The thing is, acne is a medical condition that gets treated like a cosmetic issue. A lot of deep cysts can be painful so it’s not just something that impacts our mental health; it’s still a medical issue. OTC treatments can help with minor acne but in cases like hormonal acne and other severe types they require prescription strength oral and topical meds. But the skincare industry wants to prey on peoples insecurities and sell them a solution to things that can only be fixed by a doctor
Yeah I've had acne that legit hurt, but I also get acne that doesn't hurt at all. I know my cousin gets a lot more of the former kind than I do. Some of these acne need medical treatment, but some of them _are_ harmless and just need cosmetic treatment or nothing at all. Maybe we should differentiate between these two kinds with different names.
I appreciate your discussion of this topic as acne is common and treatment is a big industry. However, I think it would be nice to incorporate the perspective of a doctor such as a dermatologist. I would like to hear a more "expert" take and learn more about the issue so that I can become a more educated consumer
True. And that is the problem I have with this channel in general: talking about health but lacking the expert opinion of a physician and not providing a disclaimer. They also lost me when it was stated that it’s not a serious problem and then in the same video says that it’s not just skin deep and can be a sign a sign of a more serious, systemic problem.
agreed, they present acne treatments and doctors in a negative light. there’s already so much misinformation about skincare parroted by people who aren’t qualified so this video isn’t that necessary. I think the safest thing to do is just encourage people to learn from doctors and derms and if they don’t have access, they are even on TH-cam e.g. Dr Dray (albeit you have to take it with a grain of salt, play doctor a bit yourself and be careful with what you try) I almost gave up on trying to help my acne after 5+ years of literally nothing I tried working, but after asking my doctor and getting a prescription it helped a lot. Also you can be confident in your looks or feel body/face neutrality, and still want to get clearer skin for your own benefit. they aren’t mutually exclusive.
Thanks for the comment, as we mention in all our videos this is not a decisive answer. The purpose of the channel is to start the discussion based on readily available info, if you need more there's links in the description to continue learning. 👍🏻
This video has hit just about every pet peeve I have on the subject. Telling people to give up dairy and that their diet may clear their acne is just so in line with diet culture BS that keeps telling people they’re just not eating healthy enough to achieve perfection in their bodies. I was offered trentinoin twice and both times I was given extensive detail about side effects and risks, pamphlets to take home and consider. It is not a drug that you take on a whim as you have to use two forms of birth control while taking it. You have to sign a form declaring you will abide by this rule. Before that, I tried everything under the sun. I cut out dairy, and all I got for my troubles when I went back to it (because I loved it and it’s nourishing) was mild lactose intolerance. Also, I was told that the research on su*cide and the drug is more nuanced than you referenced. Sometimes it’s that people are already so terribly depressed when they start the drug (largely because of their acne), that their risk of it was higher to begin with. If you’re in danger of that, an ethical doctor will not prescribe it to you. This video was disappointing. A lot of the time “holistic” medicine just exist to sell supplements that are far less regulated than pharmaceuticals, make you paranoid about every little thing, and push personal responsibility for the entirety of your health, rather than the systems that have greater impact. (Like healthcare, poverty, lack of labour laws that keep you working more with less time to eat and live healthy, car dependent neighbourhoods that rob you of passive exercise and community.) Beware of the “natural” route because it can be just as expensive, hazardous, and bad for your mental health as anything else. It can also delay effective treatment and thus prolong mental health struggles end self esteem issues caused by bad acne.
No doctor prescribes Accutane without going over the potential consequences. Please note that. Not only for the suicidal implications, but also for the pregnancy issue, and donating blood.
Several years ago, I was prescribed a medication to deal with my acne. Shortly after starting to take it, I began to have crippling head pains that I later learned were migraines. After I told my dermatologist, she told me that it was a side effect that she didn't disclose before hand in fact she didn't mention any at all. When I stopped the treatment, the migraines disappeared and I never went back to that dermatologist. I understand that there would have been no way for her to know how I would respond to the medication, but the lack of transparency was what really bothered me.
