Stubborn teen acne? What's worked?

[Anonymous]

Dermatologist. There are options to try before Accutane (which BTW, for some teens can be miraculous).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dermatologist. There are options to try before Accutane (which BTW, for some teens can be miraculous).

+1, I can't do Accutane but a dermatologist can still help you. I ultimately did well with benzoyl peroxide and a cleansing routine that took my highly sensitive skin into account. If you have highly reactive skin, using trial and error for acne can make it worse because even when products workon the acne, they will cause redness and other irritation. A derm can balance this out with products that will soothe irritation, plus figure out the strength and amounts of medication that work most effectively.

My derm also did spot treatments to address some cystic acne that helped get me through the worst of it while we figured out a solution.

Going to a dermatologist does not have to mean going on Accutane.

[Anonymous]

A dermatologist will try several things before going to Accutane. My son tried them all with no relief.

6 months on Accutane did the trick. He went from his face (and back/chest) being inflamed cysts to clear in 6m. Side effects were body aches - helped by tylenol. He was still able to play 2 varsity sports during the time. And chapped lips - helped by Aquafor lip balm.

My only regret is that we didn't get him to the dermatologist sooner. His confidence increased 100% once his face cleared.

[Anonymous]

Do twelve year olds go to pediatric dermatologist or regular?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Six months of Accutane (low dose) and my son’s acne was gone.

same. our derm did a lower dose for longer and there was barely any side effects (dry lips mainly)

[Anonymous]

For some kids - LIKE MINE - the only thing that even comes close to a solution is Accutane.

she tried every over the counter, every diet remedy, every oral antibiotic and combo of antibiotics.

Accutane was the best gift I could give her. It positively changed how she interacted with the world and how she felt in her own skin.

We monitored the side-effects closely, and navigated the SIGNIFICANT hurdles of the prescription. and it was all totally worth it.

I can't say this enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do twelve year olds go to pediatric dermatologist or regular?

Mine did and needed to. If yours doesn't, count yourself lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A dermatologist will try several things before going to Accutane. My son tried them all with no relief.

6 months on Accutane did the trick. He went from his face (and back/chest) being inflamed cysts to clear in 6m. Side effects were body aches - helped by tylenol. He was still able to play 2 varsity sports during the time. And chapped lips - helped by Aquafor lip balm.

My only regret is that we didn't get him to the dermatologist sooner. His confidence increased 100% once his face cleared.

Is Accutane prescription only?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A dermatologist will try several things before going to Accutane. My son tried them all with no relief.

6 months on Accutane did the trick. He went from his face (and back/chest) being inflamed cysts to clear in 6m. Side effects were body aches - helped by tylenol. He was still able to play 2 varsity sports during the time. And chapped lips - helped by Aquafor lip balm.

My only regret is that we didn't get him to the dermatologist sooner. His confidence increased 100% once his face cleared.

Is Accutane prescription only?

Yes absolutely

[Anonymous]

spironalactone? I am 53 and take 50 mg a day. Also when my kids break out they will take an antibiotic. now they are both on spironalacteon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dermatologist. There are options to try before Accutane (which BTW, for some teens can be miraculous).

+1

My siblings and I grew up with significant acne. I also had some adult acne, and then my first pregnancy...wow! I promised myself if my kids were acne prone, I would take them straight to the dermatologist. OTC can be a lot of wasted time and money. OP, your kid is already dealing with scaring, go to the doctor.

My son is on a combination of topicals - clindamyacin (antibiotic) and tretonin (retinol) - that keep him quite clear when he is on top of the regimen. He also uses PanOxyl for body wash (chest and back), as recommended by the doctor. This will bleach towels, so use light colors or old ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:spironalactone? I am 53 and take 50 mg a day. Also when my kids break out they will take an antibiotic. now they are both on spironalacteon.

I believe this can be taken only by girls for acne. Not adolescent males.

It works by suppressing testosterone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dermatologist. There are options to try before Accutane (which BTW, for some teens can be miraculous).

+1

My siblings and I grew up with significant acne. I also had some adult acne, and then my first pregnancy...wow! I promised myself if my kids were acne prone, I would take them straight to the dermatologist. OTC can be a lot of wasted time and money. OP, your kid is already dealing with scaring, go to the doctor.

My son is on a combination of topicals - clindamyacin (antibiotic) and tretonin (retinol) - that keep him quite clear when he is on top of the regimen. He also uses PanOxyl for body wash (chest and back), as recommended by the doctor. This will bleach towels, so use light colors or old ones.

I’m a DP with a teen working with a dermatologist. We waited longer than we should’ve — tried anything and everything you could buy OTC, and DC is also moving through prescription treatment options that aren’t Accutane.

Step 1 was prescription strength benzoyl peroxide, Step 2 (about three months later) was to add retinol and antibiotic mentioned above, and Step 3 has been to add an oral antibiotic.

DC has seen very good results, but their skin still isn’t quite as clear as they would like. I’m pleased with the incremental approach and glad we found a practice that works for DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP -- I'm glad you are working on it. I had horrible acne as a teen and into my 20s and it's so hard. Demoralizing at such a sensitive time in your life. Agree with others to see a derm. I totally get the concerns about accutane. I couldn't take it. I know it is what a lot of people do, but it's not for everyone.

Anyway, I won't tell you what meds to use -- a good derm will be able to figure that out and if something isn't working, or is working but overdrying, they can help you sort that out.

BUT I do want to recommend a product I often rec on these threads because it was a godsend during my years of addressing my own acne. It does not solve acne but it can really help improve the appearance and importantly FEEL of acne-afflicted skin. Acne, especially cystic, can be so painful. Sometimes when treating it, it becomes more painful and inflamed. This product will help a lot to ease inflammation, can help with redness and skin texture. I remember when I started using it, even though I still had acne, it actually helped me to sleep better because my acne hurt less. In addition to using it as intended, as a mask, I would sometimes use it as a spot treatment on a painful cyst or pimple and it would help ease the pain and also reduce it's appearance.

Anyway, here it is: https://www.origins.com/product/15346/62431/skincare/treat/mask/out-of-trouble/10-minute-mask-to-rescue-problem-skin#/sku/98644

The reason it's so soothing is the combo of zinc oxide, sulphur, and camphor. All of which can help separately, but something about the combo in this mask is magic. I know I sound like I work for Origins or something (I don't!) but really it's just that I have such sympathy for anyone dealing with persistent acne and I have been recommending this for over a decade because of how much it helped me!

This is interesting to me because zinc oxide always worked better for me than benzoyl peroxide for spot treatments. My grandma recommended it. The ingredients in this mask are what people used OTC before the commercial teen acne products took off with the Boomer generation.

A recommendation I have that is new is the hydrocolloid spot treatment bandages (little circles). These can get expensive if overused but my teens like them for their particular type of problem pimples (big lumpy swollen ones with small whiteheads but not cystic acne). These are a pretty easy thing to try that won't interfere with other things you are trying.

[Anonymous]

Dermatologist; we did Acutane, it was amazing. Minimal side effects. He now does get some acne but nothing like before. He was so upset over his face. Doesn't work for everyone, and we were lucky to have mild side effects.