# Acne



## Gena Marie (Feb 1, 2011)

Hello, 
Maybe there is a thread buried amongst the thousands that are here, but does anyone have any good acne treatment advice?  My hormone levels are slightly off balance, lol, so I know the issue, I just get sick of going to my Dermatologist.  I have been prescribed most everything oral and topical, and I still have breakouts.  Not just on my face either.  It is so annoying.
Anyone?


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## Arnold (Feb 1, 2011)

you don't have acne.


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## sassy69 (Feb 1, 2011)

Is it only at "that time of the month" or do you see it e.g. around your shoulders where you may just have irritation from sweat from the gym under a strap?

Possible options are Vit B5 / pantothenic acid - e.g. load it for a couple days (e.g. 3 x 2000 mg / day for a couple days) or there are topical Vit B5 products. 

If you're experiencing acne as a result of DHT (e.g. AAS), Nizoral 1% shampoo can be used as a body wash.

Otherwise the BEST thing I've found in my life - I had acne as a child up thru my 30s and it was literally not until I started going thru the 'later in life' hormone changes & my estrogen levels have dropped some, that I don't have the problems I used to. I started using Retin-A as soon as it came on the market in the 70s but it dried the mutherfuck out of my skin and only kinda helped. What I've found since: 

white recovery brightening cleansing oil advanced formula - cleanser/makeup remover by Shu Uemura Art of Beauty

Shu Uemura skin cleanser - it's oil-based and works w/ your skin's natural oil balance instead of trying to dry it the hell out. I no longer have dry skin, nor do I have acne. I get an occasional white head, but that is literally it - and your'e talking to someone who used to resemble a topographical map of the United States w/ the Rockies on  the left side and the Appalachians & Ozarks down the right w/ the South Dakota Black Hills rolling across the middle. Best thing I ever found. You can get Shu Uemura at Sephora or online. The bottle that I bought in Jan of 2009 is still about 1/2 full. The stuff lasts forever. It also works as a makeup remover.


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## Gena Marie (Feb 1, 2011)

Sassy, 
Thank you so much for the info.  I get it both from :that time of the month" and from AAS.  I will look in the the Shu Uemura skin cleanser.  I have used Retin-A before as well. You are the best


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## sassy69 (Feb 1, 2011)

Gena Marie said:


> Sassy,
> Thank you so much for the info.  I get it both from :that time of the month" and from AAS.  I will look in the the Shu Uemura skin cleanser.  I have used Retin-A before as well. You are the best





I"d get the B5 - its a cheap supplement and just load it for a couple days - tends to help clean out any deeper pimples that can ocassionally develop. The Nizoral can help as a body wash and the Shu Uemura is the best $70 I ever spent. All the other stuff can dry your skin out so badly and I have just literally one or two zits randomly. It also evens out my oiliness while dealing w/ the acne.


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## Gena Marie (Feb 1, 2011)

I will try the B5 as well.  I have oily skin as well, so I really need to get the product.  Thank you for the advice.


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## sassy69 (Feb 1, 2011)

Gena Marie said:


> I will try the B5 as well.  I have oily skin as well, so I really need to get the product.  Thank you for the advice.



Oily skin is a blessing & a curse - my mom has always had deathly dry skin and now she's got some serious wrinkleage (granted she's 70, but damn...), whereas I've always had an oil slick on my face. But when I try stuff to dry it up some then it just gets really dry. This oil-based cleanser is something I wish I would've known about 20 yrs ago. I would've been so much happier ...!


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## missj (Feb 2, 2011)

I haven't found a perfect product yet, but to kill off a nasty pimple or an oncoming one I've found that making a paste of baking soda/water and applying to the area for 30 minutes or overnight works wonders!


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## REDDOG309 (Feb 2, 2011)

I hear washing the area with dawn dish detergent really helps.


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## Gena Marie (Feb 2, 2011)

missj said:


> I haven't found a perfect product yet, but to kill off a nasty pimple or an oncoming one I've found that making a paste of baking soda/water and applying to the area for 30 minutes or overnight works wonders!



WOW! Never heard of that.  Can't hurt and the price is right    Thanks



REDDOG309 said:


> I hear washing the area with dawn dish detergent really helps.



This is something I have never heard either.  I wonder why dish detergent?  

