14 Soon to Be 15 Year Old Son with Acne

Hi J.,
I have had acne since about 6th grade and I've tried everything!!!! Clearisil, ProActive, Accutane, antibiotics, and like others have said, something will work for a while and then one day it just stops working! The best things that I've done so far are 1. Accutane- this is a very strong medication, your son will have to go to the dermatologist once a month for a check up and a blood draw. They usually have the patient take it for 4-6 months depending on the severity of the acne. This is supposed to be a one time deal meaning after their treatment the patient should be pretty much acne free. My skin looked great for a couple months but then slowly started to break out again. They say that a small percentage of people have to do a second bout with the medication but I wanted to get pregnant so I decided not to do another treatment. (the big downside to this medicine are the many possible side effects...the only problem I had was very chapped lips.)
2. The next best thing I've tried is called Acne Free, available at a lot of stores like Target and Walmart, I got mine at Costco. The product is very similar to Proactive, but half the cost. Honestly, I've used both and I like the Acne Free a lot better! It's around $30 for a 90 day supply, where the Proactive was about $45 for about a 60 day supply.
The only other tip I can give is have him drink a lot of water! I used to drink a lot of soda when I was a teenager and that just aggravated my skin. Now that I'm older I know the importance of drinking water and it shows in my complexion...not great, but a lot better than it was as a teen!
I hope this helps! Good luck

2 moms found this helpful

Ther is a great recipe for acne care on the Aromaland- Aromatherapy website in the recipe section. Some of them call for oil bases, which may not sound like a good combination with acne problems, but actually if you moisturize the skin with a natural product, it keeps the sebacious glands from working so hard to keep the skin moistened, (since it is usually dried out by most acne medicines and products) and can actually help minimize acne. I always try to take care of things naturally first and then use medical intervention if necessary. Make sure he is changing his sheets especially the pillowcase at least once a week. Bacteria can collect in the fabric, and then cause breakouts while sleeping.

Hi J.,
Acne is one of those "typical" or normal things that can be absolutely horrible to the person suffering through it. I'm a 40 something mom with teen and older kids and save for one of my children we have all struggled with it in varying degrees. I have been on Acutane and unless your son has very severe acne I would caution against its use. It is exceptionally powerful and requires continuous monitoring to make certain it doesn't damage organs or increase your cholesterol to an intolerable level. The last time I was on my cholesterol more than doubled. It subsided after my course of treatment, but I would caution use until other less systemic methods have been tried. Of the four of us in the family using some type of acne treatment we've found Acne Free, the drugstore version of Proactive to be very affordable and effective. We purchased ours at CostCo but other major stores sell at similar prices. I wish you and your son luck in dealing with this.
M. P

A friend of mine with a 15 year old daughter was telling me that Walmart has their brand of "proactiv" skin care and she's been using it for about 5 months now and she said it works great. She too uses it on her face and neck and upper back. She said its alot cheaper than the regular stuff and works wonderful for her daughter. I hope this helps.
W.

EPICUREN!! A gift from the gods!! Best stuff and they have a very comprehensive acne line. I also highly recommend the Propolis line they offer. I used it for a stress zit I got 2 days before my wedding and it disapeared in time!! Check them out online and try them BEST STUFF EVER!! It maybe more expensive than drugsore remedies but your teenager will thank you for it..gentle and natural and WONDERFUL!!

PRO ACTIVE, PRO ACTIVE, PRO ACTIVE!!! It is a wonderful thing...I know that its a little pricey but well worth the money when you see the improvment so quickly and the self esteem boost is priceless.

I have very sensitive skin myself, and break out with acne about once a month (cycle related). I've found that washing my face with the tea tree shampoo I use helps (just when I shower), and I also use witch hazel - wet a cotton pad down and wipe it over my face, neck, etc, morning and night. If my skin feels dry after using it, I have a couple of non-oily lotions I use on my hands that I'll put a little on my face as needed.

good luck!

That ProActive skin care line gets great press and has a whole host of celebrity endorsers who are both male and female.

J.,
I am by far not a expert, or a Consultant of this product, but I have sensitive skin, and Mary Kay had wonderful skin care products, and a money back guarentee!?!?
I belive they even have a cleanser for teenage skin care.

My sister-in-law uses Proactive that is for sensitive skin. I haven't tried it myself, but she says it works great! :)

I use tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar and purpose face wash. Message me if you want the recipes.

My first thought when I read your message was of acne scars. I don't know what you mean by real bad. I've known people whose face and back were covered in pimples that were red and sore. One that I saw later had really bad acne scars. I'd see a dermatologist to find out show serious the acne is and ask for the best treatment.