Hi everyone!,
I think i'm doing a lot better at just learning to accept my acne scars and letting it heal over time, while it used to bother me a lot in the past, i'm starting to see how i've been focusing on the wrong thing the entire time, i have persistent redness and an inflammed look almost all the time.
I started my accutane journey in maybe 2019? all the way through 2022, granted i did take breaks because i noticed the vast improvement in my skin and how i literally had the clearest skin ever and didn't continue with my accutane course after seeing the improvements, well fast forward maybe a year later my acne started to come back and i was left with scars and texture and what seems to be almost permanent redness , thought it does come and go.
I will just get to the point right now, i notice its worse when it's hot and sunny, windy, cold or if i'm consuming alcohol. I don't drink often at all, maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks when i meet some of my friends, but i always end up looking like a monster with the puffy/bloated and very red inflammed look.
I tried azeliac acid, i tried exfoliating with salicycic acid (both a cleanser and dermatologica microfoliant which was given to me by this local skincare clinic), i tried reducing my skincare routine to just cleansing and moisturiser, sometimes even water. I've been using spf, literally every kind, i tried mineral, chemical, mixed, you name it and while it's fine while i'm inside, the moment i go outside in the sun my skin immediately becomes red and kind of wet/greasy looking? even if i apply a pea size or even less. I tried applying more, it only amplified the look even worse. The skincare clinic lady told me my skin was dehyrated and irritated, and while i think she was probably right, i do feel like she was trying to extort as much money out as me as possible, she dismissed all concerns about my skin and kept showing her dermatalogica brand products into my face, which btw cost a fucking fortune, she told me to throw all my skincare products away, didn't even know what neutrogena moisturiser was and just called them tiktok products. Even with Cerave, she said she will only work with her products and i fell for it and ended up spending a ton, it really didn't make much difference for my skin.
Anyways, i stopped going there and didn't contact this lady again, she was nice and polite but the red flags were there. She claimed ot have 27 years of experience, but only had 12 reviews and when i asked to see pictures of her clients results because she so proudly showed off what her other colleagues clients success journey looked like, she dismissed the question and gave me some bullshit response like 'well everyone's skin and journey is different. I also checked her page and it was only pictures of her advertising the products, no history of clients with acne or anything like that.
Of course i took matters into my own hands, visited the gp, they referred me to a dermatologist back in november and i've been waiting ever since, i went recently again in late march, they said they will refer me again just to tell them it's urgent, but i'm currently still waiting without a response.
At this point im lost and i don't know what to do, i feel like i look much better without any product in my skin, because none of it gets absorbed anyways, i never feel hydrated or plump, it just feels like it sits there. I'm also taking care of myself internally, with hydration (using electrolytes and drinking 3 litres of water), cutting out sugar and dairy, but nothing is making a difference.
Also i forgot to mention, i'm on Lymecycline 408mg for two months now, i had BAD acne and it cleared up, but i have redness and hyperpigmentation on my back aswell.
tldr; skincare just doesn't seem to have any effect on me at all, nothing is getting absorbed and the redness is very persistent.
First two pictures are from today, bottom two are from yesterday
