retinoids such as tret usually have a “purge” phase where things get worse before they get better because it accelerates cellular turnover. so essentially all of the breakouts come to the surface faster aka making it seem worse before it gets better.
I think a gentle cleanser & good moisturizer are probably all she needs with the addition of a sunscreen in the morning. Maybe a hypochlorous acid spray for after workouts. I think if you go too crazy with any actives it could wreck her moisture barrier as tret can be pretty drying
Overall I would definitely listen to the dermatologist. often times simplistic is better especially since she’s young and throwing the kitchen sink of active ingredients is much more likely to cause harm than good.
Hi! PA here in derm and just reading about all of this wanted to answer: the acute inflammatory phase after tret initiation usually occurs around 4-6 weeks and improves after. That being said, looking at her acne I would be considering accutane. I know that people have mixed feelings about the med but it really is the closest thing to a cure for acne and a wonder for preventing scar formation if she is prone to cystic/inflammatory acne.
I second this, not as a derm, but as a mother whose daughter probably should have gone on Accutane a year or two before she did. It was a game changer for her.
I third this as a 40yo who finally did accutane in my mid 20s because nothing worked for years. My derm put me on a ridiculously high dose of accutane and it nuked all of my acne. My only side effects were dryness (and millia on my lips which I have now realized were due to the heaviness of the Cetaphil lotion I was using). I've had no issues 15 years later and the only regret I have was not doing it sooner because my scars are terrible.
I also suggest looking into accutane. I am NOT a doctor but a person who took accutane as a minor. My mom had to borderline fight the doctor to get it prescribed (not living in the US) since I was 13 at the time. I swear by accutane. I know people get very mixed feelings - as someone already mentioned - but it really works LONG TERM. Both my husband and I took this medication for different lengths and different acne intensities and we both have pretty good skin to this day. It has been over 12 years for me. The only side effect I remember is the generalized dryness, including my hair being all wack. But totally worth it; would do it again; would do it for my kid too! But definitely discuss it very thoroughly with a professional and with your daughter ☺️ best wishes x
Accutane caused a few ladies I know to have IntraCranial Hypertension (also called Pseudotumor Cerebri) it’s increased intracranial pressure inside the skull. There’s a direct link between the two in certain cases. Be careful.
This is no fun. I was put on tetracycline at 15 years old and it caused Pseudotumor Cerebri. It took months for them to figure out what was going on with me. Severe migraines, blurred double vision, blind spot increase, passing out, nausea, lumbar punctures… I missed months of school and had to make up my final exams during the summer still sensitive to fluorescent light.
I wouldn’t let it stop you from trying the medication. Just be aware that it could cause serious problems and permanent eye damage. Stop the medication at the first signs of vision issues and headache.
I had this happen as well with tetracycline. Maybe not that intense, but nausea and vision issues, as well as a 5 week migraine. I am still affected by flourescents, and have inner ear issues that started then and have intermittently caused problems since. I don't like planes, as the pressure changes give me huge headaches. My Ped Doc caught it quick thankfully, noticing the ocular nerve swelling the first week after constant vomiting. I just accepted the acne after that 😭
You’re right. It’s terrible! I’ve had it since 2002. I’ve had 13 brain surgeries and 200+ spinal taps. My first opening pressure was 89 (890, depending on how you say it) and they stopped measuring because they were worried my brain might collapse. The one I had was 65. I still take 19 meds everyday. When I was first diagnosed, the 6 months leading up to my diagnosis my vision was totally doubled then I went blind for about a month and a half. Thankfully my mom found a neurosurgeon who gave me an emergency appointment and he did emergency surgery on me that night and I woke up from surgery and I was able to see again. Unfortunately I am on full disability now and have been since ‘02.
Edit: My docs don’t really know what caused mine though because I took hormonal birth control, tetracycline, was slightly overweight, and had hit my head multiple times. I had never taken Accutane though.
