Cure for Acne? Please Participate.

[shooraijin]

For what it's worth:

- The Senator's son story is true; see http://my.webmd.com/content/article/95/103196.htm

- There are other studies that deny the risk of suicidality with Accutane which have been published more recently; see http://www.news-medical.net/?id=10083

- Having acne itself is depressing, and clearing it up by any means can help depression (though not necessarily with Accutane).

- There *is* evidence to suggest that Accutane *does* have neurological effects. Exactly what these effects mean or whether they have any clinical relevance is controversial. Patients who have had emotional or psychiatric problems are probably not good candidates.

- Every drug needs to have risks and benefits assessed before starting it ("informed consent"). In my practise, Accutane is my acne treatment of last resort, and I've sent probably a handful to dermatology to start treatment of the thousands of patients I've seen. Before I do, I counsel them about the risks (including the anecdotal risk of depression), and for girls, they must have two negative pregnancy tests and they must be on oral contraceptives before I send them regardless of whether they are sexually active or not -- the liability of pregnancy on Accutane is tremendous. They should also be using barrier contraception if they are sexually active in addition. I also counsel them about risks to liver and pancreas, and the fact that they will need regular blood draws. If after all that they still wish to be referred, I document it in the chart and send them.

- There are many effective treatments to be tried before Accutane and many doctors can't be bothered. On the other hand, sometimes Accutane is the only one that works.

Here is Roche's official product insert, for the record: http://www.rocheusa.com/products/accutane/pi.pdf

[Azier the Swordsman]

I think I've heard elsewhere that baking soda is recommded for acne. Also, it's supposed to cure ant bites and bee stings.

[dragonsleeping]

Also, it's supposed to cure ant bites and bee stings.

That actually works. I was stung on the face by a wasp or hornet (I can't remember). My father made a paste with a little bit of water and baking soda, and it helped almost immediately. It pulled the soreness and inflamation out very quickly.

I know it was off topic, but I just thought I would throw that out there and agree with Azier

[Azier the Swordsman]

That actually works. I was stung on the face by a wasp or hornet (I can't remember). My father made a paste with a little bit of water and baking soda, and it helped almost immediately. It pulled the soreness and inflamation out very quickly.

I know it was off topic, but I just thought I would throw that out there and agree with Azier

I wasn't 100% certain off the bat that Baking Soda was what I was thinking of instead of some other item. I once put Listerine on an ant bite that was stinging so bad (Listerine has baking soda) and the sting immediately went away.

[dragonshimmer]

I've heard sometimes that you just have to grow out of this sort of thing, but my mother is *cough* years old and she still has breakouts.

When I used to get them every now and then in high school, I used toothpaste with baking soda in it. It would reduce the redness and help to clear it up, too, so I think there might be a good bit of truth in the baking soda idea.

Someone mentioned water and I think they're right. When I started college, I started drinking a LOT of water, and I rarely ever have any skin problems now.

You should keep it up, Volt, and let us know so that other people can try the home remedy if it works n_n

[teen4truth]

wow, all this info is making my brain hurt jk. I think i will try baking soda sometime...but probably just in a small area and definately not in the bath. I mean im not sure what it will do to me... so ill just start with like one cheek or somthing.



teen4truth

[Yumie]

I think part of it for girls (I hope this isn't part of the problem for guys. . .) is makeup. When your face breaks out, what do you do? Put makeup on it. What does that do? Clog pores. Yeah, good idea.

If you have really bad acne and you wear makeup anyways, I would suggest looking into foundations that are specifically designed to fight acne. I have a friend who uses this kind of product, and darn me I can't remember what it's called. But it seems like a pretty good idea. I know that my mom breaks out more than I do, and the only thing I can think of that might cause that is that she uses foundation and I don't (I've mainly always had really clear skin, so I never saw the point in wearing foundation.) She never broke out for as long as I can remember, but as she's getting a little older (which still isn't old, just OLDER than she was) she's started wearing more foundation and she's now breaking out. . . hmmm. . . there could be a connection there. . .

Anyways, that was just something random I happened to be thinking about at this moment in time. Also, my friends use a product called Proactive, and it works. There's never been a really sudden change in their skin, but they're definitely gradually getting much better. And I use this stuff called Clean and Clear, and it work just fine for me. I'm not inclined to acne, but I definitely break out WAY less when I wash my face with this. And that's about all I know on the subject.

[Sam*ron]

A long story short -> I've tried it all, and it all sucks. They all lie.

