Teenage Acne

Hi L.:
My son had acne as a young teen,and we tried everything!! He was a very handsome,popular boy at school,and his problem, was not merely causing him feelings of insecurity and embarassment, but he was beginning to scar. I decided, not to mess around any more, with all those over the counter cures, and get him some professional help. I made an appointment with a dermatologist,and he prescribed something for his face, as well as something to take orally.I can't remember,why the Dr. said he needed the oral as well, but I have to assume it was because he had excessive oiley skin. My son and I were elated, when his face began to clear up almost imediately. By months end, his face had cleared up, and he looked, and felt wonderful. My advice, would be to take her to someone, that knows what they're doing, before her lovely face becomes scared. I wish you and your darlin daughter the best.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi L.~

Obagi has FANTASTIC skin care lines. I bought the one for acne, called Clenziderm, for best friend's son and it cleared his face right up. He loves it and won't use anything else. It's a 3 step process, but IT WORKS!! Don't mix other stuff in with it... just use that. It comes in a kit and you can get it from the dermatologist's office. If you need a name and number of an office that carries it, message me and I will give you mine. I wholeheartedly encourage you to buy that for your daughter. It's worth every cent!!

That treats the outside symptoms... don't also forget what's going in her body. Perhaps she's allergic to something and doesn't know it. Watch the yeast and refined sugars with her, too.

Let me know how things go for her if you try this! I know it will work! :)

In Light,
J.

1 mom found this helpful

HI!! Please take her to a dermotologist.Do not try over the counter products any longer. She will have scars if she isn't treated correctly. I had acne as a girl and went to a dermo. I was put on erithromycin face cleanser and Tetracycline pills. IT worked like a charm. I have NO scars and at 45 a beautiful complexion !
ALL THE BEST
K. B

Hi L.

I kept having these recurring acne around mouth/chin some years ago and finally found an economic solution that actually worked (tried lots of stuff prior). I went to a Chinese herbal store that sold pills containing milk thistle and vit B complex. Took one/day for 30 days- worked wonders. Some came back but I couldn't drive far to get that particular product so what did was that I bought milk thistle from Trader Joe's for $8/bottle on top of the vit B complex. Worked great for my particular case. I realized you don't have to spend big bucks on fancy products that don't always work. Well, it's worth a try. I'm with the ladies who mention diet being a big factor -skip the sodas and drink only water. Good luck.

Murad Acne Care works very well. The best, I love it.
Also no child needs to go through the humilation of having acne as kids are so mean, take her to a dermatologist or a skin care expert. There are so many treatments for acne and so many procedures that can help, but definitly do all you can becasue this can ruin her self esteem so much, especially at her age. Good Luck.

Bath and Body Works has a dermatologist created skin care line. It called Wexler. The products are a bit pricey (for me at least) but they work like the prescription stuff. You can read reviews on them online first to see if you think they will work out for your daughter. Just go to bathandbodyworks.com and look up the Wexler products.

I had acne from 14 till I was 25 and tried medication, cleansers and diet (cutting out fat and chocolate) What I finally figured out thru trial and error is that it was due to hormones. When I went on the pill it helped a little (your daughter I am sure is too young for this! Just telling you what helped me) and then I took Estrovin and what a difference the Estrovin seemed to make (you can find it at most drug or health food stores) I also tried Costcos version of it and that worked too. Have her wash her face only once a day as overwashing seems to make it worse as well and MOISTURIZING is very important. Good Luck

From the list of things you've tried I assume you're seeing a dermatologist. If not, run, don't walk to one. There are several medications that might help, the strongest being accutane. Get your daughter some help before she get's older. It really impact's their self esteem. Good luck.

Hi L.,

I grew up with incredibly bad acne and I have just about tried all of treatments you have listed with minimal or no results. I never tried the accutaine treatment because of the bad side effects. CYCLIC NANO SILVER bar soap saved my skin! and it has no side effects ! i know that it is kind of pricey but you can buy the sample size for a good price on amazon. you will remarkably see results the next day (at least for me)! Please give it a try for your daughter! I stand by this bar soap!!(make sure to create a foam btw your hands and let the foam set on your face for 5-10 min before rinsing).

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=cyclic+soap...

wishing your daughter the best,
H.

I had the worst acne. My face looked like a map of hills.

