msjones Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 My son turned 10 a few months ago. He has significant acne on his forehead -- looks pretty awful, and they can be painful. Poor guy. He eats a very healthy diet, drinks no pop, eats hardly any chocolate, cleanses his skin each day, gets lots of exercise, and is very trim and slim. He has a few other signs of early puberty, but nothing much. (A very little hair 'here and there' that hasn't changed much for months and months. No body odor, and no other significant changes.) Anyone else have this much acne on such a young boy? Have you taken him to a dermatologist? I wonder if I should. I'd hate to find out there was something I could have done, but just didn't know about. Do they start kids this young on the acne meds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfbourne Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 My younger brother started early. Try buying him some good over the counter acne products before going to the doctor. Tea Tree oil products can be very effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Dd has had this problem just on her forehead for over a year now. One thing that has helped some is to keep her hair off her forehead - the oils from her hair seem to clog the pores there. I really think most of it (including the oily hair) is hormonal, so I'm not sure meds at this age are a good idea. Just a thought, too, is that dh stopped drinking a ton of milk and his acne cleared up a lot in his early 20s. I've also seen success with teenagers who consumed a *lot* of milk when they simply stopped for about a month, and then gradually added it back into thier diet. I don't know what it is exactly about milk, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I have been keeping on him about washing his face and applying over the counter acne medicine everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 My daughter (10yo) has acne on her forehead and around the hair line. Washing her hair frequently REALLY helps. And if I could just get her to keep her hands off of it, I think it would help also. I still have to supervise her face washing because she just isn't interested in hygiene (GRRRRRR). She wants to barely wipe her face with a damp cloth & run outside to play. I had hoped that by the time she hit the "change" she'd be a little bit more mature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeTea Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 (edited) I have a tween with considerable acne, also. And like your child, mine has it in spite of all her healthy habits. I'll be listening for any good, natural remedies or assistance. :bigear: Edit (man I am slow) That's interesting about cutting back on the milk. We only do skim...do you think it could still be a culprit? Edited November 3, 2009 by BridgeTea milk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 My 12 had his first break out last week. We watched the videos at acne.org and started with steps one and two using some over the counter products mentioned on their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Two things that dd (and I, too!) have used are apple cider vinegar and Nelson's Acne Gel. I just wet the end of a q-tip with the cider vinegar and dab it on the blemish. Nelson's Acne Gel is a homeopathic remedy that comes in a tube - it stings a tad at first (barely and it goes away quickly) but dries it up really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Mine washes with a salicylic acid wash-Neutrogena acne wash. Then she wipes her face down twice a day (with the astringent wash-and even carried the pads to school) and walks around the house with a deep treatment every day. We TRIED Proactive and it bombed for us. Also, make sure they get sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 (edited) That's interesting about cutting back on the milk. We only do skim...do you think it could still be a culprit? I think hormones are the culprit in most cases, but I think milk can exacerbate the problem, too. I always thought it had to do with both the hormones of the cow and the processing of the milk (and how our bodies process and expell that which we cant process - through our pores, for one). Here is a link to one article I found from googling 'milk and acne'. (ETA: Found a better article, updated the link.) Years ago (before kids) I worked many years at a health food store. I saw so many teenage boys come in ready to plunk down about $100 on acne-rid supplements. I always told them to wait, try going without milk and if that didn't help a lot, to come back in and we'd go from there. Most didn't come back, but a few did. One kid even came back to say thanks and his skin looked great :). Edited November 3, 2009 by LauraGB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Not disputing that milk might be helpful for some children but just wanted to throw out there that my daughter is pretty much dairy-free and still struggles. I'm going to try the apple cider vinegar. Someone also mentioned that it might help my daughter's dry, itchy scalp. We might be buying it by the gallon. