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I seriously have no idea what to do about my acne.

acne scarring scars skin face

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#1 Mouthwash

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 01:01 AM


I just want a straight answer. I've done enough dermarolling to know what a scam it is, at least for acne scarring.

 

Here are my cheeks with acne scarring (right, left).

 

There also appear to be pimples on my chin, but they don't feel like pimples- they don't have any pus or solid mass inside them. They're essentially just raised patches of skin at this point (the red dot is a cut from shaving). What can I do about them?


Edited by Mouthwash, 30 May 2017 - 01:02 AM.


#2 Florian E.

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 01:41 AM

A while ago i discovered how effective (naturally cloudy and unfiltered !!) apple cider vinegar is against pimples ! I can't remember that any other anti pimple product i bought in the drugstore years ago had worked so well.

According to other reports it also works well for acne.

But some people react sensitive to apple cider vinegar. So you should first do some spot test.

 

Just use a pad to selectively treat such problem spots with the cider vinegar 1 or 2 times daily until they're gone.



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#3 Mouthwash

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 02:18 AM

So... first responder is a bot/really bad reader. Not a great start, but let's see where this goes.


Edited by Mouthwash, 30 May 2017 - 02:19 AM.

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#4 PWAIN

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 01:43 PM

So you are looking to sort out the scarring rather than treat the acne?
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#5 Hip

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 03:36 PM

So... first responder is a bot/really bad reader. Not a great start, but let's see where this goes.

 

That's a pretty rude response to someone who offered a potentially helpful suggestion for an acne treatment. 

 

Did you actually take a few moments to look up the suggested cider vinegar acne treatment, or were you too lazy to Google? 

 

It took me 10 seconds to find this list of positive reviews about the cider vinegar treatment. 



#6 Mouthwash

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 04:51 PM

So you are looking to sort out the scarring rather than treat the acne?

 

Yeah.



#7 Mouthwash

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 04:53 PM

 

So... first responder is a bot/really bad reader. Not a great start, but let's see where this goes.

 

That's a pretty rude response to someone who offered a potentially helpful suggestion for an acne treatment. 

 

Did you actually take a few moments to look up the suggested cider vinegar acne treatment, or were you too lazy to Google? 

 

It took me 10 seconds to find this list of positive reviews about the cider vinegar treatment. 

 

 

The point you are missing is that my cheeks have only scarring and my chin has a non-inflammatory type of acne (I'm not even sure if it counts as acne). Talking about rubbing cider vinegar on my face to get rid of the "problem spots" has absolutely no bearing on that.


Edited by Mouthwash, 30 May 2017 - 04:54 PM.

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#8 Hip

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 05:47 PM

The point you are missing is that my cheeks have only scarring and my chin has a non-inflammatory type of acne (I'm not even sure if it counts as acne). Talking about rubbing cider vinegar on my face to get rid of the "problem spots" has absolutely no bearing on that.

 

If you are not interested treatments for acne, why did you entitle your thread "I seriously have no idea what to do about my acne." That title suggests you are interested in acne treatments. But in fact, contrary to that title, you are actually interested in a treatment for scars. 


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#9 Mouthwash

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 08:56 PM

 

The point you are missing is that my cheeks have only scarring and my chin has a non-inflammatory type of acne (I'm not even sure if it counts as acne). Talking about rubbing cider vinegar on my face to get rid of the "problem spots" has absolutely no bearing on that.

 

If you are not interested treatments for acne, why did you entitle your thread "I seriously have no idea what to do about my acne." That title suggests you are interested in acne treatments. But in fact, contrary to that title, you are actually interested in a treatment for scars. 

 

 

I did it absentmindedly before I realized there was no way to change it.



#10 aconita

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 12:08 AM

Pictures shows old ice pick scars and new pimples (red and raised), first you have to fix the acne and only after that's done to worry about the scars will make any sense.

 

The vinegar will likely work but glycolic acid 10% might be more effective or less smelly at least.

 

Underlying cause is likely hormonal, possibly just age related but anyway not so straightforward to address.

 

Supplementing vitamin B3 and/or B5 might help.

 

By the way dermarolling or needling those scars is by far the most effective way to ameliorate them, if you got no success it means you don't know how to do it properly.

 

 


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#11 Matt

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 01:06 AM

Your acne and skin condition isn't that bad in my opinion. But have you considered something like IPL or V Beam? The red marks you have also look like post inflammatory erythema, which may take a very long time to go away. People mistake the red marks for PIH, but it's PIE. 

Try 50 mg of Zinc Picolinate /day. See if that stops any new acne from forming. Might take a few weeks to see results though... but I noticed if I get any new spots, they go away much faster now.



#12 Florian E.

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 08:14 PM

 

 

So... first responder is a bot/really bad reader. Not a great start, but let's see where this goes.

 

That's a pretty rude response to someone who offered a potentially helpful suggestion for an acne treatment. 

 

Did you actually take a few moments to look up the suggested cider vinegar acne treatment, or were you too lazy to Google? 

 

It took me 10 seconds to find this list of positive reviews about the cider vinegar treatment. 

