DD Skin issues

[Helpwithbeauty]

I wondered if there was anyone here who is aesthetically trained or into dermatology? My teen is unfortunately struggling with acne and has been for about 20 months now. It is definitely hormonal and worst around her monthly cycles. We have tried every lotion and potion from the GP and the next stage was a referral to a consultant and the GP said this would probably lead to a prescription for Roccutaine (which DD didn't want to take).

We have resorted to a private Aesthetic specialist and have been seeing her now for 4 months. We have been set straight on a lot of bad practices that we were in - only using a pillow once, turn and then change, use one side of the towel once on one side, turn and then change, changing make up to be mineral based products so her skin can breathe and then lots of lotions and potions. The problem is the cost of these. Apparently DD's skin was very damaged from the products she was using before, she used to pick her spots which is apparently a cardinal sin and had off the shelf products like toners and cleansers purporting to be for acne and breakouts of the like of Biore, Clean and Clear, Clearisil, someone recommended Acnecide, we've tried that too. Our specialist has advised that these products are awful and have added to the damage to DD's skin.

We have now got a multitude of products pre-cleanse, cleanser, serum, moisturiser and sun block. But each of these is costing anywhere between £35.00 to £60.00 per bottle. There are also tablets which are a small fortune and I just don't think I can carry on paying out all this money - it is costing me hundreds of pounds per month. She needs to go nearly every 2 weeks and the specialist will "extract" any large, angry or infected spots (I think that it is basically picking and squeezing in a clean environment with sharp sterile things), LED light therapy and chemical peels. She has mentioned when her skin is better she will need additional treatment for her scarring - micro-needling, another small fortune. If her skin was fantastically better, I would not begrudge paying it all - but it isn't. The tablets I know say they they will need 16 weeks minimum usage to work and I have committed that I will pay for 6 months in total so have another couple of months yet, but I am wondering what we do if we decide not to proceed with these products in the long term. Do we just go back to using the high street products that have apparently damaged her skin terribly. It is all so confusing.

Are expensive products the only way forward?

I personally would see the dermatologist. She might not be ready for the isotretinoin yet but they ask so many questions they might not want to put her on it anyway. For a start she has to be on contraception before they would consider it.

Personally I would consider the pill again and not putting lotions and potions on her face unless the consultant recommends them. In the mean time strip right back to a gentle cleanser like cetaphil and give her skin a break.

Do you remember Harry Enfields “I saw you coming” sketch? 😂

I took roaccutane, thanks to menopause probably going back on it in May. Not worried about it at all. Some of us have drug resistant acne and that’s just life.

Hormonal acne unfortunately has to be fixed internally, I'm 37 and struggling with is massively right now after having pretty clear skin for years. I don't want to go on the pill so I'm trying other things like taking starflower oil to rebalance my hormones, it has helped a bit. I also use a good mask almost daily to soak up all the excess oil (the glamglow one is great). I also noticed recently when I was antibiotics my skin was clearer. Try getting a prescription for a cream with a Clindamycin.

If it's really bad then unfortunateky accutane or the pill are the best options. Several friends have used accutane with success that I know. Best of luck.

My dd has hormonal acne and she's now 23. She first got spots at 16. Antibiotics worked for a couple of years and then stopped working. Then Roaccutane worked really well over a year.Then the spots started coming back after a couple of years. Spirinolactone isn't helping after several months on it, so she will have to go back on Roaccutane again.

Don't bother with expensive skincare as it will make not a jot of difference. Cerave or cetaphil is good.
DD has the perfect diet as well, no dairy, sugar & lots of healthy fruit, veggies & matcha tea. Guess what she's still spotty.

Tea tree oil sorted my hormonal acne.

Honestly, if it’s that bad, the only things that will make a real difference is certain contraceptive pills or roaccutane. Why doesn’t she want to try that?

I posted yesterday about it, a relative has just finished a course and the difference is amazing. Very bad skin to now completely clear 7 months later. The side effects were not too bad but obviously will be different for everyone. All the tea tree and witch hazel in the world will not get rid of severe acne.

I had a terrible time with my skin! Started at puberty and went on and on. I did have 2 rounds of roaccutane eventually and I would say it saved my life. I'd also say that I had many bad habits. I think your dermatologist person is being a bit mental and if you think about it the people with the best skin don't use one pillowcase etc. if she doesn't NEED make up I'd stick to eye make up and lipgloss until her skin heals. For angry spots I'd use ibuprofen gel overnight and ice them for a few minutes here and there (anti inflammatory) and STOP picking - if the picking stops I think you'll find they heal much better. I'd buy baby muslins or anything soft like that and use aveeno cream (not lotion) morning and night then gently (in circular motions) rub off the excess after a few minutes. Moisturises the skin and exfoliates gently. Re creams-differin gel from the gp was the best for me. It does a similar job to roaccutane but much milder in that it makes the skin turn over faster (chemical exfoliant). It will cause a breakout at first but stick with it and you'll see improvement. It also helps the scarring A LOT over time. Moisturise/exfoliate and above all else BE GENTLE. The skin is reactive hence the spots so treat is gently. Please stop the picking as much as possible. I wish I'd done all of the above a long time ago. I have had microneedling and I'd did help, depending on the depth of the scarring you can probably get it somewhere other than a SKN clinic which will cost the earth. But let the skin heal fully first, it may not be as terrible as you think scarring wise. The above regime should be much cheaper than expensive lotions and potions and I still follow that to this day. High factor sunscreen also a must - baby sunscreen is cheaper than adult and also very gentle. Hope things improve soon! It's rotten especially in the teen years

