Teenage Acne Treatment

[kj2mom]

My now 13 year old son has had issues for years. We have been going to a derm, he takes an oral antibiotic and also uses tretinoin and clindamycin but it is still a struggle. We just got back from Disney last week and I am seeing a bit of improvement..........I wonder if milk has something to do with it? He didn't drink much milk while we were gone??

Our derm has been suggesting accutane but we have been putting it off. He has given me all of the warning info and is okay with me saying no but does say after the 6 months he will probably never have to deal with this again (his face is very bad and will suffer life long effects of the constant acne). I am soon going to have to make the decision for real I think because my heart breaks for my poor son who is going into 8th grade and already been dealing with this for 3 or 4 years.

 

[Cadiewampus]

My now 13 year old son has had issues for years. We have been going to a derm, he takes an oral antibiotic and also uses tretinoin and clindamycin but it is still a struggle. We just got back from Disney last week and I am seeing a bit of improvement..........I wonder if milk has something to do with it? He didn't drink much milk while we were gone??

Our derm has been suggesting accutane but we have been putting it off. He has given me all of the warning info and is okay with me saying no but does say after the 6 months he will probably never have to deal with this again (his face is very bad and will suffer life long effects of the constant acne). I am soon going to have to make the decision for real I think because my heart breaks for my poor son who is going into 8th grade and already been dealing with this for 3 or 4 years.

I feel for your son as mine was there. The good thing about Accutane is it not only cleared up his acne and stopped further breakouts it also cleared up some scars he had from previous acne bouts.

 

[lovin'fl]

And what I was told by dermatologist is that if one gets acne as a kid/teen it will go away eventually (though stinks to have it during school years) but if one gets acne as an adult (like me, when I was about 22 I started getting it) then it's for life (and I am now 42 and still have it).

 

[kj2mom]

I feel for your son as mine was there. The good thing about Accutane is it not only cleared up his acne and stopped further breakouts it also cleared up some scars he had from previous acne bouts.

Thanks! I should probably just give the go ahead and do it but my son does not handle blood draws well and having to have the constant draws to check for liver issues could be traumatizing. Ughhh parental decisions sometimes!!!!

 

[si-am]

My now 13 year old son has had issues for years. We have been going to a derm, he takes an oral antibiotic and also uses tretinoin and clindamycin but it is still a struggle. We just got back from Disney last week and I am seeing a bit of improvement..........I wonder if milk has something to do with it? He didn't drink much milk while we were gone??

Our derm has been suggesting accutane but we have been putting it off. He has given me all of the warning info and is okay with me saying no but does say after the 6 months he will probably never have to deal with this again (his face is very bad and will suffer life long effects of the constant acne). I am soon going to have to make the decision for real I think because my heart breaks for my poor son who is going into 8th grade and already been dealing with this for 3 or 4 years.

I went on Accutane at 22 after years of constant acne that wouldn't clear. In my teens, I had been to three dermatologists and tried EVERYTHING, countless pills and creams and ultra-violet light treatments and diets, and nothing worked until Accutane.

For me, it was a miracle drug, but the mood swings I experienced on it were scary. I lost a couple of good friends during that time because I was a nightmare to live with-- it wasn't til a few years later that the research on emotional/psychological side effects of this drug really started hitting the news.

Still... I'd do it over again. My skin has been clear ever since (almost 20 years later). I was only on the Accutane for 3 months.

 

[lovewdwdvc]

Start with your family physician and head to dermatologist if the family physician does not work. I am a mom of 4: two went to family physician, one to dermatologist and one had no problem with acne.

 

[kj2mom]

I went on Accutane at 22 after years of constant acne that wouldn't clear. In my teens, I had been to three dermatologists and tried EVERYTHING, countless pills and creams and ultra-violet light treatments and diets, and nothing worked until Accutane.

For me, it was a miracle drug, but the mood swings I experienced on it were scary. I lost a couple of good friends during that time because I was a nightmare to live with-- it wasn't til a few years later that the research on emotional/psychological side effects of this drug really started hitting the news.

Still... I'd do it over again. My skin has been clear ever since (almost 20 years later). I was only on the Accutane for 3 months.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience, that is great info to have. I am sorry to hear all you have gone through but glad to hear they are connecting the dots and things are good for you now.

 

[Dizlvr]

Thanks! I should probably just give the go ahead and do it but my son does not handle blood draws well and having to have the constant draws to check for liver issues could be traumatizing. Ughhh parental decisions sometimes!!!!