Thanks


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## Retlaw (Feb 2, 2011)

Prince said:


> you don't have acne.




You 2 live together ?


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## REDDOG309 (Feb 2, 2011)

Gena Marie said:


> WOW! Never heard of that.  Can't hurt and the price is right    Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I belive its the degreaseing agent in it.
My Son uses it sometimes and it seems to help, maybe came from a home remedy book.


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## Retlaw (Feb 2, 2011)

Gena Marie said:


> Hello,
> Maybe there is a thread buried amongst the thousands that are here, but does anyone have any good acne treatment advice?  My hormone levels are slightly off balance, lol, so I know the issue, I just get sick of going to my Dermatologist.  I have been prescribed most everything oral and topical, and I still have breakouts.  Not just on my face either.  It is so annoying.
> Anyone?



Try this..   I got a parrot and I put peanut oil on my zits and blk heads, then let him at them, he pops em, sucks them out clean, ( i think he thinks there worms )  and it never leaves a scar.  since i started doing this they never came back !  It must be one of those loud birds tho that scream all day and night.  Tell Prince you need $2000 asap before you turn into a big zit !   

GICH


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## Gena Marie (Feb 2, 2011)

Thanks for that Retlaw, We have had several parrots, large and small and I still get zits.  So I think I will stick with Sassy & MissyJ for now


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## missj (Feb 4, 2011)

keep us updated please if you find something that works great!


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## sassy69 (Feb 4, 2011)

Retlaw said:


> Try this..   I got a parrot and I put peanut oil on my zits and blk heads, then let him at them, he pops em, sucks them out clean, ( i think he thinks there worms )  and it never leaves a scar.  since i started doing this they never came back !  It must be one of those loud birds tho that scream all day and night.  Tell Prince you need $2000 asap before you turn into a big zit !
> 
> GICH




Dude.


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## Nightowl (Feb 18, 2011)

I think, I will go with baking soda and water and see if works on my face, but I have it over other places and would like an opinion:

Do you think by having them extracted, which in the long run is high in costs, or do I consider Accutane?  If Accutane, is there anything of side effects?


I plan on Clen, sometime down the road in rotation with ephi...see what I am up against!  My hat off to you Sassy, for I have the DHC oil cleanser and it makes me break out.  In fact, I have half a bottle left, lasted well over 2 years.

any other suggestions other then picking and flicking or Accutane?


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## sassy69 (Feb 19, 2011)

Nightowl said:


> I think, I will go with baking soda and water and see if works on my face, but I have it over other places and would like an opinion:
> 
> Do you think by having them extracted, which in the long run is high in costs, or do I consider Accutane?  If Accutane, is there anything of side effects?
> 
> ...



You can talk to your dermatologist about accutane - mostly its harsh on your liver (this is a big issue for people using it while running cycles, esp orals).

Clen won't have any impact on acne - I've never heard of anyone breaking out from it and its not a steroid (despite the new article Anthony Roberts posted about the anabolic properties of it).

Are you talking about cystic acne or AAS-relsted ?


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## stfuandliftbtch (Feb 19, 2011)

if you look at my back and shoulders...you would never worry about your acne again...


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## klc9100 (Feb 19, 2011)

Nightowl said:


> I think, I will go with baking soda and water and see if works on my face, but I have it over other places and would like an opinion:
> 
> Do you think by having them extracted, which in the long run is high in costs, or do I consider Accutane? If Accutane, is there anything of side effects?
> 
> ...


 

oh, come on. let a giant bird peck the acne off your face like a man. don't be a pussy.

it's the non-sexual equivelent of putting peanutbutter on you dick, nuts, asshole, or whatever gets you off, and letting a dog lick it off :=)


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## brazeneye (Feb 20, 2011)

I used to have terrible acne, but this fixes it absolutely wonderfully, and my makeup now looks better on my skin as well.

- I put a very thin layer of benzoyl peroxide on my face.  This is the main ingredient in acne creams like Clean and Clear/Noxema/fancy skins creams.  I recomment using this one: Clean & Clear Persa-gel  It will irritate or make your skin red the first time, but just stick with it because your skin will get used to it.
- Use a toner on your skin every night and morning to remove makeup/dirt/oil/sweat from your face
- Use a facial moisturizer on your neck and face.  I use one with SPF for extra goodies.  Currently using and loving Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer with SPF

Good luck!


