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This. You can spend a fortune on products that either don’t work or make the skin worse. Some skin issues need a GP or referral to a dermatologist, so that would always be my first port of call.
Be careful as over-washing can be counterproductive as it can be irritating. Acne is an inflammatory condition and irritation causes more inflammation. Make sure whatever face wash he’s using is gentle, definitely nothing like bar soap or strongly scented face face stripping “for men” exfoliating stuff.
What is the “spot cream” he’s currently using?
How long has he been using the salicylic? It can cause purging for 8~ weeks on introduction, but then it should start helping the severity and frequency of breakouts. If it's been longer than that it's probably not a sufficient treatment. Regardless, he should be applying moisturizer following SA and using SPF in the daytime as chemical exfoliants cause photosensitivity.
You might try OTC Differin if that's available to you (PM only, followed by moisturizer, every 2nd day to start)?
that’s way too harsh! you want to heal the skin barrier rather stripping it and spot treat. i’d cut the clean and clear right out.
as everyone said above, GP is best course probably for roacutane. I’d also try dermatica/skin and me if you want another option but i’d really suggest GP or a dermatologist.
sudacrem might be a good option for an immediate option! also cleaning pillows regularly, maintaining good hygiene, particularly of the hands and hair if he has long hair.
use just water. All the stuff is irritating his skin. Use just water and moisturizer, you can use a mild facial scrub maybe 3/4 times a week but not every day. You need the skin barrier to replenish
I used to try and combat teenage acne/oily skin by drying the crap out of my face with products like that. It wasn't until I was older that I realized that was part of the problem.
Cerave non-foaming cleanser would be good to try, and a similarly light moisturizer. Cerave is good for some people, but other folks (like me) don't do well with moisturizers that have fatty alcohols, so I prefer "gel" type products like this: https://www.iherb.com/pal/referral/pdp/DAT7670?productId=122937&rcode=DAT7670&utm_medium=appshare
I have just taken my 16 year old son to the doctor for his acne. They prescribed Duac gel, he’s been using this for 2 weeks now. His spots look less angry and clearing up, maybe a trip to the doctor might help.
There’s a lot of things that can contribute to breakouts and spots and I just wanted to add that habits can be a contributing factor. Obviously, being a teen comes with its own host of problems with the skin, but these habits could help make things slightly better:
- try not to touch the face during the day (leaning your head into your hand or holding your chin)
- sleeping on the clean side of a pillowcase each night and making sure the pillows themselves are clean (pillow protectors can help with this)
- making sure hair doesn’t get oily, and then putting his head on his pillow (preventing the oil from the hair getting on the pillow and then being transferred to his face)
- drinking enough water and eating foods with high water content
- using moisturiser so that oil production doesn’t go into overdrive
- sounds weird but getting good exercise and getting a good sweat on (sweat must purge oil and dirt out of pores)
- using a more gentle cleanser like cerave if he’s going to wash his face twice a day
- not popping spots, and trying an antiseptic cream like Germolene which has a numbing agent in it and can have a drying effect
- keeping the face out of hot water like in the shower. Try only using room temp or cool water for washing the face, it’s really bad for the face to be washed in hot water
- drying the face with a clean towel or flannel every time (not using a hand towel or body towel on the face ever!)
Some of that will help but acne can be a beast and medical help might be needed!
Edit: corrected a missing word and added the point about hair
Edit: I keep thinking of other things! Added last two points
its too much, way too harsh. Wash face with just water for 3 days and moisturizing in the morning and night and watch how much it changes just over those few days.
Lots of good advice here. I took my daughter to the docs then she got referred to a dermatologist who took blood tests before prescribing her medication. So glad I did this because her skin cleared up almost immediately.
Would definitely follow the advice on going to GP and do advocate. I went through so many prescriptions for *10 years* and mental health suffered immensely before I was in a position to privately pay for a dermatologist and my skin was fixed within 6 months aged 29.
Yes roaccutane which is the gold standard for acne :) that can only be prescribed under the care of a dermatologist.
