You can't do anything to help prevent spots, can you?

[ImASecretTwigletNibbler]

DD is getting really obsessed about spots and worrying that she's going to get them. I said to her that all you can do is eat healthily, drink lots of water and keep your face clean and the rest of it is just down to luck. But is that correct?! That's what I've always thought but it suddenly ocurred to me that I really know nothing about it!

Does washing make any difference? Obviously they shouldn't use soap but should they use a mild cleanser or is plain water better?

[VenusDeWillendorf]

The lining of the gut, the brain and skin are all part of the same system-
Having a healthy gut has improved my acne no end. I take probiotics, and eat unsweetened natural Greek yoghurt.
Eating sugary stuff just feeds the bad bacteria, and yeasts, so go easy on sugars, including fruit.
Try googling an alkaline diet also- my skin was fabulous on this regimen.

I had cystic acne and bacne, that's acne on my back, for my whole teens and it improved when I stopped eating beef and dairy- the hormones in beef and dairy were disrupting my own, and started eating natural yoghurt.

Also fwiw, my acne cleared to the occasional spot when I went on the pill.
I also found it was better when I started taking soya lecithin for mastitis - (it emulsified the fats), and kept them from blocking my pores.

Now I notice I've got some spots again as Ive come off hormonal contraception (because of my age) so have started taking high strength probiotics again and it seems to be working.

[daisydabbles]

You definitely can- I've recently been on antibiotics and a topical retinoid: Lymecycline and Isotrex and having given up all hope of getting rid of spots-Ive finally beat them :-) I also used a variety of skincare products (see my blog: daisydabbles.blogspot.co.uk/ )but I would really recommend visiting the GP xxx

[lljkk]

My brothers are on-off addicts and they have had terrible skin when using but ok when off; some drugs suppress the immune system so they can increase the risk of acne hugely.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Hello, Twigs. I opened this thread not knowing it was you.

Plenty of good advice here about diet and hygiene. I wonder too whether it is worth trying to tackle the anxiety at source. It is sad to think that your dd is "really obsessed" about something that hasn't yet happened and might never happen. Were you a spotty teen? Was your husband? Of course genes aren't everything and there is an element of luck, but if neither of you were spotty it might give dd some reassurance to know that her genetic inheritance might be working in her favour.

[mariK7]

Craggyhollow - (sorry everyone, I know this is going off topic a bit because it is meant to be about prevention but I know how big a problem acne is). I read the list of food your daughter had for breakfast so just a suggestion - my daughter has had acne for years - if she eats peanuts they get much worse all around the outer face and in front of ears and under chin. She also has to stay off dairy products because it makes everything worse plus eczema (some dermatologists say the reason is that there hare a whole lot of hormones in the milk that disrupt your own system - hormones are not killed off by pasteurizing). Also too many fruit make it worse. She eats not refined products - and generally organic food (fluoride in pesticides esp. on some fruit is linked to cystic acne). This helps the worst flare ups - but after seing several very expensive dermatologists: there is no more she can do by washing (she is already over cleaning), we have sometimes resorted to the antibiotic cream. There are other stronger methods but a dermatologist would have to prescribe them. Please everyone, no one wants acne - most will be frantically cleaning their faces and maybe doing more damage because of this misconception that acne is due to bad hygiene.

[misslongstocking]

My 12 year old daughter was getting some nasty breakouts.
I bought several different washes etc for her to try, cheaper and expensive , but found that the 'anti-blemish' type ones were too harsh (made her skin dry, red & itchy)
Gave clinique mild soap bar a try (not the one for blemished skin - though that may be ok,we didn't try that one) and her skin has really improved - she uses it morning & night . She still gets a few pimples ,but nothing like before .
It's not cheap,but lasts for ages - current soap been in use 3 months+ and still loads left.

[Claybury]

Craggy- of course what you say is true I just thought OP could use the opportunity to put her DD off unhealthy ways in her teens

[craggyhollow]

And if drugs and alcohol caused acne, Kate Moss wouldn't have been quite so successful

[craggyhollow]

Your son's drug use probably doesn't help his skin but it is not the sole cause

Not everyone who develops acne is unhealthy and on drugs

I would tell your dd that there is nothing she can do, spots are mainly hereditary, but taking care of your skin is important whatever

[Racerider]

I think if you have a child motivated to keep her skin clear you have something to be pleased about - you have ammunition to encourage a healthy life style , exercise ( GP told my DS this would help regulate hormones) , drinking water not sugary drinks etc.

