Suggestions? Acne Treatment for my son

[sseason]

Different things are going to work for different people. Acne can be caused by many different things, so each person will have to go through a couple different products before they find one that works.

I use Murad’s acne line myself. I like it because it is a complete treatment that isn’t harsh on my skin. It has a wash, a toner, a spot-treatment, and a gentle lotion.

murad.com/acne-products.html

Tell your son that I know what he feels like, I’ve had acne since I was at least 12 years old, and now I’m 19, and it’s only starting to kind of clear up, thanks to the Murad treatment. At least, as a female, I can wear a bit of make-up to cover it up!

I agree. It’s different for everyone. In anycase I think that all of the topical treatments will only reduce some of the problems. My belief is that the main issue is hormones. I am 32 and have had issues with acne. It has increased the past few months dramatically. And I have been tested and my hormones are off balance. It’s the same thing with teenagers going through puberty. And also stress…stress totally throws your hormones off, causing many different side affects. Some people are prone to acne and some are not.
So I would try some of the suggested treatments. But for the most part I think he has to wait it out. And if it goes into adulthood, he may need his hormones tested. (Endocrinologist if possible).
Peace to you and your son. …Acne is no fun!! I’m experiencing it myself …

 

[Island_Oak]

We’ve entered the world of teens and acne. Have had some success with Neutragena “On the Spot” acne treatment. Comes in a small tube at any Walgreen’s/Rite Aid. Our outbreaks are infrequent and not very severe, so this may or may not be effective, but it is not harsh and has helped our girls.

 

[raindr0ps]

It really depends on the person.

Be careful if you’re using products with benxyol peroxide. If his face turns red- stop using it. He may be allergic, and does not help the situation at all.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

It really depends on the person.

Be careful if you’re using products with benxyol peroxide. If his face turns red- stop using it. He may be allergic, and does not help the situation at all.

So true!
If you are looking at something like Proactive, they do carry salicylic acid products. I cannot seem to find it on the site, but I know the mall kiosk carts have it.

 

[sseason]

So true!
If you are looking at something like Proactive, they do carry salicylic acid products. I cannot seem to find it on the site, but I know the mall kiosk carts have it.

Walgreens and any grocery store or Walmart/target will have salicylic acid products. Nuetrogena makes a face wash and I use the generic Walgreens version of it. Salicylic is so much better “for me” than benzoyle peroxide. It’s not as drying. Salicylic acid comes from oranges and lemmons…I’ve been meaning to try rubbing fresh lemmons on my face and see what happens. ?

 

[Cat]

Don’t wait it out. Go to the doctor. If the doctor isn’t helpful, go to a different doctor. I’ve worked in a microbiology lab for almost 30 years, and I can assure you that there are dermatologists who are competent and those who are not.

The reason you shouldn’t wait it out is that any time you have an open sore, you are at much greater risk for acquiring a super-infection of MRSA. Many people carry MRSA in their nose–it doesn’t hurt them, they’re just colonized with it and it leaves them alone as long as it stays safely in the nose.

But if the MRSA gets into one of those acne pustules and then gets into the bloodstream, you’re looking at a potentially deadly infection. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a healthy, strong, teenaged boy.

Don’t take a chance. GET the acne treated. I believe that the best treatment is antibiotics, since acne is the manifestation of an ACTIVE INFECTION, and the treatment for infections is antibiotics. The problem is, some acne infections are harder to wipe out than others, and people get discouraged and give up on the antibiotics, and then they inadvertantly allow the resistant bacteria to survive and get an even stronger hold on the face and then it’s even tougher to find a good antibiotic! And sometimes, antibiotics just don’t work. No reason–they just don’t do it. I wish they did.

The other issue with leaving acne alone is scarring. My older daughter has struggled with acne for all of her adult life. She has scarring. It can probably be fixed with plastic surgery, but her health insurance doesn’t cover that kind of surgery.

BTW, after many rounds of ineffective antibiotics, her dermatologist recommended accutane, but a woman has to take oral contraceptives in order to take accutane, and she refuses. Yet another reason to hate ABC.

 

[queen_anne78]

BTW, after many rounds of ineffective antibiotics, her dermatologist recommended accutane, but a woman has to take oral contraceptives in order to take accutane, and she refuses. Yet another reason to hate ABC.

ugh EVERY dermatologist I’ve been to recently has wanted to put me on acutane and ABC Even though I’ve never had bad acne up until a few months ago right around when G turned a year old…can we say hormones anyone??? I am going to see a naturopathic dr b/c she seems to be the only person who won’t throw a bunch of chemicals at me.

I feel for your son, OP. I hope he finds something that works. I drink about 100 oz of water a day (seriously…3 big Nalgene bottles) and that’s the only thing that seems to make a small difference.

 

[pumpkinbeast]

BTW, after many rounds of ineffective antibiotics, her dermatologist recommended accutane, but a woman has to take oral contraceptives in order to take accutane, and she refuses. Yet another reason to hate ABC.

Another poster, not sure who, got around this by saying she would use abstinence and the morning-after pills. That satisfies the drug regulators, and there would be no need to take the morning after pills because you would be abstaining!

 

[Nickkname]

My 15 year old son has had acne for the past two years and in
the last few months it has gotten worse. We did take him to the
doctor for this but the treatment he suggested would cost more
than we could afford (I can’t remember the exact cost now, but it
would be over $100.00 a month!).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have gotten him
some products in the past that had several steps in the treatment
and he had to do it twice a day which he didn’t always do, yet
the problem really upsets him. I noticed it got worse when school started back, he does get stressed out at times as he has always
suffered from school anxiety to some degree or another.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Pray and trust in God.