I have a daughter who is experiencing hormonal based acne. Doctors have been useless and based on my own experience when I was younger I am reluctant to use many products on the market/tablets etc. I introduced a routine of cleansing face day and night with La Roche- Posay Effaclar purifying Cleansing Gel and at night using acne org benzoyl peroxide. Clean Pillow cases, towels and flannels used daily. This routine works for my daughter but obviously might not work for others. Less is definitely more. I also find that when she has milk, milkshakes or anything loaded with sugar she gets outbreaks.

could it be a dairy allergy? might be worth cutting out for a bit to see if it changes things.

I second Dermatica.

She uploads photos, they are reviewed by dermatologists and a prescription given and posted out.

First month is free, you just pay postage and then it’s around £20 a month.

i think something called Tretonoin is good for acne but only available on prescription

I agree. she needs to see a dermatologist if the first line (salicylic acid wash & spot cream) doesn't work well for her.

she could try a zinc serum (the ordinary, paula's choice etc) to reduce inflamnation and reduce scarring.

roaccutane is a very potent medicine. it works well but the side effects can be severe and not everyone is suitable for this treatment.

good luck

Also ask for allergy tests as it could be an allergic reaction

Two out of three of my teenage boys had really terrible acne. Being boys they were not into much skincare beyond face wash (they used the black Carbon Therapy soap or Simple facewash).

Both of them went on Oxytetracycline, a very low dose antibiotic taken every day. Both of them had completely clear skin in weeks. They stayed on them for a year or two and it worked perfectly. Didn't mess with their gut health in the slightest. They are older now and grew out of acne in the end, but the pills worked a treat.

Oh and i must just add that the GPs rule of thumb with prescribing the antibiotics was if they were getting a spotty back as well, which they were.

My DD is now 23 and has had bad acne since she was in her early teens. Seems to be hormonal. She can't have the oestrogen pill that is supposed to help as she gets migraines but has tried every other potion/ treatment/ antibiotics / available. She has been seen both privately and on NHS. Some things helped for a bit but never really lasted that long.

Like your DD she was offered accutane but always said no. She changed her mind and has now been on it for three months and it has been nothing short of miraculous. Side effects have been dry lips and inside her nose. But apart from that she has been absolutely fine. One upside is that her hair doesn't get greasy so she doesn't need to wash it so often! She is monitored very closely and had to go on the progesterone only pill but very pleased she has done it and the best thing is that after the course is finished, the affects are usually permanent. She really wishes she had done it sooner.

You've had a ton of great advice. My son was ina similar position. He has had two sets of antibiotics (Lymecyline) and whilst they worked to a degree whilst he was taking them,as soon as he stopped he was in the same position again.

What we found helped (and his skin is under control now)

Is effaclar cleanser, used twice a day.
A gentle facewash for the shower, he likes the neutrogena black head one but I worried it was harsh. He seems to think it isn't, so he sticks with it.
The ordinary niacinamide in a dropper bottle.
Sudocrem overnight for bad ones.

He's added in glycloic acid but only uses it a couple of times a week.

But I think it isn't always about the products as such, it's about finding the right routine for your (her) skin.

Does she take a multi vitamin?

I think going at this gently is the key, trying a product for a while before changing it or adding in a new one.

Poor love, it's hard for them at this age.

Agree with PPs about taking the GP referral to a consultant dermatologist at the very least, they may not suggest roaccutane straightaway.

And no, you don't need expensive products at all, expensive does not equal effective in my experience. The issue is probably the products being used previously are too harsh and contributing to the issue, but there are lots of gentle products out there.

I don't always agree with Caroline hirons but her book as recommended above gives useful basic info and product recommendations (and she has lots on her website too!).

I second seeing a dermatologist, there are lots of things to try.

If she doesn’t want roaccutane, is the dermatologist actually prescribing something that the GP wouldn’t have given her? Is the tablet an antibiotic?
if you look on the NICE website you can look up acne guidelines and see at what stage she is
i wouldn’t listen to anyone saying don’t use this that or the other, it’s very personal what works/ what side effects are tolerable etc. Antibiotics work for many with minimal ill effect. More severe acne can easily leave permanent scars as well as the short term problem

@Kennykenkencat

i think something called Tretonoin is good for acne but only available on prescription

You can get via Dermatica www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/Y2K0NE

It did absolutely nothing for mine

There is topical isotretinoin, like the accutane but obviously no where near as strong. The consultant might be able to recommend something like that.

When my son saw a dermatologist for acne, he told her about all the over the counter stuff he’d tried on other people’s advice. She was very clear that if people found over the counter stuff got rid of their acne, then they didn’t have a bad case of acne. She said once it’s moderate acne you need something on prescription, not to waste time and money on expensive over the counter products as they will never work.

She prescribed roaccutane for my son and it was brilliant. Very few side effects but you should keep a close eye on the persons mood and behaviour. He only wishes he’d have done it sooner. His skin is completely clear and he’s been very fortunate to have no scarring at all. I wouldn’t hesitate to let my daughter take it if she needed to.

That would generally be one of the first things tried by GP so shouldn’t be a need for dermatologist