Damn, that doesn’t sound like fun at all. Glad you got off that medication! And yeah, transparency is so helpful in trust building! Thanks for sharing ♥️Sher
It didn't solve my acne problem on its own, but changing my pillowcase every couple days has helped quite a bit. Especially if I wash (and moisturize) my face before I go to bed, though I'll admit I don't always get around to that step.
Topical tretinoin (one of the key derm treatments) is missing from this conversation and that's a pity. You've talked about taking isotretinoin orally for severe cases but in general it's more common to prescribe the topical version. If you get diagnosed by a derm, they'll try to go for the less invasive option and that's enough in a lot of cases.
I’m just gonna share it here: I’ve been dealing with acne for over ten years and my breaking point was back in 2019 when I was crying enough and went to a real dermatologist instead of those cosmetologists who were telling me they’d treat it. Anyways, FYI, right now I’m on my third course of accutane because after each of previous two courses acne would come back after half a year eventually. Tho the third time I can def tell that the degree of my acne is not as severe as it was before and there’s not that much stuff that has to go away so I highly expect it to be the last time. I wrote this just so that over people can see that experience are different and that shit sometimes happens, accutane doesn’t help you right away sometimes. All of my prescriptions were from three different doctors, first two back home in Ukraine and the last one in Canada. All of them confirmed to me that there’s a possibility that I’d have to repeat the course so I knew what I was doing. I’m not taking any birth controls or pills as I don’t have sex on regular basis in my life lol so I don’t take the risks of all of those hormonal things on my liver. Please spare me from educating if it’s good or bad that I do it this way, thank you. Unfortunately that’s how it happened to me and I’m eager to say bye bye to acne, even if it means taking this shit for the rest of my life. P.s. diets don’t work 🤭
I had pretty bad acne in jr high and went through all the standard treatments which had little to no effect. Then, I finally got put on Accutane, and it was like nuking my skin. Within a few weeks, most everything had cleared away, and I only had to deal with the occasional minor flare up. Hard to say if it had any negative emotional impact because I was already depressed, partially bc of the acne.
Great job as always Sher. One thing I'd like to point out, concerning the side effects of the unpronounceable drug you discussed. You listed suicide instead of thoughts of suicide. Just two little words, but I think you may agree there's a big difference between the two. Otherwise, excellent video with some fine points made. I'm really glad Levi brought your channel toy attention.
Thank you for your kind words! ❤ and thank you so much for pointing that out. You are very right that the words make a difference, especially with that sentence. Thanks for tuning in! ♥️Sher
I enjoy the mission of this channel, but I also agree with some of the others who've suggested bringing in professionals to help support your message when it comes down to human health. Especially when we get into the areas of discussing using prescribed medications (or avoiding them). I agree overall it would be great if the stigma around acne and western culture's obsession with "perfection" would just go the f away, because in a lot of cases, yes, acne is a cosmetic issue only. I had to have that discussion with myself when trying out spironolactone to treat my adult acne. It was working great - clearing up my acne, but it was pushing my already naturally low blood pressure way too low. I stopped it because I didn't want to cause myself organ damage in the name of a clear complexion. That said, after ceasing, the acne came back with a vengeance and I put up with it for a good two years before finally getting fed up and having a chat with the dermatologist. She prescribed a more traditional dermatological approach to acne treatment, which, yes, includes oral and topical antibiotics, as well as Retin-A and an over-the-counter foaming acne cleanser. It's working, and I've thankfully not had any nasty side effects to the oral antibiotics. The advise to adjust your diet, stay away from dairy, etc. just wasn't plausible in my case since I'm vegan and already do all the "healthy lifestyle" advice previously suggested in the video. No eggs or dairy, limited sugar, high-fiber, lots of water, exercise, etc., yet terrible acne. I'm glad the treatment the dermatologist prescribed is working. Yes, I look forward to ceasing all the prescriptions, and I'm hoping once the oral stuff is through I don't need to continue it and the topical treatments alone will do the job. Mostly I just look forward to when my body's through this particular hormonal phase.
