Category: Skincare

Skincare advice from a beauty therapist – how to treat skin problems such as acne, scars, oily or dry skin?

Read about my struggles with acne and about all my favorite skincare products.

2017-03-21 Skincare 14 Comments

Acne update – Progress after one month of Apocyclin

adult acne treatment

apocyclin 1 month progress

It’s been one month since I started to take Apocyclin medication for my acne. First I felt like there wasn’t really any progress, but I guess there is a little. My family has also been saying that my skin looks better and that’s something.

What it comes to my skin, I feel like a lot of my pimples have come to the surface – the closed comedones I have on my cheeks have turned into blackheads and they basically come out if I just squeeze them a little bit. I’ve been trying not to touch my face too much though and you shouldn’t pick on your skin – but some of these are really just almost surfaced and they come out easily without irritation.

I’ve still had some painful pimples that don’t like touching – at all. And I noticed that all of a sudden my back is full of painful red pimples that make it impossible to wear a bra or lay down comfortably on my bed. Now it’s a bit better – luckily. My chest area is a bit clearer now too, but there are still some imperfections.

These photos were taken today, a month + three days after starting the medication. It’s hard to see any progress on the photos. I did have a weekend of bad sleep, bad food and alcohol mixed together though so I’m pretty sure that’s why my pimples seem to be more red. Or maybe the acne gets worse before getting better? I really don’t know. Anyway I want to be honest with this journey so here is the truth (these pictures).

apocyclin adult acne progress

Comparison between 24.2.17 – 20.3.17.

I haven’t noticed any major dryness on my skin during this time, but there are other side-effects, which haven’t been that nice. My stomach has been going crazy with these pills and that is their number one side-effect, tummy aches and everything that goes with that. I’ve been feeling really sick in the mornings, heartburn and almost ready to puke. The same happened in the evenings at first too – but then I realized I had to take the pill with lots of water and so I drank more water (at least half a tall glass) and it hasn’t been that bad. I also switched up my lactic acid bacteria pills to probiotic ones and I think that’s been helpful at least to my stomach.

Also now that I compare the first week of eating these pills to this moment, the side effects are definitely not that bad anymore. I don’t feel that sick in the morning and I barely get any heartburn. Still the tummy-aches are noticeable in the mornings.

I’ve been studying acne and hormones and doing some changes to my diet too recently. I think eating less dairy products as well as wheat is good for me right now – but I’m still taking baby steps and will keep you updated on that. And having the medication on right now it’s hard to say if what’s working is the pills or something I’m eating or not eating (probably the combination of these three though).

adult acne

Trying to keep a positive attitude. (Trying to smile.) That red pimple right on my cheek has been there forever! It’s a deep one so I haven’t touched that – just waiting for it to go away on it’s own. Hasn’t left me yet.

Apocyclin acne

Anyone else on acne medication right now? What’s your progress?

2017-02-24 Lifestyle, Skincare 9 Comments

When acne just doesn’t leave you

Acne medication

Apocyclin acne

Here’s the truth: I have bad skin. I have acne. Again, or still, however you want to phrase it.
My skin and my acne has gone up and down for the past year. I’s been really bad and then it’s been not-so-bad. Never has it been good though. Only my reaction to it has varied during this year.

Seeing my photos you might think: her skin is good. It’s not so bad. But it’s not really. Putting on a certain foundation my skin looks almost flawless – especially in photos since the foundation might reflect light or otherwise smooth my skin to look pretty. Taking photos in a good light might again smooth my skin – or taking photos with a flash which – ironically – takes away the pimples in a flash. Another thing is that when I take a selfie face straight to the camera – the worst part of my skin is hidden. My jaw and my cheeks kinda disappear and the focus is on the center of my face.

blogging about acne

Then there’s the editing. I don’t edit my photos much, but when I do it’s because I don’t like the acne taking away the focus from the makeup. Also – those pimples is not me, not really – so why would I want to show them to the world? Or is it a part of me I should just accept?

That’s the funny thing about acne – it doesn’t really feel like your skin, like your face. And it isn’t, not really. The real skin, the real you is underneath all that, getting blocked by those painful, awful spots that some days feel like the worst thing in the world and sometimes they’re invisible to the eye.

Do you know what’s the only medicine to treating acne and is also the most challenging thing there is? It’s time. Every treatment takes time – be it 10 facials, a new skincare regime or a drug. I’ve given my skin that, time. I’ve given it a year and I’m back at the square one. I promised myself I could get my skin better by just taking care of it and that I wouldn’t need any drugs. I got frustrated, so I tried the Acnatac -gel, which I wouldn’t have wanted to use (because the side effects). It did help – at the time it felt like a lot – but now when I look back I think it only helped a little. It didn’t take my acne completely away and slowly my skin started to get worse again.

Blogtexts about Acnatac -gel.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

4.10.16. After Acnatac. The biggest inflamed spots were gone but my skin was still full of small pimples and it slowly began to get worse from this.

acne
17.2.17. The day I started to take Apocyclin. My skin reacted to travelling and I had a lot of red sore pimples.

acne

23.2.17. My skin yesterday. I’m wearing a light layer of makeup.

acne blogger

24.2.17. My skin today without makeup.

When my doctor prescribed me Acnatac she also gave me antibiotics in case the gel didn’t work. I didn’t purchase them until now – almost a year later. I’m not sure why I waited so long to start considering them as a treatment – I’m not against drugs, but I guess I just wanted my skin to heal ‘naturally’ -whatever that means. In a way I felt like buying those drugs was a loss. Admitting to the problem isn’t always easy, is it?

My drugs are ‘Apocyclin’, antibiotics which I should take for about 3-4 months (See again: time). It’s only been week since I started taking them so there’s no progress yet. I’m prepared to not seeing progress for at least a month. Also – I’m prepared to see my skin getting worse before getting better because that usually happens with these kind of medicine. (See how I say I’m prepared? I can’t say I really am. I’m pretty sure the reality will be me crying my eyes out seeing my skin getting worse than it already is.)

My attitude towards acne medication is a bit negative and that is because I’ve already tried it. Twice, if I recall right. When my acne first broke out at the age of 13 I ate two rounds of some kind of pills. They helped a little at the time but not really. I only got my acne away with birth control pills. But – I don’t really remember what the drugs were and I think these are a different kind. I hope.

Negativity doesn’t really help with this kind of problem so I’m trying hard to stay positive and hopeful. Maybe this time the medicine will work – I’m not 13 anymore and my hormone levels and everything must be different than then. Maybe I’ll finally get my skin back to the condition it deserves.

I think I will blog about my experience and share as much as I can about this journey. I know many struggle with the same problem so I want to help in any way I can.
no makeup selfie

If you read this because you have acne, here is a checklist for you and for me. Just so that we don’t forget:

  • You are beautiful. Never let yourself believe anything else.
  • You are strong. This stupid problem is only outside and it will never get to the inside of your beautiful heart and soul. Don’t let it in.
  • You are not alone. There are so many people fighting acne it’s ridiculous. And there are tons of people who have succeeded to get rid of acne. And so will you.
  • You will get the beautiful skin you deserve. It will happen. I can’t promise it will happen tomorrow, but it will, some day. It’s gonna be okay.

All of the photos of this post are non-edited.

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