Help with teen acne!

[Shelly in IL]

I don't know about teen acne. Neither dh or I had it as kids. My d's, 14, is suffering from breakouts on his face, back and chest. Fortunately, t is not the deep red scarring type of pimples, but they are all over nonetheless.

 

We've been trying vinegar,and he washes his face daily. They seem to mostly be skin rashy looking things with some big raised red ones. His back is especially bad. Any suggestions would be great. Don't I remember so done talking about something like proactive at walmart?

[LunaLee]

Some kinds of acne are due to a hormonal imbalance. You could try having him take fish oil and a mens vitamin. That's what my acne was and the only thing that stopped it, even into adulthood, was taking a natural female hormone balance pill. I stopped taking that a few years back, but my face doesn't break out now as long as I take my vitamins.

[Aggie]

I try to be as natural as possible, but nothing we tried for dd worked. Nothing.

 

She's going to a dermatologist now and her skin has cleared up 99%.

[milovany]

If we could afford it, we would do the program at http://www.acne.org with our son.

[justamouse]

nothing helped here but seeing a dermatologist. If it was on the shelves we tried it. Nothing worked.

[AngieW in Texas]

My 15yo is carefully following the plan at (and using the products from) http://www.acne.org and it's working great for her.

 

My 17yo has the products too, but isn't following the plan, so her results have not been as stunning.

 

My 12yo is just using the Neutrogena wave. That used to work for my other girls, but it stopped working for them after a while.

[Penny_P]

Acne can deeply affect one's self-esteem. I had it badly and my parents just had me wash my face with neutragena, which didn't work. :( Make sure you are proactive. Also, try cutting out drinking milk. I still have break-outs when I drink it- wish I had known at 15.

[LizzyBee]

My 14 yo is using proactiv with excellent results. It's a little gentler than the Walmart knock-off.

 

My 16 yo is allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide and Differin, and salicylic acid products just weren't helping. We finally went to the dermatologist, who prescribed antibiotics and a face cream along with continuing use of good skin care products. She is using Aloette's acne line now, but when that's gone, we're going to switch to Clinique. She's already run out of the Aloette spot treatment cream and switched to Clinique for that, and it seems very effective so far.

[Margo out of lurking]

When my dd's first teen acne appeared a couple of years ago, I went to Walmart and bought Neutrogena's version of Proactive. It's a three-part kit. For her, it's worked wonders. Her skin is beautiful.

 

This was just our first step; I know it might not work for everyone.

[athomemom]

I didn't suffer with acne as a teen, but I had it BAD a year ago. I started using Proactiv. What a difference!

 

Your dermatologist can give benzoyl peroxide product as well. Sometimes an antibiotic will clear things up and then you can just continue with your topical treatment.

 

Hope you find a product that works.

[gingersmom]

Go see a dermatologist.

[Perry]

If we could afford it, we would do the program at http://www.acne.org with our son.

This is what my dd does. It helped quite a bit, but she was still having breakouts, so we started her on Tretinoin. As long as she is vigilant with the routine, her face stays clear.

[LidiyaDawn]

When my dd's first teen acne appeared a couple of years ago, I went to Walmart and bought Neutrogena's version of Proactive. It's a three-part kit. For her, it's worked wonders. Her skin is beautiful.

 

This was just our first step; I know it might not work for everyone.

 

What's it actually called? Neutrogena..... what?

 

My dd14 has acne and we've tried the clearasil stuff that I remember using as a teen, but it's not done anything... I can't send her to a dermatologist because we don't have one in our town. I'd like to try this 'kit'. :)

[mytwomonkeys]

lots of water. no dairy. supplement with vitamin c & msm. gently cleanse with cetaphil or something similar. i personally love aveeno for sensitive skin. it will clear up quickly.:grouphug:

[Laura Corin]

Calvin uses a gentle soap-free foaming wash. Really consistent washing, but only once a day, works well for him.

 

Laura

[Jan in SC]

Don't forget to treat the hair, too! If it isn't properly cleaned, it will cause more acne.

[Pretty in Pink]

Dermatologist.

[Margo out of lurking]

What's it actually called? Neutrogena..... what?

