Pimples

I never had really any ance problems before I came to Taiwan, but ever since I got here I have been getting more acne than ever before. I even get acne at places on my face that I have never gotten acne before. Has anyone here experienced the same problems? I think maybe it is because of my dirty helmet. Maybe I should get a new helmet. Would that solve my problem? I also believe it may be because of my air conditioning. Its right above my head when I sleep, and I always seem to break out after a nights sleep.

Oh yeah, I love it how the Taiwanese love to point out my breakouts on my face. Its like, no shit I know I have pimples, thanks for letting me know because I didnt notice it before.

The first question is what kind of food are you eating? In the Chinese point of view certain foods cause pimples (foods that cause fire). I find when I eat foods that cause fire I get more pimples. An example would be deep fired foods. And do you often get cold sores inside your mouth?

Also how often do you wash your face?

i think science has killed the food causes acne thing.
you have changed locations. your auto-immune system is taking on millions of new challengers every day. different people react differently. by all means, be vigilant regarding your hygene.

acne is caused when oil gets trapped in your pores. there is a back up. pus gets created and you have a white head. if oil simply blocks the pore you get a blackhead. wash your face often. exercise (sweat flows through pores). try not to put your hand to your face. never squeeze a zit. hands are covered with microbial gooey stuff. imagine what is on a keyboard at any internet shop. would you lick such a keyboard? you do much worse when you are typing away and then scratch/rub your chin. your mouth is full of nasty stuff to help neutralize alien stuff.
skin ain’t so potent. a pore is a door.

in time your system will adjust. hang in there, practice good hygene.

Taiwan is dirty, plain and simple… especially the bad air on the roads!

There’s this stuff called “Proactiv” that you can get from the States. It’s got three different solutions, and you need to use it at least twice a day on your face (make sure to follow the instructions). I’ve found it works very well when I’m vigilant enough to use it every day. Another solution is always to get some good touch-up make-up … I prefer Clinique! :smiley:

I’d say it’s the air…if you wash your face twice a day with some anti-acne soap that should help. Could also be the food or stress though. I don’t know about the latest scientific researches, but oily food or stress definitly does infect my skin.

had the exact same problem. went to watsons and bought a tube of retin a, use it every night (almost, can’t at first) ALWAYS wear sunscreen and don’t use anything but a simple soap, like johnson and johnson ph 5.5.
after about a month or two using the retin a i haven’t had any problems.

I had bad acne a few years ago, but Retin A seemed to do the trick for me as well. You can get it over the counter here. Just remember to put it on AT NIGHT and not during the day (and wash your face in the morning), as bushibanned said. And just put on a thin layer, unless you want your face looking like one of those wallets from Tijuana.

Me too, I don’t really get pimples in states unless it is during my personal week. Like everybody else, I think it is the bad air, the helmet, the dirts floating in the air, and the humid weather. Also, it is the food you ate as well. Therefore you should wash your face at least 2-3 times a day, esp. when you return from outside. ( I like Neutrogena) You can also use Toner (trust me, some guys do use it) to clean out the dirts you didn’t washed away and some of them have green-tea ingredients that will help clean out your acne!

Like LittleBuddhaTW said, “Proactiv” works pretty good. My friend used it and damn… she looks awasome!!

dove soap has always worked for me

i forgot to mention that i went and saw a dermatologist about 6 months after i got here becuase i has getting really bad cyctic acne. he told me it was “tropical acne” not sure if there is really such a thing or if he was using his limited english to explain my problem. he said it was a combination of the humidity and fluctuations between hot and cold. and of course, the pollution. anyway, he prescribed Cleocin antibiotics, 3 times a day, which yuo can also buy over the counter here. that taken for a few months, combined with Retin A at night and only using soap like dove or Cetaphil or Jand J ph 5.5 (cetaphil lotion and the cleanser CAN be found here but are over 700NT for a small bottle.) and awlasy wearing sunscreen and a mask when driving fixed the problem. if i ever get a flare up, or i notice it might be coming back i go and buy Cleocin and take it for a oiut a week.

I had about a dozen pimples my entire life, before I moved to Taiwan. When I first moved here, I noticed that I nearly always had a zit or two. I think it is the dirt in the air. I would also get some not-zit spots from time to time.

I started using that Neutrogena facial wash stuff, and found that it helps a great deal. I keep a bottle at home, and one in the gym bag, so I get a twice-daily treatment. I also go and get facials once a month, for about US$60 a pop. Keeps the face looking younger. They clean out all of your pores for you (a bit painful), but at least you know you’re clean.

My friends who struggle with acne here tend to wash their faces 2-3 times a day to keep the dirt off.

When a Taiwanese person tells you you have pimples, just smile and say “Thank you. Hey, since we’re sharing, did you notice that you have a (insert physical imperfection of choice here)?”

Or: “I know I have, but a little simple over-the-counter treatment will soon clear them up. In your case, however, nothing in the realm of medical or cosmetic science is ever going to prevent you from being a fugly old troll.”
God, sometimes I’m really glad my Chinese is so inadequate!

Or: “I know I have, but a little simple over-the-counter treatment will soon clear them up. In your case, however, nothing in the realm of medical or cosmetic science is ever going to prevent you from being a fugly old troll.”
God, sometimes I’m really glad my Chinese is so inadequate![/quote]

Ah… the old Winston Churchill school of insults… never fails.

I was also going to suggest RETIN-A. Good stuff. Wish I could get it OTC back home. When I go back to the states I’m going to bring a shitload of it back with me.

eye of newt, ear of toad, blood of bat, flame of…
oh never mind,
I have this girlfriend from Calcutta where there is a lot of acne problems resulting from the air quality. She swears on sandlewood powder scrubbed into a dry paste once a day and then washed off with a non oily soap. Works for me too.
When in doubt, ask the ladies.

I agree, when I eat to much greasy food, or chocolate I get pimpels. I guess it’s the liver that can’t handle the workload and the skin is taking over, disposing of the nasty stuff.

I forgot to mention that the acne is not only on my face but on the shoulders, neck and back. Pollution? I don’t think so.

Do you use any hair gel or mouse? I had to swear off the stuff when I came to Taiwan. When you sweat, and you do that a lot here, hair gel covers your forehead with a thin film that seems to breed pimples.

Scientists dispelled the notion that food causes pimples, but then retracted the opinion (as it was little else) a few years ago. Some foods most certainly cause outbreaks in people.

I find if I don’t wash my face three times a day, once in the morning, once around dinner time, and once before bed, I get tiny pimplettes on my forehead.

I don’t go all out for the professional facile like Tomas (only cause I haven’t found a place near my house) but I use my wife’s thick green tea something or other mud pack on my face. For 10 minutes a week I am the Incredible Hulk (and that’s after the mask :smiley: )

If you exercise try to wash your face right after you stop, even before you start to stretch to cool down. Don’t let all that sweat stay on your face.

Riding a scooter is terrible for the skin.
Eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for it. Cook for yourself at home. Use good oil like olive or grape seed.

And last, but not least, STOP MASTURBATING!!!

Snake blood is good for the skin. Had a friend in Malaysia which suffered from skin problems and his girlfriend took him to a Chinese doctor who prescribed him pills with snake blood. He claimed it helped him. Not sure if it works for acne though …

Masturbating causes pimples?