Teenage acne

[Hot Lava Mama]

Any advice for my ds13 and dd11 for acne? I remember having a really serious problem as a teen and my parent wouldn't do anything about it. It left physical as well as emotional scars. When I started college, I went to a dermatologist who put me on really strong stuff and it cleared up. I don't want my kids to have to go through that (especially considering they have my genes...it may get really bad). Any advice on over the counter stuff? I'm not sure a doc would do anything for them now because they are "that bad", but I know how hard it is to deal with.

 

Any good over the counter stuff that actually works?

 

Any help is much appreciated.

Hot Lava Mama

[Freckles]

:bigear:

[regentrude]

Benzoyl peroxide cream helped for my DD, but she did not like that it dried her skin severely. She ended up on a prescription for a topical antibiotic cream containing benzoyl peroxide+erythromycin, and that worked very well.

DS also sees improvement with the benzoyl peroxide wash and cream, if he remembers to use it regularly.

[Anne in CA]

I heard about zinc on this board and it has worked well for both of my children. When I see a few pimples I ask if they have had their zinc and they always say they forgot for the last few days. When they keep up with their zinc they have clear skin.

[CupOCoffee]

I remember reading about the zinc here too; but we never actually tried it. How much zinc are we talking about? And they take it every day? Son seems to be having some really bad break outs lately and asked me to check.

 

~coffee~

[J-rap]

If it's really that bad, no over-the-counter meds will be strong enough. You'll need to first get it under control with a prescription cream that contains an antibiotic and benzoyl peroxide, and probably a mild oral antibiotic as well. Once it starts to clear up (and it could take 6 months), you can begin switching over to zinc. When we first did that, we switched out the antibiotic pill for zinc (50 mg/day for a month or two, and then 25 mg/day), and after a couple more months eliminated the cream too. The zinc alone seemed to hold it at bay for quite awhile. I'm thinking we may need to go back on the prescription for a few months, however, although others just up the dose of zinc for awhile and that keeps a clear complexion. (Of course, this is just our experience. :))

 

Another daughter whose acne was not as bad was able to clear it up with zinc alone.

[Ellie]

It could be something in their diet that's contributing to the acne. Do they drink milk? or eat yogurt? Because milk is one of the most common causes of acne.

 

A friend decided to do a major change in her and her dh's diet; one of the the changes was eliminating dairy--I forget why. Her dh's nickname since high school was Red, because his acne was so bad, poor guy. After a few months of no dairy, his skin cleared up such that friends didn't recognize him.

 

Just a thought.

[sparrow]

My son's acne isn't bad, but it's frustrating. It's mostly in the oily t-zone. I'm reluctant to give him zinc because it can have an effect on hormones. Puberty is having enough of an effect :).

 

Something that has helped, when he'll use it, is Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I found it at Dollar General for $3. It's actually quite remarkable the difference it makes for about 2 days. Any darkening, from old acne, is gone and new acne is kept at bay. He's not a fan of using it, but I swear, if I could keep him on a strict regiment of Neutrogena Acne Wash with salicylic acid, Mint Julep mask, and Cerave moisturizer, he'd be close to acne free ;).

[Laurie4b]

Our kids all had really bad acne. Given your history, I don't think it's out of line to go to a dermatologist. For one thing, the prescription creams they will use will be more effective than OTC. However, the main reason is that acne can go from "meh" to "awful with scarring potential" pretty quickly. You'll want a relationship already established with a dermatologist before that happens so you don't have to wait, while knowing that their face is scarring.

[Mom0012]

It could be something in their diet that's contributing to the acne. Do they drink milk? or eat yogurt? Because milk is one of the most common causes of acne.

 

A friend decided to do a major change in her and her dh's diet; one of the the changes was eliminating dairy--I forget why. Her dh's nickname since high school was Red, because his acne was so bad, poor guy. After a few months of no dairy, his skin cleared up such that friends didn't recognize him.

 

Just a thought.

 

We experienced this. My son had been dairy-free when he was little. Then we slowly starting using cheese, but he never switched to milk. After I read about all the arsenic in rice, I tried switching him from rice milk to regular milk and OMG, he had a MAJOR breakout. I was really surprised. Now, he's back to his normal, more mild breakouts, but if he has soup with a milk base, we immediately notice it.

[eclecticschooler]

We are vegan. No milk products here. I took my dd to the dermatologist and she did not dismiss us at all. The dr. thought she could get 50-75% improvement and I would say it is closer to 100%. We are very pleased. My dd did oral in combo with topical for a while and now just takes oral if she gets a reddish breakout of any kind.