Kids mad fun of me so much. I finally cut out soda. I started using Aveda. It is costly but after time it cleared me up.

My dr told me the more water I drink, the better it is for me. Your body has dirt it needs to take out of your system and it uses water to do this.

Have you tried Dead Sea products? They sell them at all malls in one of the Kiosks. They are a bit pricey, but maybe they would work. I don't know of any teens using the products, but I do use them myself and am happy with the results. Mary Kay made me break out, but I did have good results with Proactive. I prefer the dead sea minerals because they are natural. If that does not work, definitely take her to see a dermatologist.

Hi L.. I have had acne issues since I was in Junior High and I will be 30 soon. First and foremost.....see a good dermatologist. I wish my parents would have done this. After my acne got really bad and scarred(sometime in high school) my parents finally took me to a regular Dr. not a derm. I was put on oral and topical antibiotics. The oral ones turned my teeth yellow and the retin-a made my skin come off in sheets leaving me looking like a burn victim. So then I had to get my teeth bleached and stop using the retin-a. Proactive worked for awhile but then suddenly stopped. I tried going the complete other direction at that point. I had an acid peel, microdermabrasion and started using really high priced spa products. This actually worked for me and made my skin glow. The problem now, was affording it. So here I am almost 30 with the skin problem I have had since Junior High. I finally went to a derm who knew what they were doing and suggested Skin Medica. It is a nonprescription line sold in Drs offices. You can also get it on Ebay for alot less. I have used it for the last year and love it. It's about $80 for a 6 month supply. Good luck!

Hi L.,
I am an Avon Representative and they have come up with something better than ProActive and a lot of other acne treatments. I don't know if your daughter has used any of our products. This is a brand new 3 steps system, gentle on her face and it works. I have sold a lot of these systems, every teen and grown up who have used it are very happy because, they do not experience any irritation on their faces. If you would like to try you can go to my website: www.youravon.com/egladysz
Please let me know if I can help you with anything. The price on this system is very affordable as well. The Clearskin Professional Acne Treatment System, Item # 618-122 is sold right now for $29.99 will be $34.00 in another 3 weeks from this today's date (10/11/08)and consists of Deep pore cleansing, Clarifying toner pads and Daily correcting Lotion. This system was designed by Patric Demsey's wife (Julian Dempsey) as well as a line of cosmetic products. Patric is also joining Avon with a new cologne designed exclusively for him.
You can also e-mail me at ____@____.com

I hope this can help you and your daughter. I know this is a problem all moms and kids face at a certain age. It's not easy on any of us.

Every member of this site receive 10% discount on any products that are purchased.

Thank you for reading,

R. G.

Hi L., WOW, what timing. I just picked up some new product for my 12 year old boy. I know what your going through and it's tough to see your child go through this too. Although this is the 4th or 5th product we've tried, he just started with it last night, and I am not exagerating, the pimples on his nose have already started to go away. It's the new acne regimen from Nutragena. It's a 3 step thing. It has cleanser, day cream and night cream.
This might work for your daughter too. Good luck. I picked it up at Target. M. A.

Well, we've been thru all this, too (a few years ago) and the only thing I can say is, when all else fails, Accutane is the way to go. My son has had severe nodule acne and this is has been the literal cure for him. It looks like someone erased his whole facial skin and now you can see his gorgeous eyes instead of just that acne. You must get monthly blood tests to check the liver, etc. but our dermatologist even gave it to his own wife and his own daughter. You stay on it for 5 mos. and then it's over for good.
You might want to consider it and talk to your derm.
Good luck!
M.

Hi L.,

Given the names of the products she's tried, I am assuming she's been to a dermatologist...if not, I'd suggest it. As far as the Mary Kay, did your consultant try different formulas with you? There is Velocity but also from the classic skin care line there is a deep cleanser, clarifying mask, blemish control toner and oil control moisturizer - these formulas are specifically for sensitive and acne prone skin. I also found with my 13 year old the acne treatment gel for outbreaks and the beauty blotters for excess oil during the day helped. If your daughter is still oily, the oil mattifier is good also. If you haven't tried these, I'd go back to your consultant and ask her about them. If you no longer have a consultant, I'd be more than happy to help you.

