Me and my acne (warning: includes pics)

[KölnElch]

I decided to show my body and my acne. I wasn't sure whether to post this in the amateur showcase forum or in the health forum, but in the end - since I don't expect to get compliments for my pics - I'm doing it in here.

This isn't going to be easy, and I probably will regret it.

Right, I have mentioned a few of these things in various other threads before, so here's a short summary:

Due to my important lifelong hormon medication, I suffer from chronic acne, mainly on my shoulders, chest and back, that just won't go away. I'm 39 and have seen various dermatologists. The only solution they see is a medication that has depressions and "becoming suicidal" as side effects. No thanks, I am dealing with enough shit. So I'm gonna stick with "just" the acne.

The one hope I have is a permanent hair removal, at least on my shoulders, where the acne is the worst. I don't like hair on my shoulders anyway. I will have an appointment soon.

Due to my acne, but also because of other things, my self-esteem concerning dates, guys and sex is nearly non-existent. I couldn't believe anyone halfway decent looking would like to have sex with me when he sees me. I never had sex before, but I am heavily working on my sex phobia.
The fear of rejection is playing a big part of this, and my acne is playing a big role in my fear of rejection, so that's where I'm coming from.

I'm doing this as a little exercise, if I ever should get my shirt off in front of a guy.

I already get my shirt off in the gym's locker room, which was a horrible challenge at the start, but I learned that nothing happens there. Of course, seeing all the guys with perfect skin around me makes me sad.
So even though I can do it in the gym now, when it comes to love/sex, I am very much afraid of rejection because of this, to the point where I wonder:

Should I warn guys before I get my shirt off?

Should I keep my shirt on, even?

Or should I already add this into my profiles on dating apps?

How can I convince a guy that it's not an infectious disease?

Any other advise you have for me?

I am going to the gym now to - at least - get my body into shape.. already lost 3 kilos since I've started in mid august. But its not gonna help the acne.

Anyway, here are my pics..

 

[kallipolis]

I have been a gym bunny for many years, and witnessed much worse acne among my work out pals.

Stop worrying what other people might think about your acne, and in due time you will stop worrying what others may, or may not think about your acne.

Congratulations losing 3 kilos....maintain your diet, and continue to work out at the gym with no thought, what others may conceivable think about you,

 

[jbrown329]

Just a suggestion. Have you tried something like Clearasil? There are other topical medications that should work too.

 

[KaraBulut]

There's nothing severe in the pictures. Anyone who has been around bodybuilders has seen far worse.

...Due to my important lifelong hormon medication, I suffer from chronic acne, mainly on my shoulders, chest and back, that just won't go away. I'm 39 and have seen various dermatologists. The only solution they see is a medication that has depressions and "becoming suicidal" as side effects. No thanks, I am dealing with enough shit. So I'm gonna stick with "just" the acne.

The one hope I have is a permanent hair removal, at least on my shoulders, where the acne is the worst. I don't like hair on my shoulders anyway. I will have an appointment soon...

The medication you mention is probably a retinoid that has different names in different countries. It's a grueling medication with all sorts of risks and side effects. The good news is that it is extremely successful for facial acne. The bad news is that it is not always effective against body acne.

If you're looking to try permanent hair removal, you may be about to happen upon a possible solution to your acne. intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy can be used for both hair removal and treatment of recalcitrant acne. While most of the research with IPL has focused on facial acne, it has also been used for body acne. In most studies, IPL improved acne that had failed to respond to other treatments.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3051300/

The additional good news is that your acne is mild (it does not seem to be cystic and it does not appear to be causing severe scarring). And even more good news is that because you have dark hair and fair skin, you are a good candidate for IPL for semi-permanent hair removal if you choose to do that.

]Any other advise you have for me?

Yes. Hire a trainer. Work on improving your diet (work with a nutritionist if needed).

Both suggestions are a good idea for anyone who is working on getting into shape. In your case, there are a lot of obstacles- mostly self-imposed- that are preventing you from living a balanced life that includes a healthy sex life. Getting into shape and the feeling that comes from being in good cardiovascular health will help remove some of those obstacles.

 

[JordanFrank]

There are some body washes on the market now that contain salicylic acid, a topical acne medication for body acne. I'm several years older than you and still deal with facial acne mostly due (i think) to having oily skin--didn't have a problem until my early 20's, now i wish it would go away as every night i have to use a benzoyl peroxide skin cream to deal with it and even going one night without using it causes breakouts so i've never been able to have overnight company as it were unless i didn't mind a breakout case the next day so i can understand where you'r coming from about insecurity issues because of the problem. Good luck!