"Our Cream works beneath the skin to help fight bla blaaaaaaa blaaaaalalala"

Nothing but lies, No Cream has ever done me any good becuase no one seems to understand the real reason why we get acne. Anyway I bought some baking soda because it's my favorite natural tooth whitener. And On the back it said it was cool to put it in your bath for "soft exfoliated skin".

So i put in more than i needed. 1/3 of the box into the tub...(i fall asleep in the tub)... And when i got out. My first words were "Wow". I emediately noticed a lot of the redness was gone, and the discoloration that acne causes on the skin has really started to blend out.

I'm wondering if any of you guys can try this and share your results. This was my first time trying this but I'm going to make it my regular routine for a few weeks to see what happens.

Just thought i'd share.

Try swimming for about an hour, in a lap pool, the cemicalsl dry my face up, and make all my acne go away, really it does work. Try it. =D

[Lehn]

My trick --- I put my facial cleansers in the shower next to my shampoo and conditioner to save time and guarantee that I wash my face. So, when I'm letting the conditioner set in my hair for x amount of minutes, I wash my face to save time.

I use a couple of different products on my face --- in the shower I have St. Ive's apricot scrub and Noxzema. Then I have an astringent to remove my make-up and to get off extra oil before I go to bed. I also use a 10% ben. ozide cream on my forehead because I have long bangs and hence the skin there gets irate from my hair’s oils.

But if you want to go au natural though --- baking soda does work well. Try mixing in some brown sugar in with it (or white sugar I suppose would work, but I've only ever used brown) to make a scrub to get off dead skin and to exfoliate.

Egg whites remove oil. So, break an egg, keep the clear part in a Tupperware container in the fridge, then put it on your face for a few minutes --- but don't let it dry on because your face does need some oil to it or it dries out and peels. The texture is really gross, so you've gotta be brave to use it. I don't use it that often because a) I forget that I have it, and b) it feels weird.

Toothpaste works too. Can sting, and be embarrassing if you don't wash it off first thing in the morning. But it does work. Don’t use it all over your face/ close to your eyes because you might wake up with red eyes in the morning.

Oh, and raw onions and crushed asprin work on to lessen the swelling and pain of bee stings. Not together, but seperatly.

XD hope that helps!

[Syaoran]

I just wash my face with a cloth and that is about it.

[Fsiphskilm]

Any ch

[Slater]

well that first statement isn't entirely true. Powerful acne creams can irritate and dry the skin of a user who is new to the substance, but over time they can definitly pay off.

[Fsiphskilm]

not for

[Maledicte]

Sleep is always a good remedy for just about anything, including acne. If I get about 8 hours of sleep (doctor recommended, hehe), in the morning my face will be smoother without having done anything yet. My aunt says that when you sleep, it allows the skin to heal itself...also it's good to wash it before you sleep so that the skin can aerate (sp).

Also, no picking. although I admit this one is hard.

[Kisa]

I've tried everything: Tetracycline, Benzoyl Peroxide (made a red sunburn type rash and bleaches pillow cases, lol), clindamycin (wokring so far), ah.. cant remember.. this cream stuff...lol
my bro hasnt had ANY since he went on acutane. it like strips your skin and makes it flaky and you have to get liver and other tests every month, but it wokred. he had it BAD and now it all gone ^^ very hard on your system though.
Acne is also caused by stress and what you eat, so watch that too.
Try just good ol alcohol swabbed on your skin, the lotion to react to the drying. You dont want to overdry though or it will produce more oil and therefore, more acne. Also it goes away with age, so just get older fast ^^''

[glitch1501]

i was on acutane twice, i think 25% of people have to take it a second time, i still get alittle acne though...

[Qwilek88]

Baking soda?, very interesting. I use Proactiv cuz it worked for my sibs so i figure it will work for me that is if i don't get lazy about it

[Maledicte]

Baking soda?, very interesting. I use Proactiv cuz it worked for my sibs so i figure it will work for me that is if i don't get lazy about it

Yeah, that's what I hated about it. Miss one day and it's like "poof"! right back where you started.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Curious: Have you checked your diet? Sugar's can make a different too. As in you don't eat them and you won't get as many zits... Well, acne and zits are similar...*shrug*

Baking soda, eh? Cool...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I washed my face with baking soda and water today... and... it was fun! No results yet though!

[~Natsumi Lam~]

know whats also good for exfolliating [sp?]..... put a couple drops of any toothpaste... the cheaper the better... add a little warm water. Rub on face and let dry. If you can stand it , you are the man. It burns like flamming hot cheetos . Its really does the job!