My dd did 7 months of accutane and as a female had to get blood drawn every month. She did not handle the first or second time very well but by the end of her treatment she was an old pro.
We did not take the decision lightly, but she had tried everything else for years with no results. Accutane was the last resort and it worked wonders. She still has some pink that is fading, but she has been off it for a little over a month and she hasn't had a pimple since. It was the best decision for her and I wish we had tried it sooner rather than later.

 

[kj2mom]

My dd did 7 months of accutane and as a female had to get blood drawn every month. She did not handle the first or second time very well but by the end of her treatment she was an old pro.
We did not take the decision lightly, but she had tried everything else for years with no results. Accutane was the last resort and it worked wonders. She still has some pink that is fading, but she has been off it for a little over a month and she hasn't had a pimple since. It was the best decision for her and I wish we had tried it sooner rather than later.

Thank you also for sharing, I too feel like we have tried everything and nothing works, poor kid! I will take your regret of not starting sooner to heart as if we do start we will need to start Sept/Oct because of the sun sensitivity and him being a red head!

 

[FTM22]

Not a fan of Accutane for the possible emotional issues in the mood swings. There are many things to try first. We tried one dermatologist who was set on oral antibiotics (ineffective) and then Accutane. We called a mental health provider to ask if there was someone that office would recommend. Got a referral to a younger dermatologist who was definitely out of the Accutane camp except as last resort. Good results from a wash, antibiotic wipes, an anti yeast med, and possibly a topical retinoid (not tried yet). Don't let someone push you into Accutane without at least a second opinion. Very glad we sought one.

 

[sersee05]

Another vote for derm. My daughter had issues and was told hers wasnt responding to over the counter because of the type of acne. I can't remember what they put her on face wise. But she was also told to use dove and cetaphil moisturizer. She needed to be put on an oral antibiotic eventually. It worked though and she was happy..

 

[Lintasare]

I am adult and have recently started to break out again. It was so bad at one point you could play connect the dots on my cheeks. What helped me was Noxema, the original cleanser. It has a strong astringent smell but it worked. Then I switched to Dermalogicas Skin Clearing Wash from their Medibac line. I use it in the morning with my Clairsonic and follow with a spritz of toner. In the evening I use a gentler oil cleanser. My breakouts have improved dramatically.

I also have started getting facials every 4-6 weeks. It helps clear my pores and removes dead skin which can clog pores and removes excess oils.

 

[bethy]

Dermatologist. There are many types of acne and treatments and each person is different. For my DD the key has been a combo of Retin-A and prescription Aczone. It takes 2-3 months for the skin to turnover and see the effects. She also cleans with a Clarisonic and applies moisturizer. Also DD is an athlete so she has to get the sweat off as soon as possible after her games and workouts.

I was personally very glad we got to avoid oral antibiotics - those make me nervous when taken on an ongoing basis.

The key for any acne treatment seems to be constancy which is probably hard for most teens.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

DS16 has been dealing with acne for about three years. We tried all of the over-the-counter products, including Proactive. After about a year, we asked his pediatrician about it. He put him on clindamycin the mornings and Retin-A at night. The doctor said the combination should be successful, but he was supposed to wash his face every night before applying the Retin-A. I know DS was using the clindamycin since it left white streaks when it dried. Sometimes I would help him brush off the excess with a tissue before he left for school. I'm not sure if he was washing his face every night and using the Retin-A. He said he was doing it "when he remembered." Compliance by the kids is really important. Otherwise we can't say that something isn't working. A few month ago, his face was looking pretty bad so I got him a Clearasil kit (10% benzoyl peroxide). It came with a cleanser and a cream. I told him to use it day and night without fail. I guess it's easier since it's summer and he's off school. I think he's been using it consistently because his face has been looking a lot better lately. I hope he can continue the habit of using it when school starts.

One thing the pediatrician warned against was cleansing the skin with any kind of brush or even a washcloth. He said if you rub too hard, you're going to break the sebaceous glands which release bacteria under the skin. He recommended cleansing gently with the fingers. You're trying to remove the dirt and oil on the surface, while the cream you apply after cleansing will penetrate and take care of the stuff underneath.

