19 Yrs Old, Cystic Acne and Pretty Bad Scarring - Cooltouch Laser, Los Angeles, CA

Thanks Eva! The video was great, very informative and to the point :-) so many options...

I know how you feel, heres what i did:
1)I found a doctor i could trust, he suggested a laser that didnt require downtime. But in your case, you might not even need that. My face was terrible. There are other ways of getting clear skin, that arent so drastic
2) Face wash routine (dont over wash though) - exfoliate every night, get all the dirt out (gently). I use a rotating cleanser brush I got at a local pharmacy, nothing fancy.
3) Eating SSUPER clean! - Before graduation I wanted to make sure I didbt have a random breakout, so I ate all the greens : broccoli, spinach, kale, celery, chard, etc. All day everyday.
4) No dairy - this may not help everyone but it helps me. And NO JUNK FOOD.
5) Sleep - get some rest:-)
Dont stress, everything will.work out! Youll see ;) All the best you! Greetings from California

How'd it go with your cool touch treatment?

Forgive me for the super late reply!

Yeah, my face is pretty clear. The bright red and dark brown scars I used.to have have faded inmensely; they have become a lot more subtle. I do have scarring that would require resurfacing but Im super happy with how far my skin has come.

IEver since I was 13-14 Ihave always had at least 5 huge cystic pimples on my face at all times. There were times when there.was A LOT more! It was painful and frustrating. Now that im clear i feel liberated. And if i have a breakout its minor and manageable and no longer frustrating or disheartening

Yes! I used to have extremely oily skin and it just aggravated my acne like crazy. And that's what the Cooltouch does: it shrinks the oil glsnds, and from the first treatment i felt a huge difference. My face is not nearly as oily as it was before and because of that, my face has stayed clear from cystic acne. But it's not too dry either, id say for me its just rright. I have only had two treatments but my skin is better than i could have ever imagined. It even helped smooth out some of my acne scars. It promotes collagen ggrowth and makes your face feel fresh. For my more severe scarring though Id have to have more Cooltouch treatments or a more aggressive laser like Mixto. But hey, im glad to hear your acne is under control, for me that was the hardest part. Until i had the cooltouch done and sticking to the right facial care routine at home helped too. Careful with makeup products especially if you wear foundation. And Cetaphil face wash, its brilliant. Neutrogena scrub has helped tons too. Good on you for continuing to look out for the good of your skin now that your acne free. All the best to you

I haven't actually, but I want to. Dr. Rahimi gave me a list of options to treat my acne, one of them being oral medication and I dont know why it kind of scares me. But the laser has been a success so far: 4 months acne free! But next time I see my primary doctor, I'll have to ask about that.

Understanding the nature of your acne outbreaks is critical to long term management of this problem. Such things as an endocrine problems can be at the root of stubborn acne. A problem such as PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) can result in acne issues through out the life of an afflicted female. The acne comes about owing to an abundance of androgen production, which is very irritating and at the vortex of cystic acne. your doctor, preferably an endocrinologist, can determine if your androgen levels are too high through a blood test. If so, Spiranolactone can be difficult to adjust to initially, but once this occurs, your acne is greatly relieved. Fortunately, unlike Accutane, it is well tolerated over a very long period. It wouldn't seem something like acne would be so complicated, but it actually is. This is because there frequently are complex underlying issues. Good luck & stay clear!

You're absolutely right. The topical treatments have worked wonders and I have stayed clear but I definitely feel that I must look deeper for the root of the problem and verify whether there is a hormonal issue or not.

Im looking for something safe that can be used long term and its great to know there are other options that have worked for others. Like Spiranolactone. My fear is that once I'm off the meds (if i choose to start) the acne will return full force

It might. However, Spiranolactone is well tolerated by most patients and can be safely taken over many years. The initial phase, while the body adjusts, can be a little tricky.

Youre absolutely right. I hadnt taken any steps to find out whether what was affecting my skin was a hormonal issue or due to an endocrine disorder because I felt that there were things that I was not doing (AND things I was doingg) that I could change to better my skin (e.g. diet, exercise, sleep, stress, etc.) All.of those lifestyle changes helped enormously. The topical treaments and lasers have sped up the process iimmensely and made my skin healthier than it has been in years but I want this to last. to have healthy skin and to resolve my acne ptoblem once and for all I need to be healthy and balanced on the inside

Im actually waiting for the test. But the ddifference now is that Im not frustrated anymore. I know theres room for improvement and I'm optimistic. I have come very far and I hope to continue to better my overall health. Thank you truly for your insight and tips , it helped me take that step I once hesitated to take

Thanks, that means a lot!