 

 

The point you are missing is that my cheeks have only scarring and my chin has a non-inflammatory type of acne (I'm not even sure if it counts as acne). Talking about rubbing cider vinegar on my face to get rid of the "problem spots" has absolutely no bearing on that.

 

 

Seems like you really don't know what you're talking about. Of course cider vinegar will also help to remove scars, because it also cleans dead and damaged skin cells and in consequence will help with self-renewal !

So, a bit less arrogance would be nice... I can also prove all those claims with scientific papers (if needed) !


Edited by Florian E., 31 May 2017 - 08:16 PM.

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#13 Mouthwash

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 01:41 AM

Pictures shows old ice pick scars and new pimples (red and raised), first you have to fix the acne and only after that's done to worry about the scars will make any sense.

 

The vinegar will likely work but glycolic acid 10% might be more effective or less smelly at least.

 

Underlying cause is likely hormonal, possibly just age related but anyway not so straightforward to address.

 

Supplementing vitamin B3 and/or B5 might help.

 

By the way dermarolling or needling those scars is by far the most effective way to ameliorate them, if you got no success it means you don't know how to do it properly.

 

I did try dermarolling (by a professional, not DIY). Absolutely no effect.



#14 aconita

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 06:34 AM

Professional doesn't mean necessarily properly done, it only means you had to pay for it.

 

Did he apply numbing cream and did you got bleeding?

 

How long ago this has been performed?.

 

 



#15 happy lemon

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 09:17 AM

 

So... first responder is a bot/really bad reader. Not a great start, but let's see where this goes.

 

That's a pretty rude response to someone who offered a potentially helpful suggestion for an acne treatment.......

 

 

Agree x2.  This kind of person does not deserve any help and advice; otherwise, he will keep on looking down others and being snobbish.
 


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#16 Mouthwash

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 10:00 AM

Professional doesn't mean necessarily properly done, it only means you had to pay for it.

 

Did he apply numbing cream and did you got bleeding?

 

How long ago this has been performed?.

 

She did apply numbing cream and there was no bleeding. It was 1-2 months ago.


 

 

So... first responder is a bot/really bad reader. Not a great start, but let's see where this goes.

 

That's a pretty rude response to someone who offered a potentially helpful suggestion for an acne treatment.......

 

 

Agree x2.  This kind of person does not deserve any help and advice; otherwise, he will keep on looking down others and being snobbish.
 

 

 

Many skincare forums are filled with bots and advertisers, so it's kind of an ingrained response.
 



#17 Mouthwash

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 10:09 AM

Your acne and skin condition isn't that bad in my opinion. But have you considered something like IPL or V Beam? The red marks you have also look like post inflammatory erythema, which may take a very long time to go away. People mistake the red marks for PIH, but it's PIE.

 

Try 50 mg of Zinc Picolinate /day. See if that stops any new acne from forming. Might take a few weeks to see results though... but I noticed if I get any new spots, they go away much faster now.

 

Ugh, why can't I just make a new thread or something? I have no new acne. Pimples haven't blown up on my skin for years. All that you see is simply the aftermath.


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#18 lucaasalberto

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 03:37 PM

Hi,

 

Sorry for the insistence, but it does seem from the pictures that you have "red bumps" that could be construed as active acne; redness is usually a sign of on-going inflammation, and acne can be there without ever "blowing up"; I myself had some pretty nasty raised red bumps that were just painful and never "came to a head" and lasted for a very long time, which can be a sign of cystic acne. It also is pretty much counterproductive to treat scarring while there is active acne.

So, taking you at your word that it isn't active acne (but really the pictures do seem a bit confusing in that regard), I think it goes without saying that if you can, you should be seeing a dermatologist, specially because acne scaring (you have truly scaring, and not only pigmentation) is something best treated by medical professionals; there is little to be done at home. That said, it doesn't mean you can't make it better with topicals: others have mentioned glycolic acid, and any AHA would be a good choice (lactic, mandelic, malic, etc, whichever works better for you) or PHA (gluconolactone, etc) as well, since those kind of acids are gentler when used correctly and resurface the outermost layer of the epidermis, and through that action also stimulate the dermis. Retinoids might also help. None of those topicals will be able to completely solve scarring however, and even their best result might not be what you would find acceptable.
I don't know much about dermarolling, but I believe it is a recognized treatment for scarring (and there aren't many treatments for scarring that work!). I would check out http://barefacedtruth.com/, a blog of a couple of doctors (which have their own product, but never mind that), because they have written a couple of really good, science based articles on dermarolling or micro-needling. Like others have mentioned, it is very important to do it correctly: that means preparing skin, actually dermarolling, and treating skin correctly afterwards as well, using the right products, etc.