Acne is a very nuanced subject, so it makes some sense that there are a wide variety of individual experiences and opinions on how to treat it. I personally believe that I don’t really care about my occasional irregular skin blemishes, but it really varies from person to person.
Acne is assumed by many to be the result of a lack of cleanliness or a sign of immaturity. It doesn't matter if it's true, only that the perception exists.
It's funny because about 15 years ago every doctor and doctor's advice article or news show always said that diet never had nothing to do with acne (particularly chocolate/sugar, that was a big one I remember people stressing)...that's what I'm remembering anyway lol
Yes, my dermatologist used to say that too and I was literally like "are you fucking dumb?" I said I got pimples after eating chocolate and the response was "no, that's not likely". Using our "common sense" is the best thing to do and like my mom always used to say: "you're the best doctor to your body".
Former Accutane user here. I used it when i was about 15. It made my skin clear for maybeee a year and then I've still gotten breakouts ever since. My sibling had the same deal. Maybe it works better for some genetics than others.
I took isotretinoin a couple of years ago, high dosis and really had a huge impact in my life. You're absolutely wrong about the aesthetic purpose of acne treatments, it even shows the lack od investigation you made. In the past, when I had severe acne in my back, I literally wasn't able to sleep because of the pressure between the acne on my back and the bed. Also, the amount of acne in my face was so severe that I couldn't breath or hear normally since pores on those regions were flooded in many occasions. That's how my life was for a complete year. It's so frustrating to see people like you who minimize a disease that can be quite painful and uncomfortable for daily tasks.
If you have not suffered with chronic acne, you cannot begin to understand the psychological trauma it can cause. To say that acne "isn't a severe health condition" or that its addressed for only "aesthetic purposes" is just wrong. If it *hadn't" been for Accutane, I wouldn't be here. The psychological trauma of years of severe acne brought me to the verge of taking my own life. Accutane saved me, and in many cases of chronic acne, is the only effective treatment available. The advice given in this video might work for some with mild acne, but it just isn't applicable to more severe cases (oh really, I never thought to eat healthy, wash my face and dab on some tea tree oil). I love most of your videos, but it is so apparent that whoever wrote this script has no lived experience with severe acne. The advice is misguided at best, and infuriatingly demeaning at worst. For me, this video just completely missed the mark.
when they say "perfecting your skincare routine", they should really consider other things other than just products. I know that's what most people want to see, but sometimes you just have to remind people. I came here to vent, lol.
I ate vegetable dishes for 2 weeks straight, and my acne reduced and face got a little better. Then I ate a lot of meat, pork, oily-food for 1 week, new tiny bumps of acne popped up in my face. It’s true that diet plays a big role in an acne journey. I highly appreciate this video. 🥰
I always had acne problems. beauty products and medications were just a temporary fix for me... but as I hopped on a keto-ish diet to reduce my visceral fat problem, my acne got away. I know it's different for everyone, but reducing sugar and processed carbs really helped me a lot.
Whatever you put your face thourgh in your teens, apparently did the job as your complexion looks impeccable :) as for the dermatologists - having in mind that most of the doctors are in the pockets of big pharma's salesmen and the education they received in college was tailored to be in line with bp's interests, I am not so sure about the safety and effectivness of therapies they prescribe.
Lol thanks! My teens were a while ago, so this is more likely due to my current health choices (or maybe I’ve aged out of pimples? 🤔) - but I’ll take it! Thanks for tuning in and sharing 🙌🏽♥️Sher
The thing is, acne is a medical condition that gets treated like a cosmetic issue. A lot of deep cysts can be painful so it’s not just something that impacts our mental health; it’s still a medical issue.
OTC treatments can help with minor acne but in cases like hormonal acne and other severe types they require prescription strength oral and topical meds.
But the skincare industry wants to prey on peoples insecurities and sell them a solution to things that can only be fixed by a doctor
Yeah I've had acne that legit hurt, but I also get acne that doesn't hurt at all. I know my cousin gets a lot more of the former kind than I do. Some of these acne need medical treatment, but some of them _are_ harmless and just need cosmetic treatment or nothing at all. Maybe we should differentiate between these two kinds with different names.
