Wow, all these descriptions of acne and healing sound exactly like what I experience since the beginning of more active lupus a few years ago. Had remarkably clear and smooth skin through my teens and till age 22, but was also on birth control pills up till about then and noticed the increase a few months after I switched to the Mirena IUD (progesterone-secreting), which does tend to allow or cause more acne in a lot of people, plus taking away the suppression from bcp’s, so I didn’t think much of it… Since I hear high estrogen can really activate lupus (my 7 years continuously on bcp’s probably didn’t help me out with developing it!) and I think I’ve heard progesterone is maybe helpful, it seems like the IUD is the righ choice for now (plus it helps more with my endometriosis-like symptoms more than the bcp’s did… The reason I started those at 15 and the reason for switching at 21!)
Still, the slow-healing crusted sores, the deep, painful, cystic lumps always concentrated around my mouth and chin, and the way it would come and go in waves on on side or the other (sometimes both) seemed odd for simply hormone-induced acne! I have the same issues of scarring (purplish flat discoloration, different from the typical poc-marks of serious teen acne) and dry patches where the acne is resolving (wich is why I can’t really use acne medications or tea tree… Makes the dryness worse and slows healing!) I’ll start trying Neosporin, great suggestion! I’ve tried vitamin E (by popping the capsules) and Argan oil (a plant source of high vitamin E, with some amount of success (adding oil to acne seems crazy, but clearly this is NOT normal acne!) I use a face wash with salycilic acid and antioxidants free of chemical irritants (MyChelle Dermaceuricals brand White Cranberry Cleanser, not as expensive as cosmetics brands but definitely more than drugstore-shelf products… It’s a natural/cruelty-free type of product and runs in that price range, about $13 for a very concentrated 4.4oz that lasts a long time, smells great! I normally see it at natural foods grocery stores or Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, which has web ordering if not in your town!) I use Aveda brand All-Sensitive Moisturizer (very expensive, but worth it for this product! Great moisture for dry & sensitive skin, non-clogging but does have natural oils in it… Not great for oily skin or hotter climates.) I found the BEST sunscreen at a small natural store, and now that I’m running out I’m looking for a cheaper place to buy more… DaVita brand Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30. Like some other newer, expensive natural sunscreens (it was a pretty penny, $25 for 2.5oz that has lasted me 6 months), it has only mineral broad-spectrum Zinc oxide but in micro-particles so it’s 100% clear and smooth. It’s stand-out difference is that it’s aloe based, so it absorbs super-fast and is very moisturizing but non-greasy and non-acne aggravating! SO worth skipping a few meals out or what have you, since it protects me from flares without further ruining my skin. (Plus I can’t really eat out anyway because my GI tract is so intolerant to so many common ingredients that I have to prepare almost anything I eat from scratch or buy finished products from specialty natural stores…)
In general I find it extremely important to keep chemical irritants (SLS is a big one) off of my skin and out of my mouth/GI tract, sticking with natural & organic products & foods as much as possible, which is nearly all the time. I am guaranteed to get mouth ulcers the moment I use toothpaste with SLS (a detergent, there are milder ones from coconut oils in most products I buy… I can post more on toothpaste in a separate thread, since my mouth/throat ulcers are driving me nuts the last month and a half! In the same group eruptions on alternating sides pattern as my acne normally shows up…) The main offenders of my non-toxics policy are my prescription/OTC pharmaceutical meds (7 of them these days, 8 when go on steroids!) and I really pay a price in my sensitive GI for taking them. I wish there were a way to get the much-needed drugs in without upsetting our delicate systems even further… My acne is I’m sure in part a side-effect!
Unfortunately for us all, the natural movement is anti-drugs and the pharma industry is anti-natural! This battle of health approaches really orphans anyone chronically ill, who need to maintain a natural balance while also needing rescue with the big guns of western drugs and procedures. Hoping for progress on that front, and at least here on the West Coast I see a few efforts in it, but still feel really caught in the middle. Natural health advocates are really harshly critical out here of western medicine, so it’s hard to get anywhere… I almost wonder if it will work better in places where natural-approaches awareness trickles in more slowly 
Pharmaca is one major chain operation pushing for it, excited to see where that goes, and thankful for their skincare options also! Now I just need a doc who knows about both… Someday soon, since they are now offering at least electives about “alternative health” in some of the best medical schools. those students will be in practice within the next 5 years or so! In the mean time we can keep helping each other with our own creative personal solutions
) that continuing to apply neosporin on the open area does speed up the healing process. It’s crazy I know!!! But I seriously had a bug bite that seemed like it took months to heal and according to the study I read that is exactly what they found so I am just assuming the same would apply to acne. Try the neosporin it is an affordable OTC that is worth the shot. I know it sucks because it is yet just another aspect of our lives turned upside down!!! Good luck!!! Hope this helps