Need help w/ my skin!
 

Hi guys,

I have come here for some advice on skincare, don't know if this is the right section to ask in though. I am 19 y/o and have been having some skin issues lately, I have mild acne as well. The problem with my skin is that it is not smooth as every other 19 y/o, plus it has these weird "holes" in it that no one else seems to have, and they're quite visible at a normal conversation distance.

About my routine:

- I eat completely clean, get enough calories usually (unless I'm extremely busy then I may undereat)
- Drink 8 cups of water/day
- Exercise, weightlifting but not a lot of cardio 5x a week
- I wash my face twice daily (once in the shower) w/ cetaphil gentle skin wash which works great btw
- I do not exfoliate as that has made my skin dry, nor do I use lotion b/c it clogs my pores (I have sensitive skin)
- Clean environment as well, if that matters (clean clothes, pillowcase, etc.)

My derm prescribed me 3 different types of medications (one oral and two creams) for the mild acne, but I thought it was too extreme so I did not get it. He also said that I inherited this skin from genetics, but my parents seem to have normal smooth skin even though they are middle-aged now. Not to mention these holes weren't even present before, and just appeared in the last month or so. Does anyone know how, or if, I can fix this and go back to my regular smooth skin?

Thanks for your help! :)

the holes seems like your pores... your acne doesn't look that bad at all,... probably better than most teenagers. Personally, I wouldn't worry about... but that's just me. I also wouldn' take any oral medication for acne that minor. You said you eat "clean" but even "clean" foods can cause issues if you have food allergies.

Wait so why are my pores so visible then? I don't see them being this visible on other people my age... Nor do my parents have them :/

Is there anyway I can reduce the look of them, and get an overall smoother complexion? Maybe lotion would help? I don't know

∆BB Cream if you want an instant/temporary fix.

Some people just have big pores... there are products that reduce the size of pores... I can't think of the products off the top of my head but I am sure you can google it and there are probably DIY concoctions you can make out of stuff in your kitchen cabinet.. ie baking powder etc... I make a baking soda paste and use that to exfoliate my skin every few days.. it does a great job removing dead skin and is very gentle... your skin will feel super soft after. I know it bothers you but really, there are better things to worry about than visible pores lol.

Haha thanks for the advice guys, I thought this was some sort of dirt or something but I guess I was wrong. And thanks spidey, it's not a big deal to me usually but people sometimes think I look older than I am so that's why...

maybe if you didn't have the stubble, people wouldn't think you were older hehe.. :)

Weight gain also may be a factor.... Not that I would know :badpokerface:

Thanks for your replies. Haha I'm usually clean shaven, but on the weekends I just give myself a break by not shaving if I don't have to go anywhere

This is probably wrong. When I was younger I always felt my skin was a bit to oily and the lotion would just clog my pores and make it worse. After years of trail and error. I realized the importance of using facial lotion. I always do a FULL pump out of my moisturizer after I wash my face now. Even though at first it feels like your using to much. Once you work it around your face and let it dry. You'll notice the wonders it does.

Also "I do not exfoliate as that has made my skin dry" that's probably because your not using any/enough moisturizer after you wash your face.


My own personal experience with years of acne, going through bundles of different acne products and testing out different method (towel on pillow, drinking lots of water, etc)

I found the cheapest and most natural way of cleaning my skin worked the best.

Right now my skin has never looked better and all I do is a simple routine at night & morning.

Night
- Oatmeal face wash & rinse off face with luke warm/cool water
- Moisturizer/Lotion up

Day
- Cool/Cold water
- Moisturizer/lotion up

During the day if I find my face really oily from sweating or heat. I wash my hands, clean my hand with cool/cold water and moisturize after.