I appreciate your discussion of this topic as acne is common and treatment is a big industry. However, I think it would be nice to incorporate the perspective of a doctor such as a dermatologist. I would like to hear a more "expert" take and learn more about the issue so that I can become a more educated consumer
True. And that is the problem I have with this channel in general: talking about health but lacking the expert opinion of a physician and not providing a disclaimer. They also lost me when it was stated that it’s not a serious problem and then in the same video says that it’s not just skin deep and can be a sign a sign of a more serious, systemic problem.
agreed, they present acne treatments and doctors in a negative light. there’s already so much misinformation about skincare parroted by people who aren’t qualified so this video isn’t that necessary. I think the safest thing to do is just encourage people to learn from doctors and derms and if they don’t have access, they are even on TH-cam e.g. Dr Dray (albeit you have to take it with a grain of salt, play doctor a bit yourself and be careful with what you try) I almost gave up on trying to help my acne after 5+ years of literally nothing I tried working, but after asking my doctor and getting a prescription it helped a lot. Also you can be confident in your looks or feel body/face neutrality, and still want to get clearer skin for your own benefit. they aren’t mutually exclusive.
This definitely was their weakest video. So many contradictions.
I completely agree with his comment, and kind of feel like this is a bit of a woowoo take without going full homeopathic
Thanks for the comment, as we mention in all our videos this is not a decisive answer. The purpose of the channel is to start the discussion based on readily available info, if you need more there's links in the description to continue learning. 👍🏻
This video has hit just about every pet peeve I have on the subject. Telling people to give up dairy and that their diet may clear their acne is just so in line with diet culture BS that keeps telling people they’re just not eating healthy enough to achieve perfection in their bodies.
I was offered trentinoin twice and both times I was given extensive detail about side effects and risks, pamphlets to take home and consider. It is not a drug that you take on a whim as you have to use two forms of birth control while taking it. You have to sign a form declaring you will abide by this rule.
Before that, I tried everything under the sun. I cut out dairy, and all I got for my troubles when I went back to it (because I loved it and it’s nourishing) was mild lactose intolerance.
Also, I was told that the research on su*cide and the drug is more nuanced than you referenced. Sometimes it’s that people are already so terribly depressed when they start the drug (largely because of their acne), that their risk of it was higher to begin with. If you’re in danger of that, an ethical doctor will not prescribe it to you.
This video was disappointing. A lot of the time “holistic” medicine just exist to sell supplements that are far less regulated than pharmaceuticals, make you paranoid about every little thing, and push personal responsibility for the entirety of your health, rather than the systems that have greater impact. (Like healthcare, poverty, lack of labour laws that keep you working more with less time to eat and live healthy, car dependent neighbourhoods that rob you of passive exercise and community.)
Beware of the “natural” route because it can be just as expensive, hazardous, and bad for your mental health as anything else. It can also delay effective treatment and thus prolong mental health struggles end self esteem issues caused by bad acne.
No doctor prescribes Accutane without going over the potential consequences. Please note that. Not only for the suicidal implications, but also for the pregnancy issue, and donating blood.
Video request: Dandruff products.
Noted! ♥️Sher
Several years ago, I was prescribed a medication to deal with my acne. Shortly after starting to take it, I began to have crippling head pains that I later learned were migraines. After I told my dermatologist, she told me that it was a side effect that she didn't disclose before hand in fact she didn't mention any at all. When I stopped the treatment, the migraines disappeared and I never went back to that dermatologist. I understand that there would have been no way for her to know how I would respond to the medication, but the lack of transparency was what really bothered me.
Damn, that doesn’t sound like fun at all. Glad you got off that medication! And yeah, transparency is so helpful in trust building! Thanks for sharing ♥️Sher
It didn't solve my acne problem on its own, but changing my pillowcase every couple days has helped quite a bit.
