Severe Acne

[1FinickyOne]

A friend of mine aged 40 has severe acne and the last year it seems to be getting worse... she has had it since her first child when 18... it is on her cheek and now has spread to her forehead... it is on her face only and i assume there is scarring. 

 

I have a vague memory of checking into this for her a couple of years ago - there was a pill she could take, maybe for 6 months and a cost of 60,000 baht... is this accurate and where would she get it - I think it was available at a hospital only... 

 

Any ideas welcome. 

[blackcab]

Moved to the Health and Medicine forum.

[internationalism]

Doxycycline 100mg for up to 6 months. Very cheap. 
isotretinoin 20mg also for long. That one watch for serious side effects. Some 10b per pill. 
but the best she needs good dermatologist, blood tests. Possible dietician to check deficiencies. Surely, if she has it for 22 years already she should    do something

Edited August 22, 2022 by internationalism

[1FinickyOne]

20 minutes ago, internationalism said:

Surely, if she has it for 22 years already she should    do something

Thank you for great suggestions... I am not sure there is a capable dermatologist where she lives. She is very poor. Her husband makes very little money and they have 2 kids... I think she must have Dr. involvement too. 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by 1FinickyOne

[allane]

As teenagers, my brothers and I suffered from severe acne.  Nothing seemed to help.  One day, quite by accident, I discovered kelp tablets.  These are a health supplement, not a drug.  Don't be afraid to use a high dosage.  Available in a few pharmacies in Thailand, and online. I still use them at age 65, though taking a much reduced dosage.  I pay somewhere around B 700 - 800 for a bottle that lasts me about 6 mo.  For severe cases, you might have to spend that monthly, at least in the beginning.

[KIngsofisaan]

9 minutes ago, allane said:

As teenagers, my brothers and I suffered from severe acne.  Nothing seemed to help.  One day, quite by accident, I discovered kelp tablets.  These are a health supplement, not a drug.  Don't be afraid to use a high dosage.  Available in a few pharmacies in Thailand, and online. I still use them at age 65, though taking a much reduced dosage.  I pay somewhere around B 700 - 800 for a bottle that lasts me about 6 mo.  For severe cases, you might have to spend that monthly, at least in the beginning.

There is zero guarantee this would work for everyone.

 

Is there any medical science behind this?

[phetphet]

You say that she is very poor. Does she eat a healthy diet? Many people here seem to live on a diet of fried food and Mama noodles. Oily food can be a contributing factor.

 

You say she  has had it since having children. Perhaps some sort of hormone imbalance could be the cause.

Teenagers seem to get it from puberty on, when their hormones are all over the  place.

 

I am not a doctor, but I remember reading that Retinol was helpful in reducing acne. She is best getting medical advice on any drugs to take.

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, phetphet said:

Perhaps some sort of hormone imbalance could be the cause.

she feels it is a hormonal issue though I don't know why... I don't know what her diet is like.. 

[ChaiyaTH]

Most likely hormonal issue, she should be able to check that out under the 30 baht scheme isn't it? Obviously her diet will be nothing good either if she is poor.

[OneMoreFarang]

I had a similar problem for years when I was young. A specialist doctor gave me one after another maybe 20 different creams and pills and nothing worked.

Then one day someone told me that some people have problems like that when they eat pork - including ham, bacon, etc. And he told me: Why don't you just try and don't eat pork for a month or so.

I did, and it worked. Problem solved, at least for me.

 

Obviously I don't know if this might work in this case. Buy you can try.

[stoner]

acutane ...spelling

4 hours ago, internationalism said:

isotretinoin 20mg also for long. That one watch for serious side effects.

took accutane when i was younger. my face peeled off but i didnt have any of the harsh side effects. acne never came back. 

[riclag]

My wife had moderate facial acne ! We found a clinic in Udon about 6 years ago ! 
They started her on the generic version of accutane , along with facial creams !

 
While on the meds for 3 years  she broke out the first 2 or 3 months ( highly expected) but after that she never got it back!

She still visits the same dr once or twice a year for co2 treatments and creams.

 
In six years she has had only two bad cystic pimples!

 

success 

[Sheryl]

Is she on birth control pills? And if so what brand?  Some will help acne, dome will worsen or even cause it.

 

Where in Thailand does she live?

[Boomer6969]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I did, and it worked. Problem solved, at least for me.

But you can't eat pork anymore. You've replaced I'd rather have a few pimples and eat my "Choucroute garnie".

[Thailand J]

Asepso green soap. Benzyol Peroxide 5-10% cream. Cut down on deep fried and spicy food.

 

Visit a laser clinic that is reputable, one that is run by a real doc. Accutane will kill you if not properly managed.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Thailand J

[1FinickyOne]

6 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Is she on birth control pills? And if so what brand?  Some will help acne, dome will worsen or even cause it.

 

Where in Thailand does she live?

I will find out about the birth control... 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I will second Sheryl's suggestion.

 

My daughter had bad acne and saw doctors at several different hospitals and derm clinics here. Nothing worked very well.  When she went off to university in the US, she saw a doctor there who put her on birth control pills and it made a tremendous difference.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

But you can't eat pork anymore. You've replaced I'd rather have a few pimples and eat my "Choucroute garnie".

I didn't eat pork for a few years. And later I eat it again and I didn't have any problems anymore.

 

Like I said, I have no idea if this works for others, or for how many people it worked.

But I accepted no pork for a couple of years in exchange for a good skin.