Teenage son's spots

[Aprilcherry04]

My 17yr old has spots and blackheads on his forehead, chest and back. He has special needs to no complicated routines are practical. Is there anything I could just apply with cotton wool to unblock his pores?

I’d ring his dr for a telephone consultation, that’s a lot of chronic bacterial infection for one body to be dealing with.

There’s no point treating a medical issue as a cosmetic one.

I agree, speak to gp. My son had lymecycline which helped or you can get a cream.

I would speak to the gp. Ds is 15 and has high functioning autism. He has had spots for a couple of years now. He was on the long term oral antibiotic lymecycline but that stopped working and after a phone consultation just before lockdown the gp put him in doxycycline. Ds has some sensory issues so doesn't like much topical stuff on his face.

Thanks. The gp assessed him before lockdown and wanted me to try over the counter products first and then to go back if there was no improvement.

Our gp pescribed the antibiotics on the first visit. I felt very much that Ds was struggling enough with his ASD and all the associated difficulties that having spots on top was just really unpleasant for him.

Sorry can't really help much with the over the counter stuff as Ds hates most topical products, especially if they have a strong smell.

Paulas Choice 2% BHA Liquid can be applied with cotton wool and will help to unblock pores. They also do a gel or lotion formula if you prefer

If you want to try OTC products I would maybe go for something like the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA. They call it a lotion but it’s a liquid, very light and watery but effective. It’s a bit pricy but you only need a few drops at a time so the bottle lasts for ages and it’s very gentle so you can apply it over the whole face/back. If budget is an issue then you could maybe try The Ordinary, they also have a 2% BHA but I have never used it so I’ve got no idea about the texture etc.

Benzoyl peroxide might also work (the brand name is Acnecide) but it’s a gel rather than a liquid and it can stain clothes so might not be great for using on his back.

Thank u. My GP is very cautios prescribing anything. I have had rosacea for years and have only recently been able to get a prescription after much begging.

Change your gp after this is over. Bacterial infections need antibiotics whether topical or systemic.

Your Gp sounds tight.

Ds2 has really bad skin and had antibiotics and creams from the gp which never really works. He’s now 18 and stopped using them a year or so ago and had been using the pink grapefruit wash off cleansing gel from neutrogena and his skin is the best it’s ever been.

Bacterial infections need antibiotics whether topical or systemic.

The OP has said he has spots and blackheads, how do you know they are caused by a bacterial infection?