Teenage Acne

[All4Nuthin]

Just wanted to point out that you need to be very careful in taking high doses of vitamin A to treat acne. If too much is taken you will get the same side effects as accutane. Accutane is made from Vit A

That is a great point!

Although they recommended taking 25,000 iu per day, I kept him at 10,000 iu and that seemed to be enough for him.

He took it for about 6-8 weeks and then went to just having the amount in his regular daily vitamin.

 

[Forevryoung]

I have a history of mental health issues so my parents were VERY much against accutane. I tried everything in the book to cure my acne and I finally resorted to just "waiting it out"- there was probably nothing I hadn't tried.

While my skin is pretty clear now, I have scars on my face and I have almost no pictures from the time I was in 7th grade until 12th grade graduation.

I wish that instead of running from the 3 or 4 dermatologists over the years who suggested accutane my parents actually sat down with everyone (psychiatrist, psychologist, dermatologist, myself...) and thought it out. They could have put safeguards in place regarding watching for mood changes. I know that they did what they thought was best for me but what if my skin had been clearer a year or two or four earlier?

I might have been happier and had better self-esteem, instead I looked in the mirror every day and hated my face for 6 years.

Just my .02 from this end.

 

[KLAIT]

Bare Escentuals now makes an anit-blemish product that may help. It us sulfer based with only natural ingredients. I was very skeptical as I could not really find anything that would help, but this stuff is really good.

 

[LaurieA]

Try Clearasil Ultra. My son uses the Ultra daily face wash and the ultra vanishing cream. It works on him!! This was recommended by his dermatologist. She was unable to give him antibiotics and such due to his health problems so she told us this stuff works also. Great improvement.

 

[mdrob214]

We tried everything OTC for my DD13 this past year and it seemed like nothing worked. The Proactiv worked great for me--I still had breakouts--but only made hers worse. After seeing dermatologist we discovered she is sensitive to BP(benzoyl peroxide) which is in many things. She was prescribed oral antibiotic amoxicillan, topical antibiotic clindamyacin and now she uses only products with salicylic acid (Nutrogena bar--cheap and just as effective as other more expensive stuff) I know it may not be the same for you, but try it--don't use the benzoyl peroxide and see if it helps. It made a world of difference for my DD.

 

[claudia]

I am writing this for a friend. She has a 10th grader whose acne is getting pretty bad. She is on the clindimycin and I'm not sure if she uses something else. She brought her to a dermatologist and she wanted to put her on Accutane and the pill. Her daughter is not sexually active but she said that if she got pregnant while on Accutane the child would be born with birth defects. She was very uncomfortable with the doctor in the first place. She doesn't like the side effects of the medecine at all and doesn't want to put her daughter on the pill either. She doesn't know what to do because she is in fear that her daughters face is scarring from the acne. Can anyone recommend anything that works. Does anyone use Accutane? Thanks for your help.

My son used Accutane and it definitely works. He was on it for 6 months and his face went from severe acne to clear and smooth. His skin looks amazing, just like it did before this all started. He has been off the accutane for 1 year now and he has never had another pimple.
Now for taking the Accutane, the doctor must sign them up for the iPledge program through his office. You are also givin a large booklet with all this information and sheets that must be signed. (the child will only be signed into the program with their parents and their signatures on the form) This is the only way that he/she can write a prescription for the medication (or the generic versions) Your child will receive an iPledge card in the mail and you must take this card to the pharmacy to have the prescription filled...they will not fill this prescription without you giving them the card. Also, the girls must have a 2 negative pregnancy tests before they can start the medication and every month before they renew their 30 day prescription and one month after they finishing taking the medication. She must also start using 2 forms of birth control one month before she can get her prescription filled. (regardless if she is sexually active) I don't know which BC is acceptable, but the doctor will advise you. I know that my son had to access the iPledge site to answer questions each month, then he would be allowed to get a new prescription....I think the girls must confirm the BC methods.
Now, as far as the side effects go, my son had the dry lips. He used the Aveeno chap stick and this seemed to help, but he did say that it was uncomfortable for him, but not enough to not take the meds. My doctor did tell us that he has treated several hundred children with this medication and all buy 1 completed the treatment. The 1 child that didn't complete was due to the parents taking him off....they were very nervous about the side effects I was told.
To check out everything you can go to the site....www.ipledge.com. This pretty much gives you everything. Also, if your friend is not happy with the dermatologist, she should definitely find someone that she trusts and is comfortable with.....this is too serious a treatment to not be under the care of a physician that you trust.
My son is just thrilled with the results and he has told me it was the best thing he ever did.....it took him 6 months to decide he wanted treatment (yes, the side effects had him worried and he wanted to get more information and as much input from other kids that had used it), so he definitely did not enter into this lightly....

