gosh i hope the roaccutane works for her. the dermatologist offered me that, but there were so many side-effects i felt i'd rather have the acne.
my heart really goes out to her , it can be so depressing, and to have tried so many things, she must feel quite desperate now.

one more thing i have tried - with some success, is changing my diet. i followed a 'low glyceamic index' diet, which did help. This is in effect a 'diabetic diet'. The theory is that when eating food with a high glyceamic index (tends to be sugary foods, but includes potatoes white rice / pasta, bread etc) the body reacts by producing insulin. Somehow (i don't totally understand) this is connected to levels of testosterone in the body (apparently some bodybuilders inject insulin to increase testosterone helping their muscles to grow! ), and obviously high testosterone can be one of the hormones that can cause acne.

I find my diet difficult to control, but this definitley helped me when i've been able to stick to it. Tell her to try acupuncture too (if she hasn't already!) this also had some success for me.

thanks again for taking the time to respond xx

Hiya,

I'm a newbie on here but when i read this it really struck a chord.
I have had the same problem and I'm 28, I tried all sorts. I am now on a new pill on the market called Yasmin. It's expensive so they don't like to prescribe it, however I stamped my feet and got what I wanted in the end. It claims to help with spots, fluid retention and PMS symptoms. I would recommend you ask your doc about this. It has started to improve the quality of my skin already. I know everyone's hormone levels and tolerances are different, however I have had tremendous probs with hormone levels in the past, trying to get pregnant etc and this has really helped with the moods, skin and everything.
Hope this infois of some use to you!

thanks krissy, just phoning my docs now to get an appt!


I'll let you know how I get on! The way I see it though - the amount of appts I've had over the years, and prescriptions etc - they'd prob be better off if they gave me a slightly more expensive pill that atually worked?!?!?

thanks again x

That's the spirit! That was the attitude I went in with. Be strong, it's your body and they will cave if you are firm with them. If you can demonstrate that you have read around your subject and you are coming in from an informed perspective they tend to be a little more respectful of your wishes. They will listen to you rather than trying to shove you out the door with a prescription, only for you to be back in a months time with various new problems.
Good Luck Hun

Hi Laura!

If you buy the Clarins skin care 'packs' from Boots it works out ALOT cheaper! take a look at http://shop.clarins.com/as/do/sessio...s-Wellbeing-UK

J xx

thanks - but where are you looking, i can't see any 'packs' anywhere on that page? x

I couldn't see any either. Nevertheless don't forget to use your Boots Advantage card...and earn yourself a freebie

hey princess! jojo checked & pm'd me, they don't do 'em any more

There is a new 'cosmoseutical' range of skincare available from South Africa Called NIMUE.

NIMUE is not a pretty cosmetic line but similar in its approach to skincare as Dermalogica (which IMO is the best there is). However NIMUE offers specific treatment for 3 different conditions: ACNE, Vitiligo, and Environmentally damaged skin.

There is a person at the office who suffers from vitiligo and we used this person as a test case and in 6 months, you can hardly tell he has the condition .. amazing.

Why not pm Mrs Geek and she could send you the pack of products to use. It is a simple range to use and not inundated with dozens of products ... there are basically 3-5 things you should regularly use. maybe you could be another test case.

Hiya, thought I'd give you my two pennies worth!

I have suffered acne ever since the age of 12, and I mean REALLY BAD ACNE!!!! I got bullied at school because of it! I have this one photo of me when I was 16 and my face is nearly covered in spots, eurgh, it's horrible! Anyway, I spent many years at the doctors and specialists trying this that and the other, I've tried pills, medicines, creams, lotions, washes, facials anything they'd give me. BUT the good news is that, fingers crossed, it is now under control!

I still have one or two occasionally, but I haven't had more than two on my face in the last twelve months and am hoping it stays that way. I don't know if it'll be the same for you, but this, after years of trial error, is the combination that works for me (and it's not really expensive either):

Quinoderm cream, which I apply twice a day
APS Oxytetracycline Tablets BP 250mg four times a day
Tea Tree & Mint range from The Body Shop (they have foaming facial washes, mattifying moisturising gel, face scrubs and masks and they r really nice)
And I go for a special skin peel four times a year (but this is my choice)

Anyway, some of the things in the other threads were really true aswell:
*Make sure you exfoliate at least once a week to get rid of the build up of oil on your face
*Use a gel moisturiser as normal ones are too oily for your skin
*ALWAYS REMOVE MAKE-UP at the end of the day
*Only wear light foundation as it can clog up your pores and can cause spots

Sorry for the long post, but if it helps you out it was worth it! And I feel a bit of an expert after everything I've tried! LOL! My fingers are crossed for you, I know how horrible it can be.

thanks so much geeg - i'll pm mrs geek now and see if she can help me.

samoyed - it's brill to hear from someone who's solved the 'problem', i've got an appt with my GP on wed, armed with all the info i've been given on this thread! Not sure about giving up the heavy foundation habit though - it's a vicious circle, i know, but to me a good foundation is 'confidence' in a tube!
Just found a great one yesterday as it turns out £25!! from benefit (think it's called a playstick?) v good coverage!

thanks again xx

Forgot to ask - I'm really keen to have a skin peel - but they're so expensive I want to be sure I'm spending money on a treatment that is going to really give results.
Samoyed (and anyone else that either uses or performs any kind of skin resurfacing treatments), how have you found the results? How expensive? How often do you need to go? What are the negatives? and any other info would be great!

Thanks again guys! x

Are the spots on the side that you use a phone on? Phones breed bacteria and this can contribute to spots along the jawline. Also watch out for products that have Sodium Lauryl Sulphate - can make acne worse and is hidden in many products (although the US have removed it from a fair few now) - I've had acne since the mid twenties, and have found that the milder and less complex the product, the better the result - go look at some US site's on beauty ingredients, it will make you think!

hi Laura - just another thought. You said in your post about changing your diet . It might be worth asking your GP to test you for food intolerances. I've always rolled my eyes heavenwards when people mentioned food intolerances until I was diagnosed with coeliac disease earlier this year. (That'll teach me to be more sympathetic!!) I only realised after i read your post that I haven't been bothered by only occasional but painful spots at all since I was forced to cut out gluten.

Hi, my bro is 26 and used to suffer from acne really bad. He tried every sort of cream/medication ect, and nothing helped him. Until i read about a product i retial at my salon called 'Tend skin'. You'll probably (as myself) know about it, as an excellent product on sale for ingrowing hairs and razor bumps. I read in an article that it can also help with acne, coldsores and many other common problems. My bro has been using it for jus over the pass year, an reary has a spot in sight! If you want any more info, or the company's details get back 2 me, an i'll gladly pass it on to you! (also the sunbed helps to dry out spots).
All the best!