Blackheads

[barber1982]

I exti strategy thanks

[We Laugh Indoors]

i'm sure nobody thinks you don't wash, i'm sure you smell lovely!!

have you tried face wash containing tea tree oil?

try superdrug for the good value ones or possibly body shop if you are feeling flush!

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Ecstasy pimples - a new facial dermatosis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9732169&query_hl=5) Hopefully it isn't the result of using XTC It could be hormonal in which case a visit to the doctor would be a good idea see Netdoctor (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/skinandhair/204007.html)

Have you tried visiting a sauna or steam room? I find that having a good sweat followed by a cold swim leaves the skin feeling much better.

[mandi moles]

I have the same problem !! plus at 37 and as I speak I have a weird spot on my chin which has been residing there for a few months now !! I saw the doc and she said "blocked sebacious gland! but im sure thats just a nice way to describe a common old spot. I have white bumps too and theres always somthing to squeeze out ! sorry to also say but its smelly stuff !
Doc has given my anti-biotic cream to use but its not working. I can only assume we must both have enlarged pores and therefore are stuck with the problem.
Tea Tree may be worth a try, I use it for mostly everything anyway (that and lavender oil). It certainly wont hurt but maybe before bedtime as its fairly pungent.
Also..I have found that the apricot scrub exfoliaator helps !!

Hope some of this helps...let me know if you would like more info on the tea tree and lavender.

Mandi :A

[barber1982]

Many thanks for your reply. Nice to know im not the only one i will let you know how i get on

[skylight]

I'm 31 and have the same problem!

Once a week I steam the face, apply a pore strip across the afflicted areas and follow that with white hazel/anti-bacterial agent cleasning type thing.
Once a week I steam again and use an exfoliant to clear dead cells away
Outside this, I use an anti-bacterial face wash morning and night.

Although "at that time" they get worse - I have started using evening primrose oil and the transformation is amazing! Its working for me! Mood swings, pains, spots - almost vanished!!

I get really annoyed with it. If I dont follow my Routine, I end up spotier than my teenage daughters!!!!!

And there is no end in sight!

[Lipsticklady]

Last night i watched '10 years younger'. It featured a 35 year old lady with acne problems. The programme showed her having a 'light treatment'. Blue and red infra lights were focused on her skin. It costs around £80 per session and was meant to be very good.

However, a cheaper alternative is to home steam your face. This will open the pores and hopefully, unlock the dirt trapped in the pores.

My final suggestion is a 'black head' remover from the Body shop. It is cheap and you use it to squeeze the blackhead and subtract the dirt.
Again, it is very good but a little painful.

Like everything is a trial and error system......these treatments may not work for you.

[saraht]

I'm sure everybody's is different but acne has run in my family and my dad has to take medication to keep it under control in his 50s. I take a certain contraceptive pill that helps a lot to stop the spots but unfortunately no medications I have tried have ever stopped the blackheads. I always wear plenty of makeup on my nose to cover it up but on my nose there are so many blackheads you couldn't count them if you tried! I have tried all the pore strips you can buy, tried steaming, blackhead remover, a scouring pad (when I was 14 I hasten to add!) but even if they look like they've gone they're all back in a couple of days. I've just come to accept it that foundation is my nose's best friend!

The only thing I haven't tried is this light treatment- I missed the prog but don't know if any posters have tried it themselves?

Sarah.


I really do hope one of the above suggestions helps you, but

[mandi moles]

I can only really assume that it must be all the junk we consume. Even when we say or think we have been good I bet there are still silly little chemicals they add to food which cause these skin problems. Also, probably the air may not be as it used to be and as our faces are exposed the most they get polluted the most lol
It is hard to remember that when you see pictures of women (even older women) in magazines etc they are all wearing some sort of make up and, as we have seen with Britany Spears, we are all at some time prone to bad skin. We rarely get to look really close up to other peoples skin so I am convinced that there may be no "perfect skin"
Try not to let it get you down, it can get as bad as needing to loose weight !!It is so easy to become obsessed with these matters.

(i know somone will disagree with me but i also use a facial sun lamp just a few minutes each day when i remember and that seems to help dry the skin slightly and, of course stop u looking pasty !!)

Enough of my waffle... good luck squeezin !!! hehe
Mandi ;)

[rich_jtg]

I'm in my 30s and have suffered with spots for 20+ years.

I had been on medication for a few years in the past which did help, but as soon as I came off them, back came the spots!