 

[Hidden Element]

Its nothing to worry about i have seen much worse, just keep looking after yourself and keep in a good mind. Maybe the stress you put yourself under maybe lead to the acne??? Try to get youself in a good place and the rest will follow

 

[KölnElch]

I have been a gym bunny for many years, and witnessed much worse acne among my work out pals.

Stop worrying what other people might think about your acne, and in due time you will stop worrying what others may, or may not think about your acne.

I will try, it's just so standing out when I'm comparing myself to others. Yes, probably one shouldn't do that, but I can't help, I'm always comparing myself with other guys.

Just a suggestion. Have you tried something like Clearasil? There are other topical medications that should work too.

Clearasil has a bad reputation here in Germany, so no I didn't try that. My dermatologist gives me antibiotics to apply externally on infected pimples, and even that doesn't really help.

I have once tried medicinal clay, when the acne was still bad in my face, and it helped it there. I think I'll try it again on my shoulders.

The additional good news is that your acne is mild (it does not seem to be cystic and it does not appear to be causing severe scarring). And even more good news is that because you have dark hair and fair skin, you are a good candidate for IPL for semi-permanent hair removal if you choose to do that.

Yes. Hire a trainer. Work on improving your diet (work with a nutritionist if needed).

Both suggestions are a good idea for anyone who is working on getting into shape. In your case, there are a lot of obstacles- mostly self-imposed- that are preventing you from living a balanced life that includes a healthy sex life. Getting into shape and the feeling that comes from being in good cardiovascular health will help remove some of those obstacles.

Yeah, I had much much worse acne around 10 years ago, also "helping" me isolate even more. In those years I got used to the thought "you have a horrible skin, don't even think you could get a man". While my acne became better in the past years, my soul/brain has learned and memorized that way of thinking and that isn't that easy to get rid of.

My health itself actually is quite good, my blood pressure values couldn't be any better, I have no real issues other than my hormonal background and the acne as side effect of the hormon therapy. Okay I am slightly overweight (just a little though) but I'm quite confident that I can get myself down another 10-15 kilos and become fitter along the way. I will consider your suggestions though. I know I should eat more vegetables and less convenience food, this is my big weakness that I must admit here. First I don't really like vegetables, and second I hate cooking, go figure I tried the readymade salads from the supermarket, but they are often bad.

There are some body washes on the market now that contain salicylic acid, a topical acne medication for body acne. I'm several years older than you and still deal with facial acne mostly due (i think) to having oily skin--didn't have a problem until my early 20's, now i wish it would go away as every night i have to use a benzoyl peroxide skin cream to deal with it and even going one night without using it causes breakouts so i've never been able to have overnight company as it were unless i didn't mind a breakout case the next day so i can understand where you'r coming from about insecurity issues because of the problem. Good luck!

Thanks, sad to hear about your issues with acne I am allergic to salicylic acid, so that's not an option unfortunately.

Its nothing to worry about i have seen much worse, just keep looking after yourself and keep in a good mind. Maybe the stress you put yourself under maybe lead to the acne??? Try to get youself in a good place and the rest will follow

Well that could well be a reason, actually. I constantly feel under pressure, even though I live alone and don't have a job. I don't even know how to relax, I just never sit on the sofa and relax... maybe once in a month. I am constantly working on my life, trying to fix some issues, becoming a better man, keeping my place in good shape, caring about my looks, working on some hobby projects, so that I often forget to just live. So indeed, I think you can be right.
I don't fulfill my own expectations of how I / how my life should look like in my age, and I'm constantly strained / anxious about it. I guess this could really support the acne.

 

[jbrown329]

When I was a teenager and had acne, I used alcohol. Not the kind you buy in the drug store. I'm talking whiskey. Put a small amount in a glass (about a shot) soak a cotton ball then wipe the pimples. Mom saw the level drop and confronted me, thinking that I was sneaking it to drink. When I showed her what I was doing with it, she was fine with it.

Make sure to use a moisturizer afterwards.

 

[RaKroma]

You're not a laser or IPL candidate for your shoulders. You risk no results from treatments or worse paradoxical hair stimulation from laser hair removal. PM me and I'll try to get you in contact with someone in Germany who does permanent hair removal. She will be better at guiding you to right path.

