Teenagers and acne....Help!!

[Based on Faith Academy]

Good evening ladies!

 

My teenage son has that ever dreaded problem, acne!!!

He is starting to get pimples and has one that just doesn't

want to disappear. I have looked online for many different

ideas. The ones that seemed good to me were baking soda,

toothpaste, or rubbing alcohol. Have any of you used any of

those on your dc? Do you have any recommendations for us?

I haven't tried anything, yet, but I am concerned with the fact

that his dad's family has real sensitive skin. I don't want to make

a small problem worse, kwim?

 

Thank you so much!!!

[maddykate]

The only thing that cleared up my severe adult acne was zest soap. Seriously. I struggled for years and finally, at my wits end, started using the soap in my bathroom. Amazingly, within a week, my face was dramatically different. I used it for about eight months, then started using bare minerals cleanser and moisturizer. My face is flawless now. Crazy, but true.

[Ellie]

I'm pretty sure using those very abrasive things on his face would not be a good idea. o_0

 

Does he drink milk? Because dairy is one of the biggest causes of acne. Really.

[LibraryLover]

Not 'natural', but Retin A is a miracle for acne sufferers, including teens. Use it lightly.

 

Untreated acne stays with a person for life. Scarred & pitted skin with giant pores...not pretty. Bring out the weaponry asap.

[Based on Faith Academy]

The only thing that cleared up my severe adult acne was zest soap. Seriously. I struggled for years and finally, at my wits end, started using the soap in my bathroom. Amazingly, within a week, my face was dramatically different. I used it for about eight months, then started using bare minerals cleanser and moisturizer. My face is flawless now. Crazy, but true.

 

That is the soap we currently use. It hasn't done anything for this one pimple he has.

He only gets a few at a time but this one seems to be stubborn.

[Based on Faith Academy]

Not 'natural', but Retin A is a miracle for acne sufferers, including teens. Use it lightly.

 

Untreated acne stays with a person for life. Scarred & pitted skin with giant pores...not pretty. Bring out the weaponry asap.

 

Hmmm I haven't heard of Retin A. I will have to look into it.

That is why I am concerned. I have seen the results of really

bad acne.

[Based on Faith Academy]

I'm pretty sure using those very abrasive things on his face would not be a good idea. o_0

 

Does he drink milk? Because dairy is one of the biggest causes of acne. Really.

 

He doesn't drink much milk at all lately because he isn't too keen on it.

[Plateau Mama]

I'm pretty sure using those very abrasive things on his face would not be a good idea. o_0

 

Does he drink milk? Because dairy is one of the biggest causes of acne. Really.

 

I have to say IMO diet is the best treatment for acne. I am 40 and still struggle with severe acne. (Ive done Accutane twice, once as a teen, once as an Adult. Nasty stuff, but its only given in severe cases.) When I go grain free my face clears up within days. If I start eating grains again its back in a day. (I've always been pretty much dairy free).

 

My daughter is almost 13. Never had a pimple in her life. She is gluten and dairy free. I swear this is the reason.

 

My son just turned 11. He was starting to break out on his nose. We just found out he has a severe dairy allergy and gluten senitvities (among other things). Within 2 weeks of being on his new diet his face has totally cleared up.

[MtnTeaching]

 

Does he drink milk? Because dairy is one of the biggest causes of acne. Really.

 

 

This is my son's problem. Dairy is HUGE. If he drinks milk, his face is a mess. When he stops, the face clears up.

[Ellie]

He doesn't drink much milk at all lately because he isn't too keen on it.

 

Dairy might not be your son's problem :-)

 

However, "much milk" is still some milk; "lately" could mean that it's a contributing factor. I'm thinking that a long-term cessation of any dairy at all--not even milk on cold cereal--couldn't hurt.

[Anne in CA]

Both of my teens began taking zinc this year at the suggestion of people on the board and it helps a lot. I can always tell when they have stopped taking it. Both of them also do better with no dairy, but that is a losing battle.