Wash off with warm wash cloth and water.

~NL~

[Sonic_13]

What works for me is sunlight. Just a few hours in the sunlight and all zits dry up. Today, it was like 85 degrees out. I popped in a van halen cd, fell asleep to it for 4 hours, and woke up and my zits were pretty much vanished.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

know whats also good for exfolliating [sp?]..... put a couple drops of any toothpaste... the cheaper the better... add a little warm water. Rub on face and let dry. If you can stand it , you are the man. It burns like flamming hot cheetos . Its really does the job!

Wash off with warm wash cloth and water.

~NL~

2 days ago for the fun of it... i got a bunch of toothpaste and rubbed it all over my face

I was like: "AAAHHHHHH!!!!! SO COOL AND HOT AND MINTY AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

im never doing that again lol, its probably bad to do it for a long time.

[~Natsumi Lam~]

What works for me is sunlight. Just a few hours in the sunlight and all zits dry up. Today, it was like 85 degrees out. I popped in a van halen cd, fell asleep to it for 4 hours, and woke up and my zits were pretty much vanished.

lucky you.... when i am in the sun i just turn pink->red-> light purple-> to dark purple... thats how i know i'm done. It doesnt help my skin at all... it just gives me 2nd degree burns. Fun white people.


~NL~

[~Natsumi Lam~]

2 days ago for the fun of it... i got a bunch of toothpaste and rubbed it all over my face

I was like: "AAAHHHHHH!!!!! SO COOL AND HOT AND MINTY AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

im never doing that again lol, its probably bad to do it for a long time.

yep my first experience too... it is shocking at first [yet refreshing in the skin melting way]. Make sure you add water or the chemicals can burn your face. Plus the water leaves and the toothpaste dries and when you wipe it off you have a minty feeling and a smoother face.

~NL~

[Photosoph]

You have to be careful though -one of my older brothers used to soap his face up and leave it that way for several hours. It worked -his pimples disappeared, but it ruined his skin. His face looks fine, it's just that his skin is really, really dry. Something like that, anyway. He lives in Aussie now (go Aussies!) and I haven't seen him for a bit.

Baking soda sounds really good; I'd also suggest a saline solution (make it strong and use water as hot as you can stand, but not hot enough to burn you); that has really helped me. But baking soda... that sounds good. I'll have to try that one. Maybe even if you just make a paste and stick it on your pimples, leave it awhile, and take it off it could be good.
I also know that baking soda is good for sea lice bites. And, if you don't know what sea lice are, there these little weird slater(wood-louse)-like things that live in the shallow, warm water of some beaches. Anyway, they bite; and boy do they itch. Think chicken pox. Like mosquitoes, there are some people they bite really badly, and others they wouldn't touch with a pole. So... the relevance of this is that baking soda can work on itchy bites (at least the sea lice sort, and perhaps the mosquito and even flea type too) as well as bee stings and acne.
Another note: if you put vinegar on a bee sting, that can help to take away the swelling/pain.

[Gala]

wow, all this info is making my brain hurt jk. I think i will try baking soda sometime...but probably just in a small area and definately not in the bath. I mean im not sure what it will do to me... so ill just start with like one cheek or somthing.



teen4truth

i agree w/ teen4truth, i think ill try only one spot and see how it turns out.

[Yojimbo]

What works for me is sunlight. Just a few hours in the sunlight and all zits dry up. Today, it was like 85 degrees out. I popped in a van halen cd, fell asleep to it for 4 hours, and woke up and my zits were pretty much vanished.

True sitting out in the sun and getting burned does hide them. But that's a quick way to skin cancer if you habitually do that.

[Alice]

You know, I had a couple of spots that were bugging me and I tried baking soda one day, and it seemed to help. It didn't cure it, but it sure didn't hurt anything. And since there's no way I'd want to get a perscription for that, I'd certainly try it again. So thanks for the advice.

BTW, I tried toothpaste... and it didn't seem to work for me. Huh.

[Yojimbo]

i think sweating is good for acne, cuz i had some bad ance on my chest and i worked over the summer lifegaurding, and it was very hot, and its was almost totally gone, and now im in school and i dont work as much, and its coming back, plus i heard sweating gets rid of impurities, or w/e they r called

Nah if anything that clogs your pores more if you don't wash your face after a lot of activity. It was because you were burning/tanning depending on your complection and it was covering up the redness.