[Onceuponatime]

My 19yo son had extremely bad cystic acne. We ended up at the dermatologist and with a prescription for accutain (?) My son took one look at the side effects and said no way. He took his treatment into his own hands and decided to stop using any products on his skin at all. There was 75% improvement in one week. He no longer washes with anything but water and a wash cloth and is convinced that soaps actually contributed. All the cysts eventually went away then he just got normal breakouts. Those were mostly controlled by diet. He avoided dairy and soy and most junk foods. High fat dairy is his worst offender, especially cheese and butter. Skim milk mozarella, yogurt and milk aren't nearly as bad. I don't know if it makes any difference but he won't drink any milk at all unless it says the cows were not treated with hormones. He's tried a variety of supplements and none of them seemed to make much difference until last month when he tried cod liver oil. That seemed to be the final bullet. His skin has been very clear since then.

[Night Elf]

I heard about zinc on this board and it has worked well for both of my children. When I see a few pimples I ask if they have had their zinc and they always say they forgot for the last few days. When they keep up with their zinc they have clear skin.

 

Exactly what type of zinc are they on, and how much do they take?

[skimomma]

Exactly what type of zinc are they on, and how much do they take?

 

I am curious about this too. And are there any drawbacks to taking zinc?

[Night Elf]

My son has bad acne. I hate to say this, but when I was in school, we referred to this level of severity as pizza face. We've been trying to treat it for at least a year. He's taking an oral antibiotic and applies a topical antibiotic cream. We just found out he misunderstood the doctor and he's only been taking 1 antibiotic a day when he should have been taking 2. We're hoping to see his skin become clearer now that he's taking the correct dosage.

 

We were told it was very important to wash the face with a good facial cleaner twice a day and then apply the benzoyl peroxide. If I don't say anything, my son never washes his face. A pp stated her son didn't wash his face and he cleared up. Lucky duck! My son's acne is bad enough that it has already left scars. We were also given Retin-A and his skin does fine with it. I just don't see any effect of using it.

 

I'll also ask if he would like a trial run of being dairy free. Does anyone know how long it would take for him to see effects if dairy was the culprit? Would switching from 2% to skim be okay? He already has such a limited diet and the idea of him not eating his cereal anymore is downright depressing.

[Excelsior! Academy]

What antibiotics are your children using? Dd was given clindomyicin (sp?) and after research we decided against it. Now we don't know what to do.

[Kalmia]

I know it is expensive but I have had much more success from Proactive Solution than any combination of things (antibotics, Retin-A, a sulphur wash) the dermatologist gave me. When I was an older teen, the only thing that worked was The Pill. Girls' acne is often very closely connected to their cycle. Of course, not a solution for ds!

[Onceuponatime]

We were told it was very important to wash the face with a good facial cleaner twice a day and then apply the benzoyl peroxide. If I don't say anything, my son never washes his face. A pp stated her son didn't wash his face and he cleared up.

 

My son does wash his face every day, just not with any kind of cleanser, gently with warm water and a wash cloth. He also showers and washes his hair daily, but he uses no soap on his skin. Greasy hair doesn't help. He also changes his pillow case often. Diet changes have helped him a lot. He still drinks milk with his cereal, but chips, crackers, cookies, donuts, pizza, fast food, and soda are all out.

 

He is badly scarred.

[AK_Mom4]

The regime described at acne.org is very good. They explain how to wash, how to use the anti-acne cream, and then moisturizer. Most of those anti-acne creams with benzoil-peroxide are 10%, but that's much too strong and dries out the skin. Walmart and others crry an inexpensive 2.5% that does the same thing without the drying.

 

I did have one kid that needed the stronger drugs due to cycstic acne (accutane). It worked, but he had to get blood tests every month and we had to give him extra Vitamin D while he was on it. Six months on that did clear up his skin and he has been able to maintain it using just normal daily cleaning.

 

Oldest DD had a horrible break out over Christmas. Turned out she had gotten sensitive to the makeup she was wearing. She changed to a sensitive skin, more expensive brand and she went back to her old acne.org wash/cream/moisturize routine and it looked much better within a week.

[freeindeed]

I personally have oily skin, and my dd12 has oily skin & is prone to acne breakouts. This regimen works well for both of us:

Wash face both in the morning and at bedtime with Noxzema.

When in the shower, use Clean & Clear's Acne Control Cleanser three times a week, and then use St. Ives Apricot Scrub for acne prone skin three times a week.

