How can I heal my skin?

[Magic Poriferan]

Hiya folks.

I used to have considerable acne in my teen years. I still have more pimples than I'd like these days, but the rate has significantly died down. The problem is, whenever I do get a pimple, it leaves a red mark for a very long time. At any given moment it looks like I have more acne than I actually do. Under focused inspection you can it's just red skin and nothing else, but I generally think it looks pretty bad.

I don't know why my skin is like this. It might just partly be that I'm so pale, but still, it seems like it takes a really long time to heal. There are two particular spots of on either cheek bone (amazing symmetry) that are particularly strange because they seem to be recurring breakout spots that never entirely go away, and they feel wider and more subcutaneous than normal pimples.

Anyhow, I'm not looking for something that makes acne go away (I wasted enough time on that when I was a teenager), I just want to know if there's something that will make my blemishes disappear.

Any ideas?

 

[A window to the soul]

Hmmm. I know vitamin C & E are good for skin. My aunt is a nurse and she pokes a hole in vitamin E capsules to get the oil out and rubs that on her face.

Here's an article: http://www.ehow.com/how_4494042_use-vitamins-face.html

Edit: a vitamin C serum might fade the red spots.

 

[River]

^

The marks on your skin sticking around for a long time is a vitamin deficiency. Using a cheap, simple cleanser (with vitamin E) and following with a light moisturiser every night before sleeping should help. As for your cheeks have you seen a doctor? They could be cysts in which case do not pick! you will have to get them removed, leaving small scars that will look much better than pimples.

Getting UV light on your face can also clear pimples and speed healing, once a week 3min in a tanning both (cheaper than forking out for a UV light like the ones used to treat Seasonal Depression) is worth a try.

Good luck.

 

[NotOfTwo]

I have had recent success with this stuff on old and new blemishes. Found it at Target. Not too expensive and organic.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Use a lotion that has glycolic acid in it (sometimes called "alpha hydroxy acid" or "AHA" on the packaging). Lactic acid is another AHA, but is not as strong & is better for keeping skin soft, not clearing shallow discoloration.

I recommend Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Face Lotion, which is around $10 at Wal-Mart & one of the cheapest AHA moisturizers I've come across. It has a concentration of about 8% glycolic acid, which is great (around 10% is ideal). I personally use this & find it very effective; it's not greasy or pore-clogging either. A small pea drop goes a long way, so you don't have to drop cash for it constantly.

The other option is to go to a dermatologist and a get a prescription for retin-a. This is, of course, more expensive.

Both retin-a & glycolic acid speed up skin cell turnover, and the post acne hyper-pigmentation will then be shed off with the upper layers of skin more quickly to reveal fresh, unmarked skin. The bonus is they also help keep skin clear of new acne & speed up healing of active acne too.

Over the counter retinols (mainly used in anti-aging products) are usually not strong enough to make a huge difference, & while vitamin C & E are certainly good for the skin, they too will not cause much of a noticeable difference.

 

[Randomnity]

I have those, too. I think they're broken veins in my case (basically bright red dots, no texture, hanging around unchanged for years). I have no advice since I've never bothered to try anything to get rid of them - makeup covers them well enough when I want, and they don't bug me that much the rest of the time.

I'm guessing the AHA wouldn't work if it is veins, since that would be too far below the surface to be sloughed off with the skin. Likewise with the vitamin E and so on, although it's claimed to work well on scars. I've heard laser is good for that kind of thing, but that's a little pricey for something relatively minor. Not sure if there's a cheaper alternative.

 

[Stanton Moore]

You might google 'neem soap acne'. Neem is an ayuvedic herb that can soothe the skin.

 

[ceecee]

Hiya folks.

I used to have considerable acne in my teen years. I still have more pimples than I'd like these days, but the rate has significantly died down. The problem is, whenever I do get a pimple, it leaves a red mark for a very long time. At any given moment it looks like I have more acne than I actually do. Under focused inspection you can it's just red skin and nothing else, but I generally think it looks pretty bad.

I don't know why my skin is like this. It might just partly be that I'm so pale, but still, it seems like it takes a really long time to heal. There are two particular spots of on either cheek bone (amazing symmetry) that are particularly strange because they seem to be recurring breakout spots that never entirely go away, and they feel wider and more subcutaneous than normal pimples.

Anyhow, I'm not looking for something that makes acne go away (I wasted enough time on that when I was a teenager), I just want to know if there's something that will make my blemishes disappear.

Any ideas?

Maybe it's rosacea? I know they use products with Vitamin K for it but I'd have that substantiated by a dermatologist first.