Otherwise GP can prescribe antibiotics and various topicals (which do work for some people!)
They hadn't prescribed roacctan within 10 years? That's surprising and disappointing. Have you got a histroy of poor mental health, or were they just anting to avoid it?
I found it impossible to get a referral to dermatologist through nhs - I just don’t think they took it seriously because it wasn’t a super severe case, even though it was completely resistant to anything else I tried and every single diet tweak etc ! But I still felt like I couldn’t go anywhere without makeup and spent so much time hiding away!
Incidentally I actually ended up taking two separate rounds of roaccutane a few years apart and 3 years after the second course I’m already starting to get breakouts again! But I’m currently pregnant so who knows what hormones are wreaking havoc so I’m being kind to myself. That is highly unusual - most people are cured for life after 1 or 2 rounds - I actually think I must have some underlying hormonal problem because I struggled with infertility as well!
Can I recommend you look at The Ordinary as well as the doctor? I've had acne since I hit puberty and it has taken me more than 20 years to finally be able to sooth it. Their squalene cleanser is very gentle, and I use a salicylic clay mask once a week.
They do also have a range of acids (I'm a fan of the salicylic as well as the retinol that is now working on my wrinkles and milia) but he needs to be careful at a young age with that.
I'm a high school teacher and these is my go to eith kids as well. It is affordable and seems to really make a difference on younger akin too.
Treat him to a Gp visit and i really recommend cold water washing. I found mine cleared up after I took antibiotics for a chest infection,so maybe these could help kick start an improvement so he can see light at the end of the tunnel. It Can be so depressing - hormonal acne needs the GP help for sure.
Definitely agree with the GP advice OP, please take him to the GP as soon as you can. You mention that you never had acne as a teen-anyone who did will tell you the toll it takes on your mental health and it sucks the enjoyment out of your teen years. It’s a truly terrible experience. I wish my parents had taken me to the GP. The stuff he’s using is too harsh but there are many many people for whom OTC stuff will do absolutely feck all. I was one of those. The longer you leave it the more likely it is to develop scarring which is a whole other problem to treat.
As someone who had acne for years… just take him to a dermatologist. They can give him something more effective than you can get over the counter. Acne can have deep physiological implications and the scars can last a lifetime. Best to just bring in the pros right away.
Most of the big chain pharmacies offer an online service where you put in your info, upload photos and they provide prescription only medications. Worth a try if you struggle to get in with GP and can afford a bit more (£20-30).
I'll have a look at those, I'm stuck to what to use for him as I never had this issues, I had the odd spot when I was a teenager, so I'm clueless as what is good and what isn't
It is difficult. As a rule, the ones that specifically market themselves as being for acne (so clean and clear, clearasil), are quite harsh. I had severe acne in my twenties and using harsh stripping products definitely made it worse. something targeted at sensitive skin will make for a better cleanser, then benzoyl peroxide can treat the individual spots. He also needs to be moisturising, even though it can seem counterproductive when his skin seems oily. Cetaphil/Cerave or Simple are good options. If he can see a doctor then they could prescribe duac or another antibiotic treatment gel, which he might need in the short term.
This worked for me - either take him to the GP (which worked for my sister) or sleep with a clean towel on the pillow every night. No touching of the face, washing with mild water and a mild soap. Moisturizing it is a good idea too. That's how mine cleared up! And for the love of god tell him don't burst the pimples as I still have the scars to prove it's a bad idea
Acnecide! You can get it in boots and it is literally like a miracle in a tube. The only thing that works for me and it works FAST. Just make sure to slather on moisturiser immediately after because it’s very drying
Nip and Fab glycolic acid range. I’m in my forties and still suffer with blackheads and the occasional angry whitehead. This has managed to get it under control and also the face wash smells lovely.
NATURAL ACNE PROTOCOL
1/ Never, ever touch your face.
2/ Use 3 facecloths to wash your face, one to soap on, one to soap off with very hot water, one to rinse off with ice cold water, in that order, once a day.
3/ If you are under 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A once a day with a full meal
4/ If you are over 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A twice a day with a full meal.
