Acne. An article about how I got cured.

Highlights

In this article, I will focus on describing my journey through the ordeal of finding a cure for acne, but leaving out the definition of the term itself. Why? Because what is acne – everyone already knows, while how to treat (not „cure”) it, unfortunately, only a handful of people. Of course, it will be referred to such acne, which is difficult to diagnose in terms of the cause of its formation, as well as those for which „nothing works” or works only for a while.

Because there are so many factors contributing to the onset of acne, there is no one simple action or drug that will cure it. These most resistant acne cases require a comprehensive approach on many levels. I struggled with acne for as long as 8 years (a long time for a cosmetologist), because every treatment I started lasted and provided relief only for the duration of its use. After 8 years of fighting with my face, I can say with a clear conscience that you can only permanently cure acne if you can find the cause. Well, and this is where the stairs begin, because many dermatologists do not look for the cause, but only treat patients symptomatically. All ointments, creams, antibiotics, tetracyclines and acids work symptomatically, that is, they improve the skin only for a while. Even the all-too-familiar isotretinoin (isotretinoin), which is claimed to be the only drug with a 90% recurrence-free rate, works by causing the sebaceous glands to involute (atrophy) – in other words, we are again acting symptomatically, not eliminating the cause.

And it is the causes that need to be eliminated.

When I was 17 years old, blackheads started appearing on my face, then pimples and a few inflammatory papules. I started reading, taking an interest, and interviewing my family. My mother was familiar with the subject, as she herself struggled with acne until she was 28. She used various ointments, antibiotics, went to hundreds of consultations with dermatologists, until she… „grew out of it.” At first she told me not to worry, because it was hormones, genes, and that in a few years it would pass on its own, and that if I wanted it she would get me in to see a dermatologist. I listened to my mother and went to a certain doctor who was supposedly the best in town. The doctor prescribed me tetralysal; an antibiotic, after which I obviously saw improvement. My skin condition improved, but it was all scarred and discolored. So the doctor invited me for a TCA acid peel, promising that after it my skin would look like her hand: that is, it would be bright, smooth, with even color and no scars. This treatment for me was expensive, but I trusted the lady and did 2 treatments at monthly intervals. After the acids, the exfoliation was so great that everyone at school asked me what happened to me. As my skin regenerated, there was peace from the lesions for a while, but after a few weeks, I started getting peeling again. At the time I thought why did I need the acids if I was going to get scars again. I became so interested in the subject that I decided to go to study cosmetology in Krakow. I believed that I would gain such knowledge there to help myself. During my bachelor’s degree I read a lot of articles, talked to professors and cosmetologists, hearing the same thing over and over again: „go to a good dermatologist, it’s probably hormones, antibiotics will definitely help you, a series of acids will take care of the problem,” and so on, and so on… For 3 years I went to dermatologists, treated myself with ointments such as duac, epiduo – all with temporary results, of course. In the meantime, I took a swab of the pimple and hoped that the cause was staph, but the test results did not show it. I did food intolerance tests – an elimination diet only alleviated my skin condition. I went to a certain salon for a series of acid peels (it was a mixture of salicylic, glycolic and mandelic acids). After six treatments, my skin looked even worse. There were a lot of inflamed lumps on it and I thought I wouldn’t recover without the help of an antibiotic. Desperate, I went to a dermatologist in Krakow, Poland, and told her I was on a healthy elimination diet (I had done intolerance tests) and after a series of acid peels. The doctor started to persuade me to take isotec. She told me that diet has no effect on the deterioration of my skin, and that what foundation I put on doesn’t actually matter either. I thought I would agree to the isotec because I had actually already given up, and I thought it was the only thing that could save me. I did a blood count and signed up with a gynecologist to prescribe me birth control pills (isotec is highly teratogenic). I was on the verge of starting treatment, but I began to notice that after the birth control pills (Levomine) my skin began to heal and no new lesions popped up. I concluded that as I was responding so nicely to contraception, isotec would no longer be necessary. After six months, the changes began to appear again, so I went to my gynecologist to ask him to refer me for hormonal tests. He said it wouldn’t help and prescribed me other pills (dorin), after which there was improvement again. In graduate school I continued to explore, trying various cleansing teas, dietary supplements, epiduo ointments, duac, healthy diets, acids, mineral primers. There was always an improvement for a while or longer, but never 100%, because every time I washed off my makeup I saw a new change. After my master’s degree, I was close to concluding that acne could not be cured without isotec, and that I had to wait until it passed on its own. After stopping birth control, it was fine for a year, and then when it came back, I did hormonal diagnostic tests – testosterone, prolactin, progesterone and DHEAS levels in hopes of finally finding the cause. The test showed that everything was fine with my hormones. I felt that I had become immune to the epiduo, the darsonwala currents made no difference, and the exclusion of stimulants, sugar, milk, cheese and food intolerance products resulted in a decrease in cellulite and weight, but the acne was still there. I washed off my makeup with very gentle, non-drying products, moisturized my skin with cetaphil, used sudocrem for inflammation so as not to dry myself out with benzoyl peroxide, and only painted myself with minerals. Everyone told me that it didn’t look tragic after all, but for so many sacrifices (because, for example, I could eat only fruit at parties) I should have flawless skin.