In terms of your acne, you don't have anything severe. Your acne is not cystic. I heard of reports that Germany has limited product range for treatment of acne. As far as I remember, Benzoyl Peroxide products are viewed as "dangerous" and are prescription only. when we can buy it in pharmacies here. When I was active on acne treatment forums, Germans would try to smuggle products from U.S. and Canada which I found strange. I do not recommenced using any topical or oral antibiotics for treatment of acne!! Any long term use is a bad idea. P-acnes bacteria is very resilient and quickly builds resistance to all antibiotics. I've been there, done that.

Tell me what products and prescriptions you have tried to control your acne? What treatment options did your dermatologists offer to you besides antibiotics? Your adult acne will not be cured but can be managed well.

 

[KaraBulut]

...Yeah, I had much much worse acne around 10 years ago, also "helping" me isolate even more. In those years I got used to the thought "you have a horrible skin, don't even think you could get a man". While my acne became better in the past years, my soul/brain has learned and memorized that way of thinking and that isn't that easy to get rid of.

And that is where Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) might be helpful. It helps unravel maladaptive thought patterns that are connected to behaviors.

My health itself actually is quite good, my blood pressure values couldn't be any better, I have no real issues other than my hormonal background and the acne as side effect of the hormon therapy. Okay I am slightly overweight (just a little though) but I'm quite confident that I can get myself down another 10-15 kilos and become fitter along the way. I will consider your suggestions though. I know I should eat more vegetables and less convenience food, this is my big weakness that I must admit here. First I don't really like vegetables, and second I hate cooking, go figure I tried the readymade salads from the supermarket, but they are often bad.

Nutrition is a balancing act. When we suggest people work on their nutrition when they are working out, they assume that we're saying they should consume less or diet. The opposite is true; in order to see results in the gym, you have to eat more... however, what you eat needs to change so that you make better choices.

While there is no evidence that food causes acne, there are nutritional changes that can help with acne.

Topical antibiotics aren't effective for the type of acne that you have. Based upon some of the research that is coming out about antibiotic use, it may actually be doing more harm than good. One of the theories behind laser and IPL treatment for acne is that it weakens or kills the bacteria that cause the papules and inflammation with the type of acne that you have.

 

[Kyanimal]

Ask your dermatologist about Triamcinolone. It's a topical cream that I've discovered to be a near miracle.

 

[Georgiadude]

I have to give myself testosterone shots weekly. my body just didn't make enough. I too get acne on my back and chest. have you tried oral doxycycline? when I start getting a bad break out I take one 100mg capsule twice a day. after about a week it's cleared up pretty good. drinking a fair amount of water helps as well. I really don't think yours is as bad as you think. you could leave your shirt on if it makes you more comfortable.

good luck

Steven

 

[RaKroma]

I have to give myself testosterone shots weekly. my body just didn't make enough. I too get acne on my back and chest. have you tried oral doxycycline? when I start getting a bad break out I take one 100mg capsule twice a day. after about a week it's cleared up pretty good. drinking a fair amount of water helps as well. I really don't think yours is as bad as you think. you could leave your shirt on if it makes you more comfortable.

good luckSteven

Doxy is good to take for short term under 8 weeks for quick results like for an event or a wedding. It will not give him permanent results. After 8 weeks on Doxy or any other antibiotic, acne starts to build resistance and in some situation it comes back even worse. Leave antibiotics for more important conditions. A good option for antibiotic replacement is something like Klaron lotion aka sodiumsulfacetamide and acne doesn't build resistance to it. A lot of older dermatologists know about this ingredient, but younger dermatologists never heard of it.

A good none prescription approach to none cystic body acne is AHA/BHA peels,or benzoyl peroxide 2.5% spot treatments twice a day. Laser/light treatments work fine too but are expensive. The heat from lasers burns the bacteria below the epidermis, basically works in similar way to chemical peels, just more expensive. I responded well to laser treatments which kept me clear for over 4 years now. But good AHA/BHA peels will do the same.

 

[jbrown329]

I'd rather deal with some acne rather than this shit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seborrheic_keratosis

Yes, I do have it. The ones on my back/shoulders are flat. The ones on my chest look like the picture.

 

[KaraBulut]

...I responded well to laser treatments which kept me clear for over 4 years now. But good AHA/BHA peels will do the same.

Since he's in Germany, I would be curious if IPL or laser for recalcitrant AV is a covered benefit.

He's mentioned that he has an allergy to salicylates, so BHA peels might be an issue.