We do have prescription cream (Adapalene) that we put on breakouts when they occur.

[Ellie]

My son does wash his face every day, just not with any kind of cleanser, gently with warm water and a wash cloth. He also showers and washes his hair daily, but he uses no soap on his skin. Greasy hair doesn't help. He also changes his pillow case often. Diet changes have helped him a lot. He still drinks milk with his cereal, but chips, crackers, cookies, donuts, pizza, fast food, and soda are all out.

 

Would he be willing to eliminate the milk? Because it really could make a difference.

 

He is badly scarred.

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

Sometimes Vitamin E oil helps with scarring.

[maddykate]

I had worse acne as a 30 year old than I ever did as a teenager. I tried everything that you can buy OTC... Clinique, Proactiv, Just about anything you could buy that suggests it will help with acne. Nothing worked! Over three or four years, I suffered terribly and was embarrassed about how bad my face looked. And spent a lot of money on buying new things. So, all that to say that I have experienced it.....

 

Truly, the only thing that made the acne go away was plain, old zest soap. I ran out of my Clinique and didn't have enough money to replace it, so I used the soap in my bathroom. Within a few days, my face was dramatically improved. I kept using the zest and within a few weeks, my face was completely clear. I did use a moisturizer after washing my face, but that was all. After six months or so, I felt like my face was drying out too much and switched to bare minerals face wash and makeup. I have not had any recurring breakouts using that.

 

Hope you all find something that helps.

[Trilliums]

Zinc also helped my 16 yo DS although he still has some acne, it is not nearly as bad. I bought a bottle of zinc(50 mg) from our local co-op/health food store. It just says "Zinc". He had to take it daily for at least 2 weeks before we noticed any improvement. He used up the bottle and I switched to a combo supplement that is 25 mg and his acne has gotten worse (although not as bad as it was when he first started taking the zinc) so I am planning on having him go back to the 50 mg tablets.

[eclecticschooler]

You can still have cereal...just with almond milk or soy milk or any of the other alternatives. In cereal it is much easier to get used to than drinking it!

 

My dd's antiobiotic is Doryx I believe.

[Anne in CA]

Exactly what type of zinc are they on, and how much do they take?

 

My kids take Zinc Picolinate, by NOW. They each take one 50mg capsule a day and that is enough to keep their acne at bay.

[Dandelion]

Another plug for zinc.

 

My skin has always been pretty clear, but about a year ago I started getting really bad breakouts about a week before my period. They were these painful, cystic pimples and they took about a week or two to clear up, so I was basically spending half of each month dealing with them. I tried several different things, but nothing truly worked until I started taking zinc based on some of the threads on this board (thanks Hive! :) ).

 

For the past three months, I've been taking 50mg of zinc citrate every day (this brand: http://www.vitacost.com/solaray-biocitrate-zinc ). No more breakouts - not even a tiny pimple here or there. Zinc definitely worked for me.

 

Hope you find something that will work for your DS!

[AngieW in Texas]

Zinc has worked wonderfully for my 19yo. She doesn't use anything aside from 50mg of zinc picolinate daily. She started off with 30mg and then I bumped her up to 50mg with the next bottle.

 

It hasn't had any effect at all for my 17yo. She started with 30mg and then went up to 50mg and still has not seen any improvement.

 

My 14yo just recently started taking 30mg zinc picolinate because of breakouts. I'll bump her up to 50mg when she finishes this bottle unless 30mg clears her up.

[CupOCoffee]

Another zinc success here! Son has been using it for only few days, but *he* asked me "Mom do you think it could work that fast" because he had felt a really bad pimple coming on, and he says that within 2 days, he knew it wasn't going to be "a bad one". Zinc has many other healthful benefits (I Googled it) so I am going to keep him on it for now.

 

~coffee~

[J-rap]

My daughters needed to be at 50 mg/day for at least a month to notice any changes. It really cleared it up beautifully after a period of 2-3 months. One daughter had already been on a couple of prescriptions (an antibiotic and a topical cream), which did improve her acne but she still had problems. The zinc really cleared it up the rest of the way, I'd say to about 90%. After about 3 months at that dosage, she decreased it to 25 mg/day, and it seemed to keep things at bay for about 6 months. Her acne does seem to be returning now, so I'm thinking we need to increase it to 50 mg/day again.

 

I've also been reading lately that thyme oil is supposed to be a good topical for acne. We plan to give it a try.

