Because I choose to write about skin care quite often on my personal blog, as well as here at Blissfully Domestic, I tend to get a lot of email regarding skin care regimes and acne.  Though I have good skin now, I can relate to the trauma described in most of these emails:  the unending oil, the blackheads, the whiteheads, the giant painful zits, the money spent on concealer.  I get it.  And I’m here to tell you, if you are truly suffering from acne, you need to stop trying all the over the counter remedies and get yourself to the dermatologist.  STAT.

I think the trouble starts when people confuse what exactly acne is.  WebMD (only the finest sources for yours truly) defines acne as a skin problem that starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores.  You do not have to have cystic acne to have acne, which is severe acne in which the predominant lesions are follicular cysts that rupture and scar.  Those little pimples on your temples?  The blackheads filling up your chin?  That is not just a break out.  It’s ACNE!

I had pretty much immaculate skin with no effort all through adolescence and my early 20s.  Then at 24, I got engaged, and my skin decided to go completely haywire!  I spent quite literally thousands of dollars on facials and microdermabrasion and every single item for acne you can purchase at Neiman Marcus.  And guess what?  A month before my wedding, I was still a zitty mess.  Finally, in a state of panic, I went to the dermatologist. Why this was my act of last resort I will never know- hello!  He’s a doctor!  Who is an expert on skin care!

Within two minutes at the derm’s office, my face had been injected full of cortisone and I had been given a drug and face wash regime to follow.  I began taking antibiotics (Mynocycline to be specific), and was given this face wash which changed my life.  I was ordered to smooth this over my face at the beginning of my shower and leave it on for as long as possible. This proved to be surprisingly difficult, as this cleanser contains 20% glycolic compound.  It burned.  Like fire!  But over time, I was able to keep it on longer and longer.  (This is serious stuff, and I recommend you do not use it unless you under care of a physician.)  Within two weeks, my face was blemish free, just in time for my wedding.

My acne was basically the result of a bacterial infection which was eliminated by the antibiotics.  This may or may not be the right course of treatment for you, but you will never know unless you see a doctor.

You may be reticent to see a dermatologist because you believe those visits are not covered by insurance.  Not so!  You may think your insurance company is evil, but you and the insurance company do have one thing in common.  Neither party wants you to get skin cancer!  Your insurance company wants you to go to the dermatologist. You should be going annually for a skin check regardless of whether or not you have acne! As much as I love doling out advice on how to spend your paycheck at the Neiman Marcus skincare counter, that will be all for naught if you are not tackling your acne first.

Photo credit: Mareen Flischinger on Flickr