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

My son used Accutane and it definitely works. He was on it for 6 months and his face went from severe acne to clear and smooth. His skin looks amazing, just like it did before this all started. He has been off the accutane for 1 year now and he has never had another pimple.
Now for taking the Accutane, the doctor must sign them up for the iPledge program through his office. You are also givin a large booklet with all this information and sheets that must be signed. (the child will only be signed into the program with their parents and their signatures on the form) This is the only way that he/she can write a prescription for the medication (or the generic versions) Your child will receive an iPledge card in the mail and you must take this card to the pharmacy to have the prescription filled...they will not fill this prescription without you giving them the card. Also, the girls must have a 2 negative pregnancy tests before they can start the medication and every month before they renew their 30 day prescription and one month after they finishing taking the medication. She must also start using 2 forms of birth control one month before she can get her prescription filled. (regardless if she is sexually active) I don't know which BC is acceptable, but the doctor will advise you. I know that my son had to access the iPledge site to answer questions each month, then he would be allowed to get a new prescription....I think the girls must confirm the BC methods.
Now, as far as the side effects go, my son had the dry lips. He used the Aveeno chap stick and this seemed to help, but he did say that it was uncomfortable for him, but not enough to not take the meds. My doctor did tell us that he has treated several hundred children with this medication and all buy 1 completed the treatment. The 1 child that didn't complete was due to the parents taking him off....they were very nervous about the side effects I was told.
To check out everything you can go to the site....www.ipledge.com. This pretty much gives you everything. Also, if your friend is not happy with the dermatologist, she should definitely find someone that she trusts and is comfortable with.....this is too serious a treatment to not be under the care of a physician that you trust.
My son is just thrilled with the results and he has told me it was the best thing he ever did.....it took him 6 months to decide he wanted treatment (yes, the side effects had him worried and he wanted to get more information and as much input from other kids that had used it), so he definitely did not enter into this lightly....

This is great advice Claudia! I'm thrilled to hear of your son's success. I am also an Accutane success story. I was nervous about all the side effects also and I didn't use it until my 30's and I only wished I would have tried it earlier! Accutane can have some serious side effects and that is why it is given with many precautions. There are thousands of Accutane success stories but the only ones people seem to hear are the horror stories. It seems that bad news about anything gets more press then good news. Accutane is something that should be looked into if nothing else works and it should be researched before trying so you know all the ins and outs. Under a Dr's care and with all the blood work that is required it can and is safe. A derm will stop you immediately if they detect any adverse side effects. My derm also said that he has treated 100's of people with accutane and he only had to stop 1 person from finishing their course because of side effects. There are many success stories out there but as with everything the only stories that get any press are the negitive ones.

 

[mrsboz]

My friend thanks you all for all of your advice. She said that her daughter is also allergic to benzoyl peroxide. I talked to her this morning and she said that she is really losing sleep over what to do. Her daughter is on the swimming team and I mentioned that maybe that is why it is so bad right now and once she is off the team then maybe it would get better. Does this make sense to anyone?

 

[ceecee]

Maybe the chlorine is affecting her face. It always made mine better. It does dry your skin out a little. I suppose at her age though she is washing her face after swimming.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

My friend thanks you all for all of your advice. She said that her daughter is also allergic to benzoyl peroxide. I talked to her this morning and she said that she is really losing sleep over what to do. Her daughter is on the swimming team and I mentioned that maybe that is why it is so bad right now and once she is off the team then maybe it would get better. Does this make sense to anyone?

So sorry for your friend's daughter. Acne is a horrible thing at any age!
I am an accutane success story, but I won't tell you it is the only option.

One thing you have to realize is that some acne is on the surface of the skin but the most severe is like cystic acne and comes from inside. Surface creams and gels will not help and cystic acne leaves scarring that can last for 2 years as well as large "ruts" in your skin that are permanent. For cystic, most often you will need some sort of oral medication.

I would think that all the chlorine in the water is probably helping her skin for surface pimples - JMO.

 

[ekmom]

My daughter had acne on her back but very little on her face until college and then it got really bad. She tried a number of things but none of them helped and she was really hating the way she looked especailly since all of her friends had already outgrown their acne. So she went on Accutane and I too would highly recommend it. She had no real side effects other than dry lips. She has been off it for over a year now and she looks great and is so much happier.

 

[mdrob214]

My friend thanks you all for all of your advice. She said that her daughter is also allergic to benzoyl peroxide. I talked to her this morning and she said that she is really losing sleep over what to do. Her daughter is on the swimming team and I mentioned that maybe that is why it is so bad right now and once she is off the team then maybe it would get better. Does this make sense to anyone?

