Solutions for Problem Skin

Late nights, traveling, hormones, stresses and adjusting to new climates can cause havoc on the skin. Here is what I have learned about regaining skin confidence and my solutions for Problem Skin. I hope this article is encouraging for someone who is struggling in this area.

Topical treatments

Aside from managing diet and stress levels, the first line of defense is topical treatments. My weekly routine includes using Tretinoin/Retin A 0.5% gel or cream all over the face three times a week to encourage cell turnover.

While some people recommend Glycolic acid toner; I find that it interferes with my skin barrier. Other topical products that work well are Benzoil peroxide for drying out spots, salicylic acid for unclogging spots; and clindamycin spot treatment gel.

Oral medications

Hormone therapy or antibiotics (Azomax (250mg and Tetracycline) can do wonders for the skin.

For someone considering Accutane, it really helps to reset self-confidence when skin clears up; and, each time after using it, the acne never comes back quite so badly as before. This medicine should not be taken without discussing it first with your doctor/dermatologist, as side effects can be quite severe.

Another solution is Spironolactone/Aldactone: https://www.verywellhealth.com/treating-acne-with-spironolactone-15635.

A magic solution- Cortisone Steroid Shot

When diluted cortisone steroid is injected into an inflammatory cyst, it can make the swelling and redness go down practically overnight.

Make sure your dermatologist knows their stuff, and uses the right concentration of steroid as side effects may include fat atrophy at the injected site and hyper-pigmentation.

Here’s an article on the science behind cortisone injections, if you’re curious about how they work: https://clinicalgate.com/intralesional-injections/

If you do, unfortunately, end up with cortisone-induced fat atrophy, the great news is that the skin can heal itself if you are happy to wait it out—anything from six months to a year or two!

The bad news? Sometimes (very rarely!) the damage can be permanent!

In the case of a botched cortisone steroid treatment, fat atrophy usually starts to appear about 3-4 months after treatment. You then have four options:

1. Wait it out.
2. Use hyaluronic acid fillers to camouflage the dent.
3. Try saline injections. There are some excellent research articles that back this alternative treatment: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2005.31216
4. Opt for a fat graft, which is the most permanent solution.

Alternative treatments

Before considering any harsh treatments, why not try some of these alternatives?

*If you are pregnant or have any health problems please do your research before trying my alternative remedies!*

1. No more gluten and dairy. In general, I don’t miss those products anymore. I love my oat milk lattes! Check out my winning recipe for keto gluten free bread here.
2. Drink lots of hot green tea and cold or hot lemon water and cut back on coffee! Too much coffee can cause your stress hormones to go into over drive.
3. Strengthen your immune system and skin barrier. Try supplements of Vitamin E, omega fatty acids, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C and zinc, Vitamin D, and Resveratrol.
4. Spearmint tea has a natural anti-androgen effect on the body.
5. Licorice root tea has been doing wonders for my skin. It is known to support the liver and adrenal glands.
6. L-Lysine or Lysine supplements 1000mg twice a day.

These products are my personal favorites: Face theory, Azeclair A15 , Revolution Salicylic acid , The Ordinary Salicylic acid , The Ordinary Azelaic acid.

The Azelaic acid ones, in particular, work fantastically to combat hormonal jawline acne.

Brain power

It is no secret that our thoughts influence our bodies. Your skin protects your precious insides from the outside world. It’s the thing that contains you! Imagine what your poor skin must be feeling if you constantly think things like:

• ‘I’m not good enough.’
• ‘I’m not smart enough.’
• ‘What do people think of me?’
• ‘Did I say the right thing or the wrong thing?’
• ‘I put my foot in it again…’
• ‘What can I contribute to this conversation?’
• ‘I’m not working, so people must be judging me!’
• ‘I can’t cook!’
• ‘Is my outfit good enough?’

On and on it goes.

Maybe some of you can relate to these thoughts, and it gives you stress. You’re stuck in this pattern of negative thinking; you’ve read tons of self-help books, but nothing really sticks.

Self help Guru and master of positive thinking; Louis Hay has a great tip to share from her wonderful book, You Can Heal Your Life.

Every time these horrible little thoughts pop up, squash them immediately, and repeat this one simple phrase:
‘I approve of myself!’

Repeat this phrase hundreds of times throughout the day!

Affirmations, Hypnosis and Psychology

Other alternatives worth exploring include daily positive affirmations and hypnosis. There are some great videos on YouTube by Michael Sealy, The Honest Guys, and Jason Stephenson.

Here is a handy link about the connection between psychology and the skin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM_s-58nu7w&ab_channel=ThinkClearSkin.

I hope that some of the information I’ve given here has helped someone out there. I’ve also written a post about my Trustworthy Beauty Favorites. These products have worked well for sensitive problem skin.

If you have any extra tips to share, please do comment in the little box below!

Sincerely,

Elaine