Preteen blackhead / spot treatment

[LittleOwl153]

Seeking help for my 12yr old daughter who has a chin full of blackheads as well as a fair number of spots across her face.

Can anyone suggest a treatment we can try - she's struggling with such a lot at the moment and her face is just getting her down!

(She has the clearasil face wash for black heads - it isn't working!)

My DD found the Cerave smoothing face wash and la roche posay effaclar duo help a lot.

Blackheads are worse than spots as they seem to hang around for ever. I'm also interested to see what people suggest. We use a blackhead remover stick with a gentle scrub once a week and those charcoal stick on things, but hoping someone has a better suggestion!

I'd try two things.

1. Using a cleanser like this one or this one that she washes off with a hot flannel.

2. Using a product with salicylic acid such as LRP Effaclar duo

Effaclar duo.

My son now almost 15 started with blackheads and the almost overnight seemed to develop acne. I made him was his face with medicated face washes and creams and nothing improved. We are 4 weeks into a 6 week course of antibiotics and prescribed spot lotion and his complexion is almost clear.
If OTC spot lotions are not helping chat with the doctor. I just had to send good photos as we didnt have a face to face appointment.

Superdrug has an own brand salicylic acid face wash (is the same as the cereve one but cheaper).
They have a liquid BHA toner too to use on specific areas.
Both are gentle and might control the problem.

She needs a drs appointment before she scars for life.

I bought Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant for my 10 year olds blackheads. Gone in a few days completely. I've suffered with acne and blackheads my whole life, I wish this stuff existed 20 years ago!

She needs to see a GP - plenty more effective treatments available.

Not tried it on a teenager but when I started using a Norwex microfibre body cloth to was my face all my spots/ blackheads went. You need a really good microfibre though. I also get less spots if I don’t use an moisturiser/ sun cream / products. Not sure if it’s enough for teenage acne but I would make sure she isn’t wearing any makeup and unnecessary products and get a microfibre cloth even if used in conjunction with other medicinal products.

I agree a good cloth can help clear skin which might clog pores - I use a muslin cloth that is fab and can be used daily, will look at the microfibre too though.

Sometimes it’s tempting to avoid moisturising, but this can clog the pores as skin becomes flaky.

Steaming the face is a good way to gently draw out impurities, I also find a witch hazel tonic helps.

Paula’s choice BHA as above (black tube) worked for both my two with preteen blackheads. Still keeps 15 year old’s skin clear now, but the 13 year old has had to get duac from the GP as OTC stuff wasn’t preventing the deeper and very painful cystic spots which came when her period started.

Thanks all. I'll try the GP.
She's started with makeup but usually only wears mascara and occasionally lip gloss. No concealer or full face creams etc. She doesn't use moisturiser as her skin is quite greasy naturally. (She's also a swimmer so her skin gets chlorine stripped regularly!)

@Fluffycloudland77

She needs a drs appointment before she scars for life.

Her dad is very scarred. This is my fear.

May I ask those who tried the Paula’s Choice salicylic acid, did it irritate your DC’s skin and did they apply sunscreen after using it? Was also wondering if it will work on my 46 year old blackheads🙂

Little owl, I think as mad as it sounds not moisturising can cause greasier skin, a light moisturiser can help skin to not over produce oil. Clearisl etc used to do light moisturiser which I think was good, but didn’t use myself.

Your poor dh, I’ve got pcos so I’m very experienced with acne & I’ve never had a negative experience with drs and acne treatment but you’ve got to actually go to the dr. I’m back on antibiotics again and their working.

Also you’ve got to see acne for what it is, a bacterial skin infection. The cosmetic companies have managed to re-package it as a “you” problem as in “your doing something wrong” & you just need to use their products and it’ll go away. Having oily skin producing food for p.acne bacteria to munch on isn’t actually a defect.

@Fluffycloudland77 for a 12yr old with other issues it is becoming/adding to the confidence problem. Hence thinking it needs sorting. I was a mildly spotty kid - but the blackheads on her chin are something else...

My DD uses Acnecide wash, it has be benzyl peroxide in it, you leave it in for 1-2 mins and wash it off. Freederm spot cream is also good.

@Buttercup72 right will look at moisturisers then. Amd some new face cloths. We use the net sponges currently.

@NeedingCoffee periods definitely exasperate the problem. I'll look at Paula's choice too. Thanks.

She might take after your dh. Acne’s a really complicated infection, it needs months of antibiotics where usually a week will knock infections on the head.

Its something to do with the inflammatory response I think, my dm never suffered so I had 5o sort it out myself. Much like most of my existence after the age of 10.

Definitely Paula’s choice liquid exfoliant.

Ask your GP for a referral to a dermatologist.

The Ordinary 2% salicylic acid will deal with the blackheads.

They won’t refer to dermatology unless topical treatments, systemic antibiotics or the pill have all been tried & failed, they usually do work though.

Dermatology will return the referral and they have to pay a fee to refer to dermatology.

The NICE publish acne treatment steps online.