My Skin Story Part 1 : Acne

Skin woes are part of everyone's life but I think it's an important topic to discuss. I've had to resort to pretty extreme measures to sort out my skin problems and I thought my journey may be of help to someone somewhere!

I sailed through adolescence , blissfully ignorant of the normal spots and acne that plague teenagers. 

However, from the ages of 21-23 my skin went absolutely MENTAL.

Yes, capital,underlined and bold type of mental. 

 I tried a variety of cleansers, moisturisers and other treatments but nothing worked.

I cut sugar and milk out of my diet for a number of months but this made no difference to my skin.

I decided enough was enough and visited my local G.P. (General Practitioner) . I tried a variety of topical creams including Duac,Skinoren and Differin  over the course of a year. These creams made a tiny dent in the spots beginning to cover my face. 

After these creams had tried and failed, I was prescribed Minocin (an antibiotic). I have to say this was very effective and my skin instantly started to improve. I was absolutely delighted and thought I'd found the answer to my prayers. However, as Minocin is an antibiotic you can't keep taking it forever! I stopped taking Minocin and for a month my skin was fine.

But then.... it relapsed again.

The strangest thing about my acne at this stage was where it was on my face. Usually, the t-zone is the worst affected area. However, for me it was the sides of my face and my cheeks. It was very deep, hormonal acne. 

The problem was really getting me down at this stage and I felt I was at my wits end. My G.P. suggested that I visit a dermatologist to see if I would be suitable to take Roaccutane. I was initially very nervous as Roaccutane (or simply Accutane in America) is known for it's sometimes severe side effects.

I'm just starting my 5th month on Roaccutane now and as for the results... I'll let the picture speak for themselves in the upcoming post!

Monday Must Have: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

During my teenage years I was lucky enough to be blessed with good skin. However, this meant that acne as an adult was even more traumatic!

I have combination skin, which is pale and prone to redness. This also means that a mark often remains on my skin, even after spots have been and gone.

Luckily, I discovered La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo and it's a lifesaver! This really unblocks pores on my nose and chin in a way that nothing I've ever tried has been able to do. It also reduces the appearance of marks from old healed blemishes, particularly ones that I have been struggling with for months (MONTHS, I kid you not!).

I apply a thin layer of this, once a day, to problem areas after cleansing, leave for 30 mins and then apply moisturiser over it. I do think you need to apply a good moisturiser after as it can be drying.

However, a word of caution. I used this once in winter when my skin was dehydrated and I won't lie, it burned the face off me! One of my friends raved about it and I decided it was worth another shot and I am honestly so glad I tried it again. I'll never be without it!