Doctor for Acne

[Elliejane]

Hi
Just wondering about taking my son to see doctor for acne . He is 17 and it’s getting worse . We have tried pretty much everything you can buy yourself . It’s mostly on his cheeks and has horrible white heads also and red inflamed .

Have tried tea tree, Cerave wash (initially helped) ,dots for spots ,salicylic acid various brands , freedmen gel , usual acne products like clearsil etc .

I know nhs is busy but just not sure what else to try . I tried pharmacy and got a cream but told not to use in sunny days so was bit worried over that
any ideas ?

Could maybe book a private dermatologist also ?

He keeps his skin clean and never had issues until last few years but it getting worse .

Ellie

Lymecycline can cause purging of underlying spots. I hope he starts feeling the benefits soon

Hi @Elliejane how is your DS doing? We are in month 5 of roaccutane and things are finally starting to happen - no new spots at all, just a bit of redness and inflammation. I hope he's doing well, what a difficult time this is for them 🙄

Mixed . Sometimes I think its def improving but then next day it changes. He has review 1st week in June.

One thing that he has got is cracked corners of lips with crusty bits . He had tonsillitis earlier in year and it came after that . Saw advanced nurse practitioner who did not give him anything. So went to pharmacy who gave a fungal and steriod cream which cleared it up fine . However its back now and cream not helping this time so going to see gp next week, i wondering if sude effect from antibiotics. Reason I wonder is I had tooth infection in april and needed 3 different antibiotics and got same at side if my lips which went away after stopped

@lidlbitupset glad to hear its finally working for you

That sounds so painful @Elliejane , I think it's cheilitis, DS has suffered from it too, we pack hydrocortisone cream into the sort bit, with his mouth open as wide as possible (painful but necessary) then put vaseline on the top overnight.

Update on my son acne as he been an antibiotics now for 4 months. So initially was not much improvement but in last month the ones on his cheeks and forehead are pretty much all gone and no new cystic spots at all. He stopped duac when we were away in italy as worried about sun sensitivity and ruining towels and bedding in hotels. That seemed to make it better. Had follow up gp appt last week and she really happy with progress so said another 1-2 mths . So that is good news and no scarring (maybe one tiny one) .

However in last 2-3 days he has 2 new cystic spots appear with a white head on cheek but also a lot of spots on jaw line . These appeared as small spots when he started antibiotics but they have flared up last few days . Seem to get much worse after shaving.

We really thought we had cracked it but he is disappointed to get more back again. Should we try duac again on ones on jaw line? Next appt is a month time

Sorry if interfering but I had a male friend growing up who suffered terribly with acne, more like boils it was so bad. It turned out to be a dairy allergy, worth a go?

Thanks its worth a try

Definitely try the Duac again but if he is still getting outbreaks by your next appointment I think you should consider going down the roaccutane route, it’s a good time to be on it going into autumn/winter as you don’t need to worry about the sun exposure as much and it can also cause you to sweat more so best in colder months. It’s really hard to get rid of hormonal acne but roaccutane is amazing.

I also recommend the hydrocolloid spot patches you can get on Amazon or chemists, they shrink and heal spots really fast. I sometimes use a bit of Duac (let it dry) with a spot patch over night if I have the odd spot to get rid of.

It may be a reaction to whatever he is using to shave if they are only appearing after shaving. Razor burn can include white heads and inflammation

Is he

• cleansing his face with a gentle exfoliator and warm water before shaving?
• Is he using a good sharp razor? (My DH likes Harry’s)
• Does he change his razor weekly?
• Is he using a shaving cream or gel that is both alcohol and fragrance free? (My DH uses Bulldog)
• Does he pat dry with a clean towel instead of rub?

Hi @Elliejane

we use Shave Secret shaving oil, because from my extensive googling this is the most gentle on the face.

Spots on the jawline are known to be related to stress, so I don't know if there's any particular thing he might be stressed about right now.

We have just finished Roaccutane after a loong six months (got a lot worse before better) and his skin is so clear and smooth it makes me so happy to look at him. We had some side effects but fortunately no low mood or anything like that. He was on a low dose for his weight and in fact doctors now are prescribing very low doses for longer periods, to minimize side effects.

But I do appreciate it's not for everyone.

When DH changed to dry shaving , years ago , that stopped the acne he was enduring .

Best is to visit a doctor first and I will still share my routine for my acne if that helps:
Morning:
Using water to wash your face,
Sebamed clear face gel,
Garnier spf
Evening:
Merit or LRP moisturizer,
Tretinoin (0.1) from skinorac
Sebamed clear facial gel