[jeninok]

I have moderately bad adult acne that seems to cycle. Dairy is my worst offender, I ate a big bowl of fruit and yogurt and sure enough for two days I have had the deep painful cysts forming on my cheeks.

 

I switched to Aveeno calming face wash, a natural lavender face serum from whole foods, and then use MD skincare two step alpha beta pads a couple times a week. They are super expensive, but make my skin look so good it is worth it. I buy them on Amazon for a better price and ration them!!

 

I did do Retin@A when my skin was at its worst, it was awful but did clear it up enough to start healing.

[sparrow]

OK, I've been very leery of introducing zinc to my son due to its affect on hormones, but with so many using it with good results, I'm tempted. He wouldn't be getting a high dose, so I feel somewhat safe. I have 50 mg tablets that are not picolinate. Can he take those? Does anyone use just regular zinc?

[msjones]

My son has some bad acne, but it has been greatly improved with the use of Retin-A and a topical antibiotic prescribed by a dermatologist. These are both inexpensive and simple to use.

 

If you have insurance, I say try a dermatologist. I'm very glad we did.

[astrid]

I asked about this last fall right here on this board. I ended up taking dd (15) to the pediatrician who was wonderful-- didn't dismiss us at all, and said her acne was due to bacteria on her skin. He prescribed a month-long course of an oral antibiotic, plus a prescription cream that contained an antibiotic. I have to say, she was markedly improved in a week. Two weeks and her skin was amazingly clear. After the month-long course, her acne was a distant memory. Amazingly, she has not had so much as a whitehead since. Even through all this stress lately, not even stress acne. I really, REALLY encourage you to talk to your pediatrician. Ours is very conservative with antibiotics but said for acne, it's really the only thing. Break the cycle and it'll be an amazing transformation.

 

Good luck to you-- I've so been there!

 

astrid

[Carrie Sue]

My ds14 has been going to the dermatologist for 8 months now and it is finally getting better. He is on minocycline 2x a day, topical antibiotic, retin-A, and benzoyl on breakouts. He was terrible about using the stuff when we first got started, but once he saw some improvement he got better. Then he decided to quit for a day or two and the resulting acne taught him to keep it up (love natural consequences). The Retin-A helped immediately w/ blackheads and porous skin areas (around bottom of nose, forehead, chin). We tried zinc for a month or so, I didn't notice any imrprovements, but that was before we'd had much improvement (pre-antibiotic).

[Momof3littles]

Some studies have shown reducing refined carbs and sugars may help with resistant acne. Higher insulin levels can lead to hormonal changes that impact skin.

[MercyA]

When I was a teenager, my mom found a book about acne at the library. I wish I could remember the title! The regimen suggested in the book *dramatically* improved my complexion. I remember feeling so happy to have smooth skin again!

 

The regimen was simple: after gently washing my face in the evening, I'd rub it all over well with an ice cube for a couple minutes, and then pat it dry. Then, I'd apply a thin layer of 2.5% or 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (not cream) over my entire face, not just the portions with current breakouts. Within a month, most of my acne was totally gone, and the rest was greatly improved. As long as I religiously kept up with the regimen, I was fine.

 

Good luck!

[momto2Cs]

My ds is starting to get bumpy looking skin, so I think I'll add zinc to his regime.

 

Other than that, what helps me (and him so far) is to use St. Ives Apricot Scrub (w/salicylic acid) a couple of times a week, and Neutrogena's Facial Cleansing Bar the rest of the week, plus we follow up whichever we use with witch hazel as a "toner". We're overhauling our diet too - more fruits and veggies, less carp.

[Night Elf]

Then, I'd apply a thin layer of 2.5% or 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (not cream) over my entire face, not just the portions with current breakouts.

 

 

I wonder why gel would have made a difference. We've always used cream but I can't say it's been highly effective.

[MercyA]

I wonder why gel would have made a difference. We've always used cream but I can't say it's been highly effective.

 

 

Supposedly it can be applied more evenly and absorbs better.

[mytwomonkeys]

My daughter's skin has been breaking out lately. I have started her on vitamin A, zinc, and she washes her face with warm water only & moistuirizes with organic extra virgin coconut oil (we have nutiva). I have noticed a dramatic difference in just a short time.

[somo_chickenlady]

I started getting bad acne in 5th grade and still deal with it (I'm 35.) Walmart sells a generic (Equate) Proactiv which works GREAT for me except for hormonal breakthroughs around my period. I don't think anything will help me with that. LOL I also like that you can buy each one separately b/c I always use the cleanser up the fastest. I would recommend that.