 

 

Here's the link to the product. I buy it at Walmart; it's less than $20. The only "bad" thing about it is that dd never finishes it all on time, and the individual items aren't available individually (at least not at my Walmarts). So when one runs out, we have to replace the whole kit. It's still worth it.

[Shelly in IL]

It is Neoceuticals by Neostrata. The lady was very convincing of it's effectiveness. They had a trial size available with a cleanser, oil control gel, acne spot treatment gel and skin brightening gel. It is probably wishful thinking, but I think his skin looks less angry already.

[msjones]

If you have insurance or can afford it without, I strongly suggest a dermatologist -- and not as a last resort.

 

My son had the beginnings of severe acne at age 9 (yes, we had him tested for other issues -- thankfully everything is resolved). He is now using a daily benzoyl peroxide wash, a topical antibiotic, and Retin A. He now only rarely has any noticeable acne. Even his scars are gone.

 

The prescriptions have cost us less than what it would have cost to experiment with various OTC products and the results have been excellent.

[Daisy]

It is worth going to a dermatologist. I took my 11yo and they gave her a facial wash and a cream to put on her face and we have seen a HUGE improvement. She has severe allergies (and gets facial eczema) so I had a really difficult time finding anything she could use over the counter.

 

Anyway, we are both happy she went.

[goldberry]

Acne can deeply affect one's self-esteem. I had it badly and my parents just had me wash my face with neutragena, which didn't work. :( Make sure you are proactive.

 

Yes, this. It's not a "vanity" issue, or just something "superficial". The way you feel about how you look affects the way you interact with others.

 

There are two girls at our church who have SEVERE, SEVERE acne, the deep scarring kind. They are both now 18-19 and show no signs of pulling out of it. They have confided to others how hard it is for them. Mom thinks they need to learn not to rely on appearances, doesn't think it's a big deal, so she has never taken them to the Dr. I'm sure she has her reasoning, but I would never allow my girl to go through that. It does affect how you feel about yourself and how you interact.

 

ETA, when they were younger, she even made them spend their own allowance money on acne products.

[lynn]

My 15 year old started having acne on his face and as suggested here I got the Target brand Acne meds. It took some time of consistent use but it worked however, if the acne is really bad it may be time to see the dr. The Target (Proactive) wa sour last effort before the dr. Hope you find something that works.

[Shelly in IL]

But my son's is not acne per se- even tho that is what I called it - it is more like a fine rash on his forehead and back with several large pimples around his face and back. It doesn't look pretty, but it isn't acne, either. The eruptions on his face do not look like they will scar - just be embarrassing whi,e they are there. Hopefully this new product will work, if not I'll take him in. Thanks.

[Liz CA]

What's it actually called? Neutrogena..... what?

 

My dd14 has acne and we've tried the clearasil stuff that I remember using as a teen, but it's not done anything... I can't send her to a dermatologist because we don't have one in our town. I'd like to try this 'kit'. :)

 

There used to be products on the acne.org website. I think the benzoyl peroxide was the most effective thing.

[Liz CA]

But my son's is not acne per se- even tho that is what I called it - it is more like a fine rash on his forehead and back with several large pimples around his face and back. It doesn't look pretty, but it isn't acne, either. The eruptions on his face do not look like they will scar - just be embarrassing whi,e they are there. Hopefully this new product will work, if not I'll take him in. Thanks.

 

I am not sure it really matters if it is classified as acne or not. If it affects the person, you are right to deal with it. Nobody can hide their face and it's the first thing everyone else sees.

[Perry]

But my son's is not acne per se- even tho that is what I called it - it is more like a fine rash on his forehead and back with several large pimples around his face and back. It doesn't look pretty, but it isn't acne, either. The eruptions on his face do not look like they will scar - just be embarrassing whi,e they are there. Hopefully this new product will work, if not I'll take him in. Thanks.

Like this? That would still be considered acne.

[Pretty in Pink]

It may be acne; there are different types. If it is not then applying acne medication without the supervision of a physician is not a good idea. It could exacerbate his condition. Whatever it is, he has bumps or sores or whatever on his face and back.

