I had acne for 26 years & it all cleared up

Suzie-Q-Z
Suzie-Q-Z Member Posts: 40
in Breast Cancer #1
my acne is gone! I had it fairly bad too, even on my back all over. some systic on my face. So the question is... did the chemo clear it up since the acne would really be a fast growing cell and that is what chemo does best is to kill those cells or... could it be from not shampooing? I had tried every otc available on the acne and have gone through many brands of shampoo. I'm almost hoping it's the shampoo because I could just start washing it in the sink.

Comments

  • Katz77
    Katz77 Member Posts: 598
    #2
    Interesting
    That wonderful. Were you on taxol? I noticed my skin was real smooth, and the wrinkles got smoother. Had a place called sk, old age rough patch on my butt cheek and it came off. Sorry to say skin went back as it was and age spot coming back. I hope you're acne stays clear. Maybe something great to come out of chemo for you. Katz
  • sausageroll
    sausageroll Member Posts: 415
    #3
    Katz77 said:

    Interesting
    That wonderful. Were you on taxol? I noticed my skin was real smooth, and the wrinkles got smoother. Had a place called sk, old age rough patch on my butt cheek and it came off. Sorry to say skin went back as it was and age spot coming back. I hope you're acne stays clear. Maybe something great to come out of chemo for you. Katz

    Yes
    Every cloud has a silver lining!!!! I have never had really good skin, but during chemo it was lovely. Like Katz, mine has returned to it's norm...but is your acne was really bad..you never know..maybe the chemo has frightened it away. i certainly hope so.Take care. Pat
  • PinkPearl
    PinkPearl Member Posts: 280
    #4
    Good News
    That is wonderful and encouraging to me!! I have never had great skin and in fact posted a week or two ago that the Dexamethosone that my doctor prescribed with chemo really broke me out but that is subsiding and I do think my skin is beginning to look much better than before. I am so in hopes that it will be that silver lining!! Someone else told me that the problem with the Dexamethosone only happened to her the first time with chemo and never again. I am hoping that will be me too. I hated looking like I was 16 in that way but I would take no wrinkles!! He he :)
    Yeaaaa for you!! I hope your beautiful skin continues forever.
  • Clementine_P
    Clementine_P Member Posts: 518 Member
    #5
    PinkPearl said:

    Good News
    That is wonderful and encouraging to me!! I have never had great skin and in fact posted a week or two ago that the Dexamethosone that my doctor prescribed with chemo really broke me out but that is subsiding and I do think my skin is beginning to look much better than before. I am so in hopes that it will be that silver lining!! Someone else told me that the problem with the Dexamethosone only happened to her the first time with chemo and never again. I am hoping that will be me too. I hated looking like I was 16 in that way but I would take no wrinkles!! He he :)
    Yeaaaa for you!! I hope your beautiful skin continues forever.

    Great to hear!
    I had sort of your typical acne - not bad but at 40 I was not happy about having it at all. It completely went away during chemo and so far (5 months out of chemo), it has not returned! I love that I don't have to worry about pimples anymore. I still use my otc pimple stuff every couple of days just as a preventative measure, but so far so good.

    I hope your clear skin continues!
  • jamiegww
    jamiegww Member Posts: 384
    #6
    I'm crossing my fingers, but don't hold your breath.
    I really hope your acne doesn't return after chemo. I had two warts on my fingers that I just couldn't get rid of but during chemo they seemed totally gone. Soon after chemo was finished, they returned. Now they are like eyeballs staring at me telling me that if they can return, so can the cancer. I'm sorry, I don't mean to depress you. I guess it's just been that kind of month with all the recurrences on this board. I pray your acne stays away and I pray for the wellbeing of all of us!

    HUGS!!!
    Jamie
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    jamiegww said:

    I'm crossing my fingers, but don't hold your breath.
    I really hope your acne doesn't return after chemo. I had two warts on my fingers that I just couldn't get rid of but during chemo they seemed totally gone. Soon after chemo was finished, they returned. Now they are like eyeballs staring at me telling me that if they can return, so can the cancer. I'm sorry, I don't mean to depress you. I guess it's just been that kind of month with all the recurrences on this board. I pray your acne stays away and I pray for the wellbeing of all of us!

    HUGS!!!
    Jamie

    Sorry, Ladies .. it all comes back, in full force
    Yes, I too suffer from adult on set of acne. After my first chemo infusion, TCH .. I broke out like I was 16 years of age, again. Within 6 weeks, my acme pretty much disappeared. Loved and enjoyed my new 'look'. Unfortunately, things returned to normal, about 2 months after my chemo infusions ended.! LOL .. Now, I trying pro-active. I think I prefer the return of my hair, over the return of my acme.