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## Nightowl (Feb 20, 2011)

sassy69 said:


> You can talk to your dermatologist about accutane - mostly its harsh on your liver (this is a big issue for people using it while running cycles, esp orals).
> 
> Clen won't have any impact on acne - I've never heard of anyone breaking out from it and its not a steroid (despite the new article Anthony Roberts posted about the anabolic properties of it).
> 
> Are you talking about cystic acne or AAS-relsted ?


 

THank you, All (even you with the bird's beak)  I hadn't a clue with reference to the accutane and cycling, let alone the use of Clen with no such attributes.

I'll think on this Gel, as I've had such problems with skin and itching.  When allergy season hits...oh gosh it is bad.

The AAS is what I am thinking it is, as manhood told me that the gear is at fault, so I guess that is AAS.


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## Gena Marie (Feb 20, 2011)

Nightowl said:


> I think, I will go with baking soda and water and see if works on my face, but I have it over other places and would like an opinion:
> 
> Do you think by having them extracted, which in the long run is high in costs, or do I consider Accutane?  If Accutane, is there anything of side effects?
> 
> ...



You gals are so wonderful.  I love you.  I had used Accutane before.  What a pain in the ass that was.  It cost a lot.  Lots of blood tests and I still get break outs.  I think Accutane was a harsh course of action for me.  My acne is not bad, I just get nasty blemishes here and there.  I did Accutane because I had been on orals and topicals from my Derm for a couple of years.  I am sure it is my hormone levels, so maybe once I reduce certain levels, things will clear up.  I hope, I hope


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## Nightowl (Feb 28, 2011)

I remembered your topic and thought it would be best to add something new.


ACNE:. 
A series of red pustules with yellow heads can appear over the face, neck, shoulders and back. The , sebaceous glands become blocked and inflamed, often as the result of hormoneal changes,  but also due to poor diet and elimination. The skin needs gentle but thorough cleansing with herbs  like dandelion and camomile, and toning with herbs such as witch hazel  to help fight  infection. Ointment with red clover and calendula, or with essential oils like lavender and tea tree,  can help reduce infection and heal the lesions.


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## Gena Marie (Feb 28, 2011)

Nightowl, thanks for the info.  I know mine is due to hormones.  OOPS  
You are awesome


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## whitemike370 (Mar 2, 2011)

lol now thats funny


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## kittykatallure (Mar 5, 2011)

Drink a lot of water after a few weeks it should start clearing up, thats what I did after some advice from a friend, because most of the products didn't work. Hope it helps


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## Nightowl (Mar 5, 2011)

here is some additional 411 for the mending

The best get-flawless-skin regimen? It's not a trendy spa treatment. It's a way of eating. Yeah, yeah, we know that for years, experts said greasy foods and chocolate don't cause pimples and that, overall, what you eat has no effect on your skin. But research proves otherwise. So follow these four rules on how to feed your face.


*Lay Off the White Stuff*
Turns out french fries do cause breakouts. But it's not the grease that's the culprit, it's the potatoes. In a recent study, researchers looked at 1,200 natives of an island near Papua New Guinea and 115 hunter-gatherers in Paraguay and couldn't find a single zit in the lot. What's their secret? "A diet that consists almost exclusively of protein, fruits, and veggies," says Loren Cordain, PhD, professor of health and exercise science at Colorado State University and lead author of the study. Absent from their meals: the simple carbohydrates ??? such as white bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and sweets ??? that are the basis of our modern diet. These carbs send our insulin levels soaring, and researchers speculate that this sets off a series of reactions that leads to breakouts.

*Simple food switch:* Instead of refined white carbs, go for moderate amounts of complex ones like whole-grain bread, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta (they're digested more slowly and don't lead to that skin-sabotaging insulin spike).

*Indulge in Olive Oil*
If you avoid fat for the sake of your waistline, your face could be paying the price. "A lot of young women have dry, flaky skin because they don't eat enough fat," says Joy Bauer, a nutritionist in New York City and author of _The 90/10 Weight-Loss Plan._ If you're getting fewer than 20 grams of fat a day (roughly 2 tablespoons of oil), your skin may not be able to lubricate itself and your body may not absorb enough vitamin A, which your skin needs to prevent premature aging.

