I have had terrible skin since about third or fourth grade.

It's not just a couple of pimples here or there on my face, but more along the lines of papules and whiteheads (papules are small pink bumps that are often inflamed and tender to the touch. Whiteheads occurs when makes a bump but stays beneath the skin, making a sort of white dot). When I was younger, way before I knew about this, I used to scratched at my face because it was itchy. This of course led to large amounts of scarring, especially around my chin and the sides of my face. While my face is oily, the rest of my body is dry [skin]. Sometimes, usually after washing my face, my skin would dry out and flake. I have been using a plethora of creams and face wash: over the counter, prescribed, international (yes, I even once used an acne cream from South Korea that was highly acclaimed for working successfully on skin types like mine). However, nothing seems to work. I have been stuck with this skin of mine for about eight years now, and there seems to be nothing that would work on my face.

I understand that this may be due to hormones during teenage years, but mine never seems to be the quote-on-quote "normal" acne. There are weird, dry bumps on my arms that will not go away or even lessen since I was six years old. Most of my peers have acne, but even they said that it never gotten as bad as mine has.

I am very self-conscious about my face. I wished I could wear makeup, but I know that usual cheap brands would clog up my face and make me break out even more. I feel like every time when someone talks to me, they never really look at me; they look at my acne and scars. I would wear jackets and long sleeves shirt to hide the bumps on my arms, and jeans to hide my "scaly" legs.

Is there anyone that also has to deal with bad skin? Or even used to? How did you "fix" or "lessen" the problem of acne?

if there are any tips or advice that someone could give me about lessening the amount of breakouts or even using makeup that would not clog up the pores for acne prone skin would be great.

Thank you.

Go to a dermatologist.
Getting random tips about beauty products on the internet often leads to making your problems worse. Especially for sensitive skin.

Hello, I'm not a doctor so please don't take this reply as an actual medical diagnosis. However I am someone who use to have horrid skin when I was in highschool, thankfully I have grown out of it.

Because I had bad skin problems I have read a lot about different types of acne and skin issues...you sound like you may have some form of cystic acne. Cystic acne unlike normal acne, cannot be taken care of by regular acne medications.

If your doctor has already prescribed you creams that have not worked, I would suggest you be referred to a dermatologist. They will know much more about your condition than your PCP.

Contact your doctor to ask for a referral to a specialist.

As for makeup, have you tried using ELF acne foundation? It is very affordable and has great coverage. I have used it and have not had an issue with breaking out. It has tea tree oil in it which is antibacterial, along with salicylic acid to help minimize your pimples.

Another foundation I used when I was a teenager was the Rimmel Stay Matt powder foundation line. It was very affordable and worked great with my skin. If you have very oily skin, that may be a good option for you as well.

I know how much acne can affect your self esteem and well being. So I wish you luck and hope that you can find something that works for you.

Youtube is also a great resource for beauty products and skin care. Try doing some research there.

A friend of mine had really bad skin and he decided to visit a dermatologist after numerous futile attempts to change it on his own. I know that in really severe cases they might even give you pills, which may have some side effects, such as nausea, but after a few months your face completely clears up.

However, I don't know if you can treat it on your own and I wouldn't really recommend trying out any homemade masks or scrubs since they can a) irritate your skin even further and b) not work for your skin type. If you'd like to invest in it, I'd recommend visiting a specialist instead of buying a bunch of different creams.