    Still fighting acne, with hair .. LOL

    Vicki Sam
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #8
    VickiSam said:

    Sorry, Ladies .. it all comes back, in full force
    Yes, I too suffer from adult on set of acne. After my first chemo infusion, TCH .. I broke out like I was 16 years of age, again. Within 6 weeks, my acme pretty much disappeared. Loved and enjoyed my new 'look'. Unfortunately, things returned to normal, about 2 months after my chemo infusions ended.! LOL .. Now, I trying pro-active. I think I prefer the return of my hair, over the return of my acme.


    Still fighting acne, with hair .. LOL

    Vicki Sam

    Well I had onset Rocesea on
    Well I had onset Rocesea on my face that started in my 30s and when I started Chemo, TCH it all cleared up. Luckly, 11 months after my last Taxoter and Carbo, my face is still clear. Yeap, thankful for the silver linning.

    Lupe
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #9
    my skincare solution
    Hi Suzie - i had terrible acne always - mine started early when I was in 6th grade, but it didn't get cystic or THAT bad until after I had my first daughter. I also tried every OTC product out there, accutane, retin-A, most of the topical stuff you get from dermatologists. When I worked for JDRF, a skincare esthitician (im SURE i spelled that wrong!) moved into the suite next to us & we got to talking & i started going to her. At the time I was using Proactiv -which initially worked pretty well for me, but I still got break outs, although not as bad as before. Then after a year or so of using Proactiv it quit working for me. She actually gave me product samples to use for a few weeks and I was amazed at how quick my skin cleared up, and healed, my skin was extremely oily, and that stopped almost immediately. 2 years later and my skin is COMPLETELY clear, no longer oily, not dryed out, and I can actually leave the house without any makeup on. Something I haven't done since middle school. All the products that I use are glycolic and alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acid based. They're gentle on your system because they're fruit acids - i safely used them throughoug my pregnancy even. The product line is called "Gabriel Correctives" - I think it ends up being about $40 a month that I pay, I use a cleanser day & night, an exfoliating scrub in the morning, a spray on tonic (which is like a super gentle toner), a leave on 10% glycolic gel, and at night i use a hydrogen peroxide based blemish control cream. My skin looks better than it did when I was in my 20's, as far as it being clear, it's always a light rosy glow, and in great balance -not oily, not dry. The best thing I did as far as my skincare went was to go to a licensed esthetician instead of a dermatologist - if your acne comes back after treatment I would definately look into it.
    I also started using mineral makeup a few years ago -it's the ONLY kind i can wear that doesn't break me out! And I dont just use the expensive ones, I usually buy my foundation on ebay -there are TONS of small mineral makeup companies on there.
    Best of luck to you!
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #10
    wow...silver lining
    LIKE my onolcogist told me MY SILVER lining for me is my colotis is in total remission since on Tamoxfin..so maybe this is your silver lining!
  • pattic
    pattic Member Posts: 23
    #11
    How Awesome!
    I have suffered from migraines for most of my adult life. By my late 20's I could not be near any type of perfume without the scent triggering a migraine. After chemo I realized that perfumes no longer triggered a migraine. While I do still suffer from migraines, I am able to be among people without the fear of their perfumes setting one off. I have been done with chemo now for about 10 months and no sign of it reverting back. Just one of my silver linings!
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #12
    pattic said:

    How Awesome!
    I have suffered from migraines for most of my adult life. By my late 20's I could not be near any type of perfume without the scent triggering a migraine. After chemo I realized that perfumes no longer triggered a migraine. While I do still suffer from migraines, I am able to be among people without the fear of their perfumes setting one off. I have been done with chemo now for about 10 months and no sign of it reverting back. Just one of my silver linings!

    Yup!
    Chemo kills off everything...including the bacteria that causes acne. At least that was ONE good side effect of Chemo.

    Unfortunately, after about a year, my skin went back to it's old self. AT least for me it did.
  • Suzie-Q-Z
    Suzie-Q-Z Member Posts: 40
    #13
    Clementine_P said:

    Great to hear!
    I had sort of your typical acne - not bad but at 40 I was not happy about having it at all. It completely went away during chemo and so far (5 months out of chemo), it has not returned! I love that I don't have to worry about pimples anymore. I still use my otc pimple stuff every couple of days just as a preventative measure, but so far so good.

