Acne just for poor kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:01:12 pp: it is absolutely not true that good skin is "all about good hygiene" and you're insulting lots of people by saying that. My DD washed her face religiously but still needed accutane. It worked beautifully, by the way.

+1. All about good hygiene? Please. I could have scrubbed off layers of my skin and I still would have had acne.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:01:12 pp: it is absolutely not true that good skin is "all about good hygiene" and you're insulting lots of people by saying that. My DD washed her face religiously but still needed accutane. It worked beautifully, by the way.

+1. All about good hygiene? Please. I could have scrubbed off layers of my skin and I still would have had acne.

+2. Clearly someone who has never had to deal with severe hormonal acne. Hygiene has very little to do with it. And OP, "cream of the crop genes"? Do you actually believe that? I would guess better nutrition and access to medical care, plus parents who have the time and money to help their children address skin issues.

[Anonymous]

You can spend all the time and money in the world but if the kid doesn't care enough to use the products it doesn't make a bit of difference.

[Anonymous]

My DD went to both private and public school and at both complained bitterly she was the only one with such bad skin. Mornings were a tribulation as she had to spend so much time on her make up. She wouldn't go swimming or to pool parties or even be out much in the day during summer for fear the makeup would sweat off.

She tried antibiotics and various creams from the dermatologist, as well as Pro Active and finally did Accutane. Great for six or nine months and then it came back. She had two more Accutane failures. Finally I took her to a gynecologist and we found she has high testosterone. Birth control and spironalactone have taken care of the problem, but it took six years. Neither of the two dermatologists suggested it could be hormonal--had to figure that out on our own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yesterday I was at an event at the most expensive private school in my area (not in DC and not my child’s school) and noticed that none of the tweens or teenagers had any acne. 195 boys & girls from 11-17 years old and not a pimple in sight and no noticeable cover-up on the girls. At my child's public school most kids have some sort of acne, including him. Are the medical treatments really that effective now for those that can afford the best. Were they that good 20-30 years ago and it just wasn’t done in my middle-class social circle? Also, we live in a smaller community, not really suggesting inbreeding (haha) but could it just be cream of the crop genes?

Yes, OP. Public school kids are all "poor" and we all understand that the poors have bottom of the barrel genes.

(Is OP for real?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yesterday I was at an event at the most expensive private school in my area (not in DC and not my child’s school) and noticed that none of the tweens or teenagers had any acne. 195 boys & girls from 11-17 years old and not a pimple in sight and no noticeable cover-up on the girls. At my child's public school most kids have some sort of acne, including him. Are the medical treatments really that effective now for those that can afford the best. Were they that good 20-30 years ago and it just wasn’t done in my middle-class social circle? Also, we live in a smaller community, not really suggesting inbreeding (haha) but could it just be cream of the crop genes?

Maybe public verses private. Plenty of teens with acne at Longfellow and McLean High School.

It's not a public vs private school thing. it depends on whether parents are invested in eliminating acne. Some aren't. My parents took my brother to a dermatologist and refused (I asked) to do the same for me. We were both in private schools. I had terrible cystic acne, too.

Why did they refuse to take you but did take your brother?

My mother has serious mental health issues. She saw me as competition. In her mind, not treating my acne was one way to diminish the competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I choose not to put my son on anything like that. He will grow out of it. I don't think it is a big deal to him as he does not even commit to washing his face daily.

terrible idea…in the meantime he will suffer from self-conciousness and likely will end up with permanent scars. You don't have to use systemic drugs to get good resolution of acne, but at least take him to see a derm and get effective topical treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:01:12 pp: it is absolutely not true that good skin is "all about good hygiene" and you're insulting lots of people by saying that. My DD washed her face religiously but still needed accutane. It worked beautifully, by the way.

+1. All about good hygiene? Please. I could have scrubbed off layers of my skin and I still would have had acne.

+2. Clearly someone who has never had to deal with severe hormonal acne. Hygiene has very little to do with it. And OP, "cream of the crop genes"? Do you actually believe that? I would guess better nutrition and access to medical care, plus parents who have the time and money to help their children address skin issues.

+3. I'm always amazed how smart people can be so clueless.

[Anonymous]

To the poster who said her daughter's acne was attributed to a higher level of testosterone--I never heard of this. an you offer more details/info?

[Anonymous]

Accutane is still on the market, just under generic names.

It was a godsend for my DH, who took it when he was in his late 20s. He still has a pockmarked face from his teenage acne scars. My son will definitely take Accutane if he shows signs of that level of acne.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Roche pulled Accutane from the US in 2009 but is still selling it elsewhere. Generic isotretinoin is available by prescription in the US.

Yikes, really?! I took it in the mid to late 90s. Is there anything I should know about?

I took Accutane in the mid 80s and compared notes with a friend who has taken Accutane. There are some side affects "while taking the drug," and major warnings about getting pregnant. The extreme vitamin A levels will cause serious birth defects.

Here's the only permanent side affect that my friend and I experienced- diminished night vision. I never could realize why I seemed to have more difficulty driving at night, especially in rain until my friend told me it was a side affect from the elevated levels of Vit. A from accutane. If you don't have this issue, it might only be experienced by some people. Another friend who took accutane at the same time, claims she has never lost any night vision. Other than what I mentioned- we're all otherwise healthy.

I have never had any other side affect and the night vision issue is minor (and the only vision loss)-- strangely worth getting through teen acne.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Roche pulled Accutane from the US in 2009 but is still selling it elsewhere. Generic isotretinoin is available by prescription in the US.

Yikes, really?! I took it in the mid to late 90s. Is there anything I should know about?

I took Accutane in the mid 80s and compared notes with a friend who has taken Accutane. There are some side affects "while taking the drug," and major warnings about getting pregnant. The extreme vitamin A levels will cause serious birth defects.

Here's the only permanent side affect that my friend and I experienced- diminished night vision. I never could realize why I seemed to have more difficulty driving at night, especially in rain until my friend told me it was a side affect from the elevated levels of Vit. A from accutane. If you don't have this issue, it might only be experienced by some people. Another friend who took accutane at the same time, claims she has never lost any night vision. Other than what I mentioned- we're all otherwise healthy.

I have never had any other side affect and the night vision issue is minor (and the only vision loss)-- strangely worth getting through teen acne.

I would add that if your son or daughter is interested in a career in military or commercial piloting- they should consider the potential side affects of dermatology drugs that *may* affect vision. I just read an article (scientific journal- not quackery) that it can be an issue for these kinds of careers.

[Anonymous]

Accutane was the only med that worked for my DD when she was 18 after five years of various topical and oral treatments.

PLEASE be extra careful with dental care while on Accutane. The med dries you out and your saliva is minimized (my DD constantly had to reapply lip balm). After six months of Accutane (and monthly pregnancy tests!), her face was finally clear of acne, but she had her first cavities...12 of them.

It was an expensive process, but overall a good one. Once her regular saliva production resumed, her teeth went back to being strong and healthy.

[Anonymous]

I have money but I still can't truly get rid of my acne.

[Anonymous]

My brother became severely depressed from taking Accutane. Once he came off it, the depression lifted. He has had depression ever since (now in his 30s). I don't think the Accutane single handed caused his depression but it certainly precipitated it and increased the severity.

If you have a history of depression in your family I would be very cautious.