T-zone problem! Please advise!?

Question

My skin used to be quite good despite constant sun exposure due to swimming and other outdoor activities I do.At the beginning of this year, the T-zone area, esp the part in between the eyebrows, have been giving me problems. I dunno if u can call them pimples but they certainly do produce pus and can be squeezed, which leave scars after that! I thought it was because I changed toner and cleanser, and about 2 months later, I changed back to my old stuff. But the problem continues and is now a permanent feature in the area.

Perhaps due to work stress also, as I am a shift worker and have to do night shifts beginning this year. Anyone can advise on what products I could use or how I could get rid of all those irritating bumps and scars?

Answer 1

Aurora,

You should really consider going to your dermatologist just in case your problem is not acne, but milli or rosacea. You cannot use medication designed for acne on those two skin conditions.

Now in terms of dealing with acne, your dermatologist can prescribe Tretinoin/Tretinoid. This is a topical derivative of Vitamin A and it's effective at diminishing and erasing dark spots/scars. It’s the best product against acne. Apply is at night and it will control the growth of new acne. You will see improvements within 3-4 days. It’s a fraction of that other product advertised on the TV (you know the one I’m talking about).


Gisele
http://www.mybeautymatch.com

Answer 2

I am being entirely serious...it might help if you got a different job, if your job requires you to do shift work, especially at night. Have you heard of Accutane? It's the most potent acne treatment out there - you can only get it by prescription from a doctor - sometimes it's the only medication that works for people with severe cystic acne. It is a "miracle drug" for some people, clearing up their acne entirely for life, when nothing else will work; but because of its potency, it can have VERY serious side effects. I'm only mentioning it because I want to talk about the guy who developed Accutane. He is a doctor, and he wrote a book about acne and in it explained some of the factors that cause acne. I wish I could remember the name of the book...it might help you if you got it and read it. He really seems to understand people with troublesome acne...he himself had a terrible case of it and now his is under control. This doctor said that night shift work aggravates acne and for that, he has found no solution except to change the work schedule to daytime hours. I have found this true myself...I used to be a "night owl," because I am by nature a night person, staying up late into the night. I had VERY severe acne for years and now it is under control..although I do find sometimes that I break out again if I try to stay up late into the night. There must be something related to the body's circadian rhythms & day/night cycles that affects the development of acne, and it seems that scholars in the field of medicine don't yet understand this fully.

Right now I use only Clearasil (the "Ultra") kind or Acne Free Terminator cream (it's especially good because it combines in one cream what I consider the 2 best treatments for acne - salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide), along with using a salicylic acid astringent that I use to get the makeup off my face (not my eyes of course!) and to mop up oil during the day, and they seem to keep my acne under control, as long as I use them regularly. Those medications might help you, if your problem is acne and not rosacea or something else, as another person suggested (a dermatologist could tell you whether it's acne or not). Sulfur medications don't seem to help much and I was on antibiotics for a while for my acne and they didn't help much either. Whatever you do, don't use any oily moisturizers on your face or makeup containing oil. Neutrogena products seem to work best for me. Neutrogena intensified day moisture (SPF15) seems to work well...and Neutrogena skin-clearing makeup doesn't break me out. Because you said your main problem is with the area in between your eyebrows, I'm wondering if maybe you are using some moisturizing conditioner on your hair and it is dripping down on your face in the shower...I use moisturizing conditioner and found that it causes me to break out sometimes too, on the part of my face it contacts. If you can keep your hair away from your face while the conditioner is on it and then wash your face and use astringent on that area of your face right after you finish conditioning your hair, to mop up any oil that might have gotten onto your face, it might prevent some breakouts. I also have gotten Zeno and found that it REALLY works on pimples that are really new or have not broken the skin yet - it clears them up amazingly fast. I hope this will help you.

Answer 3

Your skin was better last year because you were swimming. My son's skin improves drastically if he's swimming a lot.

You only need one product, and it's the best--it's called Proactive. I have never heard anyone say it didn't work for them. Try it.