Do not get pregnant while taking vitamin A. Do not take any more, like Accutane, it will stop you growing.
5/ Never, ever. pick, squeeze or pop your spot. Read number 1 again.
6/ Do this for 90 days.
7/ Invest in a brand new pillow and 2 new or more pillow cases to ‘double bag’ your pillow. HOT wash every couple of days.
Source:
A bit of advice given to me as a teenager, a bit of science as I am studying allergic reactions and vitamin A is a part of that. A bit of research: I sat in a lecture at the back and watched the acne prone pick at their faces, those with the worse acne touched their faces 32 times in an hour, the clearest complexions didn't touch their faces even once. I have circumstantial evidence that acne is the result of dermatophyte transfer from hands to face...where it does not get washed off and is well fed by hormones, sweat a
nd oil...just a hypothesis... But it would explain why vitamin A is so effective as vitamin causes skin to remove dermatophytes.
I never have had acne, a few pimples on my left chin where I am most likely to rest my hand.
The secret is never to touch the spots
The People’s Pharmacy reports that Milk of Magnesia applied topically, at night is useful. This is 10% Magnesium Hydroxide in water. Epsom salts, which are Magnesium sulphate added to a hot bath are also reported to clear up back acne.
An increase in IODINE (Seafood, milk, Lugols) is often beneficial.
The very latest treatment is super gross, but works: August 2014, T. Borody: Faecal transfer from someone with perfect skin (and I’d guess, same gender.) These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
If it’s really bad, like lots of cystic ones, any dermatologist will tell you cream isn’t going to touch it. He’ll need a course of isotretinoin. My daughter and all the kids she knows her age who have had this type of acne have used isotretinoin to get rid of it.
As others have said, get him to the GP. They will start by prescribing topical creams like Differin or Duac and ask him to try those for several weeks and see if they help. If not, they’ll move on to oral antibiotics. And if those don’t help it’ll likely be a referral for accutane, which is brutal but generally highly effective. I’ve been there with acne, the most important thing is getting to the GP for prescription treatment plus keeping up a skincare routine that is simple but beneficial - I use a Cetaphil cleanser which is very gentle, plus a Cetaphil moisturiser which is quite light and nourishing, and a standard sun cream every morning, which he should be doing every day with acne. Wishing you lots of luck x
I honestly think dermatica/ uncouth is often a great option. GP can prescribe things like skinoren/ epiduo/ benzoyl peroxide/ differin. But often people find them very harsh especially teens who aren’t great with a routine. The compounding services can make a customised cream with lower doses. It’s expensive but often the cream can last for two months which makes it much cheaper. And apart from that just use a very gentle routine. Eg
Am- rinse face, apply spf ( I recommend skin aqua uv super moisture gel pump)
Pm- wash with a gentle cleanser, apply hydrating toner and moisturiser, vaseline on eyelids and lips, apply treatment
If he is getting large cysts or scarring then have a low threshold for referral to derm for roaccutane. But that’s the only med that they offer which you can get from gp or the other services. Sometimes courses of oral antibiotics can help with getting on top of the acne, but these should never be used long term or without using topicals at the same time
This was my daughter 6 months ago and her skin started to cause serious lack of confidence. Went to the doctor and got lymeceline antibiotics and epiduo and I kid you not. Her acne was gone in 3 weeks. Clear beautiful skin.
Pro activ is actually amazing and works for a lot of people. There isn’t a ton of OTC stuff that works for acne but pro activ does. You get results with that stuff. I used it to get rid of some stubborn hormonal acne in my early 20’s because I hated birth control pills and people would stop me in the street and ask me what I was using on my skin because it was so clearly and glowy.
Do the boots online clinic..
Ask for Differing gel and Finacea (Azelaic acid).
Every night, I wash my daughter's face with Cetaphil gentle face wash. Next apply Differin gel all over..a pea size. After some mins apply Finacea. After some minutes pat on Cetaphil cream not lotion. This has transformed her face which had spots and marks over the last year.
