Conference turris::womannotes-v2

    Re: .0
    
    I don't think you're going to get anywhere without a dermatologist.
    Well, a doctor might be able to help.  My HMO seems to have doctors
    or practitioners with a specialty.

    
    Finally a subject I'm an expert on!
    
    You say you can't afford a dermatologist. Are you a DEC employee?
    If you are, they will pay (minus the deductible). If you want more
    info on this, I can give it to you. Also, it isn't that expensive.
    The one I've gone to only charges $35 for a visit, and he isn't
    one of those types who makes you come back 10 times to rack up more
    money. But, assuming you still won't go...
    
    I noticed that my acne acted up (like you, not bad, but enough to
    be depressing) occasionally. It seems to be worst when I eat a lot
    of sweets - candy, cake, etc. I know this is supposed to be a myth,
    but it is true for me. Your skin is an organ of your body, and it
    only makes sense that what you eat effects your organs. Try noticing
    if you have flairups when you eat certain foods.
                                                           
    I would really encourage you to go to a dermatologist though. In
    the long run, it might be cheaper, and less frustrating, than buying
    over-the-counter products for the rest of your life. 
    
    I've been to a few, and by far the best is John Tomich. He's in
    Woburn. Many dermatologists (relatives of noters in this file excluded)
    are hacks. You come in for 2 minutes and they throw a prescription
    for Retin-A at you, and land themselves an easy $50. Dr. Tomich
    isn't like that. He will look at your history, explain all your
    options to you, and answer your questions. His number is 933-1952.
    
    It may cost a lot less than you think. 
                     
    Roberta
    

    I am a TEMPORARY (TOPS) DEC employee.  That means I get to work
    only when they need me and I don't get any benefits.  Also, I live
    in Tennessee, so I don't think I can see your dermatologist, but
    thanks anyway.  I keep hoping I'll eventually get on full time and
    get some benefits (I've been in TOPS for almost 4 years and only
    1 job opening).  Thanks, though

    I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but my wife has the same problem,
    and 4 different dermatologists have failed at providing effective
    treatment, let alone a solution or probable cause.  So please post
    any encouraging news here.
    
    Otto.

    
    Try medicated Aveeno bar.  It used to be called Acnaveen -- that's
    what it says on the box, and maybe it's still called that in some
    parts of the country.  Aveeno bar is a colloidal oatmeal cleansing
    bar that is used by some people who (for whatever reason) are looking
    for a soap substitute.  (I don't know what colloidal oatmeal means,
    that's just what it sez on da box.)  Anyway, I don't usually have
    any trouble finding it up here in Massachusetts, but maybe that's
    just 'cause I know where to find it -- go to a large, chain type
    pharmacy and look in the soap section or the skin section.  I forget
    how much a bar costs, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of
    dollars.  It doesn't smell nice, but it's the best I've found for
    getting rid of/preventing pimples on my face -- my skin seems clearer,
    anyway.  (I only wash my face in the shower, so I usually just use the 
    bar for my whole body). 
    
    Hope it helps!
    
    CQ

    i had horrible stuff on my skin for a while that looked like acne.
    i finally went to a dermatologist when a soon-to-be (and now almost-
    not-to-be) relative said "eeuuh, what's that horrible disgusting
    looking stuff on your skin?" it turned out that i had eczema (which
    is related to hayfever and asthma and could easily manifest itself
    as either of those at any time). i ended up with a tube of very
    powerful ointment and instructions about things to do to help prevent
    it from recurring. the horrible stuff went away, btw, and i found
    the tips i got to be very helpful.
    
    maybe you could go see a dr. as a special treat to yourself -- i
    know it's horrible to get medical treatment when you don't have
    insurance, though.
    
    one question: you say that the acne only breaks out at certain times
    -- is there any pattern that you can discern? if so, is it in any
    way related to your period?
    
    take care of yourself and i hope you find something that helps.
    
    liz

    re:.0
    
    It happens to me, too. I've just learned to live with it. I get
    self-conscious about it at times, but it hasn't seemed to have any
    great effect on my life.
    
