My skin is terrible. It's not really bumpy and sore. I tent to get bumps sometimes though. Sometimes little bitty ones that look white but they hurt SO BAD when I touch them. And HUGE ones that just look totally unattractive and red.

I do drink a lot of soda so I would assume it has a great deal to do with it. But it seems to worsen when I do decide to stop drinking soda. Weird huh?. Well my I use clean & clear a lot but nothing works... what should I do. I hate my skin.

Have you seen a Physician? Sometimes antibiotics and specialized products work wonders!

Actually I haven't. I was once going to a dermatologist for my skin. Nothing they gave me or recommended I use worked either. It was really pointless seeing them. I only went to about three appointments in one year and they never set another appointment for me to come back.

I used to have it really bad on my face and chest but it cleared up on my chest. But there are still dark marks from where the bigger bumps were.

What should I do about my face though?

I meant actually I have... but that was about two or three years ago.

I would do nothing without a Physician - I'd be afraid of scarring.

Well I guess that means I should pay my physician a visit... Hopefully she can do something about it... Well as far as my food intake, what should or shouldn't I eat to prevent any further breakouts?

I have a few questions: I've been dealing with acne by entire life and yep, I might be able to fix it with the help of a physician.

1. How oily is your hair? How long is it?
2. How sweaty do you get in the breakout areas?
3. Rub you fingers in the breakout areas. What are the areas? Do they feel oily?
4. Describe the acne. Are there any triggers? Weather, menstrual if female, foods, hormones if a teenager etc?
5. What soap do you use in these areas?
6. Are you male or female

Stay away from chocolate.

I've had good success for nearly 40 years. Some stuff is OTC. One is mixed from common ingredients. Some is prescription.

Prescriptions are used as needed for prevention and "as needed" after the fact.

The goal is to focus on prevention.

I think different foods are triggers in different people - when I was younger I needed a Physician to drain the postules and I needed antibiotics.

I'm not a big chocolate fan, never have been (ice cream is my vice) BUT nuts used to make me flare. I'm extremely fair skinned so any type of a break out would be very, very obvious. I also found that I used to lean my chin on my palm, sort of rub my face now and then, and the Doctor told me this is a very good way to cause breakouts. His advice? Keep your hands off your face!

I never found anything over the counter that worked.

Well KISS,
1. my hair is shoulder length and is never oily.
2. I rarely get sweaty because I'm often in cool air, especially at work.
3. My face is VERY oily. Especially around my nose, but bumps never show up on my nose.
4. I don't know what the triggers are, but I am sometimes stressed. And last year when, for a month or so, I was no longer stressed about anything I noticed my skin had cleared up a great deal.
5. I use dial soap [sometimes the liquid shower gel and sometimes the bar)which I do use on my face] clean and clear morning scrub when I'm in the shower in the mornings and even at night, and I follow with clearasil daily facial scrub.
6. I am a 17 year old female.

I rarely eat chocolate. Maybe once every two weeks. I often distaste it. Only around my menstrual cycle do I have cravings for chocolate.

Since you said you drink a lot of soda, my suggestion is to avoid all processed foods, sugars--high fructose corn syrup and it's replacements like aspartame--and meat for at least a couple months. Eat a lot of leafy green vegetables like spinach, anything in the onion family, broccoli.. . You name it. And only drink water, juices usually have a lot of added sugars.

Try it for a couple months to see if your condition improves.

Another suggestion is get a lot of sun. Don't have to go tanning, just be outside and let the sun hit your face.

I'm a strong believer in you are what you eat. This may not cure your acne, but it will not make it worse and I would be very surprised to find out if this didn't help. All in all it's worth a shot and you won't have to go to the doctor or waste money on products that may never work.

I can't use dial - I can't use anything but Ivory (and I realize it's rather harsh). I am light complected so I'm amazed that Ivory doesn't give me a rash, but it does not.

I do keep my hands in my face a lot, JudyKayTee. But it's usually because I'm trying to scratch, squeeze, pop, or bust bumps in my face. I do lean my face on my hands a lot as well. I will try to keep my hands out of my face the best I can.

Like I told KISS, I rarely ever eat chocolate. Often around my period and rarely even then.

I'm not a chocolate fan, either. And keeping your hands away is easier than it sounds, I agree.

Could makeup be causing a problem? Do you use a lot of makeup?

My Doctor told me to replace ANYTHING I put on my face every 3 months - expensive but it works.

I haven't always used dial. I used to use this acne scrub I purchased at Walgreens. I can not remember the name of it but it was for the entire body and it helped with my break outs on my chest, shoulders, and back.

I googled it... It was called pHisoderm... something about pH balance... anyway, it worked for the time that I had it. But once I ran out I no longer used it.

Could makeup be causing a problem? Do you use a lot of makeup?

I only use eye make up (eye shadows, eye liners, mascara). Around my eyes is the smallest problem area. I see very little to no acne around my eyes.

OK. My suggestions.

Loose the dial soap. Use only Cuticura anti-bacterial soap.

Get some wash-n-dry anti bacterial wipes. Use these at work.

If you need help finding the products, yell.

For now, loose the clearsil and clean and clear.

