Problem skin Vs. W-day perfection

Yay!! That's great news!! That must give you so much more confidence :0) I've never had problem skin until the last few weeks. It's not acne, and not all over but the few red bumpy spots I do keep getting are pretty prominent and I'm really conscious of them so getting a bit concerned that my skin won't resolve itself in time. Still, I'm sure my MUA can work wonders- at least I'm praying she can lol! Xx

MWAH don't worry about it for a second. Honestly those photos had me in awe. The tricks these MUA's have up their sleeves, I am now sure that even if I get a random one on the day that she will wave her magic wand - and not to be too gross, but there were some freshly picked, mountainous bad boys with craters in those photos that she'd even managed to cover, so a few red bumps are childsplay!

I went on Roaccutane for a few months in 2005 and have never had spots since. (although I have tonnes of scars mainly on my back, I only wish i had discovered it sooner)

Funky that is exactly what I am taking and I feel exactly the same way. I wish I'd known it existed because I have suffered for the last 18 years completely needlessly. But I did have to work pretty hard to get it and I just don't want anyone else to think there aren't solutions because there are! Stick at it!

P.s - my lips are dry like the sahara, but my face is still not shiny even at the end of the day, so I don't care! I really hope the effect is permanent for me too :-)

Invest in some body shop hemp lip balm (and body butter if your skin gets dry too) my mate gave me the tip before I started treatment and I started using them straight away before I got any sign of side effects and all the side effects completely passed me by.!

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I am back at the docs the second week in April, had been put on a 3 month course of antibiotics for my skin and the were working a treat...but now not so much (still got just over a weeks worth left)

Hoping the check up he will suggest another course of action but I have seen the wonders of a good MUA so I know all wont be lost but I would love to start this next chapter of my life with clear skin for the first time since high school!!!

But I echo the morale- don't give up!!

Thanks for this - I have awful skin and have tried everything but my current doctor will not put me on Roaccutane. Perhaps it's time I tried a different doctor or seek out a dermatologist!

I'm just sick of paying a fortune for lotions and creams that just don't work! Antibiotics worked while I was on them but as soon as I stopped the course my skin flared up again

I'm also going to ensure I invest in a great MUA on the wedding day just in case!

Funky - thanks for the tip - I will upgrade my Marks & Spencers Hello Kitty lipbalm I think!

Faye, Kjay please don't give up!

Firsty all, I am absolutely not a doctor, all I can tell you is what I have found. I told the doc I needed a result by August for my wedding, and apparently Roaccutane is one that gets a result pretty much 100% of the time and works fast. From the day I started taking it, I have only had one new spot and within 4 weeks, all that was left was a particularly stubborn one on my neck, but within the first week the difference was massive!

Dermatologist did say if I had more time, he'd have tried me on antibiotics as the side effects are not so bad, but he wanted to help me hit the August goal (I love him - he thinks like a bride!)

I am lucky as my work has a private doctor on site free, so that is how I got the referal to the dermatologist, but I am now unfortunately paying a private dermatologists fees!! However my friend found an NHS doctor who has a special interest in dermatology and he does things like botox in his special skincare clinic at his practice. He changed her pill to Dianette and gave her a lotion called Acnemycin and that worked for her.

All I can say is from personal experience - fight to get roaccutane! The course I am on is 4 months then I hope to be problem free permanently! I think if you can show it is really affecting yout self confidence you might have a better chance of getting it.

Why doctors treat roaccutane like the crown flipping jewels I have no idea.

xxx

I'm so glad I saw this post! My skin is driving me bonkers!

I used to take the mini pill (I can't take the regular one due to migraines) but came off it last year as I thought it was making my spotty. I'd never ever had more than one or two spots a month, but since last year I've had dozens, constantly, of really painful red cystic acne spots. Thinking it was the pill I stopped taking it but the spots are still here. They're all over my chin and jawline which makes me think it is hormonal but my doctor is convinced there is nothing wrong with my hormones and told me to try panoxyl, but that makes my skin crack and bleed.

I'm getting married in August this year so perhaps I'll try pestering my GP about roaccutane as it sounds like a miracle product!! Think I'm going to have to be prepared to make a nuisance of myself though

Thanks so much for writing about your experiences!!

I'm also a spotty bride to be but sadly I've been turned down for Roaccutane ☹️ I had a course of it when I was 23 and it was a miracle drug but my acne came back when I fell pregnant when I was 26. I'm now 32, have the skin of a teenager but the dermatologist doesn't feel it's bad enough to warrant a 2nd course of Roaccutane. I do understand her reasons for not prescribing it, she told me you're only allowed to ever have it twice because of how toxic it is and because of the huge cost of it so if I use it now on moderate acne then if I have a severe flare up I'm pretty much knackered! Doesn't console me though to think that I'll be a spotty bride ? Does anyone have any experience of using either Elemis or Liz Earle skin care on spotty skin? I'm wanting to try one of them but don't know which to go for as my skin is also very sensitive.

I have found Dermalogica products to be a god send and the Clarisonic Mia has been amazing in really clearing out my skin and getting rid of those last few bumps and blackheads. It's pretty expensive and I have read some bad reviews so I guess it's not going to work for everyone but all I can say is that it has really helped to make my skin smooth and glowy.

I have really sensitive skin too (which is why the Panoxyl didn't work for me) and I use Liz Earle cleanse and polish which is really good - makes my skin really soft, and the cloths you use are decent exfoliators. I also use the toner, which is really gentle, but not the moisturiser as it makes my skin feel tight.

I also use Cain & Austin blemish pads which did wonders for my spots at first but the effect has reduced now I've been using them a few months.

Haven't got any experience of Elemis I'm afraid but if anyone else does I'll try anything at this stage!!

Have booked MUA for the day so am sure she'll do a good enough job covering up the spots, but it's just frustrating thinking spots are just for teenagers, and that when you're 30 you're safe... then BAM the acne arrives. Grrrrr!

Suzy, your spots sound just like mine. They were so sore it was painful to even wash my face or touch my skin. Made me want to cry! That Panoxyl cream you mention is the one that took the surface off my bedside cabinet! I also tried a vile smelling one called Quinoderm that turned all my jewellery green!

I also tried the Dianette pill to see if it would help but nothing much happened, maybe best not to mess around with your pill if you've had problems there before anyway. I think you should go back and try and get them to try you on Roaccutane. It works so fast you won't believe it and you have got time before August. Frankly I did not get into a debate about whether it was stress, hormones, or whether I am just a grubby girl who doesn't wash her face, I just wanted them GONE!

Jobesaurus I am sorry to hear this, do you think they would let you try the ancnemycin or other antibiotic? Failing that, MUA's are magicians and no one will be able to see anything on the day so please don't worry. xxxx

Just FYI incase anyone does consider going the private route, to give you an idea of the costs, I pay £200 per dermatologist appointment (London Dermatologist) and I think I will need 5 appointments in total. I think the tablets are costing me about £120 per month, and you need a 4 - 6 month course. - just to give you an idea if you think it would be worth it to you to bypass your doctor and try and get it sorted privately - but quite honestly I don't see why anyone should have to go private to get spots sorted out. It is horrible being spotty and it really gets you down. Anyone who has had the problem completely understands!

As for facewash, I never had great sucess with anything but I do like the dermalogica special gel cleanser or the Garnier anti blemish solutions wash, and I also like the Boots No.7 day and night moisturisers for oily skin.

Really hope this thread helps some people. xxx