Blackheads on 11 yr. old?

[Anonymous]

My 11 yr. old has otherwise beautiful skin - she's not yet gone through puberty(!). However, she's getting blackheads in the corners of her nose and it's bothering her. She's asked me to get her some kind of blackhead remover/facial wash. I'd like to get her something, but most products like that have salicylic acid and/or benzoyl peroxide, neither of which I feel her basically "little girl" skin needs. I don't want to start down that road until she absolutely needs it; otherwise I feel those products are extremely drying.

Can any of you recommend a mild blackhead cleanser that won't dry her skin out? The blackheads are really tiny, but they bother her and I'd like to get a handle on them before they get any worse. Thanks so much.

[Anonymous]

Dd's doctor recommended products with salacylic acid and biore strips at that age. She had some whiteheads as well though. My dermatologist likes the Clinique cleansing line for kids but I'm not sure how good it is for blackheads.

[Anonymous]

Use the clearasil pads every night and you won't see the blackheads anymore. My DD was/is the same.

[Anonymous]

use a charcoal sponge and tea tree oil.

I have a 12-year old and we both have blackheads (really still at 40) and it worked for both of us within two days.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=charcoal+sponge&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=86119573394&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9929043909431514270&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_h5zdm7pgy_e_p3

[Anonymous]

Someone mentioned these earlier: Biore brand "nose strips." They work very well if you use them right. You wet the nose (we also have to wet the strip some but don't soak it) and she'll have to practice with molding it onto her nose where she really needs it. It's also important for her to leave it on, maybe fanning her face to get the strip to dry, until the strip is totally dry, to the point it's hard, or it won't work well. But do that, and these really do work. It might take a couple of uses for her really to see the blackheads disappearing, but it'll work if she's consistent.

Don't use generic or store brand nose strips -- I think some drugstore chains have their own brand now. Get the name brand. Tried the store brands and they weren't as good.

Nah, I don't sell Biore! But I used it for years and now my 14-year-old uses it at times. Even husband uses them sometimes.

I would try just using a mild, non-medicated cleanser with the strips before also adding salicylic acid products or benzoyl peroxide. Both can work but are also very drying and can be irritating. If she gets irritated skin you will not know if the cause was the strips or the medicated cleanser, so I'd start with just the strips and a non-medicated, gentle cleanser first, unless she has pimples that need medication.

[Anonymous]

she has blackheads. She doesn't have "little girl skin" anymore.

[Anonymous]

She can probably use a home steamer, or just stick her face over a pot of water that was brought to boiling and removed from the stove. Stick a towel over her head to trap the steam. Then wash her face with a a gentle, non-irritating cleanser. My derm recommends J&J's Purpose or Neutrogena.

[Anonymous]

She might find a mask fun. Aren't they supposed to help with blackheads?

[Anonymous]

Pick them out with a straight pin or squeeze them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pick them out with a straight pin or squeeze them.

or not!

[Anonymous]

The easiest of all of these to try is the clearasil pads. Try it for a week or two and you will definitely see the difference. Plus, they are a lot less trouble than the mask and they don't hurt like the biore (although those can be good too).

What do you have to lose? $4.50 Easy enough that your DD can manage it all by herself.

[Anonymous]

My daughter had very sensitive skin, especially on her nose, such that the clearasil pads and salicylic acid products were too harsh for her. Her skin was peeling even with moisturizing. We saw the derm who gave a prescription, but ended up not using it. We're just making sure she has good technique washing her face with mild soap, clean pillowcases, etc. I'd rather have a few blackheads or pimples than treat her skin harshly, especially as it is sensitive to the sun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:she has blackheads. She doesn't have "little girl skin" anymore.

+1

It's time to get her first facial care regimen and teach her how to use it religiously. A Biore strip or Clearsil pads might be part of that. You could also start with a mild, non-medicated 3-step product (i.e., Clinique). I started with Almay, but also used lots of Neutrogena, Noxzema, Sea Breeze, Buff Puffs, etc. as a tween (before the term tween existed, obviously). Why not pick out a nice 3-step for her and then let her pick out a fun mask or something else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The easiest of all of these to try is the clearasil pads. Try it for a week or two and you will definitely see the difference. Plus, they are a lot less trouble than the mask and they don't hurt like the biore (although those can be good too).

What do you have to lose? $4.50 Easy enough that your DD can manage it all by herself.

But aren't these incredibly drying, especially for people who don't have oily skin?

[Anonymous]

those nose strips from biore