 

The first time I consulted with a derm was in my early 20s. My parents would not take me as a teen because they didn't feel that my acne was bad enough, but it was. It severely impacted my self esteem and the way in which I interacted with my peers.

 

I had to drive myself 90 minutes each way to see my first derm. It was worth it!

[LidiyaDawn]

What's it actually called? Neutrogena..... what?

 

Here's the link to the product. I buy it at Walmart; it's less than $20. The only "bad" thing about it is that dd never finishes it all on time, and the individual items aren't available individually (at least not at my Walmarts). So when one runs out, we have to replace the whole kit. It's still worth it.

 

Thanks! I'll check our Walmart for this. :)

[sheryl]

We're trying Burt's Bees Products. I've instructed my dd this way:

 

1. Apply as hot as you can stand it "washcloth" on face and let stay for as long as possible 1-2 min would be great.

 

This is necessary to "open" the pores.

 

2. Apply Burt's "scrub" to work out dirt/pus

 

3. Rinse with warm water

 

4. Apply toner

 

That'a it. My dd's face has imprved, but it's contingent on how CONSISTENT she is. If she follows this practice every night before bed then within 1-2 weeks we see an improvement. I"m at the point of having her do this routine 2 x a day. Once in am and once before bed.

 

Pros: natural ingredients

 

Cons: expensive

 

HTH. Sheryl <><

[LizzyBee]

But my son's is not acne per se- even tho that is what I called it - it is more like a fine rash on his forehead and back with several large pimples around his face and back. It doesn't look pretty, but it isn't acne, either. The eruptions on his face do not look like they will scar - just be embarrassing whi,e they are there. Hopefully this new product will work, if not I'll take him in. Thanks.

 

That's how my dd's was. I wasn't sure if it was acne or not, and it wasn't red or anything. But it kept getting gradually worse, so I finally took her to the dermatologist. It is acne, and I wish we'd seen the derm much sooner because it's been a couple months and it's still not cleared up completely.

[JFSinIL]

OK, this thread has convinced me to make an appointment for SillyAutismMan this week - poor guy has been wearing a face mask (SpongeBob) half the time and refusing to come out of his room so I think his really bad acne needs to GO!

[Ellie]

Does he drink milk? If so, I would *strongly* suggest eliminating it for a couple of months. Acne can be caused by dairy. A friend's dh had acne so bad his friends all called him Red. :glare: She changed their diet to make it more healthy, including eliminating dairy--not because of his acne, but just because she thought it would be healthier. To their great surprise, his skin cleared up such that people who had known him since he was a child didn't recognize him.

 

As far as skin care, here is what a friend did with her dd:

 

She used a liquid antibacterial face wash twice a day (you can back it down to once a day, if it dries out her skin too much, and use a regular face cleanser the second time).

 

She followed each washing with applying an astringent toner (Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner is one good one), applied with either cotton balls or cotton pads.

 

She then applied 10% benzoyl peroxide acne medication (Johnson & Johnson's Clean & Clear Maximum Strength Persa-Gel 10 is the brand that's worked well for us) twice a day.

 

That combination worked *wonders* on her skin, when nothing else worked. Neither salycylic acid nor witch hazel did anything at all to clear up the acne. We couldn't afford ProActiv, so I looked at the ingredients in each of their products, and simply found OTC products that had those same ingredients, and set up my own system. My dd had *terrible* acne, and using those three products faithfully *completely* cleared it up.

[tantechell]

Both my sons had really bad acne, and one had a problem with excesive body odor(no matter how many clean he was or how good the antiperp/deod). Doctor told us to increase his Zinc intake by a very small amount a month. This solved the acne/ odor problem wonderfully

[Negin]

Also, try cutting out drinking milk. I still have break-outs when I drink it- wish I had known at 15.

Me too. I used to drink milk like it was going out of style. Milk is apparently the #1 acne culprit. Followed by white sugar.

[zusjames]

When I has acne as a teen my mom took me to a dermatologist. I know it's expensive, but it was a good thing for me. I learned how to care for my skin and the meds made a huge difference. Before you do that, I'd buy good skin care products. I like Mary Kay but I used Clinique as a kid. For a boy that harder, but there are men's products out there (Mary Kay has a men's line) that would probably help.