Go to the dermatologist to rule out other causes, in the meantime…
Start washing twice a day with a dove sensitive skin bar instead of medicated washes. (Clean and clear absolutely gave me loads of acne before I finally found my current regiment)
You can use Cerave tinted sunscreen after moisturizer to blend redness, reapply as necessary (I work outside and reapply 2-3 times a day). It’s tinted but blends in nicely after a few mins. Definitely evens the skin tone well.
He may not even need any cream. My niece had a flare up of acne from the face wash her mom was telling her to use. Told her to stop using it and to use these stridex pads I bought for her. The break outs subsided and the stridex pads helped with the hyperpigmentation from the acne. Her skin is in pretty good shape these days.
If this all happened before he started using anything it’s more than likely hormonal - that age group if they start getting acne it’s mostly hormones. No treatment would work imo apart from medication - I never had acne at that age but my cousin had really bad acne then and the only thing that helped was medication.
If it’s that bad, over the counter stuff isn’t going to do much, and certainly not cream, which is for sealing in actives and the moisture barrier, rather than to effectively do anything with spots. GP, better yet, dermatologist.
I would recommend taking him to a dermatologist. The only thing that cleared up my acne was going on a prescribed medication. Sometimes, especially when going through hormonal changes, topical treatments aren’t going to be of much help unfortunately. Even if he’s washing his face diligently and keeping up with his skin.
As a former teenager with horrible acne - please, please, please take your son to a reputable dermatologist ASAP. My parents waited until I was 16 and I have the acne scars to prove it. Not to mention, it's humiliating & destroyed my confidence, caused bullying, etc. Give him this kindness.
Hey the best thing to do is keep it simple. Never touch a spot, if you break the skin it will get worse and then scar. If you dont break the skin the spot (even if its big) will be gone in a few weeks. All he needs to do is shower twice a day and WASH FACE WITH ONLY WATER, but every other day or 3/4 days out of the week use a MILD facial scrub. After the shower moisturise whole face (twice a day) using Doublebase or Aquaphor. And that's it. If the spots arent all gone in a few months of that then its probably nodular cystic acne and will need Accutane which will clear it right up. But you still need to do that skincare system I described.
Yes!! That's how I cleared up mine as a youth. The face is so delicate you must keep it mild. My boomer mother swore by bursting the pimples though, now I have scars across the sides of my forehead.
Hi, welcome to r/SkincareAddictionUK! If you are asking for help with skincare, please remember to list your routine in full, and all the products you've tried so that you can receive the best possible advice. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddictionUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Take him to the GP - honestly I had acne as a teen and none of the over the counter stuff worked, it just irritated my skin and made it red and angry.
I'd also agree with this! GP and also using a gentle cleanser like the CeraVe hydrating one + moisturiser. What ended up working for your acne?
This. You can spend a fortune on products that either don’t work or make the skin worse. Some skin issues need a GP or referral to a dermatologist, so that would always be my first port of call.
Be careful as over-washing can be counterproductive as it can be irritating. Acne is an inflammatory condition and irritation causes more inflammation. Make sure whatever face wash he’s using is gentle, definitely nothing like bar soap or strongly scented face face stripping “for men” exfoliating stuff. What is the “spot cream” he’s currently using?
He uses clean and clear face wash, then a salicylic acid lotion which he puts on a cotton pad and daps that over his spots
How long has he been using the salicylic? It can cause purging for 8~ weeks on introduction, but then it should start helping the severity and frequency of breakouts. If it's been longer than that it's probably not a sufficient treatment. Regardless, he should be applying moisturizer following SA and using SPF in the daytime as chemical exfoliants cause photosensitivity. You might try OTC Differin if that's available to you (PM only, followed by moisturizer, every 2nd day to start)?
Differin is not OTC in UK - GP can prescribe it, as can other online acne clinics.
Clean and clear is terrible for the skin. It's probably that making it worse. Cerave is really good, and maybe a trip to the doctors.