Bizarrely what I was told by a doctor a couple of years ago, and seems to help alot, is not wash my face as often, and not to use anything harsh like anti-baterial washes. If you keep washing your face you take oils out of it, and the glands work overtime (normally too well) to replace it. Then you end up with the spots and blocked pores.

I tend to now just rinse my face with water in a morning when I'm in the shower, and wash at night with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish which you use with a hot muslim cloth to remove it... this lightly exfoliates the skin.

My skin has been alot better using this routine - don't hardly get any spots, and the blackheads are fewer too.

Personally, I find the main thing that gives me spots is stress, so I try to do things that relax me and take my mind off things like work.

Flax seed oil helps too (a quality version is available online from Natures Best)

The only other advice I can give is to eat fairly well and make sure you drink plenty of water - water is your friend!

[RowaN]

I'm really fed up trying to figure my skin out. Finding a product that does what it says on the tin is impossible. Speak to 2 different dermotologists, and get 2 completely contradictary sets of advice. Sunlamps dry out your skin, so thats good? Or is it the case that tanned skin produces more sebum which in turn produces more spots? Cut out wheat & gluten to fix your skin... or is it true that there is no link between diet and acne? Wash your face more.. wash your face less.. MUST use antibacterial products... MUSNT use harsh antbacterial products. Antibiotics, tee tree oil, lavendar oil, salasilic acid, expensive salon treatments.. all do nothing for me. Its been 10 years, and I now officially give up. **goes off to smash all his mirrors**

So anyone out there in a similar crisis, I hear you. Other people often don't realise how traumatic it can be. When someone asks you out, or you plan to go somewhere, or there is a big occasion you have to attend... theres nothing you can get excited about, and most often if like me, you get worried upset and anxious about future events because you know you'll have no control over the way your face looks on that given day. People will think you are obsessed with your looks, but they don't realise that you're just trying to blend in, not stand out.

I'm now 24, and I feel like I've been in hiding for the past 10 years. Anyone out there perform miracles??

I doubt this product will do anything for me (see, I've lost hope!), but for those who are interested check it out:
http://www.myzeno.com/

[Lipsticklady]

Hello,
My dad had a breakout of ache a couple of years ago. He went to America a coupleo f weeks later and bought a cream in a chemists there. The cream is by Neutrogena and is called 'On the Spot'.
It completely healed his face. However, he was unable to locate it over here.
Dont know if its any help but, perhaps Neutrogena does supply it over here just not to a large amount of places!

[Allexie]

Have you got any of the Boots £5 off skincare vouchers? (1 x voucher for every £5 spent - offer ends in about a week I think) They are valid for the Botanics Pore Perfecting range. The wipes are on a 2 for £6 offer at the mo so you only pay £1. Keep em in the fridge and they feel wonderful when you use them in this hot weather.

http://img.moneysavingexpert.com/icons/icon7.gif

[tinalives]

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[starlite]

If you can afford to it's worth having a proper facial, which will remove all the underlying gunk.
then follow up by using a non greasy, non residue face wash and cider vinegar as a toner on the affected areas..it really works and it's very very cheap!
also avoid over moisturising any areas where pores get blocked as this will only worsen it.

[tinalives]

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[starlite]

try your local college, they have beauty schools where you get very cheap treatments. I had a full facial and pregnancy massage for a tenner each..not at all bad!
i can't recommend cider vinegar enough..holland and barrets or your local chemist will have it, and it's about £1 per litre

[tinalives]

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[starlite]

sounds good...just not very tasty, hehe

[tinalives]

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[Ruby Gloom]

I actually contacted Neutrogena about this months ago and was told that the product is not sold in the UK.
this is actualy avalable in the uk but just not by neutogena its the normal peroxide cream the gp will give you!!!!

[Ruby Gloom]

and for the ladies the type of contraceptive pill that helps is called dianette it helps by blocking androgens which are stored under the skin producing sebum and making spots etc

the only problem with it is its slow time to work 3-6 months but it does make a huge diffrence i wont be staring in any make up flawless skin adverts any time soon but i prefer my odd spot and few blackheads to the full on pizza face and strawberry nose look!!
i actualy stopped taking the pills after being on them for a year as the change was soo slow i diddnt realise needless to say i am back on them and not planning on stopping anytime soon

also as they happen to be contraceptivers they are free too! but you do need gp aproval

[tinalives]

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[barber1982]

ghnkmjhkjlkkk;.vice

[mandi moles]

Great !!! Thats wonderful. Hope you enjoy it. And Happy Birthday.

