Comedonal acne for a year
Hello!
I am trying to describe my problem in detail and accurately. Unfortunately, my dermatologist appointment is in 2 months.
Information: 25 years old, increasingly more problems for 1 1/2 years. Hormones tested in the summer of 2011, Testosterone 0.62 (borderline 0.6). Thyroid normal. Otherwise normal blood values. Never taken the pill (tried 3, couldn't tolerate). Pill is not an option anymore. Oral therapy with Iso, etc. is not an option for me due to side effects. I prefer to live with acne.
I always had clear skin, maybe the occasional menstrual pimple, nothing serious. My skincare routine was very minimal. Makeup wipes, water (soft water area), and a Bebe face wash. That always worked well. Eventually, the company discontinued the face wash, and I switched to Garnier SkinActive with salicylic acid and zinc. I don't remember exactly when that was. My skin was always good UNTIL January 2011, it got worse and worse from there, and now I really suffer from it psychologically. I never used moisturizer.
I moved in 2011 to an area with very hard water. I don't know if there is a connection. So, for a few days now (somehow came up with the idea), I've been washing my face with Volvic water (very soft). A very expensive thing in the long run.
My pores are enlarged, my skin is impure, and the pores clog up super quickly. They are mostly closed comedones. The keratinization is too fast. My face is also super oily. Currently, more (probably 20-50 new blackheads on each side) blackheads are appearing, which I couldn't capture well in photos. I have at least 200 of these comedones on my face. Super small to tiny pustules, which cannot be squeezed. Sometimes it works, and then a proper pus ball comes out. But I prefer to refrain from squeezing as I am prone to scarring. Some become inflamed, some don't, and it's a very uneven picture. Additionally, I have freckles and visible veins. Bravo. I've been using the same cosmetics for years. I don't think that's the trigger. Especially since the pimples are more intense on the décolleté and back where I never had anything. My décolleté is currently full of small red bumps that cannot be squeezed.
Even though it got worse and worse with this Garnier scrub, I was a bit puzzled, but continued the program. At some point, someone commented on my skin and said I should only cleanse mildly. (Cosmetician at Douglas). Then they persuaded me to buy an expensive face wash, which unfortunately didn't help. Then I tried the Anti Blemish 3 Step Set from Clinique, it dried