 

Hope you find a solution soon.

[Johanna]

not sure if this has been posted but

acne.org saved my skin!!

[Shelly in IL]

They suggested PanOxyl wash 2x's a day, and they gave him a prescription cream - Epiduo. He looks better already. Thanks for all the suggestions. I even scored a retin-A script from the appt. (for myself).

[Pretty in Pink]

That is great news. With regards to the Retin A, I always had less dryness/redness/peeling when I moisturized about five minutes before applying.

[justamouse]

Yes, this. It's not a "vanity" issue, or just something "superficial". The way you feel about how you look affects the way you interact with others.

 

There are two girls at our church who have SEVERE, SEVERE acne, the deep scarring kind. They are both now 18-19 and show no signs of pulling out of it. They have confided to others how hard it is for them. Mom thinks they need to learn not to rely on appearances, doesn't think it's a big deal, so she has never taken them to the Dr. I'm sure she has her reasoning, but I would never allow my girl to go through that. It does affect how you feel about yourself and how you interact.

 

ETA, when they were younger, she even made them spend their own allowance money on acne products.

 

God, those poor girls. that makes me so sad. I mean. I know the mother has her reasons, but she sounds so detached from the emotional pain her daughters are going through.

[LizzyBee]

Dermatologist.

 

Echoing the experience that the prescription medications cost less than OTC.

 

 

 

If you have insurance.

 

My dd's meds would cost over $1,000/month if we didn't have insurance. :svengo:

[Guest Katia]

I know I'm coming in late to this discussion, and that the OP has already resolved the situation for her son, but I just in case this could help someone else, I thought I'd put my dd's situation out there.

 

My dd has had terrible acne since puberty. It comes and goes; sometimes almost gone and then another terrible break-out. She washed well and often. What products she used didn't seem to make much difference.

 

Now, she is a very healthy person, so doesn't go to the dr. much. However, when she was 17yo, she had a virus that kept mutating or something like that....anyhow she was sick a lot and into the doctor a lot as a result. And she was on antibiotics a lot.

 

What we noticed, was when she was on the antibiotics, her acne went away. Completely. We joked about how nice it would be if she could just take them forever. :D

 

She mentioned this to the dr.....and he started really looking at her face (she was at a non-antibiotic stage and her face was a mess!) This was just our family doctor, not a dermatologist. Anyhow, he diagnosed her with Acne Rosacea. It is not regular acne, but can very easily be mistaken for it. We thought it was!

 

Anyhow, he gave her a cream/gel and, voila! No more acne. Her face is clear and smooth. It was a miracle!

 

She also always had acne on her back/shoulders. She has very long hair and we always felt it was from the conditioner that clogged her pores, but she couldn't very well NOT conditioner her hair, kwim?

 

When I started researching natural skin products, I switched her to using no soap on her face (just water to cleanse) and Witch Hazel with Tea Tree essential oil for astringent and her face now has very little break-outs of the rosacea. She still has 'triggers' that sets it off and she'll need to use the gel, but as a whole, her face it so amazingly better........

 

But I also changed her shampoo and conditioner to completely natural ingredients (Salon Naturals) and her back and shoulders are now completely, as in COMPLETELY clear. No acne At.All.

 

She and I are now totally convinced that natural is the only way to go. There is something in over-the-counter chemical shampoos and conditioners that simply ruin your skin. I'm sure of it.

 

I used to have break-outs on my face as well. Not any more. As in: never. I wash my face with water, but if I need to clean off my (all natural Bare Essentials) makeup, I use honey. I moisturize with natural oils.

 

Anyhow, I rambled. Mostly, I wanted to make others aware of Acne Rosacea and to let you know that it is NOT acne and will not improve or go away with any over-the-counter treatment. Ever. And your family doctor can diagnose and treat it. It is very, very worth going and bringing it up to them. Who knew? We certainly didn't.

[LizzyBee]

Only the child needs to have insurance if it is being put through the insurance. In NY, if the family meets certain guidelines, the child goes under the state plan of Child Health Plus. Their formulary inculdes the common acne meds.