    I've always just assumed that it was the result of having extra-
    sensative skin, since my problem is also exacerbated by shaving
    -- which irritates my skin quite a bit. It's certainly not the sole
    cause, since it still happens like clockwork during the winter
    months when I'm growing a beard and thus shave far less often.
    
    re:.5
    
    I'll have to give that stuff a try. Thanks for the pointer.
    
    re:.6
    
    Well, I've noticed a cycle to mine, though I've never tried keeping
    a detailed record to establish exactly what the cycle is. One thing
    I can say for certain is that it isn't linked to menstruation. :-)
    I tend to break out for about a week or slightly less out of each
    month; the rest of the time it's pretty quiescent.
    
    --- jerry

    How is it in the summer time??  For me, I have less in the summer
    due to tanning.  In the winter months, I go to a tanning salon.
    It helps for me.

    Thanks, I'll try the Aveeno bar.  No, I can't say I've noticed any
    certain time, but it is worse during my period.  Something else,
    it seems like it take forever for any of them to go away.  Summer
    time seems to be about the same, but I don't spend alot of time
    in the sun unless I'm on vacation.
    
    Thanks for all the suggestions.

    
    
    Actually, the sun is supposed to be worse for acne. 
    
    Roberta
    

My acne experience is pretty extensive, so I might as well make it
of some use to someone else. This is pretty long, so if you aren't
into it, feel free to skip ahead.

I had the usual pimples going through puberty, but strangely, my acne didn't
really get bad until I was about 18. It was never the really horrible
kind that you see sometimes. I forget what it's called (cystitis maybe?).
It was just bad enough to be really depressing.

Anyway, I was at Tufts at the time so I went to their dermatologist. This
is about 3 years ago when I was 20. I
had tried all the over-the-counter stuff, and found that benzoyl peroxide,
which is what most of those medicines contain, irritated my skin and,
if I used it regularly, made my eyelids swell up. When I saw Dr. Ross
at Tufts, I told him about this reaction. He prescribed some anti-biotic
and an ointment for my skin. (I don't remember which antibiotic but
I've been on all of them - minocin, trin-a--whatever, etc...). I used
the ointment for a couple of days, and my eyes started swelling up. 
So I peeled the prescription label off of the medicine to see what exactly
was in the stuff, and sure enough it was benzoyl peroxide! I was furious 
that he had prescribed a drug that I had TOLD him I had a reaction to in
otc form, so I called and left him a message. He returned my called 
and I asked him why he had done that. He replied that he'd have to look 
at my chart to tell me. The idiot didn't even have my chart in front of him
when returning my call! He didn't even apologize. He just told me to keep
on using the antibiotic. He didn't even prescribe another external drug.
(BTW, I heard he's now making bundles doing liposuction surgery. What
a guy).

I ended up not going back to him because I was so disgusted. That summer
I went to a local dermatologist (Tufts still paid for most of it), and
for quite a few months I went through the whole rigamarole of antibiotics
and external medications such as cleocin-T solution, Retin-A, etc. It
didn't do a lot of good, the antibiotics were giving me yeast infections,
and I was tired of shelling out $45 every few weeks to see this guy for
literally two minutes so that he could increase a dosage, or switch to
another anti-biotic, and  basically play Russian roulette with
my face. None of it did much good.

The following school year I heard that Tufts had a new dermatologist. 
This was Dr. Tomich, who also practices privately in Woburn (and no
longer is at Tufts, BTW). After getting my whole history, Dr. Tomich
suggested that I could either stay with anti-biotics or try Accutane. 
He said that because I had been through the otc scene and been 
on the antibiotics without success, I was an appropriate candidate for 
Acutane. 

Acutane is a drug which is, as I understand it, is sort of a synthesized
vitamin A. The scary thing is that no one knows how it works and there 
are a lot of potential side effects, which your doctor can tell you about, and
also, you MUSTN'T get pregnant while on this stuff, because it causes birth 
defects. Dr. Tomich was really good about answering all my questions. He
explained that the treatment would last six months, and that a month after
it ended, all the Accutane would be completely out of my body. However,
he said, in most cases, the acne didn't come back. Like I said, no one
knows why. 

Accutane is very expensive, but I had student insurance as a
Tufts student, so I was able to make the decision to do it. I had to have
my blood checked a few times during the course of the treatment. (They
monitor you, since the drug _is_ considered dangerous, but if you have
a competent doctor, and you get checked out as you are supposed to, and
you don't have a baby, it's really very safe.)

