Teenage daughter and acne

[nelehluap]

My eldest DD is coming up to her 16th birthday. She was on the contraceptive for a couple of years due to quite heavy painful periods. She was taken off the pill earlier this year because she was getting daily hot flushes. Once off the pill the flushes stopped. But her skin has now become quite bad on her face. We have tried various creams and potions, some off the shelf and some over the counter, nothing seems to help. She has been to the doctors today and has had an anti biotic prescribed called tetralysal. She is to take one a day for two months to see how she gets on, she's to have a blood test too to check on her hormone levels.

I must be honest I would far rather she wasn't on an anti biotic long term....the doctor did mention if the tablets work that she will remain on them until she has gone through puberty.

Is there anything else she can try? We had ploughed through the Body Shop products and she is currently using quinoderm and femoderm as well as pretty much all the clearasil etc products. She drinks lots of water, eats a very healthy diet (she is also gluten/wheat free)...I feel so sorry for her.

Any ideas? Thank you.

[feelingmellow]

My dd's acne was so bad our GP referred her to a specialist dermatologist who prescribed a course of roaccutane which cleared it up completely. I know it has serious side effects but she seems to have escaped them and her skin is beautiful now - no pockmark scars at all.

[Y0rkshirePudding]

Just a quick makeup tip - try bareMinerals mineral powder foundation. Not only does it cover spots but it actually helps skin problems such as acne. One of my relatives works for them and she bought me one of the starter kits as a present when I had my son, as pregnancy caused me to become quite spotty (not full on acne again but definitely noticeably spottier than usual) and i still continue to use it. Its quite expensive but a little goes a long way and lasts months.

[nelehluap]

I've looked at the bare minerals....looks lovely but so expensive! I will look at buying her the starter kit though. Her skin has become SOOO dry....less inflamed but very dry so I've been and bought some moisturiser cream...its a johnsons 100% oil free one. She's put it on the worst areas and its becoming more comfortable. She thinks she's just started her period today too...I hope so!

I just feel so sorry for her. She's trying her best to be so upbeat about it.

[NanaNina]

Haven't really anything helpful to add but my DGD (aged 14) has acne - on the T zone - forehead, around the nose, mouth and chin. It started when she was 12 - obviously hormonal. Her moth (my DIL) suffered from the same problem as a teenager and her skin isn't that good now really. I worry for my DGD (I just love her so much I want everything to be right for her, even though I know that's unrealistic.

I have mentioned to my DIL about her seeing a dermatologist and offered to pay but she doesn't seem to want to although she does see the GP on a regular basis. She's had topical ABs and oral ABs of various sorts but nothing seems to make any difference. In fact I think her skin is getting worse. I don't know how DGD feels about this problem because I don't mention it, but she seems fine (she goes to an all girls school) so I think that might be a good thing and she has friends and is generally very happy and cheerful. She does wear make up when she's going out and I bought her the Clinique anti-blemish foundation and matt powder which she likes. She's very pretty with lovely eyes and hair and once the spots have gone she will be gorgeous but I just get so upset because I loved her skin - incidentally I never show her I am upset.

Her cousin suffered in the same way but apparently her skin cleared once she went on the pill. Did your DD's skin only get bad when she came off the pill nele - sorry if I missed if but could she not go back on the pill.

I bought DGD some expensive products (can't quite remember the name) and it was a 4 step routine, but I'm not sure she carried it out. It's difficult for me because I'm not her mum and I don't want to be seen to be sticking my nose in! I might buy her the bare minerals stuff as apparently it doesn't look like you have make up on. She is going into year 10 in Sept but they aren't allowed to wear make up, so this might be a compromise.

I've heard about the wonder drug roaccutane but the side effects sound very scary and I know my DIL would never agree to that and I can see why.

[nelehluap]

Hi....yes she's gone back on the pill. She got the all clear on her blood tests...everything was fine so her GP has put her onto microgynon. She was on Yasmin before which worked well with her skin but we're trying microgynon and hopefully it won't cause the hot flushes that Yasmin caused. Her skin is no worse and since buying her the 100% oil free moisturiser Johnsons clean and clear her skin has become less sore and mor hydrated and the spots themselves are less inflamed. She's continuing with the quinoderm wash, uses freederm on the worse areas and moisturises with the rest of her face. We're getting there. Just got to find some affordable make up that won't rock the boat with her progress. Sadly even with both my DH and I working full time we're aren't made of money and paying £18 for some foundation is just out of the question x

[nelehluap]

Few typos in that last post - sorry! End of the week and tired!

[tobysmum77]

how bad is her acne? I'm 37, still suffer and have had it since about 12. I know that some people have it really really badly which may be the case her but I think some people overreact tbh to something that's just part of life. I can't take the pill, have no intention of taking antibiotics long term or other strong medication.

You say she is trying to be upbeat. ...Maybe she is less bothered than you? I was bothered in my teens, because it's a difficult age but since then it is a minor annoyance, no more no less.

FWIW I don't think concealer/ foundation makes it worse, mine flares up every month at the same time in my cycle. It really is independent of anything I do. All these regimes etc imply its the persons fault for not being clean enough which tbh gets up my nose more than a few spots.

Off soapbox, breathe.

