Day 24 Update

I still have my original breakout, but it's slowly healing. I've gone for extractions and they help a lot. My face is still peeling.

To be completely honest, the healing process is taking a lot longer than I thought (or wanted), but if this all works out in the end it'll be worth it.

I still have lots of active spots, but they have shunk in size. Redness also is going down, but since restarting Retin-A my face has gotten a little more red and oily. My doctor says everything is looking good and she's happy to see everything beginning to clump together and then heal. I look ridiculous with broken out cheeks and a clear forehead, chin and eye area

Day 16 Update

My face is still broken out, but it's not breaking out. Everything is slooooowly healing. I'm going in for an extraction next week again before school starts, so hopefully it'll be better.

I'll post more pictures once I get the extraction.

Day 9 Update

Over the past couple of days my face has continued to push up stuff, forming bigger breakouts. I've gotten new pimples almost everyday and am broken out everywhere; cheeks, chin and forehead. Unfortunatley this is just part of the process and it amazes me how much gunk I had hidden under my skin.

I think the breakouts have finally ceased some, for now. Now that my face has healed from my PDT I can begin using Retin-A again, which will pull more stuff up.

My doctor wants me on Retin-A for three weeks and then to come in for an extraction. After I heal from that they'll see if they think I need anther round.

Day 5 Update

I need to space my updates apart so that I can actually show progress.

My face broke out TERRIBLY on the fourth day and now it's finally settling down some late in the fifth day. The break out is expected though, and really it is necessary for treatment and healing. The PDT forces everything up and out essentially.

The third day also welcomed PEELING! It wasn't as bad as I expected honestly, but it was annoying.

Now that my face is beginning to clear, it's hard to explain, but my face does look BETTER. It seems to have a different, cleaner tone to it. I'm going in for an extraction in the next couple days and then once that heals I can begin a regimen that I need to do religiously.

Here is my regimen.

Morning -
Charcoal Cleanser from VisageMedArt
Moisturizer

Afternoon-
Steaming of the face for (3-7 minutes)
Charcoal Cleanser from VisageMedArt
Retin-A Mud

Day 5


Day 3

Day 2 Update

Sorry this is a day late, but the pictures are still from Day 2.

My face was very itchy, slightly swollen around my mouth, but a lot less red.

I Hate to Count My Chickens Before They Hatch But,...

This procedure has given me a lot of hope. My face is swollen and red currently, but I honestly think I see a difference. I was told that a breakout would occur after my treatment and I see some active papules, but they aren't the cystic kind. I see a huge improvement on the right side of my face though, HUGE. All I can really see are the places where my extractions were, which by the way are the dark spots in my pictures.

My face is also itching like CRAZY, which I was told could happen, but later on. Itching is a sign of healing, so I'm healing quickly! I figured I would since after a terrible sunburn it only lingers for a day or two.

I washed my face for the first time and covered it in an incredible moisturizer that my doctor gave me and my face looks great. I honestly feel like it hasn't looked this good in years. I can't wait for it to progress.

I also want to note how incredibly amazing my doctors at Visage Med Art truly are. I've never had anyone actually explain so much to me. They've helped me understand ever step of the process and how to continue healing. They have their own line of cleansers, moisturizers and Retin-A products. They can even prescribe and give out Lortabs and anti-inflammatories. They research so much and really have a heart for their work. I thank God that I have found them.

I'm getting really excited. I'll update more as time goes on, as well as explain my new routine for face care. My doctor says that is one of the most important steps.

Pain Level For Overall Procedure (including recovery so far) - 3- uncomfortable.

Red, Swollen, and Totally In Love With Lortabs

I went in today to have the Leluvan activated and it was not what I expected at all. As soon as I took my scarf off in front of the doctor's office, in the bright noon sun, I could feel it tingle. They scooted me into a dark room and talked about what was happening and how to take care of it after the light exposure.

I was sat in front of a blue light, and right away I could feel the reaction. I was immediately at a 3 on the pain scale and my doctor told me to tell her when I was at a 7. Being a hard head, I tried my hardest to toughen it out, but soon I couldn't take it anymore. It felt like sitting in front of a bonfire, but without the ability to step back and refresh. Sadly, mostly to my pride, I lasted a good minute in a half to two minutes. The ride home was miserable sitting in the front seat of my mom's car. If I wore the scarf, my hot breathe burned my skin, but without the scarf my face seared. I finally resorted to popping a Lortab, pulling my hat down low, and leaning forward into the air conditioner.

