Skin Diaries Week 6

It has been a few weeks since I posted...

I have a case of the BLAHS. My face (and back, ugh!) decided to break out a bit at about the 1 month mark. I was hoping that I had skipped the initial breakout phase. But noooo dice! I read that this is completely normal though. A lot of women break out at the 1 month mark because of the fluctuation of hormones. It could also be because I upped the Spironolactone dose from 50mg to 100mg. It may even be a mixture of these two things.

The good news is, my face is SIGNIFICANTLY less oily and has been for the past several weeks now! It is not just my imagination this time. ;) In fact, the oilies really started abating once I upped my dose to 100mg. I am not oil-free by any means but the amount of oil produced now is a pretty normal and bearable amount (like going from 3+ blotting sheets a day down to a half one at the end of the night to take the shine off...which is the way my skin used to be before I started the BC pill and messed up my hormones.)

I have two active zits...one may even be a cyst, by my mouth. It is a painful one. >:| And a bunch of healing ones from the IB. Yay. I am hoping I am over the worst of the IB.

Skin Diaries Week 3 update

My little friend did decide to visit me this month, yay. =p

Today I upped the spironolactone dose from 50mg to 100mg a day, to see if that will help the oiliness issue. 

I figured I would also post another pic of le bare skin right after a shower. I will do some detailed ones at the 1 month mark.

Skin Diaries Week 3

I think I spoke too soon last week...about the oiliness, anyway. This week I have been pretty crazy oily. =( 

But the good news is...No cystic zits yet...yay! Although my forehead is pretty congested and I did wake up this morning with a small zit...it is not a crazy gross ginormous zit. I should be about to start my period...hopefully, lol, which is probably why the small zit has appeared.

My skin is really smooth, but super flaky and red from the retin-a micro. I am hoping my skin will learn to tolerate it better. I have these annoying bumps under my skin from previous cysts that take FOREVER to go away.

But so far, so good. I am starting to feel better about my skin...and have even worn my hair up a few times (I usually wear it down to hide my cheeks >_<) 

The scarring and hyperpigmentation on my left cheek is almost coverable by concealer and foundation now...before, nothing would cover it and trying to would just make it look horribly obvious. 

Skin Diaries - Week 2

Yesterday was the 2 week mark on Spironolactone 50mg a day. I have started splitting my dose and find that the side effects are much easier to deal with. Which is good because....wow. Just wow. I have not had a single cystic zit pop up this week. This is unheard of for me, I always have at least 1 painful cyst on my face either brewing or in full awesome force...so to go a week of having no active breakouts is a miracle.

The Retin-A Micro is doing some wonderful things as well. I have started to use it every night, but buffer it with my Paulas Choice Resist Toner and Resist Ultra-Light Antioxident Serum (meaning I put these two products on first, followed by the Retin-A Micro). The buffering keeps my skin from getting all irritated and red, but the peeling effect is not all that diminished, which I believe is a good thing. I want my skin to continue peeling for a good little while, to speed up the healing process of the old acne marks. 

My skin is much smoother due to the RAM use. I am finding I am using less foundation and the product is not falling to my crater-pores...which, and this may be a little preemptive and wishful thinking but...I *think* they might be getting a tiny bit smaller. I think my oil production has decreased a little bit too, as when I blot now (after 5-6 hours...used to be every 2-3 hours) I am not filling up an entire sheet anymore. Also, my makeup still looks decent after blotting and not like it just melted into every crevice on my face. I am still pretty oily, but I would be okay if it remains as it is now. It is manageable oiliness, at last!

As for the spotting-- It only lasted a day and was over, so that was good.

You know it is starting to look up when your boyfriend (boys, bless them, never notice anything *_*) comments to you that your skin is looking really good. Yeah, that happened today. TOTALLY made my day, not gonna lie.

Spironolactone Update - Week 1

Oh lawd. So I started thinking I would not have any side effects from Spiro (other than some anxiety that I get from taking ANY medication....I am always scared that I will have a crazy reaction or something)...but today I started spotting. >_< It is really strange because, from what I have read, people do not usually have irregular periods from taking 50mg....It is usually a side effect of higher doses. Oh well, though. Supposedly it is a side effect that goes away after a while...but honestly, I would wear a panty-liner forever if it meant I no longer had to deal with acne. >:|

Skin Diaries - Week 1

Watch out, o peeps of the interwebs. This is going to be a gross, long post. With a lot of rambling. *__*

I decided to keep a little skin diary of sorts as a frame of reference. My skin is suffering from some serious uglies. I mean....I think it is the worst it has ever looked....ever. I suffered from a serious cystic acne breakout in March 2013 that has left my face scarred and with some crrrraaaaazzzzzyyyy hyperpigmentation. 

I have had acne since puberty, but it has only gotten bad over the past several years. I am 27, should be focusing on anti-aging, and instead have to worry about cystic acne. Yay. 

I have tried a number of things over the past several years....but nothing has worked. I have not had a single day, since the age of 13, that I have not had a pimple on my face. 

I went to the dermatologist last Thursday, and told him I wanted to be put on Accutane because I was so tired of the constant war I had been waging. It has caused me enough grief and stress. I am well versed in the possible horrible side effects but I have gotten to the point that I am willing to take the risk. The derm talked me off the ledge, said he would be willing to give it to me but I should try this androgen-blocker called Spironolactone first. Well, I had already done a ton of research on spironolactone anyway, so I knew exactly what it was. I was pretty pleased  he knew about it (supposedly a lot of derms do not like to prescribe this) so I agreed to try the Spiro as well as use Retin-A every other day (at least).

He told me to start out on 50mg a day, and when I felt ready, to up my dose to 100mg. So I have been taking the Spiro for a little over a week, and use the Retin-A micro every other day at night. I used Finacea gel in the morning (followed by Sunscreen) and on the other nights I am not using Retin-A micro.

Mini rave starting about Finacea: I LOVE IT. There is no topical that I love more than Finacea gel. I have been using it about 2 months now, and it seriously takes all of the redness out of my face (until I added Retin-A in, of course >_>) I do not know if it is helping fade my hyperpigmentation or if time would work just as well on it, but for the redness reduction and evening of skin tone alone it is fantastic! I neeeever plan on stopping this stuff.

Anyway. Here are some pics. A little over a week in to the treatment.

le bare face

Right cheek-- couple active/healing breakouts, hyperpigmentatin, scarring, huge pores, oily skin, the works. 

Left cheek-- nothing active, just scarring and hyperpigmentation.

Chin area isnt horrible, just a bit pink from Retin-A Micro.

Yuck, right? I currently have a few healing breakouts and sooo much hyperpigmentation and a bit of scarring too. HUGE craterous pores that seep oil like crazy...I am hoping Spiro will help with the oil as well as the acne. But only time will tell-- supposedly it takes a couple months for your hormones to get adjusted to the medication.