Acne help for teen!

[Anonymous]

Proactiv is the only thing that works for me and it works fast

[Anonymous]

I agree with all the advice about a derm. Also the Aztec clay mask with apple cider vinager is a miracle worker in the short term. Signed - someone who gave up dairy (it helps), uses prescription sulfur face wash, Retin-a, and antibiotic cream.

[Anonymous]

I developed acne after the birth of my youngest. Not sure how far away you are from old town, but Sara Akram has a facial person that specializes in acne. She works magic. It’s not cheap & includes chemical peels but has made a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just putting this out there.

My DD had three Accutane failures. She did some research and thought it might be a hormonal thing. so we went to an OB/Gyn, who said PCOS and took a hormone blood draw. DD had testosterone over 100. She began taking spironalactone and now has only the very occasional flare up. Almost nothing else will help if it's high testosterone, except sometimes BC (only particular brands) can work (didn't for DD).

Think about getting your DD tested--we could have avoided seven years of misery if we had done this early on.

That is what worked for mine. We didn’t do a blood draw, we did it on a trial basis and it was miraculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with all the advice about a derm. Also the Aztec clay mask with apple cider vinager is a miracle worker in the short term. Signed - someone who gave up dairy (it helps), uses prescription sulfur face wash, Retin-a, and antibiotic cream.

I second this advice. Make a toner of 1/3 Braggs apple cider vinegar and 3/4 water. Use morning and night. It really helps.

[Anonymous]

My DD did Acutane. She had to be on birth control, had to log onto a site and answer questions about birth control and/or celibacy and have a pregnancy test before they renewed it. It took awhile to work, but it was all worth it. This was about 6 years ago and she has an occasional pimple, but nothing looks like the cysts she had previously. I felt so awful for her as her self esteem took a hit at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your ped to call in an rx for antibiotics and buy a bunch of those circle things you leave on overnight

Yes, hydrocolloidal patches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Panoxyl. You can get it at Walmart or Harris Teeter. It cleared DH face right up, he used to have a lot of acne.

Are you talking about the wash? Did he use anything else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just putting this out there.

My DD had three Accutane failures. She did some research and thought it might be a hormonal thing. so we went to an OB/Gyn, who said PCOS and took a hormone blood draw. DD had testosterone over 100. She began taking spironalactone and now has only the very occasional flare up. Almost nothing else will help if it's high testosterone, except sometimes BC (only particular brands) can work (didn't for DD).

Think about getting your DD tested--we could have avoided seven years of misery if we had done this early on.

Will a dermatologist test hormones, or do you need to go to an obgyn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just putting this out there.

My DD had three Accutane failures. She did some research and thought it might be a hormonal thing. so we went to an OB/Gyn, who said PCOS and took a hormone blood draw. DD had testosterone over 100. She began taking spironalactone and now has only the very occasional flare up. Almost nothing else will help if it's high testosterone, except sometimes BC (only particular brands) can work (didn't for DD).

Think about getting your DD tested--we could have avoided seven years of misery if we had done this early on.

Will a dermatologist test hormones, or do you need to go to an obgyn?

You don't need testing to have it prescribed by a dermatologist. It doesn't dry you out like Accutane does, and the side effects are safer. My daughter's face looked just like this person (and improved just as much) https://www.allure.com/story/spironolactone-womans-cystic-acne-treatment-before-after-photos

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just putting this out there.

My DD had three Accutane failures. She did some research and thought it might be a hormonal thing. so we went to an OB/Gyn, who said PCOS and took a hormone blood draw. DD had testosterone over 100. She began taking spironalactone and now has only the very occasional flare up. Almost nothing else will help if it's high testosterone, except sometimes BC (only particular brands) can work (didn't for DD).

Think about getting your DD tested--we could have avoided seven years of misery if we had done this early on.

Will a dermatologist test hormones, or do you need to go to an obgyn?

You don't need testing to have it prescribed by a dermatologist. It doesn't dry you out like Accutane does, and the side effects are safer. My daughter's face looked just like this person (and improved just as much) https://www.allure.com/story/spironolactone-womans-cystic-acne-treatment-before-after-photos

Is your daughter still on the drug or was she able to stop and not have the acne return?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I developed acne after the birth of my youngest. Not sure how far away you are from old town, but Sara Akram has a facial person that specializes in acne. She works magic. It’s not cheap & includes chemical peels but has made a huge difference.

Thanks for this recommendation! I've battled acne all my life (and have 65 year old parents who still get cystic zits, so don't think the battle is ending anytime soon!) and while it is mostly under control with prescriptions and chemical peels from the dermatologist, I am always looking to supplement with the occasional facial. I'll check out Sara Akram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I developed acne after the birth of my youngest. Not sure how far away you are from old town, but Sara Akram has a facial person that specializes in acne. She works magic. It’s not cheap & includes chemical peels but has made a huge difference.

Thanks for this recommendation! I've battled acne all my life (and have 65 year old parents who still get cystic zits, so don't think the battle is ending anytime soon!) and while it is mostly under control with prescriptions and chemical peels from the dermatologist, I am always looking to supplement with the occasional facial. I'll check out Sara Akram.

I’m the PP and the acne facials there really do work. They somehow get my cystic acne to the surface & it dries out. My face definitely looks irritated about a day or 2 after i go and then it all clears up. Its amazing! I go about every 4-6 weeks and was thinking maybe my acne had subsided so went 8 weeks this summer and started to break out again. I went back for my August one and face is looking good again. I also really like the products they suggest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the short term, go to a derm that also has facials etc. Get a facial and ask the derm for a quick solution that can get her though day 1.

Antibiotics are usually a good, quick, temporary solution.

I have heard numerous times, that it's not good to use antibiotics because it leads to bacterial resistance. Considering that it's only a temporary solution anyway, I have no idea why dermatologists even prescribe them. Does anyone know the answer to this?

I think it is to resolve the acute flare up going on. Once it clears and abx stopped, and new regimen is started, hopefully the large flare ups would be prevented.

We stopped the abx and it was back to square 1. So this did not help at all.