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Teen acne???

tkradtke

tkradtke

Professional Brainstormer
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Dec 28, 2009
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I'm not sure where else to turn to help... so I'll ask here! :-)

Okay... so my son, 16, has perfect skin, not a blemish on it. My poor daughter, 14, didn't get the perfect skin gene. Her skin isn't bad, just a constant collection of bumps in the t-zone and cheeks. No big blemishes, just little ones. She's very active (dances approx. 15-20 hours a week) and not a big girly girl who is into skin products and make-up.

So my question is, what do you think the best course of action is for her, do you have any products you would recommend? Would seeing a dermatologist be worth it? I did take her to have a facial and get some recommendations, but I feel like everyone I talk to with a connection to skin care thinks their products are the answer. I can't buy it all and I hate spending the money on things that don't work. When I was a teen, I was religious about washing my face at night, but she's so tired after dance that I know she's not most nights (she showers in the morning). She does have a Clarisonic that she tells me she uses in the shower.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
 
My two granddaughters and one (now 21 yo) grandson have had acne issues -not terrible - and all have gone to the same dermatologist which I think caught it in the bud. I know they have had prescriptions which have done a remarkable job (almost no scarring). I'll ask my daughter in law what they've used.

It's good of you to help her and I think taking a quick shower at night might help a good bit, plus it can be relaxing for her and help her sleep. <-- not that that's an issue for most teenagers! ;)
 
I had mild acne as a teen and sporadic acne as an adult. In the past 8 months or so, my face went nutso and was breaking out all the time. I was like, geez, I'm 46!

I went through a lot of products, but finally ended up with Walgreens 3 Step Acne System. It's comparable to Proactiv. It was less than $10 (which is wonderful, because the Proactiv was $70). I noticed a difference in the first day of use. There is a cleanser that has a mild exfoliant in it, a toner, and the repair therapy. I used it twice a day at first, but quickly went down to once per day.

Here's the product (linked) in case you are interested.

 
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God bless my daughter in law! She is really quick in answering texts. I <3 her!

She said all three started with oral antibiotics and topical creams. My grandson also needed Accutane but the girls haven't. The dermatologist also recommended that the elder granddaughter start on birth control pills - probably at 14 (she's almost 17 now) and it really helped as well as for her irregular periods. The topical cream was Ziana she thinks.
 
I'd start with a dermatologist. The worst they can say is it's not a problem.

I wish we would've done that sooner for my son. I didn't bring him because he never washed his face, so why waste the money? We find out that it had nothing to do with hygiene, and he started a low antibiotic dose to get rid of it. Now he has scarring all over his face, and I feel so bad about it.
 
ProActiv.

I have had acne all my life. It's in the genes as my brother, uncle & 4 cousins all had/have bad acne, too. Plus, my brother, my cousins and I all drank milk as if we had a cow living in the backyard, which probably caused a lot of problems, too.

I have tried everything - every store-bought product, tetracycline, Accutane (twice, which I don't recommend but got rid of the worse of my acne), but I still have problems today. There is nothing else that works except Pro-Activ.

Not washing her face at night after dance practice is a huge no-no, and she must fight that with everything she has. If you have acne, you simply must wash your face every night. No exceptions! If she doesn't listen to you, call me & I will speak to her! It should be part of her nightly routine, before she puts on her PJs!

I don't use the 3-step system because it's too much for my skin, but it's something she needs to experiment with.

I use the ProActiv Deep Cleansing Wash (different from the cleanser in the 3-step system) morning & evening. In the morning I also apply the Oil-free Moisture. In the evening I apply the Green Tea Moisturizer. Most days this is enough for me, but I'm much older than her! If my face is bad, I will Wash + Treat (step 3) on specific spots before moisturizing. If it's a particularly hot & sweaty day, I clean my face mid-day with the Makeup Cleansing Wipes. In the evening, I may also Wash + Revitalizing Toner (2) + Tread (3) + green tea if it's been a really bad day & my face is a mess.

I also use the Replenishing Eye Serum, which I think is why people say I don't look tired even though I have chronic fatigue syndrome.

I buy everything straight from the kiosk at my local mall.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
 
Thanks so much for the replies! I'll definitely start looking for a dermatologist for her. My only reason for not doing that right away, is kind of like @QuiltyMom mentioned... I was trying to figure out how much of hers is just hygiene and how much of it is a real issue.
 
@MelanieB

Thanks so much for that info! I've always wondered if it was worth it. Are the wipes ProActiv too? I honestly would like for her to take off her makeup before she dances to see if that helps too. I have been thinking about getting her some wipes to keep in her dance bag. My biggest hurdle with all of this is just plain getting her to do it (I'll be sure and tell her that she'll hear from you if she doesn't... lol!). This may be our summer project as she starts high school in the fall... it would be nice for her to start her year with clear(er) skin.
 
One more question (at least for now) @MelanieB... does ProActiv bleach stuff? She had some stuff at one time that said "compare with ProActiv" that bleached stuff... she managed to bleach streaks in her towels and several shirts. She didn't know it bleached things and would just wipe her hands on her shirts :-/
 
The makeup cleansing wipes are ProActiv!

Does she wear makeup during the day? That could be causing acne, too. It's a tough situation - you use the makeup to cover up the acne, but the makeup could be making it worse. It's definitely a good idea to take it off before dancing, or use the makeup cleansing wipes directly after class to take off the makeup & sweat! But there is no substitution for washing your face before bed!!!

I've re-typed this message several times because I can't definitely answer if Pro-Activ bleaches stuff! Yes and no.

I had an incident once when I was at my friend's house. She gave me a bath towel to use, and it ended up with bleached spots on it! I was mortified & replaced the towel for her. Some of my washcloths ended up with bleach spots and some didn't. HOWEVER, this was 9 years ago, and they have changed the formula since then.