I can strip way more oil than that's capable of, but rather not.

Work on the stress. I have suggestions for that too.

Give it a few weeks and report back.

I'll also agree with Judy. Use Ivory, but not on areas that break out. Use only Cutecura for those areas.

Okay so, cut the clean&clear and clearisil.. Should I use the pHisoderm?. And I'm allergic to most soaps. So I have to be careful about what I use.

OK. My suggestions.

Loose the dial soap. Use only Cuticura anti-bacterial soap.

Get some wash-n-dry anti bacterial wipes. Use these at work.

What are wash-n-dry bacterial wipes? And what is Cuticura anti-bacterial soap?

Thought so:

I have to special order Cutecura from Rite-Aide:

Cuticura Shopping Cart - Cuticura Soap (http://store.cuticura.com/cuticurasoap.aspx)

Amazon carries it too.

Use these: http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/msds/wipes/washndritowelettes2-04.pdf

Here is a source: Clorox 22236: Wash’n Dri ® Towelettes | OfficeWorld.com (http://www.officeworld.com/Worlds-Biggest-Selection/COX22236/)

I used to get them at a local drugstore. Haven't had to try lately. Amazon says out of stock and someone else said unavailable from manufacturer.

I forgot something important. Wash your face with warm water and the soap. Rinse the soap with warm water. The last rinse should use cold/cool water.

Does that help to open up pores and clean out the dirt and oils?

I forgot something important. Wash your face with warm water and the soap. Rinse the soap with warm water. The last rinse should use cold/cool water.

Does that help open up the pores to clean out the dirt and oils?

Yep. The warm water opens them and the cold/cool water closes them.

I think I forgot to mention that foamy shaving creame will work to remove oils too. It also cleans reading glasses very well. It evaporates quickly too. It's just not anti-bacterial.

I'll almost bet that wash and dry might be discontinued. Not sure though. Would have to make a phone call. It doesn't appear to be on clorox's website anymore.

In liew of the wash and dry, can you mix up a small bottle of 1/3 Cepecol mouthwash, 1/3 Witch Hazel and 1/3 water and get some gauze pads.

That solution should be antibacterial, but just a bit awkward to use.

The best way to mix the solution when using it for a creame rinse for the hair. It can strip the oils from the hair really well is to premix 1/2 Cepecol and 1/2 Witch hazel. I put this in a Labeled Cepecol bottle that says "NOT MOUTHWASH".

I then pour 2/3 of the mix in the "Cepecol bottle Cap" and add 1/3 warm water from the shower and use it as a hair rinse.

The cold solution used with gauze pads should not be a problem.

Okay thanks

I also found that I used to lean my chin on my palm, sort of rub my face now and then, and the Doctor told me this is a very good way to cause breakouts. His advice? Keep your hands off your face!

I recently started using foundation on my face, so I try not to touch my face so that I don't mess up my make-up or get it on my clothing. And I wash my face really well before I put it on. Having started doing this, I don't touch my face and already I have seen a reduction in the amount of pimples on my face. Barely any at all... But I still have been drinking a lot of sodas... They seem to have no affect on my skin.

Soda DOES ruin your skin... there's been a recent study about how certain foods affect the skin, and soda seems to be a direct correlation to acne. Also, sweets and "fat" food (like greasy pizza and french fries) affect the skin.

Now, please READ THIS!!
The reason why you say that when you stop drinking soda, your acne gets worse, is because your body has grown so accustomed to soda that it reacts when your conditions are changed. SO, if you stop drinking soda for a while (like 2 or 3 weeks maybe, depending on your body), your acne will improve. A lot.

I also had acne problems. When I stopped drinking soda and eating sweets, at first my skin was also... pretty bad. After 2 weeks, my skin was completely clear. After 2 months of eating healthy, I've decided not to go back.

Please do yourself a favor and start eating healthy. Your skin and body will thank you.

Accutane works wonders for me. I've been on Accutane for 5 months, this is my last month. I have used EVERYTHING else. They gave me temporary results, but eventually make acne always came back. Now that I am on Accutane I swear by it!

Diet is the key to clear skin. Get rid of the processed foods, and full fat dairy. Sugar is the worst for acne. Think raw vegetable juices and plenty of water, salads, fresh fruit, essential fatty acids are very important for healthy skin, flaxseed oil is a good source. Yes taking care of your skin on the outside helps but nothing works better than cleaning up your diet. You do need patience but it will work. There are also herbs you can take to help balance your hormones if you think your acne is related. Liver nearly always plays a role in skin problems so research on how to take care of your liver. I recommend seeing a naturopath or nutritionist to help deal with the cause of your condition. Good luck and keep us updated.

Ask your dermatologist if you can try other medicine. I have one called evoclin, and there are others that may work better, but if you have acne they should try to help you.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub is good too. My brother and I use it, and he had severe acne and it helped clear it up, along with medicine.

Good luck!

Thanks lJ

Sure. Also, there is another medicine for acne called benza-clin. Although I cannot recommend any medicine for you, you would have to consult your dermatologist to determine if you have acne and then find a medicine fit for your skin issue. Hopefully it's just pimples that you can clear your skin of by caring for it!