Disclaimer: This post is not advocating for drug use and you must consult a registered dermatologist or GP before starting any treatments talked about in this post.
I never had “bad” skin through high school. Whilst everyone in Year 9 and 10 starting breaking out I maintained my clear complexion. I thought to myself, “Yasss I’m nailing puberty”. I occasionally got the odd pimple here and there but it would be gone within a few days. So you could imagine my horror when my skin started breaking out during the end of Grade 12. I became extremely self conscious about it, as does everyone out there that suffers from it. As my skin started getting worse I went into overdrive with purchasing skin products. I had always stuck to a very strict skin regime since Grade 7. I used a Natio cleanser, followed by their toner and moisturiser. However as my skin started breaking out I searched high and low for things that had “Benzoyl peroxide” and “Green tea extract” in it. I would exfoliate my skin every night because I thought that that would get rid of all the oil and bacteria, but the irritation made it worse. I even went as far as getting monthly facials. I couldn’t understand why my skin was so shit when I was cleansing and moisturising it every day and night.
I moved to Melbourne in February and after 5 months of dodging mirrors, putting on concealer (which was just woeful), and spending days hating the way I looked, I made an appointment to see a dermatologist in the city. I went to her in a very vulnerable and shot down way hoping that she would have the answers. Thankfully she did.
During my first consultation with my dermatologist this is what she told me why I asked her what causes acne.
“Hormones that are raging in our bodies during puberty cause an increase in oil production, which encourages bacteria to grow. When this combines with a blockage in our pores a pimple forms”
A lot of people also believe that diet influences acne but this is not the case. There is no medical evidence that proves that eating certain foods causes acne. However, you should still avoid a high intake of dairy and sugary foods. That is not to say you need to cut it out of your life completely (unless you suffer from dairy intolerance etc.).
So now my question was, “If I am looking after my skin and my diet isn’t affecting it then why isn’t it gone?” The thing is, Acne is a purely internal thing. It has to do with hormones and oil that your body is producing. Cleansing your skin is not going to fix anything.
An extremely common drug that people turn to is Isotretinoin (Roaccutane). This works wonders for Acne, however; there are some potential risks associated with it which were all laid out for me during my consultation.
The dosage of Roaccutane differs according to your own personal needs and how much your body can handle. Right now I am taking 10mg daily and I am seeing great improvements. Hopefully I won’t need to increase my dosage and by July my Acne will be gone.
Along with taking Roaccutane I am cleansing my skin every night with the “Natio Gentle Foaming Cleanser” and following it with a very basic Vaseline moisturiser - your skin get dry when you take this medication. I’m not using a toner or an exfoliator at all because as I found out Acne is a purely internal thing. The Cetaphil Daily Cleanser is also very nice to use and it doesn’t break the bank!
On the topic on cleansing, make sure that when you are working the product on your face that you are using very light movements. If you are too rough you will irritate the skin. Depending on how my skin feels I always cleanse twice and you do not need copious amounts of moisturiser because that will block your pores - and yes, still put moisturiser on your breakouts.
It is really important that you tackle any acne issues straight away because if left untreated acne scarring occurs and it can be very costly and time consuming to fix it.
I want to finish this post by saying that acne is not the end of the world. Remember that every teenager and young adult suffers from it. It just comes down to hormones and oil production. As much as we can feel self conscious about it keep your head high. No one is looking at you and thinking “EEeewwww look at their face!” because they are probably suffering or have suffered from it as well. If you notice that you are beginning to get multiple breakouts and pimples I would highly encourage that you make an appointment with your GP and see a dermatologist. Just remember to keep your head high, own it, and be proud of the many other aspects that you have to offer. Acne is not the end of the world.
There was a lot of content in this post, so just a quick recap.
- You cannot fix mild/severe acne by using a skin care regime
- With the help of medication your acne will start to disappear
- In conjunction with your medication use a light cleanser and moisturiser
- Cetaphil Cleanser (Normal to Dry-Skin) is a great, as well as the Natio Daily Foaming Cleanser
- Any basic moisturiser is good - either a lotion or creme. My favourites are the Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion and the Vaseline Deep Restore. As we are coming into winter it is very important to keep our skin nice and moist.
