Pores shrinking. Incredible!

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:32 am

After two weeks of using XFML alone twice a day, I've decided to give ZZ a try. I didn't initially order/use ZZ because of all the threads I've read about it being very drying. I've had my experience with extremely dry, flaky skin (Benzyl Peroxide) and I did not want to go through that again! But nevertheless, I ordered ZZ and started using it. This is day 3 for me on ZZ, and I've been able to apply it twice a day due to the fact that I'm taking online courses three days out of five (thank God).

Surprisingly to me, I am not drying out at ALL. Well, maybe just a little as I've seen these tiny patches of flakyness on my skin in some areas. I LOVE the minty, fresh feeling on my face after I apply it all over. The smell is horrible, but I can deal.

What has shocked me the most about this product is how it has shrunk my pores down to almost invisible!!! INCREDIBLE. My cheeks are the worst part of my face where the pores are humungous. I have NEVER in my five years of acne seen my pores THIS invisible. It almost brings tears to my eyes (not the ones that the cream makes my eyes produce, lol). I'm hoping that my pores shrink more and more as I continue using it. Another thing is my acne!! It's looking better and better. I even got a compliment from my own dad this morning about how good it's looking! (he has never been able to compliment my skin being that it is as horrible as it is). My skin is a LOT smoother, especially my forehead where there use to be COUNTLESS comedos, whiteheads, pimples.. blah blah, you name it. And yet another thing is my oilyness; I swear, sometimes I feel like I have the worse case of oily skin of everybody. I'd say that by 2-3 hours after I wash my face everyday, my face would be the equvilent of 10 oily faces combined, no joke. It's terribly depressing. But with the ZZ cream on, I'm less oily/shiny.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to explode with acne any time now since that's what I've been reading will happen. But maybe not... since I already have two weeks of using XFML under my belt? But I'm not thinking about it right now. All I'm thinking about at this moment is how happy I feel. I can't stop starring at my face in the mirror!! I've never been able to do this

!

Quick question for whoever can answer this: will my results be faster being that I'm able to apply ZZ cream to my face twice a day, nearly everyday?

Prom is just over a month away, and I'm hoping to God my face clears up enough to where I feel somewhat confident. Anyway, I just thought I'd share

! I'll keep posting on this thread on my progress.

Sean

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:41 am

I knew it was too good to be true! I woke up this morning kind of red and rashy in spots. I felt a few big nostules forming... and my face was really dry and wrinkly after I washed the ZZ cream off.

Sigh.

SteveInAustin · Post by **SteveInAustin** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:49 am

Yeah, I think applying ZZ twice a day is too harsh. At least for me it is. Yes, it's gentler than benzoyl peroxide. But over the long term it will dry your skin. And your skin will flake. That's why we use XFML during the day. XFML acts like a moisturizer and also treats acne. It's invisible too.

I think ZZ is the most effective product here. Better than XFML. But really you can probably get by without using any products during the day and just use ZZ at night, because at night is when the mites are most active and susceptible to the products. Still, XFML during the day can't hurt.

So I don't think you'd see much faster progress using ZZ twice a day vs. once a day.

Anyway, even once a day ZZ will cause flakey/dry skin. Stock up on some packing tape. You're going to need it (to lift off dead skin). On the plus side, it generally won't cause your face to turn red like benzoyl peroxide does. Oh, and when you go on the maintenance dosage (ZZ once every 2 nights), the dryness is almost completely gone.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:50 pm

Yeah, my skin is really dry now from applying ZZ both day and night

And there are a couple patches on each side of my cheek that are terribly itchy! I want to scratch so bad but I try my best to resist. I'll take your advice and start using XFML during the day now instead of ZZ.

And actually, my face is looking good again. A couple days ago, it was still bad... but starting yesterday, things seem to be clearing up. My old acne red marks are fading away, and I'm only getting a few new eruptions.

What exactly is packing tape and where might I go to get it, if I may ask? Could I just use regular tape?

And I've also started switching pillow cases everyday so maybe that is helping my progress, too hehe.

SteveInAustin · Post by **SteveInAustin** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:21 am

Packing tape is just the tape you use to wrap packages. It's clear / transparent. And the reason I suggest using it instead of regular tape is that packing tape is typically much wider (2 inches or 5cm wide). It also tends to be a bit stickier than regular tape. So it's perfect for pulling dead skin off. It's cheaper than regular tape also, per unit area I think. You can use whatever tape you want, but that tape would be my first choice. You could also use duct tape, masking tape, scotch tape, whatever.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:35 am

Oh, doh! Packing tape. I had a brain fart, haha. I have a question on the drying/flakyness of the skin caused by ZZ. How long into treatment will the dry/flakyness finally go away? Or will is always be there =/

SteveInAustin · Post by **SteveInAustin** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:07 am

oneday wrote:Oh, doh! Packing tape. I had a brain fart, haha. I have a question on the drying/flakyness of the skin caused by ZZ. How long into treatment will the dry/flakyness finally go away? Or will is always be there =/

It goes away when you go on the maintenance dosage. That's when you use ZZ once every other night instead of once every night. And when you stop using XFML in the day at the same time. So if you're like most people, it will take you about 6-8 months before you go on the maintenance dosage. You do that when you've been 100% or nearly 100% clear of acne for about 1-2 months.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 11:54 pm

Hm, that's a little discouraging. I've been cutting down on how much ZZ I put on my face, but even that hasn't helped with my face drying and cracking. I guess I'll just have to use the packing tape! That seems to help a bit

Thanks for all your help Steve!

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:26 pm

Hey y'all. Just thought I'd give a quick update.