I think it is important to keep in mind that scarring is a inflammatory response; some are more prone to it (and cystic acne is know for having a higher risk of scarring), but it is nevertheless an inflammatory response that any one of us could experience; to say it in other words, it is a natural process of life gone amok; basically your body is trying to deal with that damage by producing the wrong kind of tissue, because inflammation has gone on for too long or too strongly. I say all that to try to point you to the complex process involved both in the formation of scarring tissue, and on its reversal. Being an inflammatory condition, you should take measures to reduce inflammation, both in the body as a whole (by eating right, exercising, relieving stress, basically a healthy lifestyle; I know it's almost impossible!), and also specifically in your skin: you need to pay attention to skincare (cleansing, moisturising, sunscreen, antioxidants, etc). Now, and again, none of that will undo scarring on its own; but even when you find a medical professional, and perhaps try micro-needling correctly, or perhaps lasers (which don't work very well for scaring, depending on your specific type of scarring; that's for a doctor to find out) or medical grade resurfacing peels (which also aren't very promising, also depending on type of scarring, time of damage, etc), all that needs to have a non-inflammatory environment to be able to heal correctly (that is, producing the right kind of tissues and not the wrong ones, which lead to scarring, yet again). It should also be noted that no one treatment will be able to resolve scarring, we are talking about a series of treatments spaced out through several months.

So, to summ it up: definitely look up exfoliating acids (vinegar, AHAs, PHAs) for home use, they can help but not solve the problem. If at all possible, try to rethink your lifestyle and food choices, as well as your skincare as a whole; this can't undo damage but can set you on a path of controlling inflammation. If at all possible, and for the best chance to solve your scarring, try to see a medical professional, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, and talk to them about your options.

If there is active acne, and specially cystic acne, you need to get that under control.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Best,

Lucas.


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#19 aconita

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Posted 02 June 2017 - 08:12 PM

She did apply numbing cream and there was no bleeding. It was 1-2 months ago.

 

Dept wasn't enough, you should experience bleeding and petecchia should be evident, results may take 6 months to be noticeable, definitely not after only 1-2 months.

 

Wait 6 months from treatment to judge results and eventually repeat the treatment, aim at getting a proper one done next time.

 

At this stage, regarding the scars, there is very little a topical can do if anything at all, I would strive to achieve first a much better condition by dermarolling (or microneedling), once the indented scars are raised to normal level maybe consider a medium deep acid peeling with TCA, that is a bit tricky and needs expertise.

 

Instead of the acid peeling dermabrasion by drywall/plaster sanding screen medium grade could be a safer and better alternative but to find a dermatologist to perform it might be not easy (whom I know is in L.A.).  



#20 Mouthwash

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Posted 11 June 2017 - 04:47 AM

Hi,

 

Sorry for the insistence, but it does seem from the pictures that you have "red bumps" that could be construed as active acne; redness is usually a sign of on-going inflammation, and acne can be there without ever "blowing up"; I myself had some pretty nasty raised red bumps that were just painful and never "came to a head" and lasted for a very long time, which can be a sign of cystic acne. It also is pretty much counterproductive to treat scarring while there is active acne.

 

I suppose my chin might have cystic acne, but my cheeks almost certainly have PIE (which combined with the pockmarks give the appearance of active acne). Nothing hurts there and nothing really looks like a pimple, which you'd see if the picture was higher quality.

 

A question: is it reasonable for a full course of dermabrasion to take six months and cost 1200 dollars total (around 200 per session)?


Edited by Mouthwash, 11 June 2017 - 04:51 AM.


#21 Boopy!

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Posted 21 October 2017 - 01:29 AM

I'll ask my derm when I see her soon.    I have used distilled white vinegar plus ACV for rashes,   but it's basically a cleaning type tool,    not a healing for already made scars.    An already made scar wouldn't be solved - I would think -- with simple cleaning ingredients.     Maybe some see this,   but I don't know if I would believe it without serious testing.    Weird that they suggested dermarolling that didn't go deep anyway.    Matt above was right -- red marks can be targeted with IPL.   Actual deep scarring some have said targeted  deep needling,    and then a healing agent that is SERIOUS not just vinegars.   But like I said I'll ask my derm,    she seems to be knowledgeable.   Scars formed are hard to fix (I have an appendix scar badly done,    maybe I should experiment?)



#22 Nate-2004

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Posted 27 October 2017 - 03:34 PM

Also look into blue / red light for acne.

 

Tough situation though. Scarring is difficult to fix without a good plastic surgeon and an extra $20k. They do financing though, so for a while it'd be like paying down a car but if it's super important to you it may actually be worth doing.



#23 JustGetMeIntoSpace

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Posted 17 November 2017 - 06:40 AM

Haven't read the whole thread but there is quite a bit of research showing that dairy stimulates acne.  So, if you're consuming dairy, it doesn't hurt to eliminate this for a few weeks and see if it helps.



#24 Galaxyshock

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Posted 17 November 2017 - 01:30 PM

Chemical peeling is the only thing I have seen to remove the actual disfiguring scar tissue. Most "scar treatments" just help fade red marks, not the actual deep scarring.



#25 kurdishfella

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Posted 22 April 2022 - 02:54 PM

Stay away from skin creams they cause inflammation in the face. Take b12 and vitamin C. your acne might get worse in the beginning but that's only waste leaving your body more than can leave at once.







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