acne

[mandie73]

my 12yr old son has just started getting acne,whats the best way to treat this?

[OBonio]

I went to the doctors and was put on oxytetracycline and then on Minocin. Not sure what good they did but that was 15 years ago. There may be better things for it now.

Over the counter, you can get Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash if it's affecting his back, chest or shoulders.

[mandie73]

thanks!!

[chazza]

If it is very bad, the dr can prescribe antibiotics for it

[undercovers]

if it really is acne rather than just teenage spots then the doc could prescribe something - when iwas a teen i used clearasil (spelling) face wash and cream but still had really bad spots - this went on for about a year (i was a just using more and more of the cream ect) - until i gave up in a huff and stopped using everything (except soap and water)... well then the spots cleared up and i had a great complexion - i was only allergic to the bleeding spot cream wasn't i!!!! very annoyed - still have to be careful about using unperfumed soaps etc otherwise i flare up again.

good luck to your son

[andy-hughes]

Acne is caused by a lethal combination of hromones, which send the sebacious (sp?) glands into overdrive, combined with lousy diet and dodgy grooming.

Advise your son to wash three times a day with surgical soap, and pat his face dry. Keep his hair off his face, and keep that regularly washed, but not exessively, or it will simply 'grease up' and add to the problem.

Hardest of all, try to get him to cut down (or out!) fatty foods and sugary drinks and sweets.

Who'd be a teenager again - not me, at 51, but utterly spot-free and glad of it!

[willspal]

I have sympathy for your son. I suffered badly with spots and to a degree I still do at 36.

I would agree with andy and say its all down to the hormones. All the products that promise the moon are useless and I honestly don't know how they can still be allowded to promise what they do.

I also have a son of 14 who at the moment has a bad skin, I have bought him everything on the market but nothing really works and clears them up properly.

I would look out for a medicated soap and give him a mud face pack to use once a week !!!!! and make sure he is really washing his face propelry and massarging the soap in properly. My son nearly passed out when I suggested the face pack but he does see they do dry up some of the oil and clear the spots (or at least keep them under control)

I would also suggest (now this is the hard one) to get him to drink lots of water. My son does not touch anything fizzy but I still struggle to get him to drink water. It flushes out the system and really does help the skin. Honestly do try and get him to drink the water and he will see a difference. Hard I know.

Good Luck.

Try and avoid antibotics if you really can as they can cause long term problems with prolonged use.

WP

[meltoadhall]

true acne is mostly an inherited condition, so if you or his father had it he is very likely to get it too. if youre not sure take him to gp for him to say if it is just teen spots or acne

the best way of controlling acne is to get antibiotics from the gp and they need to be taken for 6 - 12 months.

[GREENEEYESS7]

proactive works wonders you can order it online!

[mandie73]

thanks everyone,very helpfull.

[mbireland]

As a pharmacist who suffered with Ance pretty badly as a teenager, I am pleased to offer the following advice.

The most important thing would be to keep the skin clean. Do not use soap as this just dries out the skin and allows grease to congregate and inflame the skin. Try to use a good cleansing product with anti-bacterial agents (Triclosan etc), Clearasil would be a good choice. However Boots, Tesco's all have their own brand equivalent which will be cheaper and equally as effective.

If the acne is still causing a problem, I would then recommend using a cream/gel containing Benzoyl Peroxide. First of all start with the lowest strength available (2.5% or 5%). It is a good idea to apply the cream/gel to a hidden area (on the upper arm etc) as there is a rare (<10%) of a reaction to the chemical. Because it has bleaching properties, avoid contact with clothing where possible.

Benzoyl Peroxide is best applied in a cyclical basis. Use the cream/gel once or twice daily for two weeks, then stop for two weeks. Then repeat as necessary. The reasoning for this is that it gives the skin time to recover and it also ensures that resistance to the chemical doesn't occur. If you read the instruction leaflets to the products they will say to use every day, however remember that the people writing the leaflets want you to buy more of their product!

If the lower strength is not working/stops working so effectively, then just increase the strength to 10%. If this has no effect, then it is time to visit the GP for some antibiotics. Topical presentations are to be preferred (Zineryt, Benzamycin). If you do need to go down the oral antibiotics route, then Minocycline would be the drug of choice. However as with all antibiotics, these should be nearly the last resort. If your GP prescribes these first line, then I would be asking some serious questions.

Hope this helps!

[Marika]

also avoid yeast

[jason1980]

Hi I suffered really bad with acne when I was 12, now im 26 and I can still get it occasionally. My acne was plastered all over my back, shoulders & face. I was fortunate that I managed to clear it completely from my face with the use of tea tree oil and plenty of face masks and there was a product called Shine Free moisturiser that kept greasy skin at bay. My face acne cleared completely and I am left unscarred. My back however only became worse and the scars on my back are really bad - I hate it, but thankfully my face never turned out that way and I believe it is the tea tree oil products. I also stopped using soap and used a face wash.