Toothpaste on my face....

[Zefrik]

I have had bad acne ever since I turned 12. Religious use of anti-acne products be damned, I have never seen much improvement. My white heads, black heads, zits, pimples and other blemishes cover my face to the point that it looks like my skin is boiling. My face is always sore because every square inch of it typically has a large deep zit on it. Today while at work I had to run to the bathroom because I noticed blood running down my cheek. While brushing my face with my shirt sleeve I scratched/popped a constellation of pimples. After I got home this evening while I was in the shower I remembered reading a while ago about people using toothpaste as an acne treatment. Out of frustration I grabbed a tub of toothpaste and applied some to a few really bad parts of my face. My god, that was the most exhilarating experience I have had for a while! A nice cooling sensation set upon my face and after rinsing it off my face felt much more "clean" than it had in the longest time.

I know I need to probably see a dermatologist.

But my question is, Have you tried this before? Am a playing with fire?



Oh wait...the top right quarter of my face just went numb! Just kidding!

[Lil' Swimz$]

I put a dab on a zit whener I get one! Overnight and it's gone! It probably helps too that I'm using Crest 3D Whitening brand

[Couesfanatic]

Have you tried the anti-inflammatory diet? supposed to help. no dairy.

[Nubster]

I had really bad acne when I was younger and went to the doctor and was put on tetracycline which is an antibiotic. It worked but of course when you go off, at least some of the acne comes back. As far as diet, I can believe that improvement in diet could help. I tried eating a raw food diet for a few months and I could really tell a difference in my skin, I lost weight, and I was able to even stop using deodorant because through diet my body was free from the odor causing bacteria. Something like that could very well help.

[AzFishKid]

As an 18-year-old male who has also struggled with acne for a good portion of his life, i can say that washing your face at least three times a day (morning/before school, after school, night/before bed) is really important. I tend to have really oily skin, and when i don't wash my face is when i get bad outbreaks. I use cetaphil; it's cheap and works well.

Although daily face washings and a change of diet can be helpful (especially restricting dairy products), i do have to say that dermatologist-proscribed acne cremes and oral medications have helped me the most. At one point i had to go on accutane (isotretinoin) for a couple of months and that has been what has cleared me up the most. It's a very strong and heavily regulated medication, but has done wonders for me as well as many other people who have suffered from acne.

I really do want to stress though that it's important that you receive proper treatment for your acne as soon as possible, because it can leave some pretty serious scarring if left untreated. A dermatologist will be able to help you more than anyone on this forum can.

[zico_aqua]

Yes it does help! tried and tested..I even had my acne marks disappear with this treatment back when like you too I had severe issues

[Lil' Swimz$]

Originally Posted by Nubster

I had really bad acne when I was younger and went to the doctor and was put on tetracycline which is an antibiotic. It worked but of course when you go off, at least some of the acne comes back. As far as diet, I can believe that improvement in diet could help. I tried eating a raw food diet for a few months and I could really tell a difference in my skin, I lost weight, and I was able to even stop using deodorant because through diet my body was free from the odor causing bacteria. Something like that could very well help.

Woah how did you eat meat?

I have heard of this diet for dogs but never knew someone could do it!

OP - I had a pretty bad breakout when I was 11 at the beginning of the school so my parents took me to the doctor and it was cleared completely by January! I'm now 15 still clear except the one every once in a while!

I drink almond milk with cereal and plain but still eat dairy products (yogurt and cottage cheese are great for your skin and hair!) but now whenever I drink milk I can feely face get hot Nd itchy so I see why it can cause acne when your skin is vulnerable. It's funny though because my dad is a small family owned dairy farmer and I feed calves everyday lol.

[Nubster]

Originally Posted by Lil' Swimz$

Woah how did you eat meat?

I have heard of this diet for dogs but never knew someone could do it!

No meat at all. It was a vegetarian diet. I lost 40 pounds in two months and felt great. Honestly, not sure why I stopped. Even now, I don't eat much meat. Mostly veggies and fruits with some SAD thrown in.

[rbarn]

Originally Posted by Zefrik

I know I need to probably see a dermatologist.

Probably ?

[rainbuilder]

I have never experienced acne to that degree, but try a facewash with salicylic acid in it. Try clean and clear deep action cleanser, it provides a cool feeling on your face like you were talking about liking with the toothpaste but it's an actual face wash product. It's in a blue in green squeeze tube bottle if that helps.

[Soothing Shrimp]

My brother had bad acne as a teen. He's now 50 and it has scarred and pock marked his face to this day.

My point is- see a doctor.

[CytoEric]

Go to a dermatologist! They see this everyday, and there are a lot of medications out there to take care of acne. I imagine they'll start you off on an oral antibiotic to get it under control, then put you on a topical cream to keep it away. If you continue to have problems, there are even stronger drugs to try (Accutane). I promise that once you go, you'll ask yourself why you didn't go sooner. You've got to take care of the issue from where it starts, which is the oil and bacteria that cause the acne.

[@marko@]

over the counter crap is crap. go to a dermatologist. he/she wont cure it, but he/she will help make it a lot better. i went from at least one new zit a day, to max one a week (less if im not eating lots of fats in my diet).

[hlaalu]

Some tips I learned from my doc:
1. Wash your face often (every hour, even if you don't feel greesy) with warm water or an oil-free soap. This will prevent oil build up on the surface.
2. Don't touch your face, don't scratch your face, don't rub your face.
3. Don't rely on toothpaste, it can damage your skin

And number 4, go see a GOOD dermatologist. He/she will help you out! When I had some bad pimples my doctor would remove them on the spot using a tiny needle and pressing out all the gunk with a neat little tool.

The stuff he gave me to use for on the spot treatment is called Retin-Amicro. It's a tretinoin gel that really dries out the skin. It's awesome. I've had the same tube for years because you just need a tiny tiny dab.

Good luck!

[HybridHerp]

Originally Posted by Nubster

I had really bad acne when I was younger and went to the doctor and was put on tetracycline which is an antibiotic. It worked but of course when you go off, at least some of the acne comes back. As far as diet, I can believe that improvement in diet could help. I tried eating a raw food diet for a few months and I could really tell a difference in my skin, I lost weight, and I was able to even stop using deodorant because through diet my body was free from the odor causing bacteria. Something like that could very well help.

Can you elaborate on this diet please? Sounds really helpful tbh, I might have to give it a try.