Anyway, my acne improved tremendously, but then about a year ago, after
having been off Accutane for about a year (I hope these numbers add up)
it started coming back. It wasn't as bad as before, but I figured I
should find out what could be done. So a couple of months ago I went 
back to Dr. Tomich, and again he very clearly outlined what I could do.

He said that in his patients who had been on Accutane and whose  acne 
returned, going back on antibiotics was very often much more effective
than it had been _before_ being on Accutane. He also said that those
who went through a second course of treatment of Accutane (instead of
returning to antibiotics) almost always got rid of their acne the 
second time for good. Since I wasn't crazy about the idea of the risks 
involved with Accutane, even though I'd had no problems the first time, 
I decided to go with the antibiotics again, figuring if they failed, I 
could always try Acutane again then. When I said this to Dr. Tomich, he 
was happy as he agreed that the antibiotics were safer and that this 
was the wiser course.

I'm currently in the process of gradually decreasing the dosage of Minocin 
(antibiotic) and Cleocin-T gel, which is not the solution that the other
doctor had me on, but a much more effective gel. Hopefully, as I taper off,
my acne will not recur.

I know this sounds like a lot of hassle, but keep in mind that it was over
the course of a few years.

Basically what I have learned it that no one really knows exactly how
to treat acne. It isn't straightforward at all, but a good doctor
will take the time to look at your history, and take a logical approach to 
narrowing down your options. A bad doctor will just throw all sorts of drugs 
at you.

Roberta

    I liked Roberta's reply (-.1)...cuz I don't think anyone knows
    how to treat acne either...  Some of the things I have heard
    recommended include:
    take lots of vitamin A (not the fish oil variety) and lots of zinc.
    limit chocolate/sugar/fat intakes (isn't this a cure for everything?)
    keep stress at a minimum (another general cureall)
    use OTC gels/creams which seem to work best for your skin type...
    limit caffeine/nicotine consumption
    use an 'abrasive' soap--like the oatmeal one mentioned before
    pray
    
    Where in TN are you?  Have you any good dermatology recommendations
    for the area?  Many moons ago, I lived in Jackson TN and saw
    Dr. Craig...across from the hospital ... but have no idea if
    he still practices there. 
    
    Good luck!!!
    
    deb
    

    My sister had acne well into her 20's - and she finally went to
    a dermatologist because it got so bad.  It turned out she had a
    rather odd skin condition called "Millia" (or somesuch) which basically
    meant that her skin cells were not sloughing off like they should
    (the outer layer), and this was really messing up her pores and
    so forth.  
    
    Get checked - it could be something other than acne, or acne aggravated
    by something else...
    
    -Jody
    

    
    What you describe sounds similar to an allergic eczema.  If it is this,
    the best thing you can do for it is to keep it dry, moistered, and use
    Camay or Dove brand soaps when washing.
    
    I second Jody's suggestion.  Please see a dermatologist.  Treating some-
    thing when you really don't know what it is you are treating, could do
    more harm than good.
    
    - Beckie

    in re .16
    
    Beckie, if it is an allergy or eczema, then the person should use
    a non scented soap. The perfumes and other additives can exacerbate
    such a condition.
    
    Bonnie

    Aveeno makes a bar that is for dry/eczematic skin, too...
    
    -Jody
    

    Recommended to me for regular acne (I have bad skin, and this is
    from a friend who also has bad skin and saw a skin doctor)( I can't
    spell it!)
    
    Drink a lot of water, and lower your sugar intake.
    
    I also have eczema, but it only flairs up on one eyelid, and only
    in the fall.  I have a cream for that.
    
    K.C.

    
    
    re: .17
    
    Bonnie,
    
    I suffer badly from allergic ezcema.  It was my dermatologist who told 
    me to use only Camay or Dove, scented or not, because of the amount of 
    moisturizer each contained.
    
    According to him, when comparing the amount of moisturizer to soap,
    these two soaps contain more moisturizer than the other "moisturizing" 
    bars.
    
    Beckie
    

    During both of my pregnancies I suffered from eczema on my upper
    arms.  My dermatologist also recommended Dove.  He also told me
    to apply a moisturizer with Urea (10%) after a bath or shower, 
    while my skin was still damp.  Worked like a charm.
    
