tiny whiteheads at corners of mouth and what about blackheads?

1)   I am 26 years old and it seems like my acne is worse than ever...  I don't remember have this many, like ever.   I keep getting painful, small whiteheads at the corners of my mouth.  i know it's not good to squeeze, but i just can't stand for someone to see me with a gross whitehead staring at them.   and they hurt!  i dunno what's up!  

2)   what is the best way to get rid of blackheads?  i have tried every OTC medication, and nothing has touched them.   i've been on differin gel and also another popular acne med that is like a derivative of accutane.... i forget the name... it was super strong.   AND hey i tan in the tanning bed often... like 3x a week... i thought this would help me with my acne, but all it does is cover it better.... any suggestions?  i think if i go to the dermo, it will just cost me more money, more hassle, more time, with little or no result.  i have visited many of them in the past, and i always quit going after a few months because of the ineffectiveness of the therapies they've provided.  

:) :) :)  please help me :) :) :) :) thanks so much! :)

[loiloi]

Hi. It is better to persevere with one regime, rather than quitting and trying a different one.
I recommend a course of oral antibiotics such as oxytetracycline in addition to using Differin before bed. This will take at least 8 weeks to work, and you may need repeat prescriptions for as long as you are prone to acne.
If you have taken oral antibiotics for two years and still have severe acne your dermatologist may think you warrant Accutane. The gel you used before was probably topical Isotretinoin. Eloise x

[shallowmichael20]

thank you for your help.  i'm going to the dermo on wednesday (tomorrow.)  hopefully i won't have many side effects from the differin... i've been on it before, i thought it worked but i didn't stay on it.  i have always felt that acne medications somehow get stale after just a week or so, like it stops working because of oxygen exposure.   have you ever felt that way?   maybe i'm a weirdo.  but yeah after that week i'd switch to something else, then another week and switch to something else, and so on.  so after i start to lose hope in it, keep going for at least 2 months?  that is gonna be tough!  i'm like really OCD and like to buy new things all the time!  hehe.  i always go by the facial products at the mall and hope to find the miracle drug to cure all my problems.....  that's silly, though.   right now i'm using the apricot scrub with the salicylic acid in it....  and i use 10% BP cream to my whole face like twice a day.  i'm an avid tanner, and i'm worried that the differin will make me burn.   i love tanning.  it increases your serotonine reuptake and makes ya happier, hides blemishes, and just makes me feel better all over....  i know i'm at a higher risk of cancer, but blah... surely there will be a cure for that by the time i get it!  LOL.  =)  no, seriously, i will do whatever it takes to get rid of the blackheads and zits!  =D BLAH.  BTW, the cream i spoke of using in my first comment was Retinol Micro.. Or Retina-Micro.. something like that.  Shoooooo-wee, I never want to be on that stuff ever again!  It was horrible.

[loiloi]

I'd like to find a miracle cure too, but over the counter products are of limited use for anything more than occasional mild acne. To stop the Differin from stinging use a bland cleanser and moisturiser. I recommend those by La Roche-Posay. Differin exfoliates your skin so you will not need to use a facial scrub whilst you're on it.
I totally empathize with you, but using one regime for a reasonable amount of time is much more effective than constantly switching before the medication has had a chance to work.
Medications and cosmetic products will not go stale after a week. If they need to be used within 6 months or 12 months this will be indicated on the packaging.
Eloise x