Help! Acne Filled Face

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I've been battling acne for about a year now. Serious acne, large big zits and i pop them and blood and white stuff goes everywhere. i bought proactive about a month or two ago and started using it. my face seems to get really flaky and it looks terrible. i dont know how often i should use proactiv and what the "refining mask" is for. Thanks

You may need to use it less often or try using an oil free moisturizer to get rid of the flaking. I'm getting the same thing from swimming in a chlorinated pool multiple times a week.

Seek professional help...a dermatologist.

Ya what Amanda said. My friend went to the doctor and got pills for it because his achne was so bad he couldnt shave. Get perscription achne pills and use proactive. Also another thing I find helps is try not to touch your face much and wash your hands reguarly.

just go to your doc, my brother had acne and he got medication for it

**well my mom doesnt want me to go to a doctor. we can purchase medicine, but i'm not sure what the best thing to do is. I will start to drink much more water and wash my face often :smile:

edit: i've also searched for the many threads on this forum regarding acne. i will try to drink more water. Could someone tell me the "proper" way to put proactive treatment on? I wash my face with the Renewing Cleanser, then i put the green Revitalizing Toner on, and finish it off with the lotion. I'm not sure what the mask is for though. ANY advice would be much appreciated!**

Seriously you should consider a dermatologist, convince your mom to go... I went a few years back now, they give you pills and prescription stuff which help if you use it properly

my mom doesnt like the idea of taking drugs and prescription things especially if they aren't natural :-\   

Wow. I hope you never get any serious disease.

I had acne for about 5 years. I still do a tiny tiny bit. It was never THAT bad. I'd usually have one big pimple. It was enough to ruin my day.One day recently I decided I was fed up with it and I went to my doctor. He prescribed me minocycline pills, vitamin A acid wash (which is a cream), and told me to use spectra gel to wash my face (and shoulders) instead of soap. I'm very satisfied with the results. I think I'm just lucky... I doubt everyone escapes acne that easily.I was about to try Proactiv but my Mom told me I should see the doctor first because something he prescribed would be under her health insurance.

"my mom doesnt like the idea of taking drugs and prescription things especially if they aren't natural :-\ "To hell with your mum, go to the doctars by yourself without telling her...or is that not so easy outside the UK I dunno.

>i dont know how often i should use proactiv and what the "refining mask" is for.

I use proactiv. I'll tell you how. Take a cotton ball and the atringent (the green clear stuff) and rub it on your face, ALL of your face. Let that dry, then apply the lotion stuff (the smallest bottle) ALL over your face. This stuff burns and made me peel...ALOT. Then when you're in the shower take a scrubby and the "Renewing Cleanser" and scrub it onto your zits. Well, scrub it all over your face, but focus on your zits. Don't scrub too hard though, you shouldn't feel any extreme pains when doing this.

The Refining Mask is supposed to dehydrate your zits so that it makes it easier for them to be removed, so they will go away faster. Once a week, or once every 5 days at the least you should apply it directly on your zitz to dehydrate them. Don't put it all over your face, just on your zits.

Hope this helps, good luck!