    I hope your clear skin continues!

    that's encouraging
    5 months out and it's still gone. I am so happy to not have to do the special face washes and worry that it's really the lotion cloging my pores. Noncomedogenic (?) everything and nothing helped. Now, WOW! I'm loving it. Just curiouis if it's the chemo or lack of shampooing? wouldn't that be amazing to find after all these years it was a shampoo alergy??
  • Suzie-Q-Z
    Suzie-Q-Z Member Posts: 40
    #14
    jamiegww said:

    I'm crossing my fingers, but don't hold your breath.
    I really hope your acne doesn't return after chemo. I had two warts on my fingers that I just couldn't get rid of but during chemo they seemed totally gone. Soon after chemo was finished, they returned. Now they are like eyeballs staring at me telling me that if they can return, so can the cancer. I'm sorry, I don't mean to depress you. I guess it's just been that kind of month with all the recurrences on this board. I pray your acne stays away and I pray for the wellbeing of all of us!

    HUGS!!!
    Jamie

    I guess we have to learn to
    I guess we have to learn to be happy with what we get even if it is temporary. I've never liked having my picture taken, maybe this is the time. Oh wait no hair darn :-)
  • Suzie-Q-Z
    Suzie-Q-Z Member Posts: 40
    #15
    great comments everyone
    But... I'm still wondering if it could be shampoo/conditioner. for those of you who got the acne back we still have that one thing in common, our hair came back and so did the acne.
    I think I'll wash mine in the sink, it will be a bit more work but if the acne still comes back then I'll have the answer.
  • Suzie-Q-Z
    Suzie-Q-Z Member Posts: 40
    #16
    Heatherbelle said:

    my skincare solution
    Hi Suzie - i had terrible acne always - mine started early when I was in 6th grade, but it didn't get cystic or THAT bad until after I had my first daughter. I also tried every OTC product out there, accutane, retin-A, most of the topical stuff you get from dermatologists. When I worked for JDRF, a skincare esthitician (im SURE i spelled that wrong!) moved into the suite next to us & we got to talking & i started going to her. At the time I was using Proactiv -which initially worked pretty well for me, but I still got break outs, although not as bad as before. Then after a year or so of using Proactiv it quit working for me. She actually gave me product samples to use for a few weeks and I was amazed at how quick my skin cleared up, and healed, my skin was extremely oily, and that stopped almost immediately. 2 years later and my skin is COMPLETELY clear, no longer oily, not dryed out, and I can actually leave the house without any makeup on. Something I haven't done since middle school. All the products that I use are glycolic and alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acid based. They're gentle on your system because they're fruit acids - i safely used them throughoug my pregnancy even. The product line is called "Gabriel Correctives" - I think it ends up being about $40 a month that I pay, I use a cleanser day & night, an exfoliating scrub in the morning, a spray on tonic (which is like a super gentle toner), a leave on 10% glycolic gel, and at night i use a hydrogen peroxide based blemish control cream. My skin looks better than it did when I was in my 20's, as far as it being clear, it's always a light rosy glow, and in great balance -not oily, not dry. The best thing I did as far as my skincare went was to go to a licensed esthetician instead of a dermatologist - if your acne comes back after treatment I would definately look into it.
    I also started using mineral makeup a few years ago -it's the ONLY kind i can wear that doesn't break me out! And I dont just use the expensive ones, I usually buy my foundation on ebay -there are TONS of small mineral makeup companies on there.
    Best of luck to you!
    *hugs*
    Heather

    Thanks Heatherbelle
    lots of great info. I tried proactive too but it didn't help at all. I have very dry skin, not an oily day in my life. Most acne med.s work on the assumption that it's oil clogging your pores. Mine was dry skin cells that never slough off. Nearly all medicene would dry it even more. I decided that even noncomedogenic (?) lotion that shouldn't clog pores probably did. I mean how could it not? You have this big ol' pore and you're filling it up with stuff. Hello. Ugh I'm just so tired of the whole topic. I'm just enjoying this period of clarity.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #17
    sausageroll said:

    Yes
    Every cloud has a silver lining!!!! I have never had really good skin, but during chemo it was lovely. Like Katz, mine has returned to it's norm...but is your acne was really bad..you never know..maybe the chemo has frightened it away. i certainly hope so.Take care. Pat

    So happy for you!
    Sue :)

    So happy for you!


    Sue :)
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #18
    Suzie-Q-Z said:

    Thanks Heatherbelle
    lots of great info. I tried proactive too but it didn't help at all. I have very dry skin, not an oily day in my life. Most acne med.s work on the assumption that it's oil clogging your pores. Mine was dry skin cells that never slough off. Nearly all medicene would dry it even more. I decided that even noncomedogenic (?) lotion that shouldn't clog pores probably did. I mean how could it not? You have this big ol' pore and you're filling it up with stuff. Hello. Ugh I'm just so tired of the whole topic. I'm just enjoying this period of clarity.

    This is so wonderful!
    Leeza

    This is so wonderful!


    Leeza

Discussion Boards