DD (15) and acne. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

[ladyandthechocolate]

DD has had acne for about 3 years. Firstly controlled by acnecide cream and then she was prescribed 3/12 of antibiotics (I think doxycycline) which worked incredibly for about a year. When it returned she was prescribed DUAC which is a cream containing both an antibiotic and benzoyl peroxide I think. Again this worked so well and she was almost spot free for a year. Her skin became accustomed to it and has now been terrible for 6 months. She’s tried topical erythromycin (little help) and she’s back on doxycycline for the last month but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything. She washes with cerave and uses a simple cream as I’m aware of looking after the skin barrier.

We’ll have to go back to the GP I guess but I’m wondering if the contraceptive pill would be worth a go. The spots are mainly clustered around lower face so I do wonder if there is a big hormonal element.
i hate the thought of her needing antibiotics but she’s getting really really down about it.
I’m at the point of taking her to a dermatologist if we can’t get on top of it.

As a teenager I had really bad acne....I was made fun of ......well one day when I was 13, I decided I had enough. I tried medications, steroid creams, etc and all see to help for a little while but then it would just come back. The hormonal pill helped but then by the time i was 14 i had gained about 10 kg from it so that was a nightmare (had to join a sport to lose the weight). Finally I went to the shop with my mom and we literary picked one product (face cream/soap/tea tree etc) at a time and trialed it for 3 weeks, if it didn't work we moved on to the next. Finally what worked for me and still does to this day when I have the occasional breakout from my period (obviously some product have changed over the years as they've been discontinued and I have had to trial new ones) is:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Head-Shoulders-Shampoo-Clinical-Strength/dp/B00FYZ2MGG
That shampoo has zinc and dries out acne honestly works wonders and you don't need much for your face/back if needed

And as a moisturizer

https://www.boots.com/aveeno-cream-500ml-10193416?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--PLAs_HeroCompare---_-PMax:+UK_Smart_Shopping_Skincare&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnSREg14CyH3lPrXluL6pFOrRhWedLlbRaXm55T0RHfWv3foU3HN6Y8aAoWCEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I think it goes without saying though that I had to cut down to eating items with cheese/double creamcreams/high in fats I.e. fried food/ butter/ chocolates to maybe 2 times a week and reduced amounts....but overall give it a try it may work.

Im allergic to all dairy and in that time my skins been worse and I took roaccutane eventually after using progesterone only birth control that gave me cystic acne and should never have been prescribed to someone with a history of acne.

Dianette was great for me, Jasmin made no difference.

The NICE guidelines outline all treatment options though.

I had acne on and off from my late teens til my late 30s. It disappeared when I got pregnant.

I did not get on with the pill at all (tried a few) and roaccutane worked for me for a really good length of time ( I was also suffering from depression at the time, medicated, and talking therapies so good safety net).

Dianette is very good for hormonal acne. Most others progesterone based ones make it worse. I took it for years but since becoming too old to be on It (39) I started taking dim supplements and it’s been a game changer. I would try dim before putting my daughter on a hormonal contraceptive I think. I would be very reluctant to do roaccutane as well unless I’d explored everything else. A mumsnetters daughter committed suicide on that.

Dd also had bad acne,on her cheeks, forehead, chin and back.

tried every lotion and lotion going, with varying success.

talked about the pill but she was reluctant.

she wanted to try going dairy free as she’d read it could help. I was sceptical but agreed to support a two week trial, not going to do any harm.

The difference was visible in a week. After 6months almost clear. Took about a year for the residual redness/scarring to fade but now she has completely clear skin, apart from the odd hormonal spot.

wasn’t until she cut out dairy some of her other “quirks” around food were explained. She was naturally avoiding dairy foods because they made her feel ill.

having seen the effect I’d say a two to four week trial is worth a go. It’s not going to do any harm, doesn’t require a doctor trip, so nothing to lose.

We are in a similar position and going to try lymecycline having tried everything else. One thing we have noticed makes a difference (and you might already do this so apologies if that's the case!) is changing pillowcase every night and changing from cotton mix bedding to all cotton. We are also changing towels very regularly and using disposable wash cloths. This has improved things a lot apart from at the time of the month and during stressful periods such as exam time.

The NHS have a standard list to work through for acne treatments, you can look it up. I think the pill is likely to be next for your daughter, if that fails they will start to consider Roaccutane. It's not suitable for everyone but can be life changing. She will probably be advised to stay on the pill if she is prescribed Roaccutane.

I started to get really bad acne at 47, never had it before and the doc prescribed DUAC cream and Lymecycline antibiotic. They worked in the main but I'd still get the odd outbreak so now I use Cerave face wash, serum and moisturiser and very rarely get any spots now.

Also dairy for me, i wouldn't say I'm allergic but if I eat it, I'm spotty (even 30 years later)

You could try blue light therapy, as an extra aid alongside a medical route.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319254

You can get the portable mask type things on Amazon, some are incredibly expensive but you can get cheaper. It might be worth a try?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=blue+light+therapy+mask&crid=2D7KL5R6IIXMV&sprefix=blue+light+the%2Caps%2C65&ref=nbsbbssts-doa-pp2_14

So I’ve popped to boots and bought the charcoal soap and I’ve also ordered some differin. It looks like that’s commonly used alongside doxycycline so I figured it was a good next step. I would have gone via the GP but we’ll be waiting weeks for an appointment and DD is so fed up I’m keen to get on top of it.
We’ll do that for a month and then see where we are. Dairy free is a thought but I think we’ll wait and see as I’m loath to change too much in one go.

I’ve struggled with adult acne for years. However last year I got a referral to a derm and was prescribed treclin gel. It’s a low level tretinoin with also an antibacterial agent. It’s not as harsh as other meds but has worked so well on me. Low risks too from what I can tell

good luck xx

I think you should be very wary reducing dairy in a growing child, it’s a huge loss of vitamin d and calcium.

I think if she eats well then it’s worth doing the AIP diet it’s restrictive but you def get enough calories, then you re introduce foods, lots of the nightshades and simple thinks like black pepper can cause issues. Skin issues are often linked to gut issues.

A two week trial of a dairy free diet will hardly lead to rickets and osteoporosis. Especially in the summer.

if it does work then there lots of other option to include vit d and calcium in a diet. it won’t be a “huge” loss, dairy is not the sole source of those minerals. There’s always supplementation as well.

East Asian cultures have high levels of dairy intolerance, and their children manage fine.

As an adult who suffered in a similar way to your DD, my recommendation would be to go to a specialist. I tried multiple treatments all through my teens and early 20s - each one showing slight improvement and then becoming resistant. I spent pretty much my entire late teens on oral antibiotics in desperate hope of signs of improving. The acne itself was moderate, definitely not severe but persistent and resistant.

All ended with treatment with Roaccutane in my mid 20s but with hindsight, I really wish I had seen a specialist much much sooner. I will be doing just this for my children should they happen to inherit my skin and have already planned to have savings to do so.

Here is my routine that I follow:
Morning:
Using water to wash your face,
Sebamed clear face gel,
Garnier spf
Evening:
Vanicream moisturizer,
Tretinoin (0.1) from skinorac
Sebamed clear facial gel