Week 33: Banish Acne Scars

Welcome back lovely people!

I hope your 2016 year is off to a great start and glad you could make it back!  Yes folks, we are onto a new year, which means more opportunity to dermaroll!  Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine about how my "acne scar journey" was going.  I had told her the same thing I tell you, it's going well, but it takes time.  This would obviously come as no surprise to all of you, seeings how we are now at Week 33!  Over the past couple of months I have been sticking with my skincare regimen as well as trying my best to eat as healthy as I can.

  I'm still using the Proactiv+ 3-Step System, but I've actually gone back to using my Dove Beauty Bar on and off (I forgot how much I actually loved that bar)!  As for birth control, I have now switched over to Tri-Cyclen lo.  Don't get me wrong, Alesse did wonders on my skin, however, the switch was mostly due to issues with my menstrual cycle!  Now, onto the before & after pictures....

  The pictures on the left were taken from Week 5 (which was posted in February 2015).  Can we just take a moment to appreciate everything that the Banish Acne Scars system has done for my skin!?  Looking at the before and after pictures myself, it's even hard for me to believe that that was my skin before I started using these products.  Again, I've mentioned it before and I will say it again now, I do not edit or retouch any of my before and after pictures; I simply crop and zoom in.  So basically what you are seeing here is what my skin looked like back in February 2015 and what it looks like now in January 2016.   

 

 So excited and happy with the results that I've received from using the system!  In no way am I completely scar-free as of right now, however, my skin has come a very long way!  If you too are using the Banish Acne Scars system and are getting discouraged about how long it's taking for your acne scars to fade, don't give up!  Stick with it and you will see the results!  If you would like to catch up on any of my other "Banish Acne Scars" related blog posts, I list every single one at the end of each of the posts!  So if you've missed a week, or just want to recall some of my earlier weeks, all the links are down below! 

 

Click here for my Week 32: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 31: Banish Acne Scars blog post!
Click here for my Week 30: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 29: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 28: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 27: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 26: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 25: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 24: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 23: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 22: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 21: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 20: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 19: Banish Acne Scars blog post!
Click here for my Week 18: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 17: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 16: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 15: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 14: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 13: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 12: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 11: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 10: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 9: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 8: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

 Click here for my Week 7: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 6: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 5: Banish Acne Scars blog post! 

Click here for my Week 4: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 3: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here for my Week 2: Banish Acne Scars blog post! 

Click here for my Week 1: Banish Acne Scars blog post!

Click here to purchase products from Banish Acne Scars!

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,

Glynn  

"When you feel like quitting, think about why you started."

Unknown

Birth Control for ACNE Treatment?!

Welcome back wonderful people!

Today's blog post is a little different than what I normally post, but very important for me to share with you all.  You read the title correctly... It is using birth control as an acne treatment!  Now I'm sorry to say but for all my male viewers out there, unfortunately this post isn't going to help you and your acne :(  This is mostly for my lady friends who get that wonderful little gift in the mail every month and along with that gift comes lovely hormonal breakouts.  For those of you who don't get hormonal breakout... you are some of the lucky ones.  

For most of us though, with the coming of "Aunt Flow" also comes a couple new friends (I like to call them +1's) usually around the chin and jawline area, however, they could pop up anywhere.  Using birth control as an acne treatment has always been something I wanted to try out but was horrified at all the stories I read online when I went to research different brands.  Some birth controls make people overly emotional, others make people feel depressed, etc. etc. etc.  Personally though, I don't believe an actual pill can make you feel those things but to each their own, that's just my opinion.  Back on topic.  I would read so many horror stories saying birth control made their acne worse, it gave them cystic bumps, etc. etc. etc!  Now, for someone who's looking to get rid of their acne, these types of reviews are definitely not what they want to read.

 Despite all the negative reviews, I took the plunge and asked my doctor what sort of birth control he thought I should go on.  I highly suggest you talk to your family doctor first before you go on birth control ESPECIALLY if you have any sort of blood diseases in your family history.  When starting any new medication really you should always consult your doctor or physician first just as a precaution!  

Taken directly from the WebMD website, "Acne is triggered by an excess production of sebum. Sebum is an oil made by glands in your skin. Along with skin cells, sebum can clog pores and promote the growth of bacteria that contribute to acne. Androgens, a group of hormones that includes testosterone, stimulate your skin to produce sebum.  A woman's ovaries and adrenal glands normally produce a low level of androgens. Higher levels of androgens can lead to excess sebum. Taking birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progesterone lowers the amount of androgens in your body. This results in less sebum and less severe acne."

Any quick Google search online will tell you that the FDA has approved the following types of birth control for acne:

• Ortho Tri-Cyclen uses estrogen combined with a progestin called norgestimate. A progestin is a synthetic, or manmade, form of progesterone. The pill is available with different doses of progestin.
• Estrostep uses estrogen combined with a progestin called norethindrone. The pill is available with different doses of estrogen.
• YAZ uses estrogen combined with a manmade form of progestin called drospirenone. The FDA has concluded that birth control pills containing drospirenone may have increased risk for blood clots compared to pills containing other progestins. Other brands containing drospirenone include Beyaz, Gianvi, Loryna, Ocella, Safyral, Syeda, Yasmin, and Zarah.

When I asked my doctor what he thought would be best, he prescribed me Alesse, however, there are so many other brand names that are the exact same pill (i.e.: Altavera, Amethyst, Aviane, Enpresse, Lessina, Levlen, Levora, Lutera, Lybrel, Nordette, Orsythia, Portia, Sronyx, Tri-Levlen, Triphasil-21, Triphasil-28, Trivora-28). 

 With Alesse, I am given 21 pink pills and 7 white pills.  You will take your first pink pill on the first day of your period or on the first Sunday after your period begins. Take one pill every day, no more than 24 hours apart. When the pills run out, start a new pack the following day. The 28 day birth control pack (which is the one that I use) contains seven "reminder" pills (white) to keep you on your regular cycle. Your period will usually begin while you are using these reminder pills.

My final thoughts on how Alesse has been working for me...

Overall, I am pleasantly pleased and surprised with the results that I have received from taking Alesse.  First off, no depressing thoughts, changes in mood, etc. none of that, I feel how I normally would feel.  I was very surprised to see that in conjunction with everything else (healthy eating habits, drinking lots of water, sticking with my skincare regimen every night, exercising regularly, etc.) the birth control really helped in clearing up my acne!  All the small little bumps I used to have are practically gone.  It has also reduced the amount of hormonal breakouts I get around the time of my period.  Notice how I said "reduced"... this is not a miracle product that will get rid of your hormonal acne (unfortunately).  It has however reduced my hormonal acne to a minimum which is good enough for me.  

Stay tuned for my next blog post and take care,
Glynn   

"Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door."

Kyle Chandler