*Simple food switch:* Sprinkle your salad with olive oil and toss in some avocados and nuts. We swear, this won't have an adverse effect on your jeans size

*Banish Blush Triggers*
While a little bit of color in your cheeks is flattering, full-on ruddiness isn't exactly the look you're after. And certain foods and beverages, such as spices, cured meats, MSG, and alcohol (particularly red wine), cause blood vessels to dilate, bringing on facial redness, says John Wolf, MD, chairman of the department of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.


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## stan69 (Mar 5, 2011)

my wife just read today that you can cut a tomato in half and rub it on your face...
some kind of acidic shit in it that helps with acne....


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## DorothyHick (Mar 9, 2011)

Hello, try quadriderm i can guarantee you 100% effective than any other cream for acne.


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## olelar (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi

I used to have acne problems too! Here is what worked for me

1: Get a face wash and use it every day, before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning (takes care of the oily skin)
2: I used Basiron face cream every evening before I went to bed (dries the skin)
3: I used Tetracycline pills every morning and night (Takes care of bacterial infection, works really well!)

Hope it helps =)
*
*


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## TJTJ (Jul 18, 2011)

Ive broken out a lot lately and have been thinking about getting some antibiotics again but came across this and read what sassy had to say about Nizoral 1%. Did some research and found out its an anti-dandruff shampoo. Its said Nizoral shampoo (the chemical in it is Ketoconazole) is actually a topical anti-androgen. Heres the article. 

Steroid Side Effects: Fight Acne with Shampoo?
by Anthony Roberts 

One  of the most notorious side effects experienced with the use of  Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids is the development of Acne. This is, for  the more hardcore users, not too big of a deal. Granted, if you are  three hundred pounds ripped, are balding with a permanent red face from  high blood pressure, and develop a bunch of zits suddenly, that last  part is probably the least of your concerns. Large oil filled zits just  aren’t a pressing concern to the next Mr. Olympia. However, for most of  us, and especially first time steroid users or females, zits are usually  something we want to avoid. Acne is the most media-popularized side  effect of Anabolic Steroid use, and (next to weight gain) the most  outwardly recognizable. 

Females especially, want to avoid this  for aesthetic reasons, and it’s actually through interaction with one of  the female moderators on a bodybuilding message board that I was most  recently reminded of this point. She had been experiencing pretty bad  acne from Anavar use, but she couldn’t find a suitable answer for how to  get rid of it. The most typical answer to the question was “use  Retin-A,” which was spouted by nearly everyone she spoke to. It is  unfortunate that Retin-A, for many reasons, is a very poor choice for  her purposes (one reason being it doesn’t address the cause of the acne  appropriately, and it is also a prescription medication). In this  particular case, I told her to take some Nizoral (Ketoconazole) Shampoo  and rub it on her back and face as a body wash. Huh? What? Shampoo on  your face and back? Shampoo is for your hair! Yeah, well that’s what  everyone thought. Until now. Okay, I know: shampoo on your face is  weird. But, I wouldn’t be writing for Mind and Muscle if I wasn’t three  things:

a.) Weird (in the public’s eye)

b.) Creative

c.) Weird

Now,  let’s talk about DHT and how it causes acne. We will then discuss why  using Nizoral shampoo would be good for getting rid of acne. Development  of AAS-related acne and the extent to which it is experienced can be  due to a number of varying factors, with the steroids and dosages used  being primary factors. It has been established that the receptors of the  sebaceous glands have a particularly high affinity to  Dihydrotestosterone (1)(2)(3). Anecdotally, it would also seem that  DHT-derivations (Winstrol, etc…) cause more acne than others  (Testosterone or 19-Nor derived steroids). Thus, we can also safely  assume that steroids, which are affected by the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme  and turned into DHT in the body, will also be highly probable to cause  acne. Increased sebaceous gland activity causes oily skin, and this, in  combination with bacteria and dead skin caused by normal wear and tear,  then causes pores to become clogged more quickly than the body can deal  with them (or than you can exfoliate or unclog them). This causes  visible acne and generally terrible looking skin.

