I never used to get spots as a teenager, or even as an adult up to about 35 – maybe the odd one now and again like most people do but not acne.

Over the last couple of years I am getting really bad sore spots, whiteheads, big ones and small ones, big red “boulders” under the skin. It’s really painful and makes me look like a glue sniffer or something!!

I’ve tried diet changes, vitamins, cleansing, various over the counter creams but nowt works. I just read on the internet last night that you can get acne as an older adult and the symptoms fit me perfectly, they are mainly around the lower face and aren’t the small spots teens get but gert big painful ones.

Not managed to get to the doctors (internet advice is that the teen cures don’t work) yet but has anyone else had this problem? I am sick of it!! PLease tell me it can be sorted!

Cut down on the Anabolic Steroids? See some truly terrible skin conditions in my local Power Lifting gym…..

Yeah go to the doctors, get something like Tretinoin cream or Azelaic Acid.

Went through bouts of skin eruptions when each of my kids were babies and ickle toddlers.
Everytime i picked up a small child they would grab at my face with their grubby little baby hands (which they’ve been using as a substitute for feet amongst other things) and this extra dirt / bacteria payload combined with the whole tired / run down element of being a new parent overwhelmed my natural defences / face washing regime.

In retrospect I should have grown a beard as a defensive mechanism.

Cut down on the Anabolic Steroids? See some truly terrible skin conditions in my local Power Lifting gym…..

I already have seborrahic dermatitis on my face and scalp as well as this acne so taking anything else which might make it worse would be a big no-no! My face would probably fall off!

Yup I suffered. Never suffered when I was a Teenager though, came out when I was 41 through 42 and ended up on Raccatain (sp) Quite a harsh drug, clears out your system of impurities and bacteria and effects a drying up of pores and joints. TBH it was severe, couldn’t ride for 6mths (but continued sailing) went to GP, got referred to Skin Specialist/Dermatologist, 6mths drug taking, dried up and been fine ever since except the odd breakout that I can manage/cope with.

Bikebuoy – did you get sore skin round your nose too? I get smaller spots around the sides of my nose at the bottom on top of really red and sore skin.

Did that drug actually affect you physically other than sorting the skin out then?

had it around 30-33 robdob. Used to get real painful large spots around chin and on cheeks. Also little spots around nose which were really painful and constantly annoying – skin would split sometimes under nose and then dry up, cracking when i smiled or opened mouth wide (really painful and would weep clear fluid).

pretty rubbish really. I was prescribed a low dose on antibiotic (erymythcin or some such) and a topical cream (tretinoin). This seemed to clear it all up and its not come back since (35 now).

I think my immune system just needed a little kick to help it.

Go to docs mate…no need to suffer for it any longer! good luck.

I get lumps/bumps whatever on the skin that do not heal after insect bites especially the dust mite I think. Got one on my side of my face … damn! I am thinking of visiting the GP …

doncorleoni – Member
I think my immune system just needed a little kick to help it.

Yes, same here.

Yes I did in answer to your question.

For me it was the spots forming, bursting then not healing up again and filling back up with puss and the cycle would repeat itself.
I tried everything before going to the Doc’s. I tried all sorts of treatments and none worked for me, including skin peals and treatments from Dermatologists (registered) but independant but nothing cured it. Independant Dermatologists BTW can’t prescribe certain drugs unless they uundertake NHS work and a lot of them don’t. So, check their credentials first if you choose that route.

As for the spot areas: Nose, base of nose, top of nose, side of nose and join where it joins cheek to nose, top lip, chin, neck area and a little on the forehead (but not so much)

Raccitain (sp) does/can have a slight effect on mental wellbeing. I’m not too sure I remember exactly what the effects were but sort of remember depression being one of them. I didn’t suffer with that but was told of all ailments before treatment. Weight loss, aching joints, very dry eyes & ears, sore feet, skin dry patches are other symptoms.

I was weighed pre/during/post treatment, assessed every month.

It did clear it up, my nose cleared up of sebum and I enjoyed about 5 years spot free, told to take the tablets again if it started to reappear but it never has..

Does that help?

I love getting a spot, squeezing them is so much fun.

Al – it’s blooming painful the ones I get and no fun at all now after 2 years of having them. 🙁

Thanks for all the help guys.

I’ve tried diet changes

did you try cutting out dairy? The uncomfortableness of the spots chimes with my intolerance / incompatability with dairy and the issue is a imperceptible swelling of the skin – as in the skin layer itself being swollen, which in itself is uncomfortable (particularly around where the sides of your nostrils meet your cheeks but also across the front of the chin) but in turn constricts your pores and results in spots.

Cutting out dairy completely yielded a really quick result – probably a week or so for a pretty marked difference, two weeks to pretty much cleared up. ‘Cutting it out’ meant being incredibly zealous though, reading the labels on everything, even making my own bread (bought bread doesn’t have the ingredients listed on on it so you don’t know if its had milk or milk powder added during baking).

Whatever the thing I’m intolerant to would appear to be in the protein part rather than the fat part of the milk, so stuff like skimmed milk powder (which is in fricking everything) and processed cheeses, cause me more bother, ounce for ounce, than seemingly much more ‘dairy’ seeming stuff like cream and butter.

Been to the doctors this morning and was prescribed a 2 month course of Oxytetracycline – 224 tablets! They are an antibiotic. Slight problem is that they can make my skin photosensitive and I could get rashes but I’m doing a 3 day tour next week so was advised to start taking them after that.

Tetracycline never did anything for me, good luck with it – hope it works for you! Tretinoin was what permanently ended it.

I don’t think my problem is as bad as some other so I’m hopeful this will work.