Teens face covered with acne
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Anonymous
This regimen worked for my DD. If the face is covered in acne, it is likely a bacterial infection and needs to be treated by prescribed antibiotics. The dermatologist will recognize the problem right away. |
Anonymous
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+1 to the benzoyl peroxide. The regular Clearasil (the white stuff) was my savior as a young teen. I used to plaster it on really thick and walk around the house like that, but I had beautiful skin. My brothers, who did not plaster on the Clearasil (they'd haphazardly slap some on before bed occasionally) had terrible acne. Encourage your kid to put it on thickly, avoiding the corners of eyes and around the lip corners and nose, and to put some on right after coming home from school.
Later, I switched to Retin A, but I still think the benzoyl peroxide is best for young teen acne. |
Anonymous
| I still love the Neutrogena On the Spot acne cream. It has a low level of benzoyl peroxide, just like Proactiv does and it does a great job without overdrying the skin. |
Anonymous
| Just an FYI- I tried BP and had a nasty reaction to it and it was the lowest strength too. For a week and a half or so, my face looked sunburned. Retin A once a week plus a 6 month course of antibiotics plus a BCP keeps my skin fairly clear. |
Anonymous
| Why do you wait until the face is covered to make an appointment?! Poor kid, acne can leave scars for life |
Anonymous
| Vitamin dim (if DC is a girl). |
Anonymous
Not everyone has the $$ for this. Hard to believe but it's true. I tried everything OTC but nothing worked for my acne. I paid out of pocket for Retin A which didn't work for me years ago. It was too strong. I saved for more than a year to pay for Accutane since it wasn't covered by insurance. It worked but after I had a child, the acne returned. I tried Retin A again (the generic) and it still cost more than $200/tube. Thankfully the formula has improved and it works but not everyone can afford these treatments if OTC stuff doesn't work. My tube of Retin A lasts for a while which is good since it is $$$$. |
Anonymous
And some kids don't want to see a doctor. Or the family had other medical issues they were dealing with. Honestly, why would you chastise someone like this? Try to use your imagination and empathy to understand the situation instead of belittling others. |
Anonymous
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What worked for my son was Doxycycline and a topical cream daily.
We waited until he was about 18 because his acne flared later and I didn't realize he might need to go to a derm for treatment. My older child, DH and I were fortunate to not really have much acne, even in our teens. I wish I'd taken my son sooner, TBH. He has several scars that don't really seem to be fading, even though the meds have cut back on new outbreaks of acne. |
Anonymous
| Aside from the meds and the creams, look into the diet. Dairy products react horribly with some kids, because of the hormones from dairy cows. Other kids react to too much salty foods. Try it like an allergy elimination diet. If the kid has allergies, definitely look into this. I wish I had realized it was food related when I was younger. |
Anonymous
| Antibiotics only worked for our kids as long as they stayed on them for a long time. When I finally decided enough was enough and we stopped the antibiotics, the acne came back with a vengence. Switched to Accutane for both kids and their skin is now beautiful. |
Anonymous
| Antibiotics was the only thing that worked for me. Not sure it's the best route, health-wise thought. |
Anonymous
This. |
Anonymous
| I also recommend cutting all dairy. Read all food labels carefully for casein, whey, etc. Try it for two months. |
Anonymous
I will encourage her to try this. She is a big milk drinker and chocolate eater. I got her proactive last summer but don't know if she uses it regularly. |