I've also heard that I should exfoliate my back. With what?

Then again some people say that a healthy diet is the best way to get good skin. What should I cut? Sugar or fat?

1) exfoliating is pretty easy and while I can't guarentee it will completely clear up your acne right away, it'll definetly help your skin be generally healthier. Exfoliating rubs away the top layer of dead skin so the under layer of new skin can show through. You can get exfoliating body washes for under 10 bucks at Wal-Mart, the drug store, etc. I think St. Ives or Dove makes some nice products. It should say "exfoliating" and if you look in the description of what's in it/what it does it should say something about "micro beads" which is what you want. I woudn't reccomend doing it really often especially if you have a lot of "back-ne" but maybe once a week or so, you don't want to irritate it.

2)Definetly cut out sugars, and processed foods, I think. Anything like cakes, cookies, candy, etc. I don't think greasier foods are as bad as people make out (pizza, french fries etc) but it probably wouldn't hurt to consume less...
The best foods for healthy skin would be berries (blueberries are INCREDIBLY good for you), fruits, and fish (the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish are really great...you can also get supplements in gel capsules that are probably better for you then eating a ton of fish every day). And of course, drinking tons of water is always a good thing.

When you say you're using "acne-wash" I'm assuming you mean something you wash on/off? Do you use any topical treatments, like something you leave on? http://images.buzzillions.com/images_pr ... 17_175.jpg
I use that for my acne, and I find it pretty helpful. It can be extremely drying though, so be sure to only put it on the actual pimples and not just everywhere...

*tries to think of anything else that might be helpful*

Oh! Make sure you mosterize regularly, especially if as you say the acne treatment is drying your skin out. As weird as it sounds, often really dry skin can be more prone to breakouts then normal skin, because the skin gets so irritated. Most mosterizers should say if they're good for oily/combination/dry skin, so make sure you get one formulated for oily skin if you're having trouble with acne.

One more thing I know some people will probably disagree with me, but I think that when a pimple gets to a certain stage--the "white-head" stage (gross as it sounds...) it is okay to "pop" it. The way I see it, when you "pop" it (as long as it's ready to be popped), you get all the gross stuff out...so, what happens to that gross stuff when we DON'T pop them? I'm no dermatoligist, so I may be wrong, but that's my philosophy on pimples Just don't squeeze them unless they're ready to be, otherwise it will just make it worse XD

Hope all that helps!!

Some one agrees with me about poping pimples. They really annoy me when they are not popped.

About straightening hair, I straighten mine almost every day My hair is already pretty much straight (except for like, the bottom inch), but the main reason I straighten it is because it makes it look shiny, and there aren't any random hairs sticking out I know it's really bad for it, but people always tell me how healthy my hair looks (including the person who cuts my hair) so I guess it hasn't done too much damage... maybe because I use a really low heat setting.

One more thing I know some people will probably disagree with me, but I think that when a pimple gets to a certain stage--the "white-head" stage (gross as it sounds...) it is okay to "pop" it.

*jumps into a thread which he doesn't really belong*

Just a note on this: You have to be careful when popping pimples; popping them can cause scarring. The best thing you can do, in my experience (and esp. if you want nice skin in your later years) is leave your acne alone; don't pick or touch it. I know it doesn't always look the best, but you'll be glad later when you don't have scarring.

I'll always be a,
NL101

LOL, I was really surprised to you posting in here, Robby! Yeah, I thought some people would disagree Idk, I've found in my experience with popping pimples that it *doesn't* scar, but maybe it does for other people...idk.

I was surprised to find myself posting here. I think some of it has to do with how bad you have acne; the worse your acne is, the less you want to touch it. Whereas if you only get pimples every once in awhile it's not as big of a deal if you pop them. Also, I'm not sure pimple scars are all that visible until later in life when they "crater" if you will.

I'll always be a,
NL101

i wash my face, which a face wash(forgot the brand) i have been using the same one for years and i can't remeber the brand. Once i stopped using it for a week i got so many pimples, so since then i haven't stopped using it.

While we're still on the gross subject... When it comes to popping pimples, I believe the key is to be GENTLE. If you're rough or too aggressive, you'll do a lot more damage to your skin. But if you use a clean, sterile needle and squeeze very, very gently, you're not hurting your skin any more than you are when you p***k it. That's my theory, anyway. I've never really had a big problem with acne, but I get it now and then and my general rule of thumb is that if you are gentle to your skin, your skin will generally do what it's supposed to and you'll be ok.

But, I'm no expert, so don't quote me on that.

You use a NEEDLE to pop a pimple, Gymmie? That sounds...painful. But you're right in that it would probably be easier on your skin. *thinks about trying this next time she needs to get rid one*

I have a nasty case of back acne. It basically spans across my shoulders and my swimsuit shows that so I want to get rid of the acne before summer hits.

What I've done in the past to take care of this is simple: Get sun on your back. Use a spray-on sunscreen, the type that doesn't clog pores, and then get in the sun. Mine cleared up and stayed away for the entire season after I spent a week gardening in the sun for about an hour a day. Also, I will echo NL101's words: be careful about scarring! I have no acne scars on my face, but my back is covered with them.

You use a NEEDLE to pop a pimple, Gymmie? That sounds...painful. But you're right in that it would probably be easier on your skin. *thinks about trying this next time she needs to get rid one*

Why does it sound painful? It hurts significantly less than getting rid of a pimple the old-fashioned way.

my face scars if I pop my pimples. I just leave them alone. I don't get them very often anyway. My problem is dry skin. Besides the occasional dryness, my face is actually pretty clear.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I cut sugar (but not fat, I can't afford to lose much weight) and my bacne's amazingly calmed down! I really appreciate it!

As for popping pimples- blech. I actually do it with a needle too and I don't get a scar. I think sometimes it's better to get rid of the buildup then let it fester.

^I'm glad it's getting better! Did you change anything besides diet?

I pared the number of applications to just one day. It actually helped my skin heal a bit.

Okay, I have yet another question.

I usually do my eyes with just a brush of eyeshadow, but that always comes off so I decided to get this: http://www.walgreens.com/store/catalog/ ... -Pencil/ID

It's in white (don't like the dark stuff. Looks lovely on other girls but I'd feel like a mummy in it).
Anyways, I was wondering if y'all have some tips on application? I tried it one but then I brushed some shadow over it and it looked funny and I'm not sure how well I applied the liner in the first place.