Hi L.,
My 12 old daughter was also having a problem and "Acne-free" seemed help. We visited two Dermatologists and one family practice physician. One Dermatologist had a list of foods not to eat, he also recommended the Duac but I didn't like the sound of the possible side effects. He also recommended sleeping on a pillow case that is 100% cotton (white only). From my research there seems to be different symptoms of acne.
I have many recommendations from other mamasource members if you are interested. I feel your pain.

have you tried oral antibiotics? Doxicycline is usually the first choice. I have adult acne and I take Solodyn and it works really well. I am not sure if it is approved for a 12 yr old though.
My heart goes out to you and her...NO ONE can be happy when they are breaking out all the time.

Hi L., all 3 of my kids were on anti-biotics for acne, the worse being accutane, which causes depression. Be careful, because some kids can get very depressed on this, they actually take blood tests while they are on it. They will start her on a lower dose of the lowest antibiotic and progress till they find one that works best for her. Another cause of acne which most doctors ignore is shampoos, many have formaldehyde that blocks the pores and when mixed with the oils from the hair and skin and dirt, it can cause major breakouts. Have your daughter keep her hair away from her face so she doesn't constantly touch her face. Also the best shampoo we have found is Melaleuca Tea Tree Oil Shampoo, it is antifungal and antiseptic. Have her also change her pillow case daily to get rid of dirt and oil redepositing on her skin. Go to www.melaleuca.com and check out their acne products as well if you want to avoid the antibiotics. They work great. Contact me here if you would like info about buying these products. We have a network of moms that work from home referring other moms to these great products.
E.

L., I have seen great success with the Arbonne Intelligence skincare line - I can send you a free sample for your daughter to try; just send me an email with your address. Arbonne also has an acne line. but I think it might be too strong for such young skin, and I would try this other line first. B.

Hi L.,

Have you tried convincing her to change her diet? I know that dairy can cause a lot of skin problems. Perhaps, go to a nutritionist or even Jimbo's and ask for some homeopathic remedies as well as using a dermatologist's recommendations. I use clindamycin with great success, but it has to be in combination with good diet - drinking LOTS of water, limiting sugar, dairy, etc. Not easy for a 12 year old. I know you said she tried Proactive, but perhaps a few things in combination (I too had good results with proactive, but she has to use it regularly. again, not easy for a teenager to do). I applaud you trying to help her as much as possible, it's such a hard age and only made more difficult with acne.

Now, I know this will be a tough suggestion to take, but it may very well be hormonal (has she started her period? if not, she probably will be soon), and it may make sense to put her on a birth control pill that helps control acne. I've known some parents to do that for the acne purpose and it has worked very well.

Again, I use a birth control pill for that reason (well, and another reason too - smile) and it works well to combat those time of the month breakouts.

Good luck!!!

Hi L.!

I know you have a few suggestions, so may I give my 2 cents... lol
My stepdaughter has had a rough time with acne. her mom was taking her to a Dermatologist, her face was not getting any better. The Doctor wanted to put her on Accutain. After mush research this is not a good choice. mant teens get very depressed maybe even suicidal from the drug. We ended up taking her to an Esthetician who said her face was getting dried out from all the different soaps, scrubs and medications. She started giving her facials and getting her face healthy again. What a world of difference. My stepdaughters face hurt to touch it before the treatments. Now her face is soft and cleared up. It does not hurt any more. Just something to think about..
Good Luck...

Hi L.,

Wow, you've had some great advice! Looks like you've tried a few things already.

This site may help you determine which type of acne she has: http://www.dermnetnz.org/acne/

A dermatologist can help, and will probably prescribe a facial treatment. You can also request to get her tested for allergies, food and other types or allergens.

There are a few other things you can do to help your daughter.

1. Water is one of the most important things our bodies need. She should be drinking plenty of it. Many dieticians suggest 1/2 your body weight to ounces. So if she weighs 100 lbs, then she would consume 50 oz. water = 6.25 cups daily. That is about 3 pint sized water bottles, which are the most common size. Many sports bottles have measurements on them that can make it easy to know if she is drinking enough.

2. Our skin is like a sponge, so everything it comes in contact with can cause irritation. This includes our shampoos, clothes, pillowcases, etc. Avoid products that contain Quaternium-15, this is a skin irritant and is found in many toiletries and laundry products, including cleansers.
http://www.dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/quaternium-allergy.html

3. Diet and Nutrition are very important for a growing adolescent. If she is not on a good vitamin/supplement, then you may want to try that. Food allergies are very common too, which she can be tested for at the dermatologist or your Primary Care Dr.