That totally makes sense as my daughter is a swimmer, too!!! 2 1/2-4 hours a day in the water really takes its toll on her skin! My daughter's acne was not so severe that accutane was discussed, the Derm. just put her on the amox. and the clindamyacin topical liquid and she uses Neutrogena bar soap with salicylic acid. For my DD, it was her back that had all the problems and we were told it was mostly because of the sweat glands being blocked. It took a few months of the antibiotics and now it is clear. She uses only Cetaphil lotion now because every other lotion tends to clog the pores. I know that Cetaphil makes face products, too, so that may help.

It really is rough seeing your daughter have to face these problems because other kids are so mean sometimes--especially girls!

 

[GotFids]

I was on accutane as a teen..(i had the really bad cystic acne) the only side effects were the very chapped lips! But it worked for me. Now my kids have mild acne and our Derm told us to leave it alone....quit exfoliating, quit putting all the meds on it, just use a mild soap and your hands, no washcloth, and gently wash with warm water. Rinse with cool water, then very gently pat the skin dry with a CLEAN towel....keep the pillowcases clean and use mild detergents. Don't touch your face with dirty hands or pillows. Wash face at least twice a day or if you've been sweating. My kids have been following that advice (as well as me now) and it really has been working. I used to use the scrubs and harsh meds...washing with a washcloth - all that.

 

[mickeyfan9194]

Another Accutane success story here! I didn't start having acne problems until after having children (early 30's). But that was a miracle drug for me. I was on it for about 9 months and had no side effects except for dry lips. Now I haven't had even one pimple in the last 4 years. I get so many compliments on my skin. Obviously it isn't for everybody, but my doctor personally couldn't recall any negative results coming out of his office.

 

[Eviie]

I'm 13 and i don't have bad acne but i had a couple on my forehead but they were small and hardly noticeable. Proactiv damaged my skin and caused it to turn super red. I recommed... NOT BUYING PROACTIV. If someone has sensitive skin it would redden and it'll be harder to remove the acne. I went to the dermotologist 3 or 4 days ago, and since i have a low case of acne he gave me something called Benoxyl or something among those lines. It already has made a bit of a difference.

LESSON LEARNED: Proactiv works usually for young adults or people with skin that isn't sensitive otherwise it does not help. The dermatologist says so himself, that he's seen alot of bad outbreaks from teens because of proactiv. Save yourself the trouble.. don't waste the 50 dollars, it is not worth it.

I don't know what to recommend as a soulution goes but i can tell you say NO to proactiv!

Oh and the neutrogena facial bar works magic!! I loved mine until it died and i never found the same one again it was in a box where it held the bar soap inside it was square the box had blue. And i think it was scented.

HAD TO EDIT:
I have the cream in hand it is called brevoxyl creamy wash ,it is not OTC , it has bezoyl peroxide 4% after reading that it damages some skin i'm scared to continue using it i'll ask my mom to call the dermatologist. Also using gelly made products can dry your skin & maybe peel it.

 

[jodifla]

My DH has severe acne well into his 20s. Nothing worked, except Accutane.

ACCUTANE IS A WONDER DRUG!

And as with all wonder drugs, there are possible severe side effects. My husband had the regular blood tests, etc. He had no side effects.

If my DS has acne as badly as DH did, we will definitely be checking out Accutane. Dh's face is still scarred because of his acne has a teen.

 

[dkostel]

A friend of my is a has a Phd in Physiology & has done extensive food related research. She told me that a big contributor to acne is cows milk. She said that when the human hormones are going wild in puberty, they react with the cow hormones in the milk and acne is one result.
She said she saw a severe case of acne cleared up by stopping milk.

 

[Katie]

My daughter uses Proactiv and is on a prescription medicine Minicycline.

I have seen a improvement, not completely gone, but a definiate improvement!

 

[Stephanie218]

I had horrible acne for years, and Accutane really changed my life. No side effects emotionally, just dry skin....but the change in my skin was absolutely amazing. I went on it sophmore year of HS and really wish I had done it in middle school. After I went on it, 2 friends did as well, and their skin is 100% clear still, 8 years later.

 

[All4Nuthin]

Have any of you that used Accutane in the past had your bone density checked?

I would be curious to know what the results of that test was as well as how much and how long you took Accutane.

Recently an acquaintance stated that her son refused to take Accutane as the doctor told him that he would have to quit hockey while taking it due to the increased potential of muscle and bone injury. This, to me, is more of a problem side effect than short term depression and something that I would highly encourage anyone to look into before thinking of taking this medication.

I personally do not like meds in general anyway... but this stuff just really worries me.