<p>I have literally tried everything - from dermatologist creams, to cosmetic peels, to proactiv and NOTHING works. The peels did me some good but as soon as I stop, the pimples return…and the peels are extremely expensive.</p>
<p>Any advice? I don’t have a face full of pimples but about 5 or 6 which repeatedly appear. Btw I am 24 years old.</p>
<p>Acne is frustrating. Hugs. Do you mean prescription medicated creams by “dermatologist creams”? What exactly were they?</p>
<p>If you’re female you may want to try birth control pills. Have heard it can be really helpful in reducing the breakouts driven by fluctuating hormones.</p>
<p>Acne is so cruel – always seems to strike kids when they are most insecure. Our son did one course of accutane back in high school. We regretted not letting him do it sooner. Worked perfectly and apparently permanently. He’s 22 now, not a break out in about six years.</p>
<p>My DD swears by washing her face twice daily with hot water, a clean wash cloth and a bar of Johnson’s baby soap.</p>
<p>Are they always in the same place? I break out where my phone rests against my face if I am not careful, are you doing anything like that?</p>
<p>Perhaps a food diary? Food can directly link to skin stuff.</p>
<p>Have you seen a dermatologist and considered low dose antibiotics? That is what our S takes when it gets bad. He’s also 24. There is another medication, Accutane, that works but you need to have blood tests to monitor to be sure you don’t get bad side effects. So far S has not been interested in the latter.</p>
<p>The kids also have low dose Rx medicated pads that are used after washing their face–it also seems to help & because it’s an Rx, insurance helps pay the cost.</p>
<p>If the acne is stubborn and will simply not go away then accutane may be your only option. I’ve been taking it for the past 5 months and have had no ill side effects, not to say that others haven’t.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID2 using CC</p>
<p>Oldest son resorted to Accutane after two years of trying everything else. He was on it for 5 months and that was 2 years ago. Not only did it get rid of all his acne, his complexion now is amazingly clear - beautiful skin. He didn’t have any issues while taking it, other than dryness, which ended when his finished taking Accutane. It is a super powerful drug and we really labored over whether or not to put him on it due to the many horror stories of side effects, but in the end, it was the right decision for him. Besides the risks associated with the drug, it is also VERY expensive - $800 per month. Our insurance covered it, but we have a high deductible plan so we had to pay the full amount for a couple of months before it was fully covered by insurance.</p>
<p>My son tried everything & ended up doing Accutane. It was wonderful for him. I have two older brothers who used it as adults and wish it had been there for them when they were younger.</p>
<p>My daughter’s acne is not bad enough to warrant Accutane (I wouldn’t recommend unless necessary). She had great luck with birth control, but she couldn’t tolerate it. She cannot take antibiotics because she is allergic to 2 classes of antibiotics … she can’t use any antibiotics routinely because she doesn’t want to develop resistence. She has used so many topical creams, and Benzaclin had helped her face … now both her back and her face seem to be resistant to topicals. She recently started taking spirinolactone, which may help with the hormonal issues affecting her acne. Her dermatologist is helping her try new things that might work.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, in the world of acne, there sometimes is no easy fix. A good dermatologist is your friend.</p>
<p>Depending on what type of acne you have, it may be time to just skip straight to accutane. I had the big, nasty nodular acne, and wish I had never wasted my time with obsessive face washing, weird peels, weird diets, pro activ, etc. Accutane was a god send, I took it at 19 and Im still clear 5 years later.</p>
<p>My Dd has pretty bad acne and refuses to see a dermatologist. She has had some good results with the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil line as has older DD (who did see a dermatologist but wanted to now move to a more gentle routine).</p>
<p>When I was in college I took a low dose antibiotic for about a year. Acne cleared up and never returned, but that was before we worried about overusing antibiotics.</p>
<p>My daughter cut out dairy and it did wonders. Also, make sure pillow case is always clean, hands off of face, don’t over dry, and contrary to what you may think moisturize with a good product. Diet can do wonders.</p>
<p>Accutane seems like overkill for 5 or 6 pimples (and I doubt you’d get a doctor to prescribe it unless you’re talking about large, cystic acne). Diet and good hygiene can help, but you may just have to live with less-than-flawless skin. There are plenty of good coverup sticks that work wonders.</p>
<p>1) Wash face before going to bed every night, clean pillow case weekly
2) Avoid candy … food coloring or sugar seems to affect me. (especially pink bubble gum in large quantities … daughter and I both noticed breakouts 3 days after gobbling them)
3) Make sure you are drinking enough water per day (not soda) … 64 ounces or more.
4) If the above 3 fail, birth control pills or a low dose antibiotic may work
5) If all else fails, ask your doctor to refer you to a dermatologist that specializes in your type of acne.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>DS is 19 and his acne has become the cystic type on his cheeks. I feel bad about it. He has been faithfully using prescription lotions- Retin A is one, the other is antibotic…
He has just added low dose oral antibiotics to his regimen. I hope it clears up over the summer. Sounds like Accutane is the final stop on the journey if all else fails.</p>
<p>Accutane worked well for S, but it takes a few months to notice results. Side effects (skin dryness) were not too bad.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that 5-6 breakouts -even if consistently present - warrant Accutane. However, as far as I’m concerned Accutane works when all else fails. A 5-month regimen completely cleared my daughter’s skin - with no side effects. Expensive, yes, as we have a high deductible and paid out-of-pocket. Still, we no longer have to purchase prescription washes, lotions, antibiotics so in the long run it may eventually equal out money-wise. Hassle-wise, no comparison: Accutane solved the problem and did so within five months.</p>
<p>My 19 year old son is also just finishing up a 5 month course of Accutane (Claravis). He had tried prescription topicals and oral antibiotics for a few years before resorting to Accutane. His side effects are mainly dry, red skin, and slightly elevated triglycerides for which he is taking medicine. Fortunately our insurance covers it and we only pay $12 out of pocket per month. The Accutane cleared up both the cystic acne and the blackheads he had on his nose. His skin looks really good now and will be even better once the dryness and redness subside.</p>
<p>I also took Accutane as an adult (early 30’s) and I didn’t have more than 5 or 6 recurring pimples. There just comes a point where you are tired of dealing with it.</p>
<p>I hope you are able to find something that will work for you…acne isn’t fun.</p>
<p>Our son has good luck with Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads. Amazon has them, as do most drug stores and grocery stores. [Amazon.com:</a> Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads, 60 Count: Beauty](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Rapid-Clear-Treatment-Count/dp/B000NVWF3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338337633&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Rapid-Clear-Treatment-Count/dp/B000NVWF3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338337633&sr=8-1)</p>