 

:iagree:

 

I'm a little surprised that the charge is over $1K for one month of prescription acne med. without going through the insurance. Is that from US sources or Canadian? What does it include?

 

I did price ours from a Canadian mail order place my neighbor uses - tretinoin is less than $100 Canadian and so was the topical antibiotic. Of course, I haven't looked at the exchange rate lately.

 

We live in the US and use a local pharmacy. Her antibiotic would cost $850/month without insurance. For some reason, it didn't go through the first time the pharmacy tried to put it on her insurance, so they wanted $850 for it. Dh had them re-scan her card and run it again, and the insurance company accepted the charge. She also has a Retin-A cream and one other topical med.

[bookfiend]

Here's the link to the product. I buy it at Walmart; it's less than $20. The only "bad" thing about it is that dd never finishes it all on time, and the individual items aren't available individually (at least not at my Walmarts). So when one runs out, we have to replace the whole kit. It's still worth it.

 

 

Follow this link, it has a $5.00 off coupon and free shipping!

[Holly in FL]

Coming in a bit late on this...but, I saw your post when searching for something esle.

 

Take a look at DHC products. I use them...and, they are great! I uave super sensitive skin...and, I have never had a problem with DHS. So, when my son started to get some very red pimples and black heads on his nose...I ordered the DHC Acne products. In one night...his nose cleared up! Now, I understand that my son's issue is not as serious as what you posted about...but, it may be worth a try.

 

http://www.dhccare.com/DHC/ProductDetail.aspx?Catalog=DHC USA&ProductID=KSAS&OriginalProductID=3894

 

You could look at these two accessories, also:

 

http://www.dhccare.com/DHC/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=177

 

http://www.dhccare.com/DHC/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=357

 

 

~Holly

[Margaret in GA]

I ordered the kit from acne.org and it's already (after 4 days) made a huge difference in my 14 yo ds. The only bad thing is his face is kinda dry, but they say that's normal as your face gets used to the 'treatment' (Benzoyl Peroxide) Anyway, just thought I'd give you guys another review ;)

 

Margaret

[JFSinIL]

Well, SillyAutismMan was diagnosed with Acne Rosacea* and we were told to stop using the over-the-counter acne meds - he now has two prescriptions, one a pill and one an ointment - just started them so how soon should we see results?????

 

Can he still wash his face with Ivory soap? (I forgot to ask the doctor this).

 

* In fact, the doctor barely glanced at ME and commented on how SAM probably inherited the condition since I had it (!!!!!!!). Now that I have googled Acne Rosacea I am making my own appointment with a dermatologist!!!

Edited January 7, 2011 by JFSinIL

[Guest Katia]

Well, SillyAutismMan was diagnosed with Acne Rosacea* and we were told to stop using the over-the-counter acne meds - he now has two prescriptions, one a pill and one an ointment - just started them so how soon should we see results?????

 

Can he still wash his face with Ivory soap? (I forgot to ask the doctor this).

 

* In fact, the doctor barely glanced at ME and commented on how SAM probably inherited the condition since I had it (!!!!!!!). Now that I have googled Acne Rosacea I am making my own appointment with a dermatologist!!!

 

I'm glad you now know what this is. When my dd was diagnosed with acne rosacea we were so relieved to finally know she didn't really have acne.

 

Yes, dd still uses Ivory soap on her face with no problems whatsoever. If I remember correctly, her face was pretty much completely cleared up after using the prescription gel for 1 week. She didn't have a pill to take as well, but if you read my post above, she had been on and off antibiotics for a while.

 

Anyhow, now she only uses the gel when she sees the rosacea is starting to flare up again, and it's gone by the next morning. Her skin is totally clear and absolutely beautiful!

[Michelle in GA]

We tried everything under the sun for years and finally decided on Acutane. My son is four months into it and his face is completely clear. It was not a decision made lightly, what with the cost and the potential side effects..but, we are very glad we did it.

 

Besides Acutane,the only other thing that helped immensely, was soaking his face in a bowl of saltwater(sea-salt) a few times a day. We accidentally discovered the benefits of saltwater on acne on a trip to the beach.