Ziana for Acne

[aa81jt82]

I'm pretty new to this, so please forgive me if some of the lingo is off.
I'm 26 and have only been experiencing acne for the past 6-7 years (when I started college). It has gradually gotten worse, and now it is extremely frustrating.

I started using the topical Ziana at night and Duac gel in the morning for my acne (as prescribed by the Derm.) This seemed to work wonders by getting rid of the existing spots (mine are mainly on my chin and around my mouth...plus I'm a picker so it seems to take FOREVER for them to heal). Then as spots would appear they would disappear just as quickly without turning into the big sores. However, in the past two weeks my spots have gone back to becoming sores and not healing up as quickly.
I also live in the south and it is finally getting so that it is unbearably hot and humid. I feel like my face is oily ALL of the time and that this might also be a cause for the new resistance to the medicine.

My routine is as follows:

AM-cleanse with Cetaphil, apply Duac gel
(lately I've also been using a scrub-Neutragena Acne Stress Relief- to get all of the scruffy skin off due to the Retin-A in the Ziana)

PM:
In the afternoons, when I get in from work, I will also wash the little bit of makeup I wear off w/ Cetaphil.

Before Bed-
Scrub w/ Neutrogena Acne Stress Relief Scrub, then wash with same brand of foam face wash.
Apply Ziana.


I'm also considering adding some of the things I've read about vinegar to my routine.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions about things I could do to help my skin?

 

[kitcat0026]

Hi! I've been using Ziana for about 8 weeks now. My acne is moderate and it is also very frusterating. My dermatologist told me and from everything i've read i know it sometimes takes as long as 10-12 weeks to see results. If it does, that is completely normal. My acne has had its better moments here and there but no overall improvement so far. Except that my forehead is now pretty much clear and stays that way, which is used to be the place that broke out the most. My cheeks started breaking out shortly before i went on Ziana and they are still the problem. It's not that i have so many bumps at one time but even if i dont pop them, they leave red marks that take awhile to fade, and they are what makes my skin look so bad. Luckily, the red marks are easily covered with makeup, but still, it is SO frusterating!
I am on Solodyn antibiotic and Ziana at night and benzol peroxide paRAB in the morning.
I go back to the dermatologist soon and i'll see waht he says but i know i have to wait 10-12 weeks before i can get too discouraged!
so i guess thats my advice- even though its really hard- im going through the same thing- wait until 10-12 weeks and if its not improving ask your derm for something else.

oh and i also live in the south and it is extremely hot and humid and exercising outside and then sweating im sure all is making it worse.

 

[morgan1981]

I completely feel your pain. My Derm put me on a benzo face wash (Zoderm or something like that) and Ziana. I noticed a slight improvement in the beginning but it hasn't really had any dramatic influence on anything. I am actually pretty disappointed because both the products my derm prescribed were SUPER expensive. At first it seemed to clear up the exsisting spots I had but I have not had much luck with keeping it clear. I might go a week with clear skin (or smaller pimples that are easier to conceal) but then my problem area (my chin) will just explode. Plus, I have never had a lot of trouble with acne on my cheeks until I started Ziana. I agree with you about the South thing too, it seems that everytime I walk outside my face instantly gets super shiny and I feel like I need to go back inside and reapply my makeup. I did get so frustrated the other day that I went out and bought the Neutrogena Advanced Care Acne Care System at Target. After three days of use, I am very pleasantly surprised. It's a two part system that has a scrub you use twice a day and a night lotion with benzol peroxide and for the mornings it has an oil-free lotion with SPF 15 in it. It's actually more gentle than the Ziana and any thing else I have used. I noticed a difference after one day. I know I am sounding like a commercial but I am really surprised and happy that I sturabled upon this product. Granted, I am new to it so I can report back in a couple of weeks with an update but I totally think it is worth giving it a shot. My face is less oily and shiny after being outside, the redness has gotten better and my face seems to be clearing up already. I had this new big cyst pimple on my chin that it almost gone and it has only been three days. I noticed it was less red and the pain was completely gone after the first night. I know everyone's skin is different but this could be a good thing to try if you get frustrated with the Ziana. Good luck and I will keep you posted!