Here are a few Wellness products that I would recommend to my clients:

Non-Toxic & Non-Caustic Laundry Products:
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/pdf_us/US_MelaPowerPIB1005.pdf

Vitamins with proper nutrition:
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.contentPage&am...

Non-Toxic Shampoo:
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.productDetail&...

Acne Defense System
http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.productDetail&...

I hope this is helpful, I'd be happy to share more info with you.

www.SaferIsBetter.com/LisaZ

Best Wishes,
L.

hi L.- i had suffered from acne as a teenager and tried everything. the only thing that helped when i was a teenager was accutane - ugh!! but lucky me...i also got it as an adult..i am 36. i was on medication and used proactive 2 times a day and still had daily breakouts. when i got pregnant it went away and my skin was perfect. i thought it was because of all the hormones. well, about 7 months ago i decided to give up artificial sweeteners and i have not had a pimple since. i thought it was the hormones when i got pregnant that helped with acne but it was actually giving up artificial sweeteners that worked. i just didn't connect the dots until this last time i gave them up. i no longer am on medication and don't have to use proactive anymore either. i have done research and a lot of people say that artificial sweeteners can cause acne. i don't know if this will work for you guys but i thought i would let you know my experience.

I remember having such a hard time with my skin later on in my teens. Sometimes I would cry because I was embarassed. My mother had it worse than I, but I wish I knew sooner that I could control acne from the inside out!

Skin blemishes arise from improper nutrition, hormonal imbalance, system toxicity, and stress. Diet is such an important influence. Dairy, hydrogenated fats, sodas, and the like, will "toxify" her system. Keep her system clean: 6-8 glasses of water a day. Plenty of dietary fiber.

Fill in those nutritional gaps: find a mutivitamin supplement that her body will actually absorb. Vitamins A, B, C and Zinc as well as Omega-3s will make her skin glow--and clear up. Sleep/ rest is also very important.

My skin was really sensitive to anything with peroxides or sulfurs. Since I was a competitive swimmer, harsh alchohol rubs made my skin overproduce oil. In my twenties I began to use Tea Tree Oil for pustules. My little brother started breaking out by then and started using it. It cost us less and worked the best!

I found a really good Acne treatment system that is half the cost of Proactive. The Zap It! Acne Treatment System is based on very pure Melaleuca Oil (Tea Tree Oil). Instead of freaking her young skin out, this is something more natural and inexpensive.

Evelyn G posted this link already, but here it is again just in case you don't feel like scrolling: www.melaleuca.com

This Company has some high quality products without the outrageous prices. Take a look at the Multivitamins and Acne System for sure. The Shampoo is great, too. I've used it on my long hair without conditioner.

Best of wishes! Let me know how things work out for the both of you.

Call Leslie Warner ###-###-#### cell, ###-###-####. She does inexpensive Blue light Photofacials - LED light. My daughter got acne at 6 - and it became the very bad cystic. Our chiropractors pills really helped - all natural, but this LED blue light is amazing. There are no side affects and it's very healthy. It heals the skin from the inside out. I'm so thankful I found Leslie and our chiropractor. There's a ton of good affects of it, but I'm not going to write it all down.
Take care,
C. Senese - tell her I referred you. BTW, I am a Mary Kay consultant. One can do blue light and then use my skin care products. But some acne needs more of a treatment than skin care.

Suzanne Sommers has just written a book, and she has dedicated a whole chapter to a skin care patch called Y-age. Helps with acne, excema, wrinkles, hormones....you name it. I am proud to be part of this company. No drugs or chemicals. A non transdermal patch that you daughter would wear below her belly button. Go to Lifewave.com/kherihealth for more information and to order (money back if you are not happy). Feel free to call me ###-###-####

Hi L.,

I feel for your daughter. I am 34 and still have acne. I have been on a variety of things as well. I am currently taking an antibiotic that is working pretty well.

I had a doctor tell me recently that for some people, acne must be MANAGED, not cured. He also said that people with high testosterone levels will get more acne than others, and that some people will get acne no matter what they eat, drink, or slather on their face, so not to feel bad about it. This must be true for me and my family, since my mom and grandfather both have acne too.

