Night Elf Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Ds15 was given Doxycycline to take orally and a combination cream of Benzoyl Peroxide and Erythomycin. He didn't follow the regimen the way the dermatologist suggested. He was to put the lotion on twice a day after washing with cleansers. He was doing once a day and often forgot his Doxycycline. She offered to give him Retin-A but we declined it at the time. His acne has cleared up a great deal but his skin has a lot of red marks and I think scarring. We saw the derm 3 months ago. I'm going to start him over again with the treatment but I'm wondering if I should ask for the Retin-A. Would it really help with those red marks? While the acne is gone, the red marks give the appearance that he still has acne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby-do Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 The Retin-A is strong. We used it for a short time as it peels off layers to get to the new healthy skin. But my child's skin was sensitive to it and made her look like her skin had been burned. As your Dr. about Clindamycin Gel, a topical antibiotic. It worked wonders with my child's face and she has no scarring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Retin-A will greatly improve the appearance of pigmented acne scars, yes. It is pretty strong. There are different formulations -- Retin-A and Retin-A Micro (one is more moisturizing than the other, I can't remember which). You can get different concentrations of the active ingredient as well. It is very important to moisturize like crazy while using Retin-A. Cleanse and moisturize day and night and the Retin-A after the moisturizer at night. Your child will need to use a moisturizer with sunscreen every morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I used Retin A for about 15 years and never had an issue with it (no dryness, nothing). It does take several weeks for any acne medicine to work. You might want to give what he has a chance before switching. Then again I am a huge fan of Retin A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherM2 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 My son was on Retin-A for about two months and he still had the red spots your talking about. The Dr. recently added Doxycycline (with the Retin-A) and his red spots are finally starting to clear up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 He's been using the Erythromycin/Benzoyl Peroxide lotion for about 3 months now. He only applies it once a day instead of the twice a day per the doctor's instructions. He's taking the Doxycycline orally. I'm not sure the Retin-A is a good idea if he needs to remember to moisturize a lot. You would think after 3 months both he and I would think about the twice a day regimen but we often forget which is why he does it only at night before bedtime. Is the Clindomycin good for reducing the red marks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 He's been using the Erythromycin/Benzoyl Peroxide lotion for about 3 months now. He only applies it once a day instead of the twice a day per the doctor's instructions. He's taking the Doxycycline orally. I'm not sure the Retin-A is a good idea if he needs to remember to moisturize a lot. You would think after 3 months both he and I would think about the twice a day regimen but we often forget which is why he does it only at night before bedtime. Is the Clindomycin good for reducing the red marks? His face will be itchy and uncomfortable if he doesn't moisturize properly, at least in my experience, enough so that he will start remembering to moisturize. As far as I know Clindomycin is just a topical antibiotic. It kills bacteria but doesn't do anything to promote cell turnover so it doesn't help with red marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 There are both over the counter products and prescription medications to reduce hyperpigmentation. I think that's term your refering to--the dark marks that remain after the infection is cleared. There are different treatments developed specifically for hyperpigmentation vs the active infection and clogged pore. I like Mederna and Estee Lauder's Illiminator, but you might ask his doctor about prescriptions. (I really like how Estee Lauder's Illiminator feels on my skin.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 My son is on Doxycycline twice a day in combination with Differin lotion (used at bedtime) the Differin is a retinol treatment like Retin A but supposed to be less irritating, it also comes in a gel. The Differin is expensive but we got a rebate for the first 3 months to help offset the costs. My son is 13 & not always the best with consistently following the program, but when he does use it regularly I notice a big improvement. His derm. said it could take 6 months of consistent use for his skin to be clear & even then, he may sometimes break out, but the hope is that it will be less severe & easier to treat when he does break out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 He's been using the Erythromycin/Benzoyl Peroxide lotion for about 3 months now. He only applies it once a day instead of the twice a day per the doctor's instructions. He's taking the Doxycycline orally. I'm not sure the Retin-A is a good idea if he needs to remember to moisturize a lot. You would think after 3 months both he and I would think about the twice a day regimen but we often forget which is why he does it only at night before bedtime. Is the Clindomycin good for reducing the red marks? Clindomycin is the erythromiycin/benzoyl peroxide mix. I used that and doxyclicline when I was younger and it work some but wasn't great. Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) is good for oily skin. It exfoliates skin and will helps lighten the scars over time. It is also soothing and will help lessen the inflammation from the other med. It is also called Salicylic acid: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid . It can be bought at almost any store, just look for acne treatments with this ingredient. Paula Begoun at Cosmeticop.com has lots of info about this. The gel she sells on her site is better because it is ph balanced and is fairly reasonably priced. The only problem is it can not be put on at the same time as benzoyle peroxide because they interact so it requires more frequent care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby-do Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 The Clindamycin gel is the only thing that worked for us. My child had the acne that had the hard knots under them and her face was severe. We tried Proactive and many other things. This was the only thing that cleared her up, didn't dry her skin out( even though many of the products will dry skin). It was our saving grace. But that's our experience. I can't believe she had no permanent scarring of any kind. They wanted to put her on an oral antibiotic, but I refused that. The one they wanted her on is very harsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 24, 2012 Author Share Posted April 24, 2012 The Clindamycin gel is the only thing that worked for us. My child had the acne that had the hard knots under them and her face was severe. We tried Proactive and many other things. This was the only thing that cleared her up, didn't dry her skin out( even though many of the products will dry skin). It was our saving grace. But that's our experience. I can't believe she had no permanent scarring of any kind. They wanted to put her on an oral antibiotic, but I refused that. The one they wanted her on is very harsh. How long is the person on the topical prescription like that? We weren't told what the long term plan would be. We were focused on the immediate because it was a factor in my son's depression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 My daughter is on the Clindamycin and Benzoyl Peroxide mix, as well as the oral antibiotics. It does not seem to be helping in her case, and now they are discussing a far more severe medical option: Acutane. I'm putting that off for now because I really don't want to go that route. My other daughter was on that same mix, however, and it worked for her. Both have also tried dairy free and gluten free for several months to see if that helped. (It didn't seem to.) Doctors never discussed a timeline, which bothered me because I wanted specific answers! However, I realize they don't discuss it because everyone is different. My one daughter has been on it for a year and a half. I think the thought is to keep them on it if there is improvement, and to then continue at a milder dosage for an indefinite period, but hopefully just during the adolescence stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 How long is the person on the topical prescription like that? We weren't told what the long term plan would be. We were focused on the immediate because it was a factor in my son's depression. I was on it for years. There really aren't a lot of options for boys. It is pretty much topicals, anti-biotics and Accutane and that is a pretty serious med. I would research it thoroughly before deciding if you wanted to go ahead with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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