Skin Freak-outs

Today I wanted to talk a bit about acne and the trouble it causes. I've been having a horrible time of it lately. Two weeks of horrible breakouts on my chin. It is driving me absolutely nuts. It is actually depressing me as I know it looks so awful. I wonder how my boyfriend isn't completely disgusted looking at me, as I certainly am when I look in the mirror. I actually had a thought the other day that wearing a burqa wouldn't be the worst thing as it would hide my horrible breakouts. Terrible I know, but it's where my brain went. I'm sure there are plenty of you that can relate and that is part of the reason that I am writing this. I want to cover some things that may be helpful to you. First off the internet is a treasure trove of information but you must be extremely careful. Because anyone can put things up on the internet the information is not always good. Please use trusted medical sites like the Mayo Clinic. They might not have the exact answers you want but those answers are better than trying some wacky at home treatment that could make things so much worse. Secondly have a doctor you trust. I had been to the doctor about a month ago and asked her about my skin at the time. She said it was hormonal and would just go away. I left feeling extremely frustrated. Acne has been something I have been dealing with since a young age and I have been told time and time again, you'll grow out of it. At 26 I haven't grown out of it and so clearly there is something wrong and it needs to be dealt with. In the last two weeks my skin has erupted. I'm sorry to disgust anyone but my chin is covered in big angry red spots, some that aren't coming to a head. My parents are in the medical profession (my step-dad's a doctor and my mom a nurse) and they had sent me a cream to try out since my own doctor here wouldn't give me anything. Well needless to say my skin did not react well to it and it is bad. While talking to my mother on Skype yesterday she was quite concerned saying that it didn't look like normal acne and if it hasn't gotten better by next weekend I really need to see someone as it could be much more serious. My step-dad also looked at it through the webcam and said well it looks horribly infected. He's sending oral antibiotics. Thirdly sometimes the things you think are okay are not. If you are using something that is working don't change it. I worry that part of my problem is because I changed some of my skin care. My skin had really really cleared up last December when I started using Dermalogica. I still got occasional spots around shark week but for the most part I had lovely wonderful skin. However when I was unemployed for six months money became tight and I had to buy cheaper products. Clearly that's not a good thing and I think it is part of my problem. I have stopped using my toner all together and my cheap moisturizer I only use on my cheeks where the skin is so dry. I dare not put it on my chin where the breakout is. Sometimes you pay for what you get and clearly this is one of those times. Last but not least, remember that not everyone's skin is the same. Perhaps cheaper brands like Clean and Clear, Simple, Clearasil and Neutrogena work for you. My skin is so sensitive that it does not. I need expensive high quality products that contain no SLS or alcohol. I have learned this the hard way after trying nearly every product on the market. If you find something that does work then don't skimp. There is no confidence booster like clear skin. Whenever I break out I can feel myself getting so depressed. Do things to take your mind off it and above all do not pick. (I'm horrible at this so I need to take my own advice)

#acne #skincare