I would try whatever natural or medical product you are comfortable with and pay attention to the responses. Keep in mind that skin can get used to one product and render it ineffective after a while (the body adapts). Your daughter may just have to accept trying several skin care regimens over the next few years. I would do this under a doctor's care.

My best advice is to try not to get too upset about it. Your daughter is young and she may grow out of the acne. Until then, do the best you can. Your daughter's acne doesn't define who she is. I know this is hard--sometimes I feel like my acne is all of me that people see, and that I'm the only mom who has acne on the planet. On days when I'm really feeling down, I tell myself that there are many worse things one could have than acne. There are women and girls on the planet who have real facial deformities or scars due to burns that they can do nothing about. Also, I remind myself of something about myself that I really like, which helps me not get too mired in self-pity and caught up in surface beauty.

I think it's important to keep things in perspective as much as possible. Even if your daughter's friends don't have acne, there is probably something about themselves that they would change if they could. That's just part of life. Tell your daughter to remember that people's personalities are what truly make them beautiful. She can manage and reduce her acne, even if she can't cure it.

Best wishes! Don't give up!
D.

Murad Acne Formula! It is wonderful! I have adult acne and this is the only thing I have found that works wonderfully for me. My 13 year old uses it too with great results. You can find it at an Ulta store or go to www.ulta.com

N.

I never had a problem with acne as a teenager. As an adult it's a different story. I started having adult acne and tried many different things. Like your daughter, I tried Proactive ad Mary Kay too. I finally decided to just try the Patricia Wexler acne line from Bath and Body works. It works!!!! I can't believe it. It took a month or so but my skin is so clear now! My 9 year old is beginning to get acne and she is now using the cleanser and then just a gentle moisturizer. The cleanser is $16 I think. THere are other products in the line that cost more though. I'm now just using the cleanser as well. Good luck!

Have you brought it up to her doctor? I remember i had acne real bad at one time and i got a prescription face wash.

There is a money back product called 'clear.now' that you can get at we-us.mychoices.biz and there is an acne spot treatment that I use from the same site that is called 'Artistry Essentials, anti-blemish'. Thse work very well for my grandson and like I mentioned you get your money back if they don't work!

Hi L.,
I had the same issue your daughter has when I was 9. I am now 39 and as of a few years ago am acne free. I found out at a doctor's appointment with my MD that much of my acne was actually an allergic reaction to dairy products and not enough water. After switching to almond milk and drinking more water my acne went away. Wish I had known this when I was younger. I would have much less acne scarring.

I would take her off all dairy! Wheat can be a big contributor also, but I'd start with dairy.
Good luck,
S.

L.,
I had a friend in High School who developed the worst case of acne. She started on higher than usual doses of Vitamin A and Zinc, and her acne cleared up. It might be worth checking with a Dermatologist to determine the safe doses. Good luck!

She will scar if you let this go on too long. Please seek professional help for her. My 3 older kids all had to take Accutane, which is very powerful stuff. Know that it does not work overnight, but it does work. Within just a few months they had beautiful skin. Yes there are blood tests and yes it's a risk, but if your child is as miserable as mine were with their skin and feeling insecure about how they look, you will do anything to help! My 3rd child was only on it for a couple of months and it took care of it for the rest of his teen years. My 4th child is coming up to puberty, and I will not hesitate to go through it again to save his skin!

Well, have you been to a dermatologist yet? Get her to a board certified dermatologist asap!! Sometimes the topical stuff they give you works, but sometimes they need a mild antibiotic (not Accutain or any of those strong meds for cystic acne) to clear it up. Worked like a charm for my son!!

P.S. Everybody is different, but sodas and fast food made it worse.....when he stayed away from both of them, his face would clear up without any medications, creams, etc.

Hi L.:

I have a 10 1/2 year old daughter and have been thinking about what to do when I have to deal with her skin. I am 40 years old and have had adult acne for several years. I tried many things and here is what works best for me. I use proactiv in combination with a peel every four to six weeks. Because she is so young you may want to consult with a dermatologist. There are many different types of peels and with her young skin it may be something quite different then what a 40 year old does. After the peel I use Arbonne or Tahitian Noni skin products since my skin is somewhat sensitive. I rarely use medicated products but acne can be so depressing. Anybody who has ever had it knows you just want to clear it up immediately! The last thing I want to suggest is a Bach Flower Essence called Crab Apple which will help her on an emotional level from feeling icky or gross because of her acne. You can get it online or at a healthfood store. Best of Luck.

