38 fair-skinned male w/ zits that will not go away,no history of skin problems,no changes to diet o lifestyle? Shortly after the turn of the new year, I honestly went to bed with perfectly fine skin, I woke the next morning with ~ 10 zits on my face. The next morning, I woke with an ~ 10 more. The next I woke with an additional ~10 more. I immediately tried treating them with OTC things. I do not recall the order, but I tried the AcneFree system, Clean-andClear "Morning Burst" "Oxygenating" Scrub, a Murad Adult Acne system, something called Trioxil and as my skin got more sensitive and less responsive, I tried an Olay blemish control product with only 0.5% Salicyclic Acid. I read on webmd about adult acne and saw the recommendation for alpha hydroxy acids, which the Olay and Murad products already had in them, but this lead me to try stronger AHA. I tried every product frrom Aqua Gylcolic. After a month of experimenting, my skin was so sensitive, I couldn't even use sensitive skin washes. I went to a dermatologist. She gave me adapalene. I tried that plus changing facial washes literally every day and even was forced for one week to go 3 days without washing at all b/c of extreme pain in the skin, and I'd never even used any of these products for more than twice a day. About a week into the Adapalene (Epiduo) treatment, my skin sensitivity was somewhat under control. I found that if I merely washed with the AcneFree toner and no soap just once daily, I could apply the adapalene twice daily with only very minor irritation. About a week later, I switched to washing my face with Tom's of Maine Soap b/c I liked the idea that it only had 4 ingredients, all natural as opposed to the 20 to 40 chemicals in a typical soap even for sensitive skin and with extremely weird chemicals. After a month of the adapalene, I went back to the dermatologist. It seems over the months of January (OTC treatment) and February (adapalene treatment), NOTHING at all had changed about the zits. In fact, they exhibit a very strange behavior. They'll come to a head, sometimes pop themselves and sometimes I'd pop them, and then they'd remain the same size, same redness and about a week later come to a head again, never going away or changing shape, size or color. This remains the case today. The deramtologist then prescribed topical clindamycin in Benzaclin. I have been on this for nearly 4 weeks now. Nothing is changing still!!! The zits seem permanently stuck at their original size, shape, location, elevation and color. My mother suggested perhaps it's not at all acne. She suggested perhaps an allergy. I tried taking Benadryl, Clariton and Zantac (yes, a little kwon fact for allergic reactions). To no surprise, no change. And oh, as part of my home treatment, from the very start of the "acne," I have been taking 90mg zinc as gluconate and oxide mix with 2 mg copper daily. Even though I had never had bad acne EVER, not even in puberty, I still picked up on this tip ~20 years ago. It's not helping so apparently there is no need to continue. Nothing is helping so apparently there is no need to continue. To this day, I wash every morning with Tom's of Maine and apply the Benzaclin before work. At night, I 'wash" my face with the AcneFree Toner which has witch hazel and niacinamide and then apply Benzaclin again. This seems to produce only modest irritation. My skin basically burns nonstop but at a very acceptable level, and the skin doesn't get noticeably red apart from the zits. However, the zits don't change one iota. They look EXACTLY the same as they did nearly 2-1/2 months ago. As anotther interesting side note. Approximately one week into the acne, I developed bilateral tinnitus of the classicaly type -- constant ringing, 24/7. I knew I had an "auditory" sensitivity to Salicylates for years b/c even moderate doses of aspirin have produced transient tinnitus years earlier, even before I knew aspirin could cause such. However, these past incidences passed after ~24 hrs. This tinnitus remains 2 months later, and I have not used any salicylates topical or oral. It has not changed one bit either. It is the same intensity 24/7. This seems a little odd to me to say the least. Also, about one month ago, I started Burdock orally since it has been a tradition for skin conditions through the centuries though with absolutely no scientific basis. I will likely stop it soon (today). Nothing had changed in my diet, in my lifestyle, in the washing detergent or fabric softner I use, in the close I wear or ANYTHING! Just BOOM!!! Out of nowhere. "Here buddy. Have a lifetime's worth of zits." I consider myself to eat healthy. I'd describe my diet as balanced. I rarely eat out, literally maybe once every 2 weeks. i normally go to the grocery store and buy mostly fruits, veggies and grains. I do not overindulge. I do not deprive myself. I do not eat on irregular schedules. I feel I eat light breakfast, lunch and dinner. I do not snack. I rarely eat junk foods. I typically only have