To encourage dd15 to go on the pill for her acne?

[Gretol]

dd15 has pretty bad acne and has tried antibiotics for years which haven't helped much. Older dd took roaccutane a couple of years ago which worked brilliantly BUT after a year the spots started to come back, so she went on the pill (yasmin). Her skin is now absolutely perfect.

dd15 doesn't want to take roaccutane as its such a hard drug on the system and although older dd didn't have too many side effects, because it didn't work long term she doesnt think its worth it. She is also very nervous about taking the pill. But she is very, very low about her skin . She has a gp appointment in a couple of weeks to discuss options. AIBU to push her to try Yasmin? I think she's worried she will put on weight and also she's quite a young 15 (16 later this year) and I think the sexual connotations worry her a bit!

My DD had it all over her back neck and chest also it is all gone now, but it took until April to clear and now she has scars (which are fading). Hopefully they will all go eventually.

I've been on roaccutane but for Rosacea but in smaller doses. It's still quite hard on the body as in my cholesterol rose significantly and my lips just peeled relentlessly, skin tore very easily but it might be worth asking about a lower dose.

My dd is onthe mini pill for her acne (she's not allowed the combined because she's on beta blockers) and the mix of that and duac has really improved her skin no end, nothing like it was, an angry painful mess.

"sudocrem leaves that white cast doesn't it? How did you remove it in the am?"

It does, yeah. I just used normal cleanser- but I only really use it on my face and I see your DD needs treatment for body acne.

Does she shower in the morning? It should just come off with normal soap.

Also- has she tried using anti-acne face cleanser as a body wash? The foaming Clearasil one will lather up, and it's better than shower gel.

tinty I am so pleased for your dd

I know when dd1's skin finally cleared it was an unbelievable relief for her (and me tbh)

I feel so awful that I've passed this on to them

Be really firm and consistent with the GP. Tell them that you had it, your other DD had it and DD15 has tried antibiotics etc and they haven't worked. My DD as I said tried everything from when she was 11 and none of it made a difference.

We saw one GP who was going to prescribe Co cyprindiol from when she started her periods (after 3 months to see if that settled her skin, nope even worse!).

But then the GP left and we had to go to another who was a bit reluctant but did prescribe it and when we went back in 3 months, GP was amazed at the difference (and she was still spotty then). Now she has one or two spots at the most. Before she didn't even have a clear patch of skin on her face, it was all either spots or scars.

But I was very clear from the beginning that we would try other options (except Roaccutane, because she is so young), then I wanted her to go on the pill because I know hoped, that it would work. Luckily for us it does.

If she does not want to take it, I wouldn't try to make her. There are many great products now which will help to control it better. Roc, although expensive do a good one called elubiol control which is fantastic.

I took dianette as a teen for acne. I ended up with blood clots and had a massive pulmonary embolism which I almost died from. I was not overweight, I was very skinny so the clot wasnt picked up because at the time clots were more associated with being overweight. I think this one has been banned now in alot of eurpean countries for this very reason. I would certainly try and exhaust all other options before trying this.

Thanks Tinty I wish I didn't have to wait so long for an appointment

She's so so down about it. She's a beautiful girl as well but she can't see beyond her skin and I can understand why as it is really quite bad

wow that's scary Myotherusernameisbest

I will google the roc stuff but tbh she's tried everything

Why the hell wouls you push for dianette when its been linked to deaths and a user above has just explained what happened to her?

Because many many people take it with no issues friar, including myself.

I doubt my gp will prescribe it but he will prescribe Yasmin which seems to have worked for dd1 although its hard to say for certain as she's already had accutane

I wish my mother had done this for me. I didn’t even know it was an option until I was at a party when I was 17 and the girls were all talking about being put on it from 13 years old. They all had/have perfect skin. I have scars that will need to be lasered eventually. She’s old enough to do the research herself but it was great for me.

I was prescribed both Yasmin and Dianette at different times for acne. Both triggered moderate to severe depression - my GP refused to believe that there was a connection but, in both cases, the depression improved after I insisted on stopping the pills. I'm not saying she shouldn't try the pill but it's not always an easy fix and, in my case, it wasn't worth the suicidal thoughts.

I am sorry to hear that piggy

I am concerned about that, but tbh I think if her skin improves it will do nothing but improve her mood

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so discouraging and I agree that feeling self-conscious about her skin isn't good for her emotional well-being either. Personally, I'd say give it a go and just keep an eye out for any red flags.

Was on Dianette for years which was amazing then when I went to a new gp they said Dianette wasn't meant to be used for more than two years at a time as it decreases bone density and is supposed to be used intermittently. Was changed to Yasmin and found myself to be very hormonal and definitely didn't have the effect Dianette had on spots.

Someone above mentioned Roc-there are a few of their products I've heard marvelled at too by the way

Gretol im sure you've passed other stuff onto them that'll stand to you in the future [hugs]

Your DD’s acne does sound very severe. Are you prepared to travel to see a really good dermatologist? I’m happy to pass on details if you pm me.

They do monitor you a lot on co-cyprindiol and they take the risk of blood clots very seriously so we watch out for any pains in the legs, arms etc, but no problems so far, the first year is the most likely time for any problems apparently.

I think that the risk with clots is only slightly higher than normal pills, but it is worth a try, just keep a really close eye on DD15.

My GP has never mentioned bone density problems but when I was approaching 40 they used to keep saying to me that I will have to come off of it at 40, now they have the cheaper generic brand they say you can stay on it until you are 50 as long as you are not overweight or a smoker.

aw stayathomer that's made my morning thank you x

Hi, my daughter was given the option of Roaccutane or the pill as her skin was so bad. We tried going dairy free with her diet and the difference is incredible . Big improvement in her skin and confidence. So glad that we tried that first 😀

YABU. The pill can cause horrible side effects. People I have known have suffered from depression, haorloss, weight gain and one girl had a blood clot when she was 17. Scared the shit out of me. I have had pretty bad acne myself but would never take the pill after what I have seen. If she is unvo for table with it don't make her.

@Myotherusernameisbest elubiol doesnt seem to exist any more

We've tried dairy free and no sugar. No change although I know it can work well for some

I know you said she’s tried everything so please forgive another suggestion but I would recommend using Dermalogica Medibac Skin Clearing Washbin conjunction with whatever treatment she has. It cleared up my (not severe) adult acne but both my sisters had very bad acne and it really helped by reducing redness and drying out the skin without it being harsh.

The only thing that properly sorted mine was pregnancy - utterly bizarre as I expected it to get much worse!