DS won't wash his face and it's covered in spots

[NCTDN]

What do I do? Aside from pinning him down, how can I convince him to clean it? He says he's not bothered but I am. He really dislikes and face wash (loans about it going in his eyes) so any other suggestions welcomed.
He's 14 and doesn't yet care about his appearance. I'm hoping that when back at school he'll become more aware and do something about it.

And a gp would not tell him just to wash, they prescribe a topical cream or possibly antibiotics.

it's a bacterial infection; treating it as a bacterial infection will help (but not cure). That's why antibiotics work extremely well against acne.

I would read this before you go down the snake oil route of skin treatment

www.nhs.uk/conditions/acne/treatment/

If is it severe you will need medication not a wash

You can try the acne . org regime which worked really well for me if he wanted to try that before medication but he will have to wash his face so...
it's cleansing, benzoyl peroxide and then a moisturiser
It is best to hit it hard as soon as possible to stop any scarring

The OP is just not listening
It's laziness that's making the blackheads.

Laziness doesn’t cause blackheads. Once again, acne is caused by hormones not lack of face washing.

But you WILL get blackheads if you don't wash your face, of course you will

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

But you WILL get blackheads if you don't wash your face, of course you will

No you won’t. You can’t wash away black heads. The clogging is internal out, not external in.

[quote NCTDN]@Hoppinggreen that's my DS. It's laziness that's making the blackheads.
I've never stated it's acne, just lots of spots. I'm going on a clearasil wipe hunt today![/quote]
No. Spots AND blackheads are hormonal.

There IS a difference.
DD suffers from hormonal acne and DS has just got a bit oilier as he has hit puberty but I am certain he would have fewer spots/blackheads if he washed more.
What he has is very different to what his sister has.

@Hoppinggreen

There IS a difference. DD suffers from hormonal acne and DS has just got a bit oilier as he has hit puberty but I am certain he would have fewer spots/blackheads if he washed more. What he has is very different to what his sister has.

I'm not saying there is t a difference, but washing your face makes virtually no difference and using products that are too astringent or drying can make it worse. There's also different types of acne, both your children may have acne, just different forms.

Bathing definitely impacts the number and how angry ds’s spots are.

I have had acne for nearly 30 years. Washing my face morning and evening - but with something gentle, not stripping it - definitely does help. Doesn’t cure it but helps.

I recommend Cetaphil face wash (especially if he has oily skin) or Cerave (if sensitive). Ditch the flannels as they carry bacteria unless washed every day. Any harsh washes can make it worse but these two are not.

Acnecide gel (over the counter) or Duac (from GP) are a good place to start with treatment.

Sounds like he really needs to stop picking too. I was and am a terrible picker so I don’t really know what to suggest on that front.

Salyclic acid

Not washing doesn’t cause acne, but it certainly won’t help it. He needs a GENTLE cleanser.

One thing that helped my DSD was drinking only water (no fizzy or fruit juice), and plenty of it.

This lavender water on a cotton wool wipe twice a day has made such a difference to my DS's skin. He uses this face wash (but is very lazy and haphazard with it...) and then the lavender, and just over the summer holidays his skin has improved vastly.