Is there a over the counter treatment that can help my sons acne?

[Notagoodtime]

Ds is 14. Over the past 6 months he has developed acne. It is mostly pimples and white heads so no large cystic spots. They all over his face and now on his back, chest and top of arms. I bought acnecide but although we could see a slight improvement to start with they seem worse now. He is reluctant to go to the GP but is down about them. Anyone had any success with any products that don’t need a prescription? I’m not sure if there are any washes that he can used on his back and chest.

I had acne for about 20 years. The only thing that worked (don't hate me - this was current thinking at the time) was antibiotics.
Nothing else - saw skin specialists etc etc
Sorry - most over the counter stuff is helpful but not a cure.

Short answer, not really. You might find that getting him a really good skincare routine with products from The Ordinary or Paula's Choice (both extremely high quality but not super ££) would work. Niacinamide is a bit of a powerhouse for spots. He probably won't get much in terms of results unless he's using a cleanser, serum and moisturizer. There are loads of really great skincare Youtubers who really know their stuff.

If I were you I would spend the money and go and see a dermatologist straight up, rather than going via GP. If it gets worse, it might be that for totally clear skin he needs accutane type medicines - though it's absolutely no joke, massive chemicals to be giving a young person, so not to be taken on lightly.

Hi OP

When my DS was a teen, I found that products containing salicylic acid worked wonders on his skin. I got him this one from Amazon.

It sounds obvious, but I had to tell DS that nothing would work if he didn't actually use it as directed!

His skin was never terrible, just subject to break-outs. It cleared a particularly large breakout in under a week and he's not had one since.

Good luck!

He might have to go to the doctor to get anything effective. If he’s down about it, I’d encourage him to go.

I find Grease Lightning from Lush is amazing for drying out pimples, but it's more useful if you have one or two. As PP said GP is the best bet, but otherwise make sure he's using a gentle cleanser and moisturising daily - a lot of face scubs will irritate the skin and make the problem worse. I'd speak to someone in Lush personally, it's a bit like Marmite but I've always found them to be really helpful.

Clearasil pads work well for DD after cleansing.

Acnecide has benzoyl peroxide in it.

It's already the strongest and most effective non prescription ingredient for acne.

If that doesn't work you are left with prescription medication.

Salicylic acid for example which was suggested can work well but it's weaker and less effective than acnecide... So if acnecide isn't working a salicylic acid product won't work either.

If he decides that he will go and see a doctor, he's best asking for aknemycin - it's a topical solution which I use to keep on top of the mild acne I continue to have after much more severe treatment. I've never really had any success with OTC treatments.

Yup, benzoyl peroxide is the most effective over the counter acne medication but, if you've already tried Acnecide, I'm not sure what other options you have.

As a teen, the pill was the only thing that cleared my skin but obviously not an option for your DS!

I do second a good skincare routine from the likes of Paula's Choice etc!

As others have said, you will only really see results from prescription treatment. Lots of GPs are only doing online/phone appts only - might be worth checking if u could just email a pic of DS's skin to the GP and they can issue meds without DS having to go in?

La roche posay effaclar products are really good (face wash and moisturiser from lrp along with an aha/bha toner and a niacinimide serum from the ordinary are working well for my teenager) and I think la Roche posay do maybe a body wash and a kind of toner spray that would be useful for the body…..but he does need to go to the doctor about them from what you have described. Over the counter might help with some breakouts if used properly but if it is acne it needs prescription products. Sorry I know how stubborn they can be!

Did he persist with Acnecide? It takes about three weeks to properly work.

I think if the answer is yes, then it’s GP. Could you arrange to have sent some photos in advance maybe?

A regular skin care routine will help. A gentle cleanser morning and evening, a serum or toner with an active such as salycilic acid and niacinamide or other BHAs and a good moisturizer. I would suggest to start using the actives twice a week so not to over exfoliate the skin as that can sometimes make things worse as you strip the skin and you then can over produce oils. It will take a while to see a difference so stick with the same products for a while before switching.
I've suffered with acne and congested skin all my life and I'm starting to get a better grip on it now by doing the above. I've found the key is consistency and giving a products a chance has been the key.