    Jodi-

    I also used acutane.  My acne wasn't especially bad, but
    didn't start till I was 20 or so.  anti-biotics did nothing, and
    I re-acted extremely bad to benzol- whatever. (oxy 5, left on for
    5 mins then washed off took 2 days for my skin to return to normal)
    
    my dermatologist wanted me to increase the hormone level of my birth
    control pill,  but since i was going off that (due to migranes)
    
    the dr agreed to let try acutane.  I took it for 6 months,
    have side affects of dry, DRY skin, nose bleeds,, etc.  (looked
    like a pernament case of mild sun-burn. the side affects were 
    gone 30 days after last dose,  (john hancock also paid all bills)
    
    However,  I've had No acne for the last 5 years ! (well, actually,
    one or two small pimples the day my period starts... nothing like
    i used to get.)  
    
    I strongly reccomend this to anyone,  but ONLY under a doctor's
    care.      Especially if you have a 'dis-figuring case' like the
    photo's show.

    When my sister was suffering with acne on her shoulders and back,
    the dermatoligst told he to never comb or work with her hair without
    covering herself. always wear a robe or a shirt to protect your
    skin from the dander and hair folicles as they fall. 

    I never had trouble with "torso acne" until I got my long hair cut
    short.  Then I broke out front and back like mad!
    
    Go figure.
    
    K.C.

    please! don't take this personally;but where i come from doctors
    used to prescribe to men or woman that the ejaculation (sperm) from
    a man was very good for a womans face and it totally worked,and
    i say it did because somone close to me had this problem very badd
    and the doctors told her that there was no cure and i told her of
    that cure and she didn't think it was true but she tried it and
    boooooom it hepled her and she know has a very clear complexion
    and has had no more problems with acne again.
    angelina

    
    angelina,
    I believe you! Cynthia Heimel reccomends the "sperm mask" :^)
    in her very humorous (but also useful) book, "Sex Tips For Girls".
    
    Roberta

    
    Well, OK, since someone else brought up the topic of using bodily 
    excretions, I'll mention the one I've heard about: urine.  My
    Grandmother told me that women of her mother's generation -- late
    1800's -- would wipe their faces with the wet diapers of their babies 
    as they changed them.  When someone mentioned Urea a few responses 
    back I thought "well maybe there really was something to that,' but I 
    was still reluctant to mention it.  
    
    CQ

    
    
    
    re>486.27
    
             This is also very true and also helps. it clears up the
    complexion well but dosn't make it go away for-ever.like i mentioned
    in my last note the method cleared up my friends and never had the
    problem with acne again,some doctors say it is a disease;but what
    do doctors know knowadays,they would have never prescribed sperm
    for a patient because they do not carry it in pharmacy's.   
    
    smile.....     :)   angelina

    I went to my General Practitioner and had tremendous relusts with:
    
    TETRACYCLINE -- mild antibiotic to kill bacteria that can clog pores.
    
    PREDNISONE -- regulates gland which can create cyclic activity,
    making acne secretions more regulated.
    
    BUFF PUFF -- to gently scrape away dead skin that can clog pores.
    
    RETIN-A -- Yes, the new "youth cream".  I received it in alcohol-based
    swabs.  After scrubbing, swab the Retin-A on.
    
    
    The results were wonderful and life-long; HOWEVER, some notes:
    
    1) The skin will get very red and may break out heavily the first
    week or two.  This will reverse soon after.
    
    2) Prednisone can cause stretch marksat the creases of the upper
    arms and thighs.
    
    3) Tetracycline intakes can build up a mild resistance to antibiotics.
    If you CAN take penecillin and may need to, the dosage may have
    to be a bit stronger than usual.
    
    4) Sun poisoning is a definite risk because of the scrubbing and
    alcohol-base to Retin-A, which is left to dry on the skin.
    
    5) I used these items for almost 5 years (ages 15-20).  I do get
    an occassional rupture now and then in the "T" area of my face,
    but I was at risk of having scars and and have not a one!
    
    6) After termination of use (see your doctor), use some common sense
    and avoid perfumed and deodorant soaps and make-up.  These may not
    cause acne, but they often cause irritation of "new" skin.
                           
    7) The Retin-A has kept my skin tight 8 years after stopping usage.