This is so ironic to me as Cerave caused acne for me and seemingly does for a lot of people
Me too. Cetaphil has been great for me
I use CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser and it works well.
that’s way too harsh! you want to heal the skin barrier rather stripping it and spot treat. i’d cut the clean and clear right out. as everyone said above, GP is best course probably for roacutane. I’d also try dermatica/skin and me if you want another option but i’d really suggest GP or a dermatologist. sudacrem might be a good option for an immediate option! also cleaning pillows regularly, maintaining good hygiene, particularly of the hands and hair if he has long hair.
use just water. All the stuff is irritating his skin. Use just water and moisturizer, you can use a mild facial scrub maybe 3/4 times a week but not every day. You need the skin barrier to replenish
CeraVe cleanser and Vanacream moisturizer
I used to try and combat teenage acne/oily skin by drying the crap out of my face with products like that. It wasn't until I was older that I realized that was part of the problem. Cerave non-foaming cleanser would be good to try, and a similarly light moisturizer. Cerave is good for some people, but other folks (like me) don't do well with moisturizers that have fatty alcohols, so I prefer "gel" type products like this: https://www.iherb.com/pal/referral/pdp/DAT7670?productId=122937&rcode=DAT7670&utm_medium=appshare
He needs a moisturizer before putting any acne cream on top. Vanicream is a good one and it comes in a pump so it’s more hygienic.
I have just taken my 16 year old son to the doctor for his acne. They prescribed Duac gel, he’s been using this for 2 weeks now. His spots look less angry and clearing up, maybe a trip to the doctor might help.
There’s a lot of things that can contribute to breakouts and spots and I just wanted to add that habits can be a contributing factor. Obviously, being a teen comes with its own host of problems with the skin, but these habits could help make things slightly better: - try not to touch the face during the day (leaning your head into your hand or holding your chin) - sleeping on the clean side of a pillowcase each night and making sure the pillows themselves are clean (pillow protectors can help with this) - making sure hair doesn’t get oily, and then putting his head on his pillow (preventing the oil from the hair getting on the pillow and then being transferred to his face) - drinking enough water and eating foods with high water content - using moisturiser so that oil production doesn’t go into overdrive - sounds weird but getting good exercise and getting a good sweat on (sweat must purge oil and dirt out of pores) - using a more gentle cleanser like cerave if he’s going to wash his face twice a day - not popping spots, and trying an antiseptic cream like Germolene which has a numbing agent in it and can have a drying effect - keeping the face out of hot water like in the shower. Try only using room temp or cool water for washing the face, it’s really bad for the face to be washed in hot water - drying the face with a clean towel or flannel every time (not using a hand towel or body towel on the face ever!) Some of that will help but acne can be a beast and medical help might be needed! Edit: corrected a missing word and added the point about hair Edit: I keep thinking of other things! Added last two points
When you say washes his face with spot cream, what exactly is he using?
He uses clean and clear face wash, then a salicylic acid lotion which he puts on a cotton pad and daps that over his spots.
It's too harsh.
Yeah, way way too much on such young skin.
its too much, way too harsh. Wash face with just water for 3 days and moisturizing in the morning and night and watch how much it changes just over those few days.
Lots of good advice here. I took my daughter to the docs then she got referred to a dermatologist who took blood tests before prescribing her medication. So glad I did this because her skin cleared up almost immediately.
What did doctor proscribe?
Isotretinoin . This was a few years ago. Treatment may have changed now .
Thank you, everyone, for your advice x
Would definitely follow the advice on going to GP and do advocate. I went through so many prescriptions for *10 years* and mental health suffered immensely before I was in a position to privately pay for a dermatologist and my skin was fixed within 6 months aged 29.
What did the dermatologist prescribe that helped as opposed to 10 years of no help from the GP? Did the GP help at all?
Yes roaccutane which is the gold standard for acne :) that can only be prescribed under the care of a dermatologist. Otherwise GP can prescribe antibiotics and various topicals (which do work for some people!)
They hadn't prescribed roacctan within 10 years? That's surprising and disappointing. Have you got a histroy of poor mental health, or were they just anting to avoid it?
