Teenage spots. Does anything actually work?

[OrmIrian]

From my teenage memory the answer is no . DS#1 is 12 and has a few nasty looking spots. What is the best thing to do? I have some tea-tree that I might put on but is there anything I can do to help him? And prevent more, or is it just a hormonal age thing?

Dh had terrible skin as a teenager and had to get actual prescription drugs for it so you might find a visit to the GP in due course is worthwhile.

Broadly speaking, as with any skin issue, I think keeping it clean and moisterized is key. I was told once that a lot of teenagers are so busy trying to get rid of all the oil on their skin that they land up having dry skin underneath the oil. So the secret is to encourage them to use a moisterizer, although probably one designed for oily skin. If the skin doesn't get what it needs it steps up production of oils, which makes the whole thing counter cyclical.

my 16 year old has just been prescribed zineryt,it has virtually cleared all his spots up. He tried most of the over the counter stuff and has had a 3 month course of oxyteracycline but this lotion is the best

Thanks.

bling - he has lovely smooth skin atm (apart from one or two nasty spots) which is why I am so reluctant to start him washing with harsh anti-spot stuff. Atm it tends to be a quick splash in the mornings and a shower/bath once a day. I will find him a gently facial wash and some moistutiser.

alypaly - it isn't that bad as yet. I just have such horrendous memories of bad skin as a teen I dread mine DC going through it

if they arent that bad...try panoxyl aquagel.. i used to sell it when i was a medical rep..its really good for a few spots

I'd just get him to wash his face with that tea tree oil face wash to keep his pores clear. Once the spots are there, IME there isn't a whole lot you can do to get rid of them. Anything that dries them out is perhaps worth a shot to bring it down a bit, Witch stick is your best bet for on the spot treatment. Any boots/pharmacist should have it, it's popular stuff.

I found plenty of water and a reasonable diet helped. Also all of dd's spots cleared when we went on holiday, combination of sun and swimming i think..
soap and water were really the only 'treatment' .. thankfully she's grown out of spots now, although i still get the odd one!

Thanks everyone.

I was told to stop using all the products, just to wash my hands with soap and then rinse my face with tepid water several times a day. It worked a dream. Most of my spots cleared up within a few weeks. Having a good diet with a wide range of foods (ie you can have chocolate etc, but also broccoli!), drinking plenty of water and getting some sunshine on the skin every day was also very beneficial for me.

HTH

Orm - absolutely. If you can stop him getting into the habit of scouring his face, you're doing him a favour that he will thank you for in 20 years time. I'm convinced of it. Light cleansing and moisterizing is much better than the aggressive alcohol based teenage cleansers.

Quinoderm cream is fab

I still use it now in fact if I get the odd spot. Think you can get it prescribed too. Or you can buy it over the counter.

Freederm is fantastic.

Agree with alypaly - Zineryt lotion from the GP is the way to go. DD had acne over her chest which was gone in 10 days.

do you think freederm or quinoderm would work on blackheads too or is there something else better fro that ?

I can recommend Oxytetracycline on prescription

Used St Ives Appricot Scrub for blackheads, worked a treat, and smelled lovely!