As soon as I got home I ran straight to my dark room and Mom brought in some cold compresses, which weren't much help so I sat in front of my huge fan until my Lortabs kicked in. When they did I finally found relief! And I was pretty excited about that.

I'm a total outside person and the thought of sitting in a dark room watching tv all afternoon is not only the most boring thing I could possibly do, but it's almost depressing. I went outside for a second to piddle in the family garden, but I had to come inside until nightfall. The pain isn't unbearable, but my face is swollen and itchy and so red. I was sent home with steroids to help with swelling but am holding off until the morning.

I hope it's worth it in the end and I really, truly believe that this will give me the greatest chance at clear skin. "With the face the size of a small car," as my mother previously stated, it better :)

Incubation

Today I went in for my PDT treatment. The whole process was quick and easy.

First, all of the active pimples were extracted and cleaned out with alcohol and then acetone. The main goal was to dry them out, which is normally a bad idea, but for this procedure it was necessary.

After extraction, my face was scrubbed down and the a dead layer of skin was removed through microderm abrasion.

Finally, the Leluvan was applied. It began to sting with the overhead lights coming down, but once they were turned off, it was fine. My doctor likes for the Leluvan to incubate for a whole 24 hours instead of the normal 1-2 hours. He says he sees better results. So, here I am, after being covered in the highest SPF zinc powder, sitting in the dark, away from any windows, with a dimmed computer, TRYING so hard to concentrate on my summer work for my AP Biology class. Tomorrow I'll go back and sit infront of a blue light, yay.

Accutane and All of the Above

As I said before I've literally tried almost everything to try and clear up my acne. For some clarification I'll name and describe my experiences with all.

Proactive - Proactive is a big, BIG name in acne treatment. I used it several different times, even to the point of using it for one month and then switching to a different system for the next month and doing a rotation. In the beginning Proactive actually worked for me. My face cleared in just a week or two after beginning it. The first time I tried it it stayed clear or a couple months and then cystic acne began to appear and Proactive did nothing to help. I quit using Proactive all together as I hit my high school years.

Clean & Clear Advantage - After my failed usage of Proactive I learned about Clean & Clears 3-step program. I noticed a difference in my skin almost immediately. Honestly, for me, I liked it better than Proactive and it worked better for me. It seemed to help heal the deeper acne, but it also dried my face out a lot more than Proactive ever did, which was a huge downfall especially since I began to use it in the winter when my face was already dry. Again, after a few months C&CA just stopped working for me.

Topicals and Anti-Bacterials - I then moved on to topicals and anti-bacterials. My pediatrician gave me a prescription for a topical ointment and told me it would take a while to begin to work and nothing else. I waited for weeks and weeks for some improvement, and NOTHING. My skin began to get worse after a couple months so I dumped the topicals and went to a dermatologist. He prescribed an anti-bacterial and another topical to help fight both angle. I saw a lot of improvement with these two fighting together, but I quit the topical for some reason and the results didn't change, so I credit the success to the pill, but alas, within a month or two it failed me again.

Organics - I wouldn't call my self a tree-hugger in any way, more like an old soul, maybe. I just enjoy using what God gave us naturally to heal my skin. I began a non-medication/prescription routine. I'd steam my face at night and then wash with a Tea-Tree Oil face wash. I'd also wash in the morning and use a 20% Oil throughout the day. What I liked about Tea Tree Oil was that I could feel it cleaning. It had a certain sting that reminded me of peroxide on a cut. I had really good results with these methods, but they just weren't strong enough for my acne. Once my acne is gone I would love to return to using TTO, though.

Retin-A- Now to one of my latest feats - Retin-A or Tretinoin. It is meant to replenish skin cells faster and kill bad ones basically. I found that it did very, very well for me. The only downfall was that I was very susceptible to sun burn, which I've never had to deal with before, oily-er skin, and some redness, even when not sunburnt. It really did have my face clear for a good while, but again my face became resistant to it.