 

[Usandthe4kids]

Just to share our experience...My 14 year old started getting pretty bad acne at about 11.5. We tried over the counter things and then talked to the pediatrician. We tried antibiotics and every prescription topical cream they had. The dermatologist pretty much said we were out of options last fall and to try accutane as a last resort. We were very nervous about it but my brother had successfully used it as a teenager and with her self esteem being so low, we thought it was worth a shot. Worst decision of my life. Within two months she had gone from an overall pleasant child to someone we barely knew. She stopped talking to everyone and just shut herself into her room. She was angry all the time. One day (important to note that she is a neat freak!) I went into her room and she had thrown everything around. I'm talking empty closet, empty drawers, everything she owned on the floor. She was just crying and couldn't stop and had no idea why she was so angry. We were wondering what on earth could be going on but did not think it could possibly be just the accutane. The doctor had her stop taking the meds immediately and was setting up appointments with a counselor. Within two weeks we were able to recognize our child again...no therapist needed. Within a month she was completely back to normal. She's been off for about 5 months now and says that was the scariest time of her life. So, to sum it up, accutane works amazingly well for acne. But I don't think, at least in our case, the risks are worth it.

Hopefully a much milder solution will work for you guys and you won't even have to make that decision

 

[Jaime4004]

Thank you also for sharing, I too feel like we have tried everything and nothing works, poor kid! I will take your regret of not starting sooner to heart as if we do start we will need to start Sept/Oct because of the sun sensitivity and him being a red head!

Just wanted to add that he needs sunscreen even when it's cold. I got a 2nd degree sunburn on my face in October in MA (it was cold out was wearing a winter coat, never thought about sunscreen), while on accutane.

 

[kj2mom]

Soo much to think about! We live in MA as well, great tip. We currently do the oral antibiotic, clindamycin and tretinoin and while it seemed to work in the beginning (he started treatment years ago) now it seems worse than ever. I am soo close to just stopping everything and see what happens. Definitely sounds like my decision battle with Accutane is warranted. Our derm gave me all of the information a couple of times but I said no. He was fine with my no and said he just had to make sure I had all of the information for all of the options. Blahhh just feel bad for the poor kid. He is only 13 and already been dealing with this for years (he says it doesn't bother him but I know kids talk about it because he has a twin sister who will sometimes mention what other kids say !).

 

[Ariel484]

Agree with previous posters that the same thing won't work for everyone. I don't remember when I first started going to the dermatologist, but I remember being pretty self-conscious about my skin in 6th/7th grade so I'm guessing it must have started to get really bad then. I feel like I tried everything to clear it up - some of the names that people have mentioned in this thread are VERY familiar to me - and did eventually go on Accutane during my freshman year of college. I made sure my friends and hall mates were all aware of the risks and asked them to please watch out for any crazy mood swings or concerning behaviour from me. I didn't have trouble with moods that I remember, but my skin got CRAZY dry - I needed to use Aquaphor on my lips regularly, or else they would crack, and more intense facial moisturizer (which was foreign to me after years of crazy oily skin)...even my eyes felt a little drier than usual. But all of that, in addition to the regular blood draws (which I still hate now, even as an adult) were worth it to me to finally possibly get a solution to something that had made me feel so awful about myself for so long.

I did the full cycle (3 months? 6 months? I forget what it was) and while Accutane definitely helped my skin, it wasn't the 100% magic solution for me like it has been for others (one of my cousins, for example, has perfect skin after using it). I still get occasional breakouts (mostly when the weather is changing) and ever since my run on Accutane, my skin hasn't really been oily - the dryness still lingers and gets pretty bad in the winter. Of course I'm not sure how much of that is just my skin changing as I get older. At this point I'm starting to accept that my skin will never be completely acne-free, but it's all a dramatic improvement over where I was even 5-6 years ago (I'm 31 now).

I've heard that Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil face pads work really well - I keep meaning to pick up a container (I believe they're $4-$6?) and forget. The idea that people have seen improvement after cutting out dairy is really interesting...I may try to cut back and see if I think that helps.

I really, really feel for the teens that have bad acne - mine was never REALLY bad, but it was enough to really affect my self-esteem. It just stinks.

 

[elgerber]

I have had two teenagers that used Accutane. Nothing else worked for either of them. I know that we were lucky, but neither of my kids had any side effects, accept for the really dry skin. Neither of them had any of the mood swings, or other mental side effects.

 

[onescgirl]

And what I was told by dermatologist is that if one gets acne as a kid/teen it will go away eventually (though stinks to have it during school years) but if one gets acne as an adult (like me, when I was about 22 I started getting it) then it's for life (and I am now 42 and still have it).

I had acne really bad in 30's and 40's and tried everything from different dermatologist.
I finally realized it was hormonal and went on birth control pills. It cleared it up. I stayed on the BC pills for 3 years, then went off. It has been a year and the acne has not returned.
That could be a option for you or any other teen or adult females.

And, sorry I don't have any advice for the OP. My teenage son has been having problems with acne, we're going to a dermatologist and we don't have it straightened out yet.

Good luck!