[JuanitaL]

After buying and trying everything (not really, but that's what it feels like), I finally put some blue dawn dish soap in the shower. (Right now I'm pretty convinced blue dawn dish soap is a wonder product, a powerful cure-all.) I told my boys to squirt just a little in their hands while showering, lather it up and rub all over their faces. It works for them .... maybe it's the antibacterial properties. Then, I had an empty hand soap pump bottle, so I filled that up with the magic blue; now they can easily just use one pump instead of squirting 1/4 cup into their hands from the big bottle. I'm convinced it has to be the original blue, not any of the scented ones (I don't have a reason why though).

[AK_Mom4]

For the stubborn "wont go away" pimple, this is the regime that works for us:

 

Wash face twice a day with a sensitive skin cleaner. We use Cetaphil cleanser (comes in a pump bottle) followed by a good THICK moisturizer cream like Cera Ve (comes in a tub). You can't skip the moistuizer step, though or the break out gets worse when the skin gets dry.

 

Cetaphil and Cera Ve are both reasonably priced and very gentle on the skin. But this seems to heal up existing pimples better than anything we have found non-prescription.

[Snoopytwo]

My fourteen year old son was beginning to have the same problem. We tried The Regimen from Acne.org and it has really worked. You must, however, follow the directions exactly. At first, my son wasn't consistent and we didn't see results. Now he follows the directions exactly and his skin looks very nice.

 

HTH,

Linda

[Based on Faith Academy]

Thank you all so much for your ideas. I will start with weening out the dairy products and see if that helps.

Plus I will make sure he is keeping his face clean. I never had acne as a teenager so I have never had to

try anything. We will just work through these solutions and see if one of them works. If you have any other

ideas we would love to hear them.

 

Thanks again!!

[MercyA]

Please don't have him *over* clean his face or use harsh products like rubbing alcohol. If his skin becomes too dry and stressed, it will react by producing more oil, not less.

 

Here's what worked for me as a teenager: Wash twice a day with a *mild* cleanser like Cetaphil or even just warm water. Don't scrub; be gentle. In the evening, preferably after a shower when the pores are open, take an ice cube, and holding it with a washcloth, rub it all over the face until the skin is good and cold. Pat dry. Apply 2.5% or 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (not cream) in a thin layer over any areas where acne occurs, not just on the pimples themselves. (So, for me, I applied it over my entire chin, cheeks, and forehead.) This is a preventative as well as a treatment. 10% gel can be used if that is all you can find, but it can be potentially too drying. If there are large pimples, apply extra gel on those, in a couple layers if necessary, and leave on overnight. After a few weeks of doing this, my skin was smooth again and I was able to maintain clear skin fairly well. Benzoyl peroxide is inexpensive and works well for typical teenager acne.

 

Good luck!

[amsunshine]

Please don't have him *over* clean his face or use harsh products like rubbing alcohol. If his skin becomes too dry and stressed, it will react by producing more oil, not less.

 

Here's what worked for me as a teenager: Wash twice a day with a *mild* cleanser like Cetaphil or even just warm water. Don't scrub; be gentle. In the evening, preferably after a shower when the pores are open, take an ice cube, and holding it with a washcloth, rub it all over the face until the skin is good and cold. Pat dry. Apply 2.5% or 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (not cream) in a thin layer over any areas where acne occurs, not just on the pimples themselves. (So, for me, I applied it over my entire chin, cheeks, and forehead.) This is a preventative as well as a treatment. 10% gel can be used if that is all you can find, but it can be potentially too drying. If there are large pimples, apply extra gel on those, in a couple layers if necessary, and leave on overnight. After a few weeks of doing this, my skin was smooth again and I was able to maintain clear skin fairly well. Benzoyl peroxide is inexpensive and works well for typical teenager acne.

 

Good luck!

 

 

This regimen interests me -- what's the purpose of closing the pores with ice prior to applying the benzoyl peroxide?

[MercyA]

This regimen interests me -- what's the purpose of closing the pores with ice prior to applying the benzoyl peroxide?

 

That's a good question! My mom took the regimen from a book on acne, but I don't recall the name of the book. I do know that it worked for me.