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 My dd started having small breakouts around 11. Ds is just getting a bit of a coarseness on his nose - the pores are no longer the baby smooth skin....so I'm betting breakoouts are on the horizon for him. For dd (& for dh & myself ) Paula's Choice has been a godsend. She's just re-packaged her acne products but the ingredients are the same. A good cleanser which doesn't strip the skin, toner/exfoliant to prevent clogged pores, and a good benzoyl peroxide lotion for the occasional one that pops up. As long as we maintain a good routine, nobody breaks out. I always know when dd has been sloppy about using the products. They really work for us. http://www.paulaschoice.com/category/acne-treatment-clear-skin I buy a large supply whenever there's free or low shipping - usually twice a year. The products are good & you don't use a lot. I find them well worth the money & actually quite economical - compared to years ago when I used to use Lancome or Clinique.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 My 9yo has started getting zits. We use a facial scrub daily (St. Ives Apricot or the generic). This works for him so far. If your ds is having a hard time with it, I wouldn't hesitate to take him to a dermatologist. JMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I will be watching this thread with interest. My 8 year old dd has some rough bumps/acne on her nose and occasionally her chin. She has been using Cetaphil in the shower, but I'd like for her to get into more of a regular routine. I doubt milk is a trigger for her as she drinks less than 1 cup daily. I have seen other signs of puberty and can I just say, I'm panicked. :scared: Really not ready here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeTea Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 msjones, thank you for posting this question. It looks like your son has lots of good company. Thank you all, for links and ideas. This gives us more things to try at our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 My guy doesn't drink tons of milk, but what he does drink is hormone-free. We currently use the (2%?) salicylic acid wipes on his forehead, and also the blemish cream. He showers daily due to his oily hair. But they just keep coming. I had what I'd consider bad-ish acne. Nothing severe, but more than most girls. And, oddly enough, I had a terrible case of it when I was pregnant with this particular child. And on my forehead, too! Hmmmm.... He started with just a blemish now and then when he was 8 (!) so the doctor even tested him for precocious puberty. His hormone levels were normal, thankfully. I'm just hoping he won't have the cystic acne when he really launches into puberty. That would be really tough. For now, I don't want to overreact, but don't want to wait if there's a good treatment for a child this young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleab2 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 When my kids and I exfoliate a couple of times a week, it almost always keeps the break outs away or close to it. We use 1 teaspoon of plain yogurt mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Very gently massage around face. Especially areas that seem to be problems. We avoid areas that aren't oily or are sensitive. Rinse with warm water then with cold water. I wouldn't use it on very painful acne. It might hurt as with any exfoliator. My dd has a problem with black heads on her nose and this has helped keep her pores cleaned out. At first she used it everyday because her pores were so clogged. Now just a couple of times per week. Just be sure to moisturize after so it restores the ph balance of your skin. This is an inexpensive way to exfoliate. Oh. Use fat free yogurt if the skin is very oily. We have dry and oily skin so we use low fat. For a face wash when the skin is wanting to break out in the red bumps because of hormones, we use Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser. It has Salicylic acid. I would rather use something natural, but haven't found anything that works. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarleneW Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I bought my 12 year old Proactive for this reason and it has worked wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 I don't know if any of you are still following this thread, but I just had to post. I tried the no milk/dairy suggestion. Stopped the milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream about 5 days ago, and I'm very pleased. No new acne since then! (And the poor guy has had at least 3 or 4 large zits on his head every day for the last few months.) I'm crossing my fingers. I must admit I had never realized how much dairy he consumes -- milk at every meal, yogurt once or twice daily, cheese for snacks, ice cream for dessert -- almost every day. He's so thin I never gave it a second thought. I've been reading everything I can find on the web, and there are many folks saying that eliminating dairy did the trick for them. I'll keep you updated -- hopefully, I'm on to something that will help my sweet boy, and maybe some of your kiddos, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Jenny Flint Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Daniel Kern's acne.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Calvin has some acne. We are just using a mild (Nivea) soapless cleanser and making sure he washes well. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 Daniel Kern's acne.org. This is one of the sites I found last night -- and it has a discussion of the dairy - acne 'link.' It also suggests applying the acne cream all over the usual affected area -- not just individual spots. We've been doing this in addition to eliminating the dairy, and so far, the results are great. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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