Annoying acne and skin itchyness

[icyd]

hello doctor,i am 25,male.especially during sleep my face gets very oily i can practically scrape all the oil with butter knife and spread it on bread.theres a layer of oil covering my nose and surround it,forehead down to my cheeks and chin.this leads to a more annoying acne and pimple problem which never seem to go away since 5 years ago.its come to a stage that i have to wash my face with facial wash everytime after i eat.if i dont,my skin will feel as if smeared with engine oil,unbearably itchy and pimples will start to break out under 1 hour.using plain water wont cut it.i know washing face frequently will dry it up making the skin produce more oil.but i have no choice since whatever i do my face will irritate the heck out of me anyway.among the food that cause this are fried,oily,toast with margarine or butter,sweet stuff like sauces,sweet fruits,juices,donuts,coffee,milo,tuna,spicy food,wholemeal crackers,or simply everything thats on sale today.and i could never touch seafood.i cant go out under malaysia's tropical weather without having my oil control face wash with me.i also have a fair bit of mild eczema (it was much worse before) in between my eyebrows and inside my earlobe.this is getting impractical for me to enjoy my life.please share your input.TQ

[icyd]

thanks for the reply.ive used benzoyl peroxide but it does nothing good to me.i think my problem is more due to allergic reaction to everything.and most drugs only make it worse for long term

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Acne is due to an overactivity and plugging of the oil glands.
Just keep you face clean by washing with a mild soap like Cetaphil atleast twice a day.Pat it dry and do not rub it.Avoid picking or pressing the acne.You can also use Benzoyl peroxide 5% lotion or gel once at bedtime. An amount of lotion the size of a pea should be enough to cover most of your face. If your skin becomes red or peels, you are using too much of the medicine or applying it too often.

If the symptoms persist then oral and topical antibiotics may be needed.Pls consult a dermatologist in that case.

I hope that helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.