I had acne that was on-going under my chin for a couple of years. It was around the time I was 22-24 years old. Then I tried 2 doctor's prescribed products:

a face wash called Rosanil (I did not used generic brand) and a lotion called Clindamycin 1% by the maker of Fougera. It has to be the LOTION. After using it twice a day and only for a few months, it was clear. And I continued using it for only a year then I completely stopped using it all together and never had acne again (except maybe when I get my monthly, I get ONE acne; and sometimes I don't).

Some products require that you keep using it (I hear about this with Proactiv), as if your skin depends on it to keep the acne at bay. But I didn't have to keep up with the treatment. I was able to stop using the products all together.

I don't know if maybe my hormone changed and it was just a coincidence that the acne went away. But it seemed to to be the products to me. Since your daughter is only 12 and will continue going through hormonal changes in the coming years, it's possible that she may have to keep up treatment longer.

Hi L.,
Although you may have never heard of this, your daughter may be getting the acne as a result of a food allergy or sensitivity. I had a similar skin problem and i discovered this to be the case - through a very holistic/eastern medicine approach called NAET (www.naet.com) i was able to cure the problem. Through the website i found an amazing practitioner who is also an MD.
I am using the NAET process for my son's eczema, and it is working very well.
Topicals will help control the acne, but it doesn't get rid of the problem.
Let me know if you have any questions about NAET, and i hope whatever you choose to do helps your daughter!

Hi L. my daughter is 12 years old and has bad acne but she is predisposed to having really really bad acne because of our family history. I have been giving her vitamin b12 in the form of brewers yeast tablets and monitoring her diet with as little fast food as possible so it seems to help her not have the break outs that have scared the faces of many of her cousins. I have been taking a product called orovo. I started taking it for weight loss but it has a side affect which is acne control. I don't know if you would want your daughter to lose weight. Orovo has a web site to visit if you want to know more. Good luck, but I do believe that vitamin b's are a great way to help with period mood swings, cramps, and acne. P.

Dear L., I am sorry your daughter has to suffer this. When my son was about that age he had a lot of problems too. We had pretty good results with Proactiv. We all use it, and I like it because it is mild. Most of the over the counter stuff just tears up your skin and make it worse. Try this and if it doesn't work then check out a good dermatologist.

Two things. Diet. She needs to clean up her diet, what she eats. That doesn't mean eating less, just differently. And take her to a good dermatologist as soon as you can. Over the counter stuff doesn't cut it. There is help out there. Get it for her.

My daughter is 14 and doesn't have real bad acne problem I'm 34 and was getting pimples WAY to often I bought some products and they did'nt work. Now we use witchhazel. Seems to work great. We use is every morning and night. I noticed my daughter with some new pimples and asked if she was using the witchhazel she said "no that's why I have these". We buy T.N. Dickinson's brand at Walmart it's only $2.00. Worth a try.

Good luck

skin is your largest excretory organ and you are trying to topically fix a problem that could very well be internal toxins that the body is trying to get rid of. Try putting her on a cleansing fast...look into raw foods diet and make sure she focuses on the quality of the food instead of the indulgence of it. The more chemicals the food contains the more toxins the body will have to get rid of. You might also speak to a functional nutritionist that can check specifically what is not functioning in her body. Call me with any questions. ###-###-####

Has your doctor had her on an oral antibiotic? If I remember correctly, they have to have all their permanent teeth before they do this, as the antibiotic they use can cause discoloration of teeth that haven't formed yet. That is the only thing that they did for our daughter that you haven't yet tried, except one thing. The acne on mu daughter's face was fairly under control, but her back remained unbelieveably bad in spite of everything. She was put on a course of treatment of Accutane, and that finally did the trick. That's sort of the drug of last resort. It has some potentially scary side effects, and your daughter would have to go in for appointments and blood tests every month. We watched our daughter very carefully for possible side effects such as depression. Our daughter tolerated it very well, and it made all the difference. The skin on her face is now almost like porcelain, and her back is also clear, despite some tiny scarring, which is fading over time.

I don't know what the age limits are for Accutane.

Make sure you are seeing a really good dermatologist--not a pediatrician or family practicioner.

Good luck!