 

Perhaps it is to reduce inflammation? Here's one thread discussing its use:

http://www.acne.org/...-spot-treating/

and a google search on "ice and acne" brings up many more.

[LibraryLover]

Acne is about bacteria, but over-washing is not helpful. Ice can help with inflammation.

 

This pimple you're talking about...is it a painful pimple with pus (and that takes a warm compress prior to extraction. You can gently ice afterwards), or are you talking about a blackhead? Either way, both need to be treated, either by drying then out, or extraction. Blackheads are tenacious. They grow and grow, making the pore larger, and even when you remove one, it's likely to come back via that same exact pore after a time. After extraction use Retin A (lightly) or a bit of B Peroxide to keep the bacteria at bay. Retin A is also anti-inflammatory.

 

I am all for teen facials. :)

[saraha]

So my son's face is pretty clear everywhere but his nose. He is getting some BIG blackheads. How can I help him with this? He is an aspie, and gets very flustered with me around his face.

[Based on Faith Academy]

Acne is about bacteria, but over-washing is not helpful. Ice can help with inflammation.

 

This pimple you're talking about...is it a painful pimple with pus (and that takes a warm compress prior to extraction. You can gently ice afterwards), or are you talking about a blackhead? Either way, both need to be treated, either by drying then out, or extraction. Blackheads are tenacious. They grow and grow, making the pore larger, and even when you remove one, it's likely to come back via that same exact pore after a time. After extraction use Retin A (lightly) or a bit of B Peroxide to keep the bacteria at bay. Retin A is also anti-inflammatory.

 

I am all for teen facials. :)

 

It is just a painful one with pus. I will definitely look into the Retin and B Peroxide.

Is B Peroxide the same as regular Peroxide?

[kewb]

After buying and trying everything (not really, but that's what it feels like), I finally put some blue dawn dish soap in the shower. (Right now I'm pretty convinced blue dawn dish soap is a wonder product, a powerful cure-all.) I told my boys to squirt just a little in their hands while showering, lather it up and rub all over their faces. It works for them .... maybe it's the antibacterial properties. Then, I had an empty hand soap pump bottle, so I filled that up with the magic blue; now they can easily just use one pump instead of squirting 1/4 cup into their hands from the big bottle. I'm convinced it has to be the original blue, not any of the scented ones (I don't have a reason why though).

 

 

Blue dawn is also amazing for oily hair. My dd uses it once a week when she showers.

 

My kids wash their faces with honey and once a week mix in a little baking soda. The baking soda helps with the black heads.

They have used toothpaste with great success. An aspirin paste works well, too.

 

The biggest preventative is making sure they change their sheets frequently.

[Night Elf]

It is just a painful one with pus. I will definitely look into the Retin and B Peroxide.

Is B Peroxide the same as regular Peroxide?

 

 

I'm assuming B Peroxide is Benzoyl Peroxide. You'll find it in the aisle with facial cleansers. My son washes his face twice a day with a salicylic wash, Clean & Clear Advantage 3-in-1 acne wash. After the first cleansing, he applies a light layer of Benzoyl Peroxide. After the second cleansing, he applies Retin A which we got as a prescription from a dermatologist. You have to work up to using both of these products on a daily basis because it can dry out skin. I also have him taking zinc every day but I don't think it's really doing anything for him. He had moderate to severe acne and his face is way better in terms of active pimples. But he has lots of red scars left over from when the acne was so bad. From what I understand, long term use of Retin A helps fade those red marks. I'm really hoping it's true. His face still looks as if there is lots of acne because of those marks. I wish we had starting treating them much earlier.

[MercyA]

Is B Peroxide the same as regular Peroxide?

 

No, it's not the same thing as liquid hydrogen peroxide in a bottle. As a PP said, you'll find it in the facial cleanser aisle. The generic kinds (which are fine!) come in a little bottle or tube and will be labeled "Benzoyl Peroxide Gel / Acne Treatment."

[LibraryLover]

It is just a painful one with pus.