It's been just about over 2 weeks now that I've been using ZZ (2 weeks previous to ZZ, I've been using XFML 2 times a day). My face looks like it's finally starting to heal up. With the exception of extremely dry/flaky skin and quite a few red marks all over from old acne, things seem fine

I have three small pimples that are fully formed on the right side of my forehead, but.. three little pimples vs. a whole load of them ALL over my face? Not a big deal

I've been applying Eucerin moisturizer/sunscreen during the day for the past 3 days now, and it seems to be working a lot better at healing my dry skin than XFML.

The pores on my nose are still pretty noticeable, though =/ AND clogged... with a bunch of blackheads. Blah. I've been squeezing them out with this pimple squeezing device that my aunt (who is a dermatologist) left for me to use during her visit here from Taiwan. She says that using the device is a lot safer/better than picking with your fingers, and won't leave scars.

I've also started taking pictures to record my progess. Of my five years of dealing with acne, I've never taken pictures of my progress with any new product. But for some reason, I truly believe that ZZ is going to be my ticket to a blemish-free skin. So, hopefully it is!

That's all for now! Hope everyone is seeing results with their treatment!

Sean

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Tue May 09, 2006 7:09 am

I'm breaking out again. I have small patches, mostly on each side of my cheeks, that are terribly itchy. I'm also seeing red bumps in areas that I've never seen pimples before (skin right under my eyes). I wouldn't describe them as pimples, but like mosquito bites =/ They're itchy.

Can anyone describe to me what's going on here with the itchy patches of skin? Are the mites dying?

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:13 am

hi Oneday!
I also have terrible itchiness, 6 weeks in, feel like my skin is covered in fleas sometimes. Is itchy after using both creams and drives me crazy.
see my post!
Am not sure if this is allergic reaction as sugegsted or a positive sign that mites are dying off? Also get occasional breakouts, but am told this is a good sign! MY skin texture and redness are reducing!
Guess just keep sticking with it and good luck!
J

SteveInAustin · Post by **SteveInAustin** » Thu May 11, 2006 3:43 am

There's a difference between itchiness and being tickled by mites. With itchiness, an entire area of your face or you're entire face will feel itchy. With mites, you can tell that they're individual little things crawling around.

So I think what you're describing, Jules, is an allergic reaction. You can switch creams if it's not tolerable. If you're on ZZ, switch to XFML. And vice-versa.

I'm not sure about the mosquito bump thing, Oneday. Pimples can be itchy. But not mosquito bite itchy, generally. Could be fleas or maybe even mosquitos biting you at night? But probably they are mites dying.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Thu May 11, 2006 6:20 am

Hi Steve,

I'm kind of confused. Wouldn't the mites have to be a pretty big size to actually feel them crawling around?? I don't get how something as microscopic as they are can actually produce a crawling sensation? Shouldn't the itchyness itself be a good sign that the mites are active? Most of my itchyness is on both sides of my face and a little on my chin. My forehead itches, but not as much. You could be right about fleas or mosquitos causing the red bumps, but I'm hoping that it's just a reaction to the mites dying off.

The dry/flakyness of my skin has decreased dramatically ever since I started dabbing my finger in water and spreading it around the surface where I would apply the ZZ cream. But the oilyness of my skin has increased as well =/ (I've been using XFML during the day and ZZ at night).

Along with having acne on my face, I have bacne and shoulder acne as well. I would love to treat all of it, but it covers way too much space and I just can't really afford to get the amount of ZZ cream it would take to treat such a large surface area. So I'm just using a salycic acid bath wash to see if that helps.

Thanks for your help, Steve

!

SteveInAustin · Post by **SteveInAustin** » Sat May 13, 2006 8:35 pm

Oneday,

No, most people feel "something" moving around near their hair follicles. Those we think are the mites. They sort of tickle you. Everyone that's been on the products and cleared their faces reports that they no longer feel this anymore. Whether it mites or not, I don't know for sure. But it makes sense. They are big enough to be sensed moving around, by the way. They're not microscopic like bacteria. They're as big as the width of a human hair.

The "oiliness" you speak of might actually just be the skin venting the XFML cream. I found that the XFML cream does increase the "oiliness" of your skin. But it's not oil. It's just the XFML product itself. Stop using that, and it goes away. Mind you, while you're clearing I'd say stay on XFML.

For the back and shoulders, you can use Fulio cream or XFML rather effectively. The ZZ cream is harder to spread on large areas. That's why I say use Fulio or XFML. I think salicylic acid is pretty much going to be useless for back acne. A good benzoyl peroxide wash might help, however. Salicylic acid is just used to exfoliate, that's all. It doesn't actually treat acne. And many people say it actually increases oil production. I could be wrong. But that's what I've picked up over the years.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA

oneday · Post by **oneday** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:01 am

Yeah, I've been using SA for quite some time now, and haven't really been seeing any good results from it =/

But what I have realized is the wonders water does for the skin!!! I cannot even begin to describe how much drinking water has improved the overall appearance, texture, and suppleness of my skin. I have always been told that water does the skin good, but I never liked drinking it. But for the past week now, I've been drinking 1/2 a gallon to 1 gallon of water each day. Boy has it made a difference!!!!!!!!!! It is as if the water had brought my skin back from the dead. My skin no longer looks "sickly" and discolored. It looks supple, healthy, and has a glow to it.

I've also noticed that the dry/flakyness of my skin has decreased some after I wash the ZZ cream off in the morning ever since I started drinking more water. Now that I'm consuming a lot of water, it's like I'm finally giving my body what it needs to help sooth and heal my skin :]

Anyway, just thought I'd let everyone know. I have a bottle of water glued to me wherever I go now. Water really DOES do wonders for the skin. DRINK UP!

Just don't drown yourself in it, heh.

Sean