Need budget ideas for treating teen boy acne.

[Egdisney]

Just washing his face every night before going to bed will do wonders. When my son actually listens to his mother, his face looks so much better.

If only it were that easy for everyone, because it's not.

 

[elphaba91]

I haven't used this as my teen has, what I'd consider to be mild/normal breakouts, but have you priced out proactive? I've heard good things about it, but we haven't tried it.

Proactive is just 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. You can find much cheaper ones in the pharmacy and they go up to 10%. Beware though - you'd need to get him all white towels and sheets as it bleaches.

However, if he's tried a lot of the strong chemicals already I would look at something gentler as the benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc. might be making things worse. I suddenly started breaking out in my late teens/early 20s and tried everything including Proactive and a prescription cream. When I changed to a totally natural product called Sukin (doubt it's available in the U.S. unfortunately) my skin suddenly cleared up. The Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser (and the wipes) also works well for me.

 

[Madteaparty001]

An easy thing that can help a lot is putting a clean towel on his pillow. It helps with over night breakouts. Do not sleep on the same side 2 times in a row as that defeats the purpose, sleep on one side, flip, sleep, wash. Two things contribute to acne, DNA and diet. Some people are just prone to breakouts, medication is really the only cure for that. Diet however can be tweaked, many things can set off breakouts fatty foods, greasy foods, sugar, I've even seen dairy cause some teenagers to break out. Elimination diet will be your best bet here. Also if your son has oily skin blotting paper might be a good thing to keep on him so he can use it on the go.

Moisturizing is something a lot of people forget about, they wash and wash and wash and wonder why the acne keeps showing up. The more you wash and use harsh products like acid the more you dry your skin out, this causes the body to produce more oil which in turn traps more dirt in the pores which creates more acne. He should moisturize after he washes his face. I've heard good things about face washes with tea tree oil and moisturizers with olive oil. Witch Hazel also makes a great astringent and is cheap (it's also one of the main ingredients in proactive).

 

[SGMCO]

We tried everything when my DS had terrible acne and nothing over the counter worked, I was so worried about scaring so we bit the bullet and went to the Dermatologist, it was the best decision we ever made. His face finally cleared and he didn't get scares. We had so many of our friends ask us what we did to clear his face up, it was that noticeable. His friend did not go to the DR. and he is left with pits in his skin, I feel so sorry for him.

 

[disneyfor3]

My son is almost 15. He started getting acne two years ago. I took him to a dermatologist. Best decision we could have made. He was prescribed a cream and she also discussed his skin with him. I thought he had blackheads because of not washing well but she said that is his skin adjusting to his growth and will take care of itself over time. It had nothing to do with hygiene. She prescribed a prescription cream and we got a coupon with it so it made it very affordable. My whole family uses Dove as a facial soap and body soap per the dermatologist recommendations. He started getting some cystic acne about 9 months ago which are those really deep boils on the sides of his face. She prescribed trimethorpin, an antibiotic. She said the cystic acne would cause scarring and it was very painful for him to the touch. The trimethorpin has done wonders in clearing it up. His skin is looking pretty good with occasional breakouts now.

 

[1983DisneyFanatic]

Epiduo worked really well for me.

 

[McKelly]

Both of my kids had terrible acne - both on face and back. I swear I tried every OTC, changed the pillowcases nightly, bought the Norwex washcloths, bought a Mia, tried Proactive etc. NOTHING worked. Went to the dermatologist, put them on Accutane immediately. Worked great. Clear skin, although they both have some scarring on their back yet. I wish I would have taken them to the dermatologist sooner. Prescription meds were cheaper because of insurance.

 

[ajwolfe]

Our ped was able to prescribe a cream that has really helped DS with his breakouts. So you might try that route first if that makes you more comfortable. I can't remember the name of it right off hand but remember it has peroxide and an antibiotic in it.

 

[Shmily1]

Check the Perfectly Posh items. They have great items that could help.

 

[WildGinger]

This soap worked wonders for me. I would give it a try. It is only $7 and my skin has never looked so great.

http://basin.com/tea-tree-soap/