Don’t mix things together unless you know what you are doing
These things are strong and he will need to use sunscreen

I would see GP but also research products

Nicinamide is great but not if it’s bacterial. Which it could be and antibiotics will clear it and then you can work to maintain it

I second @goldierocks Vteen Max is brilliant. My DCs15 had terrible acne and it has worked wonders. They use it twice a day on face, back, chest. DD barely has any spots now and DS has greatly improved (he often 'forgets' to use it regularly

Apricot scrub I find helps, both my DD's use it too

Prescription medications. GP or see an aesthetics doctor or nurse.

My daughter has had almost miraculous results with tretinoin but that’s prescription only, obviously. She’s only week five in and there was a bad initial purge but things are so much better now. She’s only got 2-3 active spots now. Her skin started to break out around March and got very irritated by May. She was mortified and grumpy and shouted at me when I mentioned it but I pushed the issue because I could tell how self-conscious she was. Now she’s stopped hiding behind her hair and eye contact is better. She’s still moody and grumpy though because she’s a 13 year old girl

I think you need to treat it like a medical problem and take him to the GP.

You could maybe try a retin-a based product, bearing in mind sun sensitivity and initial skin irritability but his skin sounds bad enough to get prescription items for.

What's his diet like? Does he eat a lot of refined sugar and/or dairy? They are both known to increase acne in certain people. It's worth investigating, but it is a big adjustment & isn't always a cure. I tried cutting them out & it didn't work, but some people swear by it. You have to be absolutely rigorous if you're going to try eliminating dairy as a possible cause.

I've had roaccutane (big improvement, extremely drying, lots of side effects), epiduo (cream, easy for the face, somewhat problematic to apply it to your own back) & differin (basically a milder version of epiduo). Both somewhat helpful.

Steer clear of products that strip all moisture from the skin, any one-step "cleansers" containing alcohol, physical exfoliants. They irritate the skin, often causing it to produce more oil to protect itself. Gentle is key.

If he wears pyjamas to bed, ideally he needs clean ones at least every 2nd night. Every night would be better. A pack of cheap cotton t-shirts to change every night will suffice. Ditto, pillowcases. Dirty fabric against the skin will harbour bacteria. Ditto, towels - he should have his own towels, ideally changed every couple of days. Get him a pack of 4 or so & wash them weekly.

For individual blemishes, honestly the best thing I've found is plain old tea tree oil, applied neat. It smells quite medicinal but not too bad & it's not visible.

Sorry, roaccutane, epiduo & differin are all prescription only in the UK, AFAIK.

I know your DS doesn't want to go to the GP but what helped my DD at 13 was a six months prescription of Lymecycline, an antibiotic and Epiduo which is a topical treatment but does have benzoyl peroxide in it. At 16 her skin is now perfect apart from the very occasional spot.

Also she has a good skin care routine now using mostly Clinique products. They work for her.

I tried everything for 12 months, finally spoke tot the GP, used econsult service and attached pictures, finished a 6 month course of antibiotics last month and my skin is amazing. I’m sorry to say he may need to speak to the GP to fully resolve it.

@angieloumc

I know your DS doesn't want to go to the GP but what helped my DD at 13 was a six months prescription of Lymecycline, an antibiotic and Epiduo which is a topical treatment but does have benzoyl peroxide in it. At 16 her skin is now perfect apart from the very occasional spot.

I had the exactly same prescription for 3 months then added another 3 months on. My skin is amazing right now, best it’s been in years.

I agree with the pp who recommended La Roche Posay effaclar products.
One of my sons had really spotty skin and tried everything. LRP was the only thing that worked at all.
Agree with niacinamide as well.