Especially if I wash (and moisturize) my face before I go to bed, though I'll admit I don't always get around to that step.
Topical tretinoin (one of the key derm treatments) is missing from this conversation and that's a pity. You've talked about taking isotretinoin orally for severe cases but in general it's more common to prescribe the topical version. If you get diagnosed by a derm, they'll try to go for the less invasive option and that's enough in a lot of cases.
I’m just gonna share it here: I’ve been dealing with acne for over ten years and my breaking point was back in 2019 when I was crying enough and went to a real dermatologist instead of those cosmetologists who were telling me they’d treat it. Anyways, FYI, right now I’m on my third course of accutane because after each of previous two courses acne would come back after half a year eventually. Tho the third time I can def tell that the degree of my acne is not as severe as it was before and there’s not that much stuff that has to go away so I highly expect it to be the last time.
I wrote this just so that over people can see that experience are different and that shit sometimes happens, accutane doesn’t help you right away sometimes. All of my prescriptions were from three different doctors, first two back home in Ukraine and the last one in Canada. All of them confirmed to me that there’s a possibility that I’d have to repeat the course so I knew what I was doing. I’m not taking any birth controls or pills as I don’t have sex on regular basis in my life lol so I don’t take the risks of all of those hormonal things on my liver.
Please spare me from educating if it’s good or bad that I do it this way, thank you. Unfortunately that’s how it happened to me and I’m eager to say bye bye to acne, even if it means taking this shit for the rest of my life.
P.s. diets don’t work 🤭
I had pretty bad acne in jr high and went through all the standard treatments which had little to no effect. Then, I finally got put on Accutane, and it was like nuking my skin. Within a few weeks, most everything had cleared away, and I only had to deal with the occasional minor flare up. Hard to say if it had any negative emotional impact because I was already depressed, partially bc of the acne.
Great job as always Sher. One thing I'd like to point out, concerning the side effects of the unpronounceable drug you discussed. You listed suicide instead of thoughts of suicide. Just two little words, but I think you may agree there's a big difference between the two.
Otherwise, excellent video with some fine points made. I'm really glad Levi brought your channel toy attention.
Thank you for your kind words! ❤ and thank you so much for pointing that out. You are very right that the words make a difference, especially with that sentence. Thanks for tuning in! ♥️Sher
I enjoy the mission of this channel, but I also agree with some of the others who've suggested bringing in professionals to help support your message when it comes down to human health. Especially when we get into the areas of discussing using prescribed medications (or avoiding them).
I agree overall it would be great if the stigma around acne and western culture's obsession with "perfection" would just go the f away, because in a lot of cases, yes, acne is a cosmetic issue only. I had to have that discussion with myself when trying out spironolactone to treat my adult acne. It was working great - clearing up my acne, but it was pushing my already naturally low blood pressure way too low. I stopped it because I didn't want to cause myself organ damage in the name of a clear complexion.
That said, after ceasing, the acne came back with a vengeance and I put up with it for a good two years before finally getting fed up and having a chat with the dermatologist. She prescribed a more traditional dermatological approach to acne treatment, which, yes, includes oral and topical antibiotics, as well as Retin-A and an over-the-counter foaming acne cleanser. It's working, and I've thankfully not had any nasty side effects to the oral antibiotics.
The advise to adjust your diet, stay away from dairy, etc. just wasn't plausible in my case since I'm vegan and already do all the "healthy lifestyle" advice previously suggested in the video. No eggs or dairy, limited sugar, high-fiber, lots of water, exercise, etc., yet terrible acne.
I'm glad the treatment the dermatologist prescribed is working. Yes, I look forward to ceasing all the prescriptions, and I'm hoping once the oral stuff is through I don't need to continue it and the topical treatments alone will do the job. Mostly I just look forward to when my body's through this particular hormonal phase.
Acne is a very nuanced subject, so it makes some sense that there are a wide variety of individual experiences and opinions on how to treat it. I personally believe that I don’t really care about my occasional irregular skin blemishes, but it really varies from person to person.
