[love is abby]

I have pimples, bad. I wash my face everyday, twice and in the shower with proactive. I've tried everything from clean & clear to aveeno, PLEASE HELP!

[Clough]

Until someone who comes along who is a Beauty & Skin Care Expert or who knows a lot about the subject, you might want to click on the links to questions that have been similar to yours on the bottom of this page to see what the answers have been.

[Wondergirl]

Try zinc gluconate. Start with one 22 mg. tab three times a day and work up to three tabs three times a day. It worked magic for my son.

Food sources of zinc:

High-protein foods contain high amounts of zinc. Beef, pork, and lamb contain more zinc than fish. The dark meat of a chicken has more zinc than the light meat.

Other good sources of zinc are peanuts, peanut butter, and legumes.

Fruits and vegetables are not good sources, because zinc in plant proteins is not as available for use by the body as the zinc from animal proteins. Therefore, low-protein diets and vegetarian diets tend to be low in zinc.

Also, don't scrub your face to irritate it. Be gentle.

[worthbeads]

The quick fix, but not always the wisest some say, is to pop them.

[Clough]

Just from personal experience, I know that popping the pimples can lead to scarring. This may not be the case with all people, but I do know that it has on occasion been that way with me and also others. Another thing that can possibly be the result of messing around with the pimples by hand, is that it might eventually lead to skin cancer later on in life if squeezing them was done a lot when a person was younger. This information was given to my dad years ago who treated his skin cancer. My dad had terrible acne when he was young and abused his skin by squeezing the pimples.

The proper treatment for acne of whatever kind may really depend on what is causing it and what kind of acne it is.

The quote below is from the following site. Dermatology Consultants

Treatment

Control of acne is an ongoing process. All acne treatments work by preventing new acne. Existing blemishes must heal on their own. Improvement takes time. If your acne has not improved after 6 to 8 weeks, you may need a change in your treatment.

The treatment your dermatologist recommends will vary according to your type of acne. Occasionally, an acne-like rash can be due to another cause - such as makeup or lotions you've used or oral medication. Rarely acne can be due to a hormone imbalance. It's important to help your dermatologist by providing a history of what you are using on your skin or taking internally. Women will want to discuss changes in the menstrual pattern.

Many non-prescription acne lotions and creams help milder cases of acne. However, many will also make your skin dry if used too often. If you use these products, follow instructions carefully.

Your dermatologist may prescribe topical creams or lotions such as vitamin A acid or benzoyl peroxide to help unblock the pores and reduce the bacteria. These may cause some drying and peeling. Your dermatologist will advise you on the correct use and how to handle side effects.

There are also antibiotics that are applied to the skin. These are used in less severe cases of acne. When large red bumps are present, the dermatologist may inject a cortisone directly into the bumps to help them go away.

Your physician may open pimples or remove blackheads and whiteheads. Don't pick, scratch, pop or squeeze pimples yourself. When the pimples are squeezed, more redness, swelling, inflammation and scarring may result.

Antibiotic taken by mouth such as tetracycline, minocycline or erythromycin are often prescribed for moderate or severe cases, especially when there is a lot of acne on the back or chest. The antibiotics reduce the bacteria in the follicle and may also decrease the redness directly. When taking oral antibiotics some women develop a yeast infection in the vaginal area. If this occurs, continue your medicine and contact your dermatologist immediately for treatment of the yeast.

Women who are taking birth control pills may notice a significant improvement in their acne, and occasionally birth control pills are used specifically for the treatment of acne. It is also important to know that oral antibiotics may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. This is uncommon but possible, especially if you notice break-through bleeding. As with most medicines, check with your doctor about taking antibiotics if you are pregnant or nursing.

In cases of severe acne, other drugs may be used orally. These may include female hormones or medications that decrease the effects of male hormones. Another oral medication, isotretinoin is sometimes used for severe acne that has not responded to other treatments. Patients using isotretinoin must thoroughly understand the side effects of this drug. Frequent follow-up visits are necessary to monitor side effects. Prevention of pregnancy is a must, since the drug causes severe birth defects if taken during pregnancy.

Proper Care is Necessary

No matter what special treatments your physician may use, remember that you must continue proper skin care until the tendency to have acne has passed. There is no instant or permanent cure for acne, but it is controllable and proper treatment may prevent scars.

And, what is quoted below, is from the following site. Acne Myths

Myth #10 - Washing your face a lot will help get rid of pimples

Fact: Acne is not caused by poor hygiene. It's good to wash your face each day to get rid of dead skin cells, excess oil and surface dirt, but washing your face more than once or twice a day can be too much of a good thing.
If you wash too frequently or too abrasively you can dry and irritate your skin into more breakouts. So don't scrub or rub. Gently wash your face with a mild cleanser no more than once or twice a day and pat it dry with care.

Myth #11 - Popping pimples will make them go away faster

Fact: No matter how tempting, you should not scratch, pick, squeeze or pop a pimple. Doing so may push bacteria from the pimple further into the skin, causing more inflammation. Popping a pimple may also cause brown or red scars to appear that can last for months or worse yet, popping pimples can cause dents and pits that can last forever.

[shoegal]

This may sound odd, but I use antibacterial cream on my pimples overnight. In the morning, they're much smaller.

[LONESOME]

I have pimples, bad. I wash my face everyday, twice and in the shower with proactive. i've tried everything from clean & clear to aveeno, PLEASE HELP!

You need to go to a dermatologist or a medspa and they will give you a prescription for a antibiotic and the best product that I have tried and still use for 6 years now is OBAGI NUDERM to me is the best producto for severe/mild and moderate acne also for lines and wrinkles, hyper pigmentation (uneven skin tones) etc etc. is a great product is a 5 or 6 step product and it cost around 380 to 500. But is worth it.
GOOD LUCK!