Anonymous
07/21/2025 11:15
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Correction: pimples in awkward *places.*
Anonymous
07/21/2025 11:14
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
I am sorry if your son has already tried this, but has he tried Tretinoin and/or Aczone? My 17yo uses these and it keeps the acne mostly under control. It still pops up occasionally (esp before her time of the month), but it is not an out-of-control situation like it used to be. I do commiserate about pimples in awkward please though: I swear my daughter kept getting repeat pimples right on the top of her nose all, year, long. :/ And even when they healed, it would still be a reddish mark there. :/
Anonymous
07/21/2025 10:36
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Has your derm mentioned the relationship of dairy products to acne? I wouldn’t force Accutane on your DS if he is not comfortable. For others, managing Accutane in college is very difficult due to monthly blood tests and derm appointments.
My kid had one blood test at the outset as a baseline, then one in the middle of treatment. That was it. It was not difficult to manage. His appointments were OL. Accutane was a godsend for him.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 10:25
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just turned 15 year old DS has pretty bad acne. It's not the cystic (scarring) kind but lots of pustules/whiteheads mostly in the t-zone. It honestly doesn't look great. Yet he has been stubbornly resistant to Accutane. I think he's anxious about frequent blood tests/painfully dry skin/other things he's seen online about depression or other side effects. I'm debating whether to pressure him to take it - I know it's a hard few months when you're on the drug, but then he'd look so much better. Thoughts?
I had ulcerative colitis from 23 to 33, when I had a total colectomy for cancer risk. There is no way I could be comfortable with myself if this happened to my kid after I had encouraged Accutane use. Those are my thoughts.
Is this a supposed side effect? Just trying to understand why it is interjected into this discussion.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 09:32
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:I took Accutane and was (wrongly, but still) only given one blood test, and just had to use Chapstick twice a day. Otherwise zero side effects.
I took it as an adult and it was easy, no big deal and barely felt any side effects and I'm very sensitive to everything.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 06:14
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just turned 15 year old DS has pretty bad acne. It's not the cystic (scarring) kind but lots of pustules/whiteheads mostly in the t-zone. It honestly doesn't look great. Yet he has been stubbornly resistant to Accutane. I think he's anxious about frequent blood tests/painfully dry skin/other things he's seen online about depression or other side effects. I'm debating whether to pressure him to take it - I know it's a hard few months when you're on the drug, but then he'd look so much better. Thoughts?
I had ulcerative colitis from 23 to 33, when I had a total colectomy for cancer risk. There is no way I could be comfortable with myself if this happened to my kid after I had encouraged Accutane use. Those are my thoughts.
I’m sorry this happened to you. Did you take Accutane? If so, can you share dose and duration? Thank you.
Anonymous
07/20/2025 23:32
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Just turned 15 year old DS has pretty bad acne. It's not the cystic (scarring) kind but lots of pustules/whiteheads mostly in the t-zone. It honestly doesn't look great. Yet he has been stubbornly resistant to Accutane. I think he's anxious about frequent blood tests/painfully dry skin/other things he's seen online about depression or other side effects. I'm debating whether to pressure him to take it - I know it's a hard few months when you're on the drug, but then he'd look so much better. Thoughts?
I had ulcerative colitis from 23 to 33, when I had a total colectomy for cancer risk. There is no way I could be comfortable with myself if this happened to my kid after I had encouraged Accutane use. Those are my thoughts.
Anonymous
07/20/2025 18:20
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Just turned 15 year old DS has pretty bad acne. It's not the cystic (scarring) kind but lots of pustules/whiteheads mostly in the t-zone. It honestly doesn't look great. Yet he has been stubbornly resistant to Accutane. I think he's anxious about frequent blood tests/painfully dry skin/other things he's seen online about depression or other side effects. I'm debating whether to pressure him to take it - I know it's a hard few months when you're on the drug, but then he'd look so much better. Thoughts?
Why are you trying to push drugs on your kid when he clearly doesn't want them and handling it to his satisfaction himself?? I mean seriously??
Anonymous
07/20/2025 14:07
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’d certainly try antibiotics first. They were helpful for my kid.
Same for my kid
I'll ask the derm at next visit. I did antibiotics for years as a kid and they didn't do a thing. But it's worth a try, I guess.
Anonymous
07/20/2025 13:44
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I believe Accutane is only used for the cystic type of acne. There are other treatments that should help non-cystic acne.
He's already tried every topical thing out there, and they don't help at all. It's hormonal. I had it too, unfortunately passed on my horrible genes
Did his dermatologist hear of doxycycline?
Anonymous
07/20/2025 13:13
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:I’d certainly try antibiotics first. They were helpful for my kid.
Same for my kid
Anonymous
07/20/2025 13:06
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
I’d certainly try antibiotics first. They were helpful for my kid.
Anonymous
07/20/2025 13:02
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What does he want to do? Is he fine with the state of his skin?
Has he tried routine acne facials or lasers?
I mean no one likes walking around with giant pimples on their face. I know he's interested in girls and I worry he feels unattractive (he won't discuss girls with me). He is super diligent about washing and creams. His skin gets easily irritated but the topical meds do nothing. It was the same for me when I had hormonal acne as a teen - I was bullied for being "dirty" when I spent hours trying every cleansing and topical treatment under the sun. It was heartbreaking for me.
Op you responded about yourself, your worries, and your experiences. It’s his skin and right now he’s refusing a treatment option recommended by his dermatologist.
So what does he want to do? Has he tried routine acne facials or lasers?
PP from earlier. I think teen girls are under more pressure to look pretty. Unless he is interested in the most image-oriented girls, I think most high-school girls are just happy to have boys romantically interested in them. Also "kids today" seem to be less bullying than when I was a kid. I was made fun of for my acne. I don't hear about that kind of thing much anymore. Weird behavior/social behavior still attracts negative attention but there is less about people's personal appearance that can't be helped. I think it's because they do explicit anti-bullying training.
This runs contrary to everything I've read about kids today + social media creating an easy outlet for bullying. They're removing phones from schools entirely in NYC this fall and that is cited as one of the major reasons.
Anonymous
07/20/2025 12:08
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What does he want to do? Is he fine with the state of his skin?
Has he tried routine acne facials or lasers?
I mean no one likes walking around with giant pimples on their face. I know he's interested in girls and I worry he feels unattractive (he won't discuss girls with me). He is super diligent about washing and creams. His skin gets easily irritated but the topical meds do nothing. It was the same for me when I had hormonal acne as a teen - I was bullied for being "dirty" when I spent hours trying every cleansing and topical treatment under the sun. It was heartbreaking for me.
Op you responded about yourself, your worries, and your experiences. It’s his skin and right now he’s refusing a treatment option recommended by his dermatologist.
So what does he want to do? Has he tried routine acne facials or lasers?
PP from earlier. I think teen girls are under more pressure to look pretty. Unless he is interested in the most image-oriented girls, I think most high-school girls are just happy to have boys romantically interested in them. Also "kids today" seem to be less bullying than when I was a kid. I was made fun of for my acne. I don't hear about that kind of thing much anymore. Weird behavior/social behavior still attracts negative attention but there is less about people's personal appearance that can't be helped. I think it's because they do explicit anti-bullying training.
It’s not less bullying, its less extreme/frequent acne because of more availability of acne meds and coverage of derms as standard medical copays. Our generation that suffered is more apt to jump on treatment the minute the first pimple shows up with our kids.
Anonymous
07/20/2025 12:01
Subject: Encouraging Accutane?
^antisocial