(This is really long, but I think some of you might be able to relate to me. Please read everything if you have the time; you might be able to find something that might help you.) A year ago, I remember being very desperate for anything that might cure my acne. I've searched the internet and came upon this site and I told myself that if I find anything that would cure my acne, I would come back here and write about it to let all the other desperate sufferers know. Since I'm writing now, I hope you already figure out that I've found something that helped, but you might be surprised: it is Proactiv Solution. I don't want you to think that I'm a salesperson for Proactiv; I've read other people's testimony on Proactiv: the positive ones were mocked by other people that didn't like Proactiv, and the negative ones can really shatter any hopes for someone who wants to try Proactiv. Since junior high school, I've suffered from severe acne. By severe, I don't mean a few big zits, I mean big zits all over the face: the forehead, the cheeks, the chin, and even the eye brows. The only area that seemed free of the big ones, but not tiny, little ones was my nose, but otherwise, my face was littered with red, blistering pimples or what my brother liked to called: volcanoes. I've used almost every over-the-counter product: Clearasil, Oxy, Stridex, Clean n Clear, Neutrogena, Noxema, etc. etc. I've seen at least 3 dermatologists and used many prescription products: bezemycin (note: I can't remember the spelling of the names because I've thrown away the bottles and I'm too lazy to look for the spelling on the internet; I'm sure you know what I'm talking about), differin (cream and gel), Retin-A. I've taken minocyclin and I think tetracyclin when I was in junior high school and one other antibiotic that I can't remember. My last dermatologist also used needle injections on my face and suggested I go on birth control to qualify for Accutane. I refused Accutane because it seems too dangerous and it's not even 100% effective. There were other products that I've used and taken, but I can't list everything; there're too many. None of the above products helped and for many of you, you can imagine how I felt when some even caused the acne to worsen like differin and retin-A. The needle injections hurt like crazy when my dermatologist squeezed the pus and blood out before making the injections. It was just so frustrating. Finally, one night when I was 15, I was up watching TV and saw the Proactiv infomercial. I;ve seen it a few times before but never bothered because it was an infomercial, but I was desperate that time, because my yearbook picture was next year. I copied the number and asked my cousin for her credit card information to order it. I began using it as soon as it came and in a month or two, my best friend asked me what I was using because my skin had cleared up so much. Note: "Cleared up so much" not "cleared up". Proactiv didn't clear up my face totally, but it cleared it up as compared to how nasty it was before. By the time, the yearbook pictures rolled around, my face was cleared enough that I only had to put on a layer of powder. I still have some discolored scars on my face from the deep and large zits but my complexion had improved 200% as compared to before I used Proactiv. In fact, my skin had cleared up so much that I thought I've never have to worry about acne again, so I quitted my Proactiv membership at the end of junior year in H.S. Unfortunately, that was a mistake, because my acne began again a few months later. I don't know if it was added stress from a new after school job or whatever, but my acne is appearing again. I didn't immediately think of Proactiv. Instead, I began to use some over-the-counter products first. My acne only became worse. In fact, it became so bad that it was worse than before I started using Proactiv. Of course, I panicked and ordered Proactiv again. At first, it didn't help, because I was too desperate and overused the products. All it did was dried out my skin and made my acne worse. But then, I smartened up and started using the products as directed and slowly it started to clear up again. And again, it was somebody who told me before I realize how much of a difference my complexion was; my co-worker asked a few months later: What are you using? Your face had cleared up a lot? By the time, I graduated from high school, I didn't even have to put on powder for my graduation pictures. That summer before college, my skin must have had its high points. It was really good- not super clean and clear, but it was cleared with only a few discolored spots from old zits on my cheeks. Then college started. Like every freshman, I was out hanging until 5AM and jetting out to classes at 9AM; too late and tired to worry about my skin and too early to wash my face. There were times when I would just wipe my face with a towel and jump into bed. In the morning, I'll do the same thing: wipe my face and go to class. I wouldn't even wash my face with the cleansers, let alone use the pimple cream and toner. Therefore, by the time winter intersession rolled around, my face started to break out again. Only a little bit, but I was afraid already, so I decided to take good care of my skin that winter vacation. Unfortunately, taking good care of my skin meant overdrying it like crazy. I overused the products again. I was too cocky and confident; I thought no matter what, Proactiv would perform the miracle again. I used the pimple cream 3 times a day and every night, I applied on the mask; sometimes, I even applied a little bit of the mask in the morning when I didn't go out. As expected, my skin worsened; it was dry and oily at the same time and my skin started to break out again. This time, it was worse than all the times before. I started to distrust Proactiv. That's when I started to see a dermatologist again. She prescribed benzemycin and Differin and suggested Accutane. I told her about my positive results from Proactiv before, but she was skeptical, because benzemycin is also benzoyl peroxide based and if benzemycin with 10% benzoyl peroxide didn't help, then how could something with only 2.5% benzoyl peroxide help? She didn't believe me but she said that if Proactiv helped before, then I should go back on it. I didn't immediately, however, I decided to try Differin first. Differin made my skin worse. By the 8th week on Differin, I gave up and tried Proactiv again. I decided that I broke out so much during winter vacation was because I overused Proactiv. So, I was careful this time: I used the cleanser only in the morning and all 3 steps at night. Then, every 3 days, I used the mask (e.g. if I used the mask on Monday, I would use it again on Thursday.) This brings me up to date. I'm 19 now and I have okay skin. I'm still using Proactiv; it didn't clear up my face totally. I still have discolored scars on my face, but those will fade in time. One thing I've noticed from using Proactiv is: if you stop using, it comes back and maybe worse than before. So, I'll never stop using it again. I know what this might sound like: it's not really helping if it gets worse after you stop using it, but wouldn't you rather use Proactiv forever and have good skin than stick with your nasty skin until you find your miracle acne cure? If you choose the second option, you are not desperate like the rest of us. You don't know what it's like. When you're desperate like I was desperate, you were willing to do anything for skin that's good enough, not even great and brilliant, just good enough. My skin was so bad that every where I go, there was always someone telling me how to take care of my skin, someone telling me what their son or daughter used that cured their acne. It was so embarrassing. My mom used to say that it doesn't even look like acne, there's too many, like I have some disease or something. Ok, enough bad memories. Also, don't overuse Proactiv. I suspect that most people with negative results from Proactiv overused it like I did. Honestly, if I have had bad results in the beginning, I would've hated and distrusted Proactiv as well. However, since I've had good results in the beginning, I gave it another chance even after I've had bad results with it. I came to understand that my skin was too sensitive for prescription medicine. That's why Proactiv works and Bezemycin didn't even though both have benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient. Also, the way I use Proactiv now is even more gentle than the directions on the Proactiv bottles; I only use the cleanser in the morning and not all 3 steps. I think my skin is really sensitive and the more stuff I do with it, the more I break out. So, I tried to use very little skin products on my face. Other than Proactiv, I don't use anything else; no makeup or any other skin products. Who knows? Your skin might be like mine: too sensitive for prescriptions. If you're desperate, why don't you try Proactiv and use it the way I use it? Try it for 3 weeks and if you don't like it, send it back for your money. Gosh! I really do sound like a salesperson, but I'm not. (It's the truth.)