Pores shrinking. Incredible!

For all acne and rosacea related skin problems,
post here.

Moderators: Julia, Walter, Administrator

oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

Update: I'm still improving :D I'm now consuming at least a gallon of water each day. Along with that, I'm also taking a multivitamin and fish oil capsules. My skin is looking better, and better, and better. As of right now, I only have a few active pimples that are all pretty much in the drying up process. The rest of my face is clear, with the exception of some old red marks that are healing pretty quickly. My skin is still pretty dry and flaky from the ZZ, but I don't mind anymore.. since the peeling is exfoliating my skin and exposing healthier skin underneath after I used packing tape. Ten days til prom! I have my fingers crossed.
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

My face looks even better since the last I posted. My face is still really dry and flaky, but the packing tape and Ucerin lotion seems to be taking care of that :] Also, I just thought I'd say that I've lasted just over 6 weeks now on one bottle of ZZ cream.. and I STILL have around maybe 1-2 weeks worth of cream left [I run a finger of water over each area that I'm about to spread the cream on so it goes on easier and I don't have to use as much].

Currently, when I wash my face, I can only feel two bumps. Everything else is smooth as a baby's bottom :]

I haven't stopped drinking at least 1/2-1 gallon of water each day and taking a multivitamin & fish oil. Things seem to be working great with my regimen! :D
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

Well, this is just wonderful :) A few days before Prom, and here I am breaking out. My biggest fear. This is not happening! My face looks dead and unhealthy again :( I don't know what I did wrong. Bah!!!!
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

Welp, it's finally Prom time. My face? Looking alright. It's a little redder than I had hoped it would be. I have two active pimples. Eek! Oh, well. I guess I'll live with two. But the red marks! AGHH. I will say that they have DRASTICALLY improved since a month ago, but nevertheless, they are still there.. and obvious. If it wasn't for my red marks, I'd be pretty much clear.. with the exception of the two active pimples partyin' it up on my face. I don't know if I should pop it or not =/

After tonight, I think I'll become a lot more patient with my results. With prom, I kept hoping and wishing things would clear up fast... and it was the only thing I thought about. So, I think the pressure and stress only hindered my progress.

I stopped using the ZZ cream all this week so that my skin could go back to normal... no flaky, dryness. However, I traded the flaky/dryness for oily skin again =/ Blah. It's not terribly oily, but definately oily :( Oh, well. At least I'll be able to smile without feeling like my face is going to crack, haha.

Anyway, hope everyone else is seeing good results :]!

Sean
SteveInAustin
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:24 am
Location: Austin, Texas USA

Post by SteveInAustin »

Yeah, I think you demonstrated the placebo effect right there with your water consumption, fish oil supplements, and so on. I know a lot of people say those things help. But when they say this, it's typically that they're just a few days into it, and they've not tried it very long. Hate to say it, but as is most often the case, these little alternative / naturopathic potions and regimens really don't work. They only work initially, probably because of the placebo effect. Or because maybe your body is reacting in some way to it, but your body quickly adjusts and you go back to normal after a short while.

That has definitely been my observation with myself and with others. I've pulled a lot of false alarms in my time. I've posted "cures" to acne groups, only days later to eat my words. Sometimes I'm diligent and go back to those groups and post a follow-up saying it didn't work after all. But often I forgot where I posted stuff. I think a lot of people do this. And so the majority of stuff you see on web sites will be about "cures", and you don't see a lot of people saying oops no nevermind. It gives people like us a false sense of hope with regards to these particular types of treatments.

The only thing that has reliably worked for me has been: ZZ + XFML, benzoyl peroxide liquid (Carley's Clear & Smooth), Differin gel, and Accutane. Aside from that, nada. Antibiotics should have worked for me, but they didn't. I know they work for most people. But I don't like the idea of antibiotics in the long term anyway.

Anyway, hope your prom went well.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

It has been a while! No, I haven't died, haha. But yes, my acne. My face has been pretty good for the past couple of weeks. For the most part, I'm clear.. but I do have some pustules around both side of my jawline and a few on my forehead. I've stopped using ZZ cream because I've seem to misplace it somewhere in the house and can't find it. But I have been using XFML on and off. I've also continued to drink at least half a gallon of water each day and vitamins. Those seem to help tremedously with my skin. And I'm not sure but I think the warmer weather now seems to have a positive effect on my acne. I go out into the sun for about 10 minutes each day to get my skin its vitamin D dose. After the 10 minutes, I put on sunscreen :]

Anyway, I'll keep you guys updated! Sorry I disappeared :]
crzyakta
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu May 18, 2006 8:00 am

Post by crzyakta »

try some borage oil along with your fish oil, take 3-4g a day
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

I was thinking about that. Thanks!