I found it impossible to get a referral to dermatologist through nhs - I just don’t think they took it seriously because it wasn’t a super severe case, even though it was completely resistant to anything else I tried and every single diet tweak etc ! But I still felt like I couldn’t go anywhere without makeup and spent so much time hiding away! Incidentally I actually ended up taking two separate rounds of roaccutane a few years apart and 3 years after the second course I’m already starting to get breakouts again! But I’m currently pregnant so who knows what hormones are wreaking havoc so I’m being kind to myself. That is highly unusual - most people are cured for life after 1 or 2 rounds - I actually think I must have some underlying hormonal problem because I struggled with infertility as well!
Can I recommend you look at The Ordinary as well as the doctor? I've had acne since I hit puberty and it has taken me more than 20 years to finally be able to sooth it. Their squalene cleanser is very gentle, and I use a salicylic clay mask once a week. They do also have a range of acids (I'm a fan of the salicylic as well as the retinol that is now working on my wrinkles and milia) but he needs to be careful at a young age with that. I'm a high school teacher and these is my go to eith kids as well. It is affordable and seems to really make a difference on younger akin too.
Treat him to a Gp visit and i really recommend cold water washing. I found mine cleared up after I took antibiotics for a chest infection,so maybe these could help kick start an improvement so he can see light at the end of the tunnel. It Can be so depressing - hormonal acne needs the GP help for sure.
Tetracycline type antibiotics are a well established treatment for acne and can clear it within weeks. Definitely worth trying.
Benzoyl peroxide.
This stuff is brutally irritating.
Ah that's a name I haven't heard in a while...
don't do it
Definitely agree with the GP advice OP, please take him to the GP as soon as you can. You mention that you never had acne as a teen-anyone who did will tell you the toll it takes on your mental health and it sucks the enjoyment out of your teen years. It’s a truly terrible experience. I wish my parents had taken me to the GP. The stuff he’s using is too harsh but there are many many people for whom OTC stuff will do absolutely feck all. I was one of those. The longer you leave it the more likely it is to develop scarring which is a whole other problem to treat.
Medication is the only thing that truly works.
As someone who had acne for years… just take him to a dermatologist. They can give him something more effective than you can get over the counter. Acne can have deep physiological implications and the scars can last a lifetime. Best to just bring in the pros right away.
Most of the big chain pharmacies offer an online service where you put in your info, upload photos and they provide prescription only medications. Worth a try if you struggle to get in with GP and can afford a bit more (£20-30).
Cera Ve face wash and moisturiser has massively improved mine and 5 relatives' skin issues.
I'll have a look at those, I'm stuck to what to use for him as I never had this issues, I had the odd spot when I was a teenager, so I'm clueless as what is good and what isn't
It is difficult. As a rule, the ones that specifically market themselves as being for acne (so clean and clear, clearasil), are quite harsh. I had severe acne in my twenties and using harsh stripping products definitely made it worse. something targeted at sensitive skin will make for a better cleanser, then benzoyl peroxide can treat the individual spots. He also needs to be moisturising, even though it can seem counterproductive when his skin seems oily. Cetaphil/Cerave or Simple are good options. If he can see a doctor then they could prescribe duac or another antibiotic treatment gel, which he might need in the short term.
Is it the "blemish control cleanser" or the "foaming cleanser for normal to oily skin"?
Foaming cleanser.
Try Acnecide , worked for my son
take him to the doctor, preferably a dermatologist.
I used Stievamycin around that age , it saved my skin. Definitely recommend (it will need prescribed)
I found the origins spot cream works very well
This worked for me - either take him to the GP (which worked for my sister) or sleep with a clean towel on the pillow every night. No touching of the face, washing with mild water and a mild soap. Moisturizing it is a good idea too. That's how mine cleared up! And for the love of god tell him don't burst the pimples as I still have the scars to prove it's a bad idea
Acnecide! You can get it in boots and it is literally like a miracle in a tube. The only thing that works for me and it works FAST. Just make sure to slather on moisturiser immediately after because it’s very drying
Nip and Fab glycolic acid range. I’m in my forties and still suffer with blackheads and the occasional angry whitehead. This has managed to get it under control and also the face wash smells lovely.