Until finally there was a breakthrough in the search. One day I went to a training in Wroclaw to a lady cosmetologist with many years of experience, who was a PhD in pharmacy. When she saw my face (as I lay down for one of the treatments as a model), she asked me what was going on. At first I just said that it was a long story, and that the acne had defeated me, because I really didn’t have the strength anymore. She asked me if I had given up dairy. I replied that I had. The doctor: „but are you sure about everything?”. Me: „sometimes I allow myself goat cheese, because they did not come out in my intolerance”. And she said: „please try to give up everything; white cheeses, yellow cheeses, cream, yogurts, milks, goat’s, cow’s, everything”.

What happened surprises me to this day.

I have put everything away and currently can’t look at my beautiful skin!

For so many years I made this one small mistake. I’m overjoyed because I’ve finally done without isotec and more antibiotics, without hormones and ointments. Of course, I have to be consistent, because if I just indulge in something sweet or a little, or just eat mozzarella, for example, a lump pops up somewhere the next day.

Applications

There are really very many different causes of acne, of which there are many varieties and courses.

There are pustular, papular, and comedonal lesions, which are caused by, for example:

– Contact allergies (e.g., to compounds in soaps/facial gels – sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate type, to chemicals in creams, etc.).
– Food allergies (type allergy to gluten, chocolate, citrus, dairy, etc.)
– Hormonal disorders – including thyroid problems, and puberty
– stress-related
– related to staying in dirty, dusty rooms, with air conditioning
– associated with weakening of the immune system
– associated with an improper diet (overuse of highly processed foods, including white flour, UHT milk, salt and refined sugar, and trans fats, excess preservatives, alcohol, cigarettes) – which affects the accumulation of toxins in the body, and which does not provide an adequate amount of essential vitamins (natural, not synthetic), minerals and other substances necessary for the proper functioning of the body
– Overuse of drugs that cause the accumulation of toxins in the body, which can interfere with each other, destroy immunity, and kill the intestinal bacteria necessary for the proper functioning of our body, or directly create inflammation
– Excessive drying of the skin, and the removal of the necessary hydro-lipid mantle with germicidal facial care products, which makes it very easy for bacteria to enter from outside

My professional experience has taught me not to work with one scheme, but to constantly search and observe. And in fact, it can be said that as many cases, so many different treatment programs.

You can’t just (completely like in some manufactory) tape-assign people to treatments that have already been developed.

When a patient comes to me with a skin problem, it is very important to have a thorough interview about her skin care regime, lifestyle, what she eats, what treatment she has undergone before and how she reacted to it. If I perform, for example, a series of treatments with acids, I observe the skin and ask the client how she reacts to a particular acid. It’s very common for me to change to another acid during the series when I don’t see an improvement or observe a worsening. I always educate my clients so that when they leave the salon they don’t commit those little sins that have such a huge impact on the effect of the treatment.

Sometimes, as in my case, these small sins have a downright shocking effect on the effect of the treatment… Of course, a lot of people choose antibiotics, isotec – because it’s easier, because it doesn’t require so many sacrifices and determination. I, however, encourage you to think deeply about it.

And that’s because more and more people are coming to my office for help, saying that they are AFTER treatment with isotretinoin (isotek). And it’s scary.

That’s why it’s worth fighting to find out the causes!

Agnieszka Pyrzyk – Cosmetologist Face and Body Institute