to want to share it on the internet! But I might change my mind, so I'll just wait and see.