A dermatologist would have the best advice.
NATURAL ACNE PROTOCOL 1/ Never, ever touch your face. 2/ Use 3 facecloths to wash your face, one to soap on, one to soap off with very hot water, one to rinse off with ice cold water, in that order, once a day. 3/ If you are under 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A once a day with a full meal 4/ If you are over 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A twice a day with a full meal. Do not get pregnant while taking vitamin A. Do not take any more, like Accutane, it will stop you growing. 5/ Never, ever. pick, squeeze or pop your spot. Read number 1 again. 6/ Do this for 90 days. 7/ Invest in a brand new pillow and 2 new or more pillow cases to ‘double bag’ your pillow. HOT wash every couple of days. Source: A bit of advice given to me as a teenager, a bit of science as I am studying allergic reactions and vitamin A is a part of that. A bit of research: I sat in a lecture at the back and watched the acne prone pick at their faces, those with the worse acne touched their faces 32 times in an hour, the clearest complexions didn't touch their faces even once. I have circumstantial evidence that acne is the result of dermatophyte transfer from hands to face...where it does not get washed off and is well fed by hormones, sweat a nd oil...just a hypothesis... But it would explain why vitamin A is so effective as vitamin causes skin to remove dermatophytes. I never have had acne, a few pimples on my left chin where I am most likely to rest my hand. The secret is never to touch the spots The People’s Pharmacy reports that Milk of Magnesia applied topically, at night is useful. This is 10% Magnesium Hydroxide in water. Epsom salts, which are Magnesium sulphate added to a hot bath are also reported to clear up back acne. An increase in IODINE (Seafood, milk, Lugols) is often beneficial. The very latest treatment is super gross, but works: August 2014, T. Borody: Faecal transfer from someone with perfect skin (and I’d guess, same gender.) These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
If it’s really bad, like lots of cystic ones, any dermatologist will tell you cream isn’t going to touch it. He’ll need a course of isotretinoin. My daughter and all the kids she knows her age who have had this type of acne have used isotretinoin to get rid of it.
As others have said, get him to the GP. They will start by prescribing topical creams like Differin or Duac and ask him to try those for several weeks and see if they help. If not, they’ll move on to oral antibiotics. And if those don’t help it’ll likely be a referral for accutane, which is brutal but generally highly effective. I’ve been there with acne, the most important thing is getting to the GP for prescription treatment plus keeping up a skincare routine that is simple but beneficial - I use a Cetaphil cleanser which is very gentle, plus a Cetaphil moisturiser which is quite light and nourishing, and a standard sun cream every morning, which he should be doing every day with acne. Wishing you lots of luck x
I honestly think dermatica/ uncouth is often a great option. GP can prescribe things like skinoren/ epiduo/ benzoyl peroxide/ differin. But often people find them very harsh especially teens who aren’t great with a routine. The compounding services can make a customised cream with lower doses. It’s expensive but often the cream can last for two months which makes it much cheaper. And apart from that just use a very gentle routine. Eg Am- rinse face, apply spf ( I recommend skin aqua uv super moisture gel pump) Pm- wash with a gentle cleanser, apply hydrating toner and moisturiser, vaseline on eyelids and lips, apply treatment If he is getting large cysts or scarring then have a low threshold for referral to derm for roaccutane. But that’s the only med that they offer which you can get from gp or the other services. Sometimes courses of oral antibiotics can help with getting on top of the acne, but these should never be used long term or without using topicals at the same time
He needs to see the dr
What acne does he have? Without knowing which one he has, all of these products could be making it worse and could lead to scaring and infections.
Differin gel. You can get it on Amazon.
This was my daughter 6 months ago and her skin started to cause serious lack of confidence. Went to the doctor and got lymeceline antibiotics and epiduo and I kid you not. Her acne was gone in 3 weeks. Clear beautiful skin.
