16 year old dd: spots everywhere, had antibiotics what now

[RoseandVioletCreams]

Dd has lots of spots all over her back, shoulders, and tops of legs etc.
Her face was v bad but is much clearer bar for head and some around chin.
We had antibiotics and she took them v well but after a few months tailed off..... It feels like years... What should we ask for /try next.
. I'm nervous about the pill. Is there anything else.

The pill has solved it for my dd. Why are you nervous about her trying that? Best to sort it before her skin scars. At 16 she can request it anyway if that's what she wants.

Tbh the 3 different antibiotics the Dr made my dd try completely messed with her tummy. The cause is hormonal so needs to be treated as such. Hope she finds something that works for her soon, it's rubbish.

If she ever does decide on the pill in the future, get her to try Yasmin. It’s been brilliant for my daughter. She had bad skin & was really self conscious. Her skin has really cleared up now. It take about 6 months to kick in & got slightly worse before it got better.

Acnecide cream (can get over counter) light amount on problem areas (totally dries the area out)

No makeup - light makeup when worn must be non-comedogenic. Absolutely nothing containing oil on the skin.

Shower and cleanse every night before bed so skin is steamed/ultra clean overnight

Cetaphil cleansers and moisturisers only, or cerave - do not bother with all the other brands and anti-spots promises

Always stay hydrated and moderate oils, sugar etc

Don't touch face / pick etc (difficult one esp when suffering!)

I was just thinking earlier I'd like to pass my skin advice on! I had acne from later teen years, about 18/19yo, to early thirties. Had roaccutane in 20s which is brutal but necessary for chronic cases. But the acne does usually come back after a few years. And it took me a few years and lots of meds (antibiotics, contraceptives, also topicals etc, all of which I regret) to conclude that the above worked.

IMO the pill only causes hormonal imbalance and it's better to find skin balance with the hormones you've got (and that your diet etc is not unbalancing your hormones). My dermatologist also said it's not the hormones causing spots it's the oil in the skin - which can relate to hormones - but the problem is not the hormones per se.

I'm sorry your daughter is going through that. I'm just wondering, has she tried going without dairy for a while, as that can be quite inflammatory and can aggravate acne in some people?

I know of people who have tried this and found it has helped, although I am no expert.

Have attached an article from Vogue ... Good luck - I hope it clears soon for her.

I Gave Up Dairy—And My Adult Acne Vanished in Under a Month | VogueI Gave Up Dairy—And My Adult Acne Vanished in Under a Month | Vogue

DD went on the pill and it worked very well. Certainly better than the spots and resultant scaring.

What's her diet like? High sugar and high dairy intake can irritate the skin further

If it's as bad as you say ask for her to be referred to a dermatologist. In my experience GPs know sod all about acne.

So it’s on back and legs but not much on face? That’s unusual and suggests it could be something else like fungal acne or folliculitis, rather than standard acne. It would be sensible to ask to see a dermatologist.

For standard hormonal acne my suggestions would be
Cerave or Cetaphil cleanser
Epiduo cream (mix of benzoyl peroxide and adapalene, a retinoid)
Dianette pill (or Yasmin, but Dianette more effective)
Spironolactone (good for hormonal acne for some people, fewer side effects than Pill as non hormonal)

Differin cream/adapalene. It's a topical retinoid and is very safe. Works amazingly well.

I agree re dairy!

@minipie surprised to hear Dianette is still being prescribed! I've heard a lot of bad experiences. I am slim but put on 2 stone with it within months and felt like shit. It also did nothing for my skin. I came off it fairly soon and hugely regret ever taking it.

Hi! Skin & Me is absolutely fantastic for the face. I had incredibly bad hormonal acne on my face and it totally cleared things up like medication was never able to do! It's tailored to your skins needs too. You can order it online directly - trust me this works!

Roaccutane was the only thing that cleared mine, I'd get a private dermatology consultation

Seconding Differin/adapalene gel. Game changer for me as a young adult - wish it had been around when I was a teen. Ask GP for it.

So I can get adaplan gel over the counter?

She uses ceravee.

I'd like her to see dermatologist but will doc refer her?

If her back has someone raised spots, some with white head but some flat.. Are the flat parts scaring?.

Dairy and sugar are the main culprits. Both affect hormones and inflammation in the body. You can find lots of information about it.

Cutting out dairy worked for mine.

we started with a two week trial. Visible difference in a week. A year later pretty much all gone.

it’s also cleared up some other issues she had as well- constipation/diarrhoea, and the “vomiting bugs” we just thought she kept getting. Her “fussiness” with food also seems to have been linked- she naturally avoided cheese, yogurt etc.

@Sunshineandrainbows23 interestingly that article says low fat or skimmed milk not full fat is a culprit

@minipie it was awful on forehead but I think as that's easily accessible it's had most attention from typical antibiotics cream etc or t tree oil.

Her whole back across top has flat red marks and someone raised spots.

The pill worked very well for an ex to clear up bad acne on her back and shoulders when she was younger.

Just a tip for the back/shoulders - she should be very careful to wash all conditioner off. I wash my shoulders with gentle soap after using conditioner as I find they get spotty if I leave traces of conditioner there.

Adapalene is prescription only AFAIK - but shouldn’t be a problem, it’s very effective and often prescribed

The GP should be able to refer her to a dermatologist. Mine did, but this was a LONG time ago. The pill sorted mine out too.