I've quit both ZZ cream and XFML creams for now. I'm currently doing a colon cleanse along with drinking warm water with dandelion/milk thistle and burdock tinctures added in. The dandelion and milk thistle is suppose to help with the liver and the burdock helps cleanse the blood. We'll see how it goes!
hawaiigirl
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 2:29 am

itchy bumps like bites

Post by hawaiigirl »

My acne/rosacea nightmare started with itchy red bumps that looked like bites along with irritated skin and a crawling feeling on my nose and forehead. I also experienced more very itchy red bumps like mosquito bites when I first started using the zz cream. The first six weeks was very hard with red itchy bumps and itchy dry skin. Once I started appling zz cream only at night, sometimes only every other night things calmed down. I became 100% clear by the 120 days and then 7 months later after using nothing it started to come back. I am now on the maintenance of zz cream after using it daily for 6 weeks with the same initial bad outbreak at first. We may never cure this problem but the zz cream is the best defense we have as of now. Hawaiigirl
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

It's been a good two months now since I've stopped applying either ZZ or XFML creams.

All I've done since then has been drinking water, lots of it, vitamins (E, C, fish oil, multi) twice a day, and doing a colon cleanse program which basically consists of a fiber drink mix and a parasite cleanse. That alone has yielded me with WONDERFUL results. Now I'm not saying that I know exactly what it is that is clearing me up completely, but for some reason, I'm clearing up like I've never before. I still get a few pimples here and there, but I'm perfectly fine with a couple pimples here and there as long as it's not a dozen at a time exploding up everywhere like I'm used to experiencing. Also, my facial oil secretion has decreased dramatically. I don't wake up every morning with a caked on layer of oil all over my face anymore, but rather, a thin layer of it, if any at all really. Mostly around my T-zone area.

I've had a lot of highs and lows with acne for the past four years. One week, I'll find myself on a clearing streak. But before I know it, bam. A major outbreak. My clearing streaks wouldn't last for more than a week. But this clearing streak that I'm having is hitting week three now, so I'm crossing my fingers that this will be it for me.

Anyway, I just thought I'd update and let everyone know how my progress is! Oh, and in no way am I saying that the ZZ or XFML creams are worthless! They did help me out, but I just couldn't accept the fact that they were going to have to be a permanent thing in my life. That and the cost. I just couldn't afford another batch. So I returned to my ways of finding something natural to work for me. And I think I have. I think.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Sean
oneday
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:58 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by oneday »

Shortly after my last post back in August about how I was on week three of healing without any new spots forming, I broke out bad. Ever since then, it's been up and down, up and down. However, I thought I'd return to share some GOOD NEWS. Just to refresh, I have not been using the XFML or ZZ creams any longer (last used was early-mid this past summer). After doing some research, I thought I'd give experimenting with my diet another try. I tried taking certain elements out of my diet to see if my acne would improve while I was 15-16, but that didn't last long. Now that I'm older, I feel that I am much more determined and able to stick through with any changes I set out to do. I cut out diary initially a month and a half back and didn't see much of an improvement. A little ove a month ago, I eliminated sugar along with the diary to see if that would help. GUESS WHAT. IT DID! I am going on 4 weeks now of constantly clearing up, and I don't think I've ever see my face so fresh and blemish free. The stubborn red spots now have a chance to clear up without having new pimples popping up taking their places. My pores are shrinking now that my facial oilyness has decreased. And best of all, I can now look at myself in the mirror, in any lighting, without squinting my eyes to blur what I can and can't see. I really am hoping that I have finally found my culprit, which is sugar.

In the past, I have tried eliminating sugar without seeing much of a change in my acne. I have since determined why it is that I might not have seen the changes I had hoped for. Sugar is a tricky substance for it hides in foods that you might not think of as having it as an ingredient. Eliminating major and obvious sugary foods is important (ie, chocolate, soda, cookies), however you have to also check the food labels on everything you eat to see just how much sugar you're consuming. For example, I never thought that a chimichanga would contain sugar, but sure enough, there was 6 grams of it in each one (I buy them frozen at Costco). Now 6 grams might not be a lot, but that along with every other hidden sugar amount in everything else you eat in your day can amount to a good chunk of sugar in your diet.

I've had to eliminate a lot of foods that I enjoy after finding sugar hiding among them. In doing so, however, I have seen GREAT improvements in my acne.

I'm not saying that the demodex products aren't worth it to continue buying or using, becaues I'm sure it benefits a good percentage of people. But, it just wasn't the answer for ME.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share and give a quick little update on how my acne is :)

Good luck to everyone out there battling with this awful, awful monster!

Sean
Post Reply