I'm not trying to be unpleasant, just using a perspective from a long term healthy 'sufferer'

[tobysmum77]

From reading again if she isn't having periods then she may well have pcos. I don't

[eyebags63]

I would be more worried about the lack of periods when off the pill for 6 months.

tobysmum77
I don't agree with this at all, I don't think acne should have to be "just part of life" for anyone much past late teens/early twenties. Obviously it depends how bad things are, but even mild to moderate acne that is persistent can be psychologically damaging, especially if it scars.

I'm a bit surprised the GP gives out antibiotics as the first treatment, I thought topical retinoids were meant to be the first line option these days.

[Y0rkshirePudding]

I agree, acne should not have to be part of life. When I was desperately searching for a cause and my GP didn't know what ekse to do he once referred me to family planning, hoping that theor knowledge of hormones, the reproductive system and contraceptives may have a solution for me. But once there I was told 'we're just here to prevent, your skin is not our problem. Plus its only spots whats the issue?!'. They put me on Cerazette at which acne worsened, I had horrendous mood swings and bled constantly. I was told again 'we all have mood swings, its only spots and its just a bit of blood!'... like I was making a fuss over something trivial. I walked out, informed my GP and refused to return.

Eventually I got the right treatment, but was messed around for years. With evety month thst the acne remained I gathered more and more pock marks and scars. So even though the acne's gone I still, all these yrs later, still have to buy specialist makeup (dermacol and bareMinerals) to cover these marks.

The sooner the cause is diagnosed and the acne properly treated the less likely she will be permanently scarred. I would still insist on an ovarian ultrasound scan as hormonal blood tests don't always indicate it. PCOS is a very complex condition that affects each sufferer differently with hormone levels being different in each case. A scan is the most effective way of determining the condition. Once this is confirmed or ruled out a gynae specialist who will have seen this hundreds of times will be able to advise the next step to treating her acne x

[nelehluap]

She is NOT less bothered than me. If anything I have spent the past few weeks working at trying to calm her down, be less self conscious etc. I had acne as a teenager too but not as bad as her but I know full well this is all fairly normal for girls (and boys) her age and I have seen kids with far worse acne than DD. I have had her in floods of tears, not wanting to go out etc...its not been easy for her at all. In my eyes she is such a pretty girl not only in her looks but also in her nature and I most definitely do not make a huge thing of her skin condition at all. I see through it....and know she will get better. I'm going to blow my own trumpet here and I apologise in advance for sounding big headed but I will and always have done everything to help my DDs but would never make out a certain ailment bothers me more than I know bothers them. She is a teenage girl, its a tough time for any girl, and she will get through this and I will be there for her every step of the way. She has had a tough time with life so far...in/out of hospital, bullied badly at school (burnt) and now this....but compared to what some poor children have to go through acne really isn't anything and like she said last night, whilst watching the TV show about poorly kids in hospital with their own video diaries....'I'm so lucky Mum to be healthy'.....and yes she is. Oh and by the way she started a period yesterday ??

[nelehluap]

Oh and she's not taking the anti biotics. I read up about them. Yes they help but its a slow process and once off them the acne returns.

[cloudjumper]

Sorry, but I don't understand why you don't want your DD to take antibiotics, but are happy for her to take hormonal contraception to treat her acne.
If she was prescribed antibiotics for a time of 2 months, the dose will be quite low, so it's not likely that there will be any significant side effects. In comparison, the pill is a much stronger drug, with far more serious side effects. It's weighing up the risks against the benefits.

Antibiotics are a well-recognised and accepted treatment for acne - yes, in some cases the acne returns when you stop, but how would you know that this would apply to your DD? She might be one of the people for whom antibiotics work really well!
In a lot of cases, if it comes back after ABs, the acne is much milder and can also take a while to come back, so there is definitely a benefit.
Could you ask your GP for a antibiotic face cream? I used to have a cream with erythromycin in it for my acne as a teenager.

I agree with what others have said - get her to use high-quality products for cleaning and make up. And maybe consider letting her have a facial once in a while? For example, Clarins do excellent prescription facials, for example, where they analyse your skin and tailor the treatments accordingly.

[nelehluap]

Anti biotics with a child who has a very vulnerable stomach isn't a good mix. They would help short term but not long term. I felt I'd been completely fobbed off by the GP giving me a prescription for them. Couldn't have got us out the door quick enough. It was a joint decision (hers and mine) not to take them. She's been ill on ABs before.

[NanaNina]

Cloudjumper If you look upthread you will see that nelehluap cannot afford expensive products and so won't be able to "use high quality products" as you suggest, nor facials and even the brandname "Clarins" makes ££ signs in front of my eyes!

[nelehluap]

I work full time, as does my DH....but sadly the more expensive alternatives for make up are not an option for us...despite the fact we both work spare cash for such luxuries never materialise.

[CarryOnDancing]

I've never suffered with acne but I do get breakouts when I get my period. The absolute best thing I ever did was switch to the oil cleansing method on Crunchy Betty's website. My skin is soooo much better and more balanced now. I combine this with a moisturiser from the Dr Organic range at Holland and Barrett.
You might question using oil on spots and oily skin but honestly it's amazing! Plus you then know that you aren't using any hidden nasties that will aggravate her skin further. It's all natural and she can adapt it specifically to her skin type-which of course no high street brand can. The Crunchy Betty site has lots of homemade beauty ideas that work well.

I also use Bare Minerals makeup and I can't rate it enough. It can be expensive but it lasts a long time as it goes a long way. I think QVC (or another shopping channel) also sell it for a better price but she might want to go to a store and get a colour match first.