Teenagers

[JMD99]

My son is a typical 15 year old, he is getting a lot of pus filled spots which he is obviously very embarrassed about. He has a topical solution from the GP which is not great, so I have booked him another appointment to discuss medication. Anyway he tries to help himself and has been wearing a face mask a few times a week suitable for spotty skin.
I thought I would ask if any Geeks had any advice for him or tips that may help.
TIA
Jo

 

[gillian w]

Get him a good multivitamin because if anything like my teen son he doesn't eat properly.Also don't let him over cleanse I've bought my son liz Earles men's range cleanse and polish,wash,moisturiser and shave cream at Christmas and his skin is lovely at the mo.

 

[Bubba82]

When my acne was really bad, i found applying tea tree oil directly to the spots morn & eve really helped, also don't use any harsh products as the more you strip the skin the more sebum is produced and the more pores get blocked.

My Dr explained to me recently (a new dr) that acne feeds on hormones so the more hormone fluctuations the more food for the acne and unfortunately teenage years are a minefield for hormones i'm in my 30s now & have been battling with acne for 16yrs is it getting him down? If so def go back to the dr, they can prescribe a course of antibiotics, what topical lotion has he been prescribed? x

 

['chelle]

My 16 year old daughter suffers terribly. She ended up on roaccutaine which they said would be a permanent cure, but they've come back, so now she's deciding whether she wants a second go on it, because although it does work the side effects are pretty grim.

Her acne isnt too bad on her face, but its terrible on her body, especially her back, the spots can be painful and they leave scarring behind. She found that a very gentle body exfoliant helped, it was actually a facial exfoliant which obviously is gentler than a body one, it was a virgin vie one, and it seemed to help a little bit. My advice though would be to push your doctor for referral to a dermatologist for the roaccutaine because it really does the job, but doctors tend to want to prat about with cheaper alternatives like antibiotics before this, which is all well and good but meantime your child is gathering scars from the acne and is having their confidence knocked because of it. Despite the side effects I can recommend the roaccutaine

 

[PinkSwoon]

People can recommend all types of medication, products etc but you really have got to find out what's right for you, this is why doctors go through the motions and really try everything & only use roaccutane as a last resort, the side effects can be very dangerous & most people's acne can be controlled using other cheaper methods. It does sound like your son is suffering due to hormone fluctuations if the topical medication isn't working which is completely normal (this is why I suffer from acne too), it's most likely not working because it's the hormones actually triggering the acne, the topical cream isn't going to stop this but only treat the existing acne, unfortunately the bad thing about acne is that there is no quick fix so it might take a few months before you find out how to control it; please do remember there is no cure but it's very likely that once your sons hormones have calmed down, so will his skin. In the mean time make sure he looks after his skin! I regret getting angry with my skin for being so temperamental & would sit up for hours squeezing and picking which obviously did no good, the only skincare range I trust is Lush (obviously only a recommendation), it literally has performed somewhat of a miracle on my skin after I'd gotten my hormonal acne under control, I'd definitely go in and talk to an assistant. A great product I use to balance and calm my skin is a cleanser called Herbalism (by Lush), it's one of my holy grail products so you could look into it if you wish

I honestly wish you the best of luck, acne is such a hard thing to go through & no doubt watch a child go through, it's lovely that you're supporting him, I had nothing except 'YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT!' 'I think you're beautiful no matter what' instead of actually getting help x

 

[Bubba82]

Yeah roaccutane is not to be taken lightly! I did have a course of it & it did help but isn't a cure and isn't something you can take for a prolonged amount of time.

There are all sorts of products you can try and everyone will have product recommendations but i'd go back to the Dr and have a chat about his options and try the tea tree oil x

 

[squidgernetball]

Have a look at the Environ Bactive range alongside their Accumax supplement from ANP which has had fantastic results on teenage acne, acne rosacea and everything else in between. I have a lot of male clients on these products as they're not 'girly' and the supplements have worked wonders.

 

[JMD99]

Thank you so much for your replies.
It's Zinerette he is using at the moment, I hadn't even thought it will only treat what's there not what's coming!
He has an appointment 3rd of April so fingers crossed. I will discuss all your recommendations with him this weekend
I know it's part of growing up but it bothers him and I want to try and help.
Thank you all again for taking the time it means a lot.
Jo

 

[Maz101]

Both mine had spot problems and were given either cream or tablets that really helped from the GP, both are not here or I would ask what it's was, they are now nearly 19 and nearly 21 and spot free, but they said the GP saved their lives, that's how they felt, so hard at that age.

 

[smallandcute]

First of the bactieria that causes the acne feeds off lack of oxygen in the skin and thus multiplying causing the acne so a good course of oxygen treatments is a wise move. As others have said ensure the sufferers diet is in balance and not lacking in vits and minerals or too restrictive such as vegan or they wont eat fruit and veg only liking one or two fruit or veg doesnt count they have to like the majority or get liking. I have also done some academic research on the subject and green and blue algae is supposed to be highly benefical taken as a supplement and applied topically as a mask a couple of times a week as it encourages oxygen to all cells of the body, this can be purchased at health food shops like holland and barrett. With skincare products make sure they are as gentle as possible and in the ph range of 4.5-5 so the acid mantle is not disrupted. Massage is also a good idea as its gentle on the skin and brings in oxygen too.

 

[souz]

my 15 year old suffers with bad skin also and we have worked our way through products such as liz earle, elemis, dermalogica etc and at the moment he is getting better results from a cheap range they do in asda specially for teenage skin. The moisturiser is matt free and keeps the shine away from his face more than other products have.

Try not to let him do too many face packs and make sure they relevant to his skin. The more he cleanses the more sebum he will produce. Its like as he is removing the oil his body will over produce more to compensate.

Try baby wipes also and a moisturiser xx

 

[blossom]

I've heard from several sources that cutting sugar out helps no end, including fruit. Low sugar is not your standard teen diet though lol but might be worth a shot . . . no appointment necessary and it is free!

 

[squidgernetball]

Please don't try baby wipes. All wipes - face and baby - are loaded with chemicals to keep them moist and stop them growing bacteria. Using a Visia machine you can actually tell who uses wipes as their skin is often stripped of the healthy bacteria we need to protect us from infection!

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Just to say for any ladies getting acne a friend of mine suffered terribly. She had it all over her face chest and back and was in pain with it and was teased for it too. She was put on the contraceptive pill dianette and its changed her life. It has cleared up almost completely, yeah she has scarring but no longer feels dirty and in pain. Ask your doctor about it if your a lady or girl suffering. She tried all creams and antibiotics and nothing worked until dianette xxxx

 

[Bubba82]

I used to be on dianette and it does help, it's actually an acne treatment and a side effect of it is it works as a contraceptive (my drs words) it's not a contraception you should stay on for a long time as there is a high risk of thrombosis with it, so i got changed to yasmin contraceptive pill which helps with acne also