What I wonder is though, perhaps prevention is easier than cure? My DS 16 had ok skin until last summer, when it erupted and he now has bad acne. I discovered he has been using drugs ( like ecstasy) and going to hot sweaty raves over the summer when his skin got bad. Now it seems very hard to get rid of even with prescription lotion. He also smokes weed - use this is deter your DC!
This is just my observation - but it would be IMO worth telling your DC that drugs and alcohol put a strain on your liver ( true ) and can cause complexion problems.

[Quangle]

I'm nearing 50 and can confidently say,having tried every remedy over the past nearly four decades, no there's nothing that helps .

[dementedma]

Ds is nearly 12 and getting spots on his cheeks. I put a smear of sudocrem on them at night. Is this a good idea?

[Craggyhollow]

There is some discussion about probiotics being good for acne

Am giving to dd to minimise damage caused by antibs

[littleredsquirrel]

visit the caroline hirons website. she is a skincare guru and there is tons of information on there.

[lljkk]

I suppose I'm confusing "prevent" with "minimise" or "reduce". Can't prevent all acne, but can prevent some, which otherwise means ways to minimise it.

I imagine all the anti-bacterials aren't good for the skin in that they also destroy "good" bacteria on the skin. So if there's a way to encourage those good microbes at expense of the bacteria that causes pimples, that could be another winning strategy for preventing some spots (I have no idea høw to encourage good bacteria beyond usual pro-biotic advice, quick google didn't help, does anyone know?).

[Craggyhollow]

Yes of course bacteria is involved but as I understand it, the bacteria is normal ie there is no more bacteria on the skin of an acne sufferer than of an non acne sufferer, the oil production triggered by hormones stops the bacteria escaping from pores hence spots

[lljkk]

If bacteria weren't involved then antibiotics wouldn't get prescribed and benzoyl peroxide wouldn't be sold (also anti-bacterial), sigh.

If hormonal changes weren't involved in skin changes then retinoids wouldn't be prescribed and it wouldn't be so especially bad in adolescence.

"Dried sweat becomes a food source for the bacteria that cause acne (Propionibacterium acnes)"

I'm never saying any of this is cure, it's all reduction measures. I had dried ice treatments in my teens (for acne) to try to dry my skin out (that was the fashion and sort of makes sense, too).

[Craggyhollow]

It is hormonal

Kids with acne and spots are not dirty sweaty creatures who spend all their time indoors

And the idea that a swimming pool is like swimming in dettol and cures spots is a bit silly imo

[ImASecretTwigletNibbler]

So it's bacteria that causes spots then? I thought it was a hormonal thing.

[IHeartKingThistle]

I've taught secondary for 12 years and often wonder what happened to all the spotty kids! I had terrible skin, so did a lot of my friends. I've probably taught 5 kids with acne ever.

OR, I noticed it and cared about it more when I was a teenager, OR the amount of makeup kids wear now disguises it!

[lljkk]

kids are so much less spotty than the kids I grew up with in California. I know very spotty kids get antibiotics nowadays, too, which distorts comparisons. But English friends insist that teens are spottier now than in their (1970s) youth.

I can only make sense of this by blaming temperature. Warmer temps = more sweat = more food for the bacteria. Higher indoor temps nowadays (more Central heating) compared to the 1970s. It all fits.

DS barely left his (overheated) room over the Xmas break and became a lot more spotty; back to school, cooler rooms, more time in cool outdoors, his skin is looking much better in the space of just a week.

Teen track cyclists are a lot spottier than teen swimmers on the telly, whisking that sweat away in an anti-bactieral bath is better than the sweaty track conditions.

[Craggyhollow]

I know sorry

I am a bit over sensitive

Dd told me that at a sleepover a mum asked her if she should be eating the sugary cereal as sugar is bad for skin
I am sure low sugar and lots of water is a good thing generally though

[ImASecretTwigletNibbler]

Craggy, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that a good diet would stop you getting spots - just that a bad diet might GIVE you spots. Though I do admit to playing up the diet thing with DD in the hopes that it might encourage her to eat better :)

[Craggyhollow]

My dd is a spotty teen swimmer

Nothing helps. It's genetic. If it was as easy as water and a good diet then noone would have spots

Today dd has eaten: porridge made with Apple juice (she hates milk), wholemeal toast with peanut butter, wholemeal noodles with stir fry veg (peppers, broccoli, spinach, garlic, cashew nuts), piece of homemade carrot cake, bowl of homemade veg soup

She has gone out for the Eve so no idea what she's eaten

But she has bad spots

Diet is NOT a factor

[lljkk]

Once gently daily washing; remove the bacteria & sweat they feed on, but not much else I don't think that isn't prescription.

Swimming in chlorinated water helps. You don't see many spotty teen keen swimmers. Daily anti-bacterial baths help.