Also, I no longer use step 1 in the system, which I suspect was the bleaching culprit. I don't know if step 3 causes any bleaching. I always wash my hands afterwards anyways. My towels are white & my some of my pillowcases are white, but I also have navy blue sheets & pillowcases, and I have not seen any evidence of bleaching on them.

I hope that helps! Acne is no fun.
 
I took my son to the doctor and got low-grade anti-biotics and it made a little bit of difference. I took him to a dermatologist and she wanted to go with Accutane which has side effects and my son didn't want to take it. It boiled down to what he was willing to do about it, because he had to do it.
One thing he would do was Dove Extra Sensitive Body Wash which doesn't have things that actually irritate or block the pores. He also used Neosporin products for shower and face wash (or Walmart equivalents).
Sounds like if she doesn't like to wash her face at night, maybe the cleansing pads could be the answer because it isn't much work and it's better than nothing.
 
There's this stuff from Scotland it's called Germolene and my mother brings LOTS of it back when she visits. It works like a charm. I actually gave a tube to a friend who had really bad skin and it worked wonders on it. We have always used it and no one in our family has any acne issues. I know this isn't much help but perhaps if you know someone going to England or Scotland they can pick it up for you. It's really cheap.
 
I have bad adult acne (thanks to PCOS) and my daughter, who just turned 13, has had bad acne for about a year now. We use the Gender Bender bar from Perfectly Posh. I still have acne, but it has diminished quite a bit since using this. If you want a link to it, let me know :)
 
With 4 teenagers we kind of prepped for a million possible skin issues and have found things we use religiously. To be honest, all 4 were gifted with easy skin. Some easier than others but we haven't had any major skin stuffs. (you'd think they'd be grateful for their genetics. they aren't)

Whenever there's a hint of breakout or a couple zits sneak through (usually when it's nice out) we pull out whatever black face soap we have on hand. Our favorite for years was by an indie brand, Disturbing Potions, by their stock is iffy. It's pretty easy to find online, though. It dries them out in a snap. (and it's cheap)

For every day use we use Dr. Spillers Mild Cleansing Foam (all 6 of us). It's expensive but lasts forever. I think we've had our current big bottle for over a year. We also like the Dr. Spillers Acnoderm Roll-on for spot treatments. We also have an entire drawer stocked with Konjac sponges because they work without cleaner but do an amazing job. She might go for that because they're fuss free - you just wet it through and massage it around your face (and body if you want). The charcoal exfoliates, too.

I know what a drag it is to get a teenager to wash their face so we've mostly stuck with stuff that is as simple as soaping and rinsing. xo
 
We haven't done the Accutane route with my son just because he has a severe dislike of needles. With the Accutane treatments you need to get weekly blood tests, and he's balking at that. Otherwise when he ends the antibiotic rounds he has no other choice.

You might also want to see if it's something she's eating. I had adult acne until a few years ago when I had to severely change my diet for health reasons. Now my skin is clear for the first time in my life (I'm in my 50s), and I do believe it was the removal of either gluten and/or dairy that did it. It's just something to ask her doctor the next time she sees him/her.
 
I'll put in my two cents in. I was a medical assistant in dermatology for 12 years, now I'm in Ophthalmology. I'm not specifically advising anything, just noting observations. Most patients with acne are prescribed things in steps. Mild acne usually starts off with finding the right face wash. Most of my doctors recommended Neutrogena. Some were given a nightly rx gel in conjunction. The next step, if that treatment fails, is antibiotics or birth control. Usually they're given doxycycline, minocycline, or orthotricycline. some teens love it, some teens hate it. The patients with really bad acne were put on Accutane. It's generally a five to six month treatment with lots of FDA hoops to jump through. A female must take a birth control quiz every month, cannot refill the medication any less than 30 days, must have a pregnancy test and be seen every 30 days. I witnessed amazing transformations. I also saw those same kids come back 1-2 years later. It's not perfect. If it's just t-zone bumps, try finding the right face wash. I like what Cheryl put up. I used Johnson & Johnson Clean & Clear from the time I was fifteen up until I switched to anti-aging products a few years ago. I even got my husband using it. I washed my face with morning burst in the shower, only used the astringent in the summer, & finished with sunscreen (which doubles as a moisturizer). She just needs to find what's right for her. Part of growing up means she'll need to change her routine. It takes about 5 minutes to wash your face, sweep on some toner, & slap on some sunscreen. Remind her she's beautiful no matter what. Good luck with everything.
 
Dermatologist! My now 17 year old did a year of meds, and his face is so clear! it is amazing..
my twins are 3 months in, and oh they look like they have cover up and the most gorgeous color on their cheeks. One pill a day and rx soaps and lotions. (Their dermatologist actually said, one of the major causes, is NOT using lotion, as the skin over produces to make up for the dryness).
but I love our Dermatologist, she is beyond precious!
 
Thanks for all of the replies! @jesskab I really appreciate seeing the steps of treatment you outlined. I think I'm going to approach this in steps as well. Once she's back from her class trip to DC, she has just one week left of dance before having a break until summer session. After she gets through that, I'll work with her to establish a routine for taking care of her skin. Next step will be to see a dermatologist after we see how things go with her actually following a routine.

jesskab said:
Remind her she's beautiful no matter what.
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This is something I really struggle with! That sounds worse than how I meant it. It's so hard at times to help them deal with things like this without making them feel self-conscious about them.
 
I have an 11 and 13 year old that sporadically break out. Sometimes their skin seems really clear and then it hits...I don't know if it correlates with that time of the month... We've been trying essential oils. Put some lemon drops on a cotton swab and apply to affected area after it's been washed. It really seems to be helping.
 
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