Acne is assumed by many to be the result of a lack of cleanliness or a sign of immaturity. It doesn't matter if it's true, only that the perception exists.
Thanks for making these videos.
Thank you for the appreciation 🙏🏾🙌🏽♥️Sher
I’ve been having hormonal acne the past year and this really hit hard. Thank you for the kind words at the end I really appreciate it❤
Thank you for being here 🙏🏻🥰
It's funny because about 15 years ago every doctor and doctor's advice article or news show always said that diet never had nothing to do with acne (particularly chocolate/sugar, that was a big one I remember people stressing)...that's what I'm remembering anyway lol
Yes, my dermatologist used to say that too and I was literally like "are you fucking dumb?"
I said I got pimples after eating chocolate and the response was "no, that's not likely".
Using our "common sense" is the best thing to do and like my mom always used to say: "you're the best doctor to your body".
My mother poped my pimples and disinfected with sanitary alchohool.
Former Accutane user here. I used it when i was about 15. It made my skin clear for maybeee a year and then I've still gotten breakouts ever since. My sibling had the same deal. Maybe it works better for some genetics than others.
Every body is different right? Hope you find a balance soon 🥰
I took isotretinoin a couple of years ago, high dosis and really had a huge impact in my life. You're absolutely wrong about the aesthetic purpose of acne treatments, it even shows the lack od investigation you made. In the past, when I had severe acne in my back, I literally wasn't able to sleep because of the pressure between the acne on my back and the bed. Also, the amount of acne in my face was so severe that I couldn't breath or hear normally since pores on those regions were flooded in many occasions. That's how my life was for a complete year. It's so frustrating to see people like you who minimize a disease that can be quite painful and uncomfortable for daily tasks.
If you have not suffered with chronic acne, you cannot begin to understand the psychological trauma it can cause. To say that acne "isn't a severe health condition" or that its addressed for only "aesthetic purposes" is just wrong. If it *hadn't" been for Accutane, I wouldn't be here. The psychological trauma of years of severe acne brought me to the verge of taking my own life. Accutane saved me, and in many cases of chronic acne, is the only effective treatment available. The advice given in this video might work for some with mild acne, but it just isn't applicable to more severe cases (oh really, I never thought to eat healthy, wash my face and dab on some tea tree oil). I love most of your videos, but it is so apparent that whoever wrote this script has no lived experience with severe acne. The advice is misguided at best, and infuriatingly demeaning at worst. For me, this video just completely missed the mark.
Pro-Active works for me (14 Teen Boy) I know it doesn't work for everyone though. I definitely breakout more when I eat things like chocolate.
I used proactive when I was a teen as well! Glad to hear it’s working for you. ♥️Sher
when they say "perfecting your skincare routine", they should really consider other things other than just products. I know that's what most people want to see, but sometimes you just have to remind people. I came here to vent, lol.
how the fuck can she know king dead 100 years ago had akne?!?!?!?!?!
I ate vegetable dishes for 2 weeks straight, and my acne reduced and face got a little better. Then I ate a lot of meat, pork, oily-food for 1 week, new tiny bumps of acne popped up in my face. It’s true that diet plays a big role in an acne journey.
I highly appreciate this video. 🥰
11:02 fin.
I always had acne problems. beauty products and medications were just a temporary fix for me... but as I hopped on a keto-ish diet to reduce my visceral fat problem, my acne got away. I know it's different for everyone, but reducing sugar and processed carbs really helped me a lot.
Same here, no amount of creams or exfoliation helped until I tried keto. A diet change can do wonders.
Whatever you put your face thourgh in your teens, apparently did the job as your complexion looks impeccable :) as for the dermatologists - having in mind that most of the doctors are in the pockets of big pharma's salesmen and the education they received in college was tailored to be in line with bp's interests, I am not so sure about the safety and effectivness of therapies they prescribe.
Lol thanks! My teens were a while ago, so this is more likely due to my current health choices (or maybe I’ve aged out of pimples? 🤔) - but I’ll take it! Thanks for tuning in and sharing 🙌🏽♥️Sher