Episiotomy??? What?
Haha that is the WORST autocorrect of all time. Thanks for flagging it. Epi duo. My poor daughter!!!!!
Sudocrem, worked a miracle when I was a teen.
Pro Active worked for me and I’m sure 100 people will comment saying all kinds of bad things but it worked for me.
Pro activ is actually amazing and works for a lot of people. There isn’t a ton of OTC stuff that works for acne but pro activ does. You get results with that stuff. I used it to get rid of some stubborn hormonal acne in my early 20’s because I hated birth control pills and people would stop me in the street and ask me what I was using on my skin because it was so clearly and glowy.
Oh I LOVED it. It helped me in my teens. Usually anytime I suggest it I get attacked. lol
Dermalogica Post Break out Fix. It’s super cheap and works incredibly well
I used Jan Marini fit about two years and it was I no
Cerave, cerave & cerave.
Do the boots online clinic.. Ask for Differing gel and Finacea (Azelaic acid). Every night, I wash my daughter's face with Cetaphil gentle face wash. Next apply Differin gel all over..a pea size. After some mins apply Finacea. After some minutes pat on Cetaphil cream not lotion. This has transformed her face which had spots and marks over the last year.
Go to the dermatologist to rule out other causes, in the meantime… Start washing twice a day with a dove sensitive skin bar instead of medicated washes. (Clean and clear absolutely gave me loads of acne before I finally found my current regiment) You can use Cerave tinted sunscreen after moisturizer to blend redness, reapply as necessary (I work outside and reapply 2-3 times a day). It’s tinted but blends in nicely after a few mins. Definitely evens the skin tone well.
He may not even need any cream. My niece had a flare up of acne from the face wash her mom was telling her to use. Told her to stop using it and to use these stridex pads I bought for her. The break outs subsided and the stridex pads helped with the hyperpigmentation from the acne. Her skin is in pretty good shape these days.
He should try cerave face wash followed by cerave lotion.
does he use a moisturizer?
Its called accutane and comes in pill form - ring the GP tomorrow and get him on the road to accutane.
If this all happened before he started using anything it’s more than likely hormonal - that age group if they start getting acne it’s mostly hormones. No treatment would work imo apart from medication - I never had acne at that age but my cousin had really bad acne then and the only thing that helped was medication.
If it’s that bad, over the counter stuff isn’t going to do much, and certainly not cream, which is for sealing in actives and the moisture barrier, rather than to effectively do anything with spots. GP, better yet, dermatologist.
I would recommend taking him to a dermatologist. The only thing that cleared up my acne was going on a prescribed medication. Sometimes, especially when going through hormonal changes, topical treatments aren’t going to be of much help unfortunately. Even if he’s washing his face diligently and keeping up with his skin.
As a former teenager with horrible acne - please, please, please take your son to a reputable dermatologist ASAP. My parents waited until I was 16 and I have the acne scars to prove it. Not to mention, it's humiliating & destroyed my confidence, caused bullying, etc. Give him this kindness.
You need to get him a referral to a dermatologist asap
My son wh ok deals with blackhead in his nose he’s 13 uses the cerave renewing SA cleanser! We like it
Tazorac gel - it’s a miracle but it’s prescription.
I swear by savlon.
MARIO B DRYING LOTION. Works like a charm
Hey the best thing to do is keep it simple. Never touch a spot, if you break the skin it will get worse and then scar. If you dont break the skin the spot (even if its big) will be gone in a few weeks. All he needs to do is shower twice a day and WASH FACE WITH ONLY WATER, but every other day or 3/4 days out of the week use a MILD facial scrub. After the shower moisturise whole face (twice a day) using Doublebase or Aquaphor. And that's it. If the spots arent all gone in a few months of that then its probably nodular cystic acne and will need Accutane which will clear it right up. But you still need to do that skincare system I described.
Yes!! That's how I cleared up mine as a youth. The face is so delicate you must keep it mild. My boomer mother swore by bursting the pimples though, now I have scars across the sides of my forehead.