So DHT is a  primary culprit in all those nasty zits, right? Well, stay with me here,  because the next part may get slightly complicated. Nizoral shampoo  (the chemical in it is Ketoconazole) is actually a topical  anti-androgen. Remember, the catalyst for acne is initially DHT (an  androgen) and the sebaceous activity it causes. When used topically, in  shampoo form, this particular compound’s effects are limited to the  skin/scalp and are not systemic (affecting the whole body) unless you  take it orally (drink the shampoo). Ketoconazole’s pharmacokinetics have  been studied with oral ingestion (they make a pill, you don’t drink the  shampoo of course), and it has been determined that even orally, it is  effective against acne, because oral ketoconazole has three delivery  routes to the skin (4):

1. Passive uptake by keratinocytes in the basal layer

2. Excretion through the sweat glands

3. (The important one) A massive excretion through the sebaceous glands

In  that same study, sebum levels compared with the plasma levels are very  high, even with oral ingestion (4), which prompted researchers to simply  create a shampoo from the base chemical (Ketoconazole) to prevent  androgenic alopecia (balding) caused by DHT. Unfortunately, oral  ingestion of an anti-androgen will cause an anti-anabolic effect as  well. However, there is almost no effective plasma level to cause an  anti-androgenic effect in your body when you topically apply it (4). So  this should keep anyone from needlessly worrying about the possibility  of an anti-anabolic effect to be had from topically applying Nizoral  (even though it’s technically an anti-androgen). 

Lets back up a bit and let me give you a little background on how I stumbled on all of this roughly 8 years ago.

I  figured out that Nizoral would prevent acne when I had some acne on my  forehead during my first cycle. I had been using Nizoral to prevent hair  loss, and I always got some shampoo on the top of my forehead when I  washed my hair. I soon noticed that the area the shampoo came into  contact with was free of acne. So, long story short, I started using it  as a topical acne treatment and my steroid-induced acne cleared right  up. I tried it on my back acne, and it went away. My girlfriend at the  time had some acne, and it cleared that up too. A few years ago, I  actually looked for validation on my theory, and found it. The study I  first found (4) examined the pill form, but the shampoo is the same  active ingredient, and won't have a noticeable systemic effect, but  rather will have a localized one wherever you apply it. 

Interestingly,  about the same year that I had discovered the use of a topical  anti-androgen for use in preventing DHT-caused acne (steroid related in  my case) scientists completed a study basically saying the same thing.  Although I had discovered this use for topical anti-androgens in my  shower, and they discovered it in a lab, it’s basically the same idea.

The  study I found from that year examining a topical anti-androgen and its  effects on the sebaceous glands was very interesting. When a topical  anti-androgen was used on rodents, the scientists noted that sebaceous  glandular and ductal regression was quite profound. This strongly  suggests that a topical anti-androgen could effectively counteract  endogenous androgens resulting in a suppression of growth of the  sebaceous glands while leaving serum concentrations of both testosterone  and dihydrotestosterone intact and not reduced (5). This means, for all  intents and purposes, that Nizoral’s anti-androgenic effect on your  skin will prevent acne, without it having a systemic effect on your  body. In simplest terms, it will leave 100% of the muscle building  effects imparted by the steroids you are taking totally unaffected.


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## sassy69 (Jul 18, 2011)

^^ I talked to AR years ago about that...


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## HannahB (Aug 16, 2011)

*Natural Remedies*

To keep acne away I always,

Drink a lot of water.
Wash my face with "Clean and Clear" everynight before going to bed. If I leave my makeup on one night, i'll wake up with spots. 
And my sister used to use "Tea Tree Oil" it helped her a lot.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 16, 2011)

You're going to think I'm crazy (and your probably right) but I have several good frends who wash their face with their first mornings urine. And they all have perfect skin. 

I haven't been able to test this theory because I get a bad gag reflex going just thinking about doing it.


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## HannahB (Aug 17, 2011)

Wookiemonster said:


> You're going to think I'm crazy (and your probably right) but I have several good frends who wash their face with their first mornings urine. And they all have perfect skin.
> 
> I haven't been able to test this theory because I get a bad gag reflex going just thinking about doing it.



That's about as natural as it gets.


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## Arnold (Aug 17, 2011)

I take 500-1000mg of Amoxicillian daily to control acne break outs.


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## Nightowl (Aug 17, 2011)

Prince said:


> I take 500-1000mg of Amoxicillian daily to control acne break outs.


 

I am taking the same, but didn't check the dosage.

I have retin a cream as well


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