 

[newf]

BTW, after many rounds of ineffective antibiotics, her dermatologist recommended accutane, but a woman has to take oral contraceptives in order to take accutane, and she refuses. Yet another reason to hate ABC.

Hi guys, it was me who put my daughter on Accutane using abstinence and the morning after pill (which we knew we’d never use). I also had to sign a bunch of stuff that said “she will not get pregnant, she will not get pregnant, she will not get pregnant…”

We did this 4 yrs. ago and she still looks great today. No problems. No regrets. This was the best thing we did for her acne. I have friends and family who have been on it, it has made a significant difference in all cases.

Obviously, you cannot be sexually active while on it as there can be birth defects for a baby. But once you stop taking it, it goes out of your system.

It’s a drug to try after other things don’t work. I had my dtr. on this during her last year of high school. I wanted her at home while going through the process in case there were problems, I could be with her. Didn’t want her away at school. As it turns out, it was a breeze. The only side effect was chapped lips that went away when off the drug.

 

[eliza3b]

I have cystic acne. I’ve had this condition since I was a teenager. I’m now 42. It comes and goes and during big hormonal fluctuations like pregnancy or nursing, it tends to get worse. It has been stable for the past few years and I rarely have a bad break out anymore.

This is what works for me:

1. Daily intake of low dosage antibiotics such as tetracycline.
2. Going to the derm as soon as a zit appears and having the derm nuke it with cortizone shots.
3. Keeping your hands off your face and using a mild cleanser.

The rest of the stuff, like diet, exercise, water isn’t going to do much for a bad case of cystic acne.

The only advise I have is to stay on top of his acne. Low dosage tetracycline or generic antibiotics will not break the bank. It’s a chronic condition and has to be treated as such. Start with the meds than work on his hygiene. The infection is from deep inside his pores, it’s not topical.

 

[newf]

I have cystic acne. I’ve had this condition since I was a teenager. I’m now 42. It comes and goes and during big hormonal fluctuations like pregnancy or nursing, it tends to get worse. It has been stable for the past few years and I rarely have a bad break out anymore.

This is what works for me:

1. Daily intake of low dosage antibiotics such as tetracycline.
2. Going to the derm as soon as a zit appears and having the derm nuke it with cortizone shots.
3. Keeping your hands off your face and using a mild cleanser.

The rest of the stuff, like diet, exercise, water isn’t going to do much for a bad case of cystic acne.

The only advise I have is to stay on top of his acne. Low dosage tetracycline or generic antibiotics will not break the bank. It’s a chronic condition and has to be treated as such. Start with the meds than work on his hygiene. The infection is from deep inside his pores, it’s not topical.

Eliza, you are right this kind of cystic acne is deep inside the pores. My daughter had that and that is what Accutane deals with. We also did tetracycline with my daughter…btw, she took that drug without water and managed to burn a hole in her esophagus…but that’s another thread…anyway, acne is a hard thing to bear. My heart goes out to all of you who deal with this. It’s really hard.

 

[KingAlfred]

My 15 year old son has had acne for the past two years and in
the last few months it has gotten worse. We did take him to the
doctor for this but the treatment he suggested would cost more
than we could afford (I can’t remember the exact cost now, but it
would be over $100.00 a month!).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have gotten him
some products in the past that had several steps in the treatment
and he had to do it twice a day which he didn’t always do, yet
the problem really upsets him. I noticed it got worse when school started back, he does get stressed out at times as he has always
suffered from school anxiety to some degree or another.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

I had bad acne in high school. When I finally went to a doc, he made the observation that my skin was quite greasy and that I wasn’t washing my face properly. He told me to lather up with normal soap, and gently wash my entire wash face twice each time. I was then to repeat the process four times a day. I was not to use any of the ultra-toxic OTC stuff on the market. For the first time in years, my face cleared up almost immediately and stayed that way.

 

[Donna_Mc]

I just wanted to thank everyone again for all the suggestions, I
really appreciate it!

 

[bluerose]

My son is almost fifteen and has been on Accutane/Claravis for the last five months. His doctor is hoping that two more months of treatment will be all he needs and the acne will be GONE FOR GOOD!

He tried topical treatments, antibiotics and dietary changes for a full year because the doctor did not want to prescribe the Accutane if something else would work. Nothing worked. The doctor tried EVERYTHING before he recommended the Accutane treatment. Of course, it’s intensive therapy (monthly blood tests are required) and I have to drive 80 miles to the nearest pediatric dermatologist once a month, but my son is so determined to get rid of his acne (at thirteen, he was already starting to show some signs of scarring) and has been VERY disciplined. In addition to the claravis, he also takes an antibiotic twice a day (to prevent infections), a vitamin E tablet, and uses CeraVe moisturizing lotion ($12 at Walgreens, but it works great and doesn’t smell “girly”!)

I pray this will be over with soon, but I have seen a big difference in the last month (it usually takes a few months before the treatment shows any improvement… it looks worse right after you start!) and I hope this takes care of the problem for good!

 

[MakeUpArtist]

BTW, after many rounds of ineffective antibiotics, her dermatologist recommended accutane, but a woman has to take oral contraceptives in order to take accutane, and she refuses. Yet another reason to hate ABC.

I took Accutane, and I didn’t have to take oral contraceptives. If you say you’re abstinent and have a negative pregnancy test they’ll usually prescribe it.