Anything else my teen can try on his skin before we make a GP appt?

[superdeeduper]

My 16 year old is in a real mess with spots, on his face and now spreading down his back also. After some great advice here on Mumsnet we have so far tried Freederm, Simple, Cetaphil, Lush's Angels on Bare Skin and La Roche Posay Effaclar and Duo.

Nothing seems to work for him. I am admitting defeat and going to take him to the GP, again I have read here on similar threads that he may be able to get a cream or antibiotics. However, as we have to wait 2 weeks just to get an appointment I thought I would see if there was anything else we may not have tried.

Anyone got any advice?

Go to the gp, but if you're looking for a recommendation mine is Quinoderm. I've been to dermatologists, doctors and nothing has worked except this. You can buy it at the pharmacy counter in boots.

OP
DD had spots and I kept saying 'don't worry, they'll go'. They didn't and she ended up at the GP anyway. ABs helped, and the pill was great, although she's had to come off it for migraine now. I really wouldn't leave it - get him there and try and get it sorted, rather than wait for it to go, which was my mistake!!

Not saying giving up dairy is the cause for everyone but that's what it was for me. I had dianette too (obviously not an option for your son), it helped a bit but had too many side effects.

dear god

a very gentle wash with a rinse off with warm water and a pat dry with a clean towel

My dd is 16 and has suffered bad spots (face, back and chest) for last couple of years. She tried lots of over the counter creams and eventually we gave up and went to the GP. I was expecting a battle to get meds as I didn't think her skin was that bad, but the dr said she had severe acne and immediately prescribed ab and lotion. This is week three so probably too early to say, but it definately isn't any worse. I agree with a previous comment about nuts, although dd isn't allergic she always gets a flare up if she eats any. Am going look into dairy allergies too.

There are some tutorials about dealing with acne on YouTube.

Have a google of Zineryt, loads of friends teens have had great results from using this. It is topical ie put on the skin.

Oh just take the drugs ;)

Seriously folks, acne is not a cosmetic issue. It's a medical issue. Get to the GP/derm.

derm will often advise
gentle wash
rinse with water
decent bha
bp topically
repeat

this is what my derm advised

this is not a cosmetic answer

Should have mentioned that Zineryt is only available on presciption.

Another poster saying go to GP. I had bad acne, I eventually went to GP.

Honestly, I wish I had gone much sooner - without sounding too dramatic, my teens were blighted by my bad skin - well, by how I felt about it and consequently myself.

Best of luck.

Yup. I was told by a hcp once never to accept bad skin

Go to the gp. Don't go " demanding aDermatologist" as has been suggested, let the Gp manage it. We are not in America or the continent. Gps are actually good at this stuff and will refer when/if needed....

And the two week wait? Annoying but acne can wait. Maybe spend 2 weeks absolutely supervising some over the counter benzoyl peroxide gel as a start then you can say if it's helped or not.

DS had roaccutane. Dd may need it ( being seen in May). Niece living in Spain just told the dermatologist that's what they wanted and got it which I found a bit shocking- it's not without problems as she's found and maybe she didn't early need it who knows?.

My DH was prescribed lymecycline about 3 months ago, just one a day, and it's worked wonders! We've been together 14 years, since we were teenagers, and his skin has been better recently than at any other time I've know him.

Go to the GP. They see people for acne all the time, they understand how psychologically debilitating it is.

If it's hormonal no amount of high street beauty brands will shift it.

Interestingly the antibiotics take ages to work. About 6-8 weeks. Skin growing and shedding or summat?

Another vote for hibiscrub, worked wonders for my nodular acne

My 16 year old son was exactly the same.
I am a beauty therapist and all the non prescribed products and salon treatments under the sun and all my advice helped .... but for some teenage acne there comes a point when GP help is essential for some kids to avoid permanent adult scarring.

Our GP was fantastic, knowledgeable and understanding (much better than I anticipated from my teenage experience!).

He got Duac gel which combines benzyl peroxide with topical antibiotics and .... it worked! He does get through tubes of it but has not needed oral antibiotics at all.

His skin is so much better and he is happy (well, usual teenage tantrums excused!).

I had hormonal acne, particularly on my back. Absolutely bloody horrendous. Tried everything and nothing would shift it.

Someone here recommended I try Salcura Antiac spray and my back has completely cleared! it difference is phenomenal. All the horrible deep ones that would never go and never cme to a head, the ones along my hairline all, the marks left from it are fading almost daily and I think within a fortnight they'll be gone completely.

I've been using it for about a month now and I cannot get over the difference, honestly can't rate it enough. Really effective, all natural ingredients, sensible price, you can have a free sample to try for a week and they do a money back guarantee if you're not happy with it.

Definitely definitely worth a try!

Honestly, no amount of medicines or creams is going to change anything. I have had acne since I was a teen and I am now 41. Only in the last few years has it gotten better. I now "only" have scars and flareups just before my period.

Acne is an inflammation of the skin, caused by inflammatory foods and hormones. Simplified.

Use the oil cleaning method. This will calm down the skin and let it heal. Avoid grains. All grains and sugar. They cause inflammation. Inflammation causes the acne. it can take up to a year to see a real effect but it could take only a few weeks to see a change.

I know it's easier said than done to ask your teen to stop eating junk, but this is the only thing that will help, and it will work from within - medicines and cream are treating a symptom. Diet tackles the cause.

Disagree that no amount of creams will help - and second the suggestion of Zineryt (on prescription from GP), amazing stuff, did wonders for my teenage DS where Duac had failed.

There's no question medicine helps. Roaccutane cleared up acne completely for a couple of my friends.

Despite what posters say here, it's better to ask to be referred to see a consultant dermatologist as they have more training and experience than GPs. You might get a GP who's good on skin or you might not.