[Loopylou]

I recently just bought something new called Freederm (you might have seen it advertised?). I have only been using it about a week but it does seem to be working pretty well. Might be something else for people to try?

[tinalives]

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[Nile]

If you wear liquid foundation or powder make-up, it might be adding to your problem.:rolleyes: Pluck up the courage to speak to one of those 'trowel thick' make-up experts at your local Boots or department store.:D Ask them to recommend a make-up product to suit your skin tone but most importantly is NON commegenic (sorry about the spelling) which means it won't block your skin pores with oily gunk.;)

If you can bear sleeping with spot cream on your face and you've thought of trying a product like 'Oxy 10', exactly the same active ingredient (Benzoyl Peroxide) is in 'PanOxyl' Acnegel at 5 or 10% strength........but you get a larger quantity at a cheaper price too.;)

Getting outside in the sunlight is helpful for spots too. I don't know if the treatment is still available, but ultra violet treatment at the hospital used to be offered for severe acne cases.

You should definitely consult your gp for advice. There are lots of acne treatments you might benefit from. Things like a cream/gel or antiobiotics or dianette contraceptive pill (obviously ladies only).....so don't despair, you will get help to improve your skin.

I hope that I haven't crossed any bounderies with these comments, I am not an expert.

[tinalives]

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[Loopylou]

I wondered what that was like. How much is it?

I think it was about £8 something but I do think it's worth it as I can tell a DEFINITE difference in my skin. It's worked really really well & I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.

[bargainaddict]

Thanks loopylou, I will try it for my son. He has suffered since he was 10. we tried the antibiotics, doc had him on them for 1 year, only helped a little. Tried pretty much everything, if freederm doesn't work think its off the the dermatologist! How long do you reckon the tube will last?

[Eliza252]

Hi, I also have problems with acne and the blocked pore problem at the moment as well - am 23 and its just come back after about five years of being problem free. For me at least its definately hormonal - I get acne when am v. stressed and then it ends up just being a cycle! something to do with having constantly high levels of adrenaline in your body causes your testosterone levels to raise and that gives you spots!! (errr... or something.. please dont take that literally thats just what I heared!). So the best solution is to chill out and stop drinking coffee... ha ha... like most of us have the opportunity to do that! :confused:

A few things which definately help me are:

Boots Natural Solutions Acne Tablets (no really, they definately have a helped reduced the inflammation and they are not too pricy either)

Not wearing heavy foundation - wear tinted mosturiser and if you can bear it dont wear concealer (I still do, although I take it off as soon as I get home) - if you have to wear concealer there is a really good product by urban decay (horrifically expensive so time to dig out the boots points! or look on ebay) which is a concealer with a medicated green bit to help stop infection and make spots look less red and then a concealer bit, too err.. conceal, obviously.

zinc is very good for you skin so try and introduce a bit more into your diet - things like lentils and green vegetables have lots of zinc in them and they are pennies compared to those pricey skin moisturisers

I have something called Celex-C which is an antibacterial facial liquid stuff which you slosh on before your moisturiser - its very good (at least it makes me feel much better!) but its also horrifically expensive (I got it from debenhams with necter card points)

also, go easy on the exfoliation - it helps unclog pores but if its too harsh it will make it worse! sometimes a good scrub with a soft flannel is good enough.

The other thing i've noticed is that what works is totally subjective, - what works for one person, doesnt for another - its a war people!! ;)

I've rambled on for ages now so I'm going to stop! I know far too much about this stuff but I totally understand how much of an issue it can be!!

[Loopylou]

Thanks loopylou, I will try it for my son. He has suffered since he was 10. we tried the antibiotics, doc had him on them for 1 year, only helped a little. Tried pretty much everything, if freederm doesn't work think its off the the dermatologist! How long do you reckon the tube will last?
Well, when I first opened the box & saw the tube I thought it looked pretty small, but you actually don't need to use much. I suppose it depends on if you need to use it for the whole of your face & if you use it once or twice a day. It says to just use a thin layer so it's not like you need to use that much. I reckon the tube will last quite a while, for me anyhow.
Good luck with it, hope it helps your son. I know how these things can really get people down.

[Savvy_Sue]

Listening to Woman's Hour today they did a bit on adult onset acne (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2005_39_tue_04.shtml).

[Ted_Hutchinson]

These links look quite helpful as well.
AcneNet(from the American Academy of Dermatology)
http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/

Acne Support Group
020 8561 6868
http://www.m2w3.com/acne/

[tinalives]

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