 

 

That has to be extracted, especially if it is large & painful. If you don't think/feel comfortable you can extract it on your own, make an appointment with a spa near you who does teen facials. They will take care of it, pronto. Don't let it get bigger and more swollen.

 

If you want to gently extract it yourself, there are umpteen numbers of online resources which will walk you through the deal. . Some are pretty gross (and you might want to avoid YouTube), but it's not going to miraculously go away.

 

Basically: Lay a warm to hot compress on it for a few minutes,. Remove compress before it cools, and press gently around sore with clean fingers covered with tissue. Press gently, pushing towards the center,. It makes me queasy to speak more.

 

I honestly can't believe there are so many folks in the world who have never, at some point in their lives, popped at least one little zit.

[LibraryLover]

It is just a painful one with pus. I will definitely look into the Retin and B Peroxide.

Is B Peroxide the same as regular Peroxide?

 

 

 

No, I mean Benzoyl Peroxide, which others have mentioned. You can get that over -the- counter in any supermarket, Target, Wal-mart, or pharmacy. You need a prescription for Retin A.

 

Those suckers can be sore! I can't believe your child hasn't tried to get rid of it by now, either by asking a friend what to do, or Googling the how. lol You have a very patient child!

[LibraryLover]

double

[Lisa in SC]

 

 

I have to say IMO diet is the best treatment for acne. I am 40 and still struggle with severe acne. (Ive done Accutane twice, once as a teen, once as an Adult. Nasty stuff, but its only given in severe cases.) When I go grain free my face clears up within days. If I start eating grains again its back in a day. (I've always been pretty much dairy free).

 

My daughter is almost 13. Never had a pimple in her life. She is gluten and dairy free. I swear this is the reason.

 

My son just turned 11. He was starting to break out on his nose. We just found out he has a severe dairy allergy and gluten senitvities (among other things). Within 2 weeks of being on his new diet his face has totally cleared up.

 

 

I wholeheartedly agree that diet can be the biggest factor. My ds14 had moderate acne. A week or two ago, I would've said the diet/acne connection was hogwash. Then he got a stomach virus. He ate no food for three days. After his three day fast, his skin was transformed. It was clear, with only traces of the previous acne which hadn't quite faded. Since then, he has been eating "clean" and has had no breakouts. Now, I very much believe diet and acne can be connected. I'm sure there are other causes, but in the case of ds, diet worked.

[J-rap]

My daughter had severe acne, which we tried and tried to get rid of naturally. She even went gluten free and dairy free for several months, with no improvement at all. She finally saw a dermatologist, who put her on a daily antibiotic pill plus a couple of creams (I can't remember the names -- typical prescription creams I guess!). After two months there was no improvement at all, and after four months there was some improvement, but not a lot. The doctor wanted to move her to Accutane at that point, which also would require her to be on birth control. I really didn't want to go that route, so on someone's advice here, we began supplementing her original prescription meds with zinc, and that's really what boosted her improvement! I'd say her skin became 90% clear with that. It was quite amazing! After awhile, she went off the prescriptions altogether and just floated by on the zinc. After about 7 months however, her acne is starting to return, and I'm thinking she may have to go on the meds again for that extra boost.

 

So, I think the prescription gave her the jumpstart she needed, and the zinc took it the rest of the way. Her skin was very bad, not your average acne. It was the cystic kind which is often much more difficult to treat.

[Based on Faith Academy]

So I bought the acne cleaner, ben per, and a moisturizer. We followed the acne.org regimine

and it irritated my son's face terribly.

[butterflymommy]

The only thing that cleared up my severe adult acne was zest soap. Seriously. I struggled for years and finally, at my wits end, started using the soap in my bathroom. Amazingly, within a week, my face was dramatically different. I used it for about eight months, then started using bare minerals cleanser and moisturizer. My face is flawless now. Crazy, but true.

 

 

It probably contains triclosan which is an antibacterial. Any triclosan soap might help. Also desitin (zinc oxide) is a wonder cream for acne and any kind of staph infection (like ingrown hairs or diaper rash). It is bright white so you'd have to use it at night or around the house though.