Accutane- I saved the "best" for last. Accutane. I went to the dermatologist after my topicals and anti-bacterials failed and they suggested this drug. I really didn't get much information about it. All I knew was that I couldn't get pregnant, which I had no worries, and that some kids got depressed from the drug. Being one of the most happy-go-lucky kids my age that I know this didn't faze me in the least bit. I guess I should have thought twice. With in a week of me beginning Accutane so many things changed in my life. My face and lips were PAINFULLY dry and it seemed like my swollen lips were being covered in the most moisturizing chapstick I could get my hands on, my back began to be so sore out of no where, and my temper was out of control. To understand the severity of the last symptom you would have to understand who I was before taking this drug. I considered myself one of the happiest people ever. People would compliment me on my hearty laugh that would literally fill the halls at school. I also had a walk that one person described as "walking through a field of flowers." I was happy, plain and simple. I also got along wonderfully with my parents. I can't think of one time that I'd ever had a fight with them. I never said I'd never disagreed with something they said, but I knew better than to never verbalize a complaint. By two weeks into my treatment all Hell broke loose. I remember it was about Deccember of my freshmen year and I was about to start taking Geometry and had just gotten a brand-new $110 calculator. My sister was home from college and my dad told her he bought me the calculator and my sister mentioned that she was done with her calculator for college which was just an older model of mine. Dad told Mom and in the interest of saving a lot of money Mom asked if I would mind returning mine and using my sister's. I BLEW up. I threw a fit like a 3 year old. I cried and stomped my feet and yelled, in front of my Mother. She was laying in bed shocked and when I regained some composure she got up and hugged me and asked me if everything was alright. I burst in to tears again and she asked why and I had no answer and finally it hit me, the Accutane. I looked at her and told her clear skin wasn't worth it, went to the cabinet in my kitchen and threw out my medicine. Simple as that I quit and I 've never regretted it. If something can force you to change something as important as your temper and temperament, than it must not be safe. Even a year and a half after taking the drug I still have bouts of depression and feelings that I'm not accustomed to. I'm not saying that Accutane caused this but the evidence against it is staggering. I regret ever even trying the drug and taking that risk, but I was fourteen and so self-conscious about my skin.

Tomorrow is my PDT treatment and I'm praying it's a success. I'm going to document it here to help others, because I've been unable to find a day-to-day record of how this process works.

Five Long Years

I started middle school in 2005 as a sixth grader. Along with changes in schools, friends, and interests, middle school aged kids have changes physiologically; basically they hit puberty. For me puberty meant acne. Bad acne.

It didn't really bother me at first because I figured I'd grow out of it. I didn't fathom that it could be something I'd be dealing with five years later.

I started with Noxema like my siblings, I moved on to medicated wipes and flip flopped between cleansers as each one didn't give me the results I wanted, and by the middle of seventh grade I realized the problem was bigger. Through middle school I tried every "three step program" there was; wash, astringent, moisturizer. AnceFree, Proactive, Clean and Clear - literally everything in the stores.

Eighth grade is when my mom decided we needed to get doctors involved. It was that she was embarrassed to have a constantly acne ridden pre-teen, she didn't want me to be upset and because I'm not much of a talker she thought that maybe I just didn't want to speak up, which was basically me problem.

We started out with my pediatrician. He gave me a topical, which never showed any improvement at all. A couple months later her gave me another without any results. Next, in the summer of my eighth grade year, I visited a dermetologist. He supplied me with another topical and by mid-ninth grade year after a series of failed oral antibiotics and more topicals my dermatologist decided Accutane would be my best bet. I'll explain why that didn't work for me in a different post.

After my failed Accutane experience I went to a MinuteClinic that was advertising a topical treatment I'd never heard of - Retin-A. I was put on a low dosage and nothing changed in my acne.

The next step of my journey took me to a anti-aging center. Honestly, I believe this place has helped me the most. My current doctor is the first doctor I've ever had that actually tells me whats going on, what to expect, and what my next step is. He taught me what acne is and gave me a better understanding of my condition. He gave me a free month supply of a high dosage of the Retin-A, almost like a topic Accutane. It actually began to work. My cystic acne really cleared up and I saw a huge improvement overall. The only downfall was that I got oilier skin and its always so red. Recently, my cystic acne has returned and I'm beginning to feel like this will never get better.

My next option is going to be the PDT treatment (http://www.totaldermatology.com/photoacne.php). I am having it done next week and this blog is basically going to keep everyone updated on my treatment. I realized that this is an opportunity to help other get real information from a real patient. I hope it will help someone.