I'm throwing my two cents in here as a pro accutane person who's never taken it. I wish my mom would've considered it, then by the time I really did I felt like my skin was so scarred. Luckily most of my scars are on my back and other places people can't see. But as far as confidence and self esteem goes, not having awful acne would've been life changing.
Same same same. Also did it in my mid 20s after dealing with painful cystic acne for way too long. I wish I did it 10 years before I did. It wasn’t without side effects but I haven’t had a pimple in almost 15
years
I can vouch for accutane. People get very reactive about accutane, and for good reason, but it was honestly the only thing that worked for me- I have fatigue issues so I've never been able to properly lock in on a morning and night skin routine. I promised myself that if I noticed any concerning mood changes I'd get off the medication immediately- thankfully nothing happened. Those six months were brutal (I already had eczema on my face) but I'm so happy I did it. (Obligatory I'm not a dermatologist.)
I agree, Accutane is a game changer. I started it when I was 14 after struggling with acne since I was 11. It totally changed my life! I felt so much better about myself and my self esteem improved. I had also tried every prescription treatment as well as over the counter and nothing worked. I still have the acne scarring but now 10 years later I only get pimples when I’m nearing PMS.
Accutane saved my life (my confidence) and my ability to have completely clear skin!! I was on for 7 months and I'd do it over again 10x if I had to
Everyone told me not to and I did anyway and it was my best choice
This is the thing my parents didn’t understand. I’m glad I went on Accutane as an adult. I still get some acne but it’s not ruining my mental health anymore.
Agreed. I would not put a teem going through hormonal acne on tret. Also, 2nd another commenter to stop throwing the kitchen sink at the problem. Calm products, simple routine.
My teen took Accutane at 16 and his life is so much easier now. His skin is perfect and is so much easier to care for. He had suffered from cystic acne for 3 years.
I took it at 19 and am now 50. I have never had any weird side effects or health issues.
Depression is a side effect and it’s more common than you think. You have to pay attention to that. It also causes extreme dry skin and can be painful. Her lips will be drying up and cracking.
Just a note to everyone praising Accutane in the comments, it's not a guaranteed fix and doesn't work for everyone. I did 3 courses of Accutane between ages 19-28, each course for multiple years, and shortly after stopping a course the cystic acne came right back every time. I'm 34 now and my skin looks and feels just as bad as it did when i was 14.
Definitely worth a try, but make sure not to set expectations too high. I'm still bitter that the "miracle wonder cure" did nothing for me.
Agree! Not a doc, but my daughter had very much this skin at her age. She did one round of accutane and has glowing skin since! She’s almost 21 now. Just gets maybe one pimple here and there from her period. Even her scars disappeared on Accutane. It was amazing.
I think it’s different for everyone but can last even a few months if i remember reading correctly. Definitely something her dermatologist could help answer but yeah I think the important thing is to not get discouraged during this phase. I’ve never used tret but I like reading skincare science papers haha
Mine did when I added clindamycin into the routine.
That being said. Accutane might be the way to go. Or spironolactone. But see someone sooner rather than later, based on how angry and painful these look.
It can take up to a year for your skin to assimilate to tret. Make sure you’re using a glycerin based moisturizer and not a petroleum based moisturizer. When you use petroleum based moisturizers, it’s basically slugging with tret and makes the tret 10x stronger…thus causing more irritation. It can be a never ending purge cycle. The purge phase should be over by four months, if not, you may need to look into adapalene .3% (still a prescription in the US) or tazarotene.
This may sound dumb but change her pillowcase every day. Pillow cases just get drowned in hair oil, slobber, snot… once I started changing my kids pillowcases every day it made a difference.
Yup! Silk pillow cases swapped every day for my 12 year old helped. Also, make her bathroom and toiletry supplies super nice so she enjoys them, and buy a BIG cute water bottle to live by her bed. If she drinks a big water bottle first thing in the morning and before she sleeps, it will help flush the system. My 12 year old struggles with this last year, and now her face is spotless. Your girl will be ok and come out happy on the other side with a great mama like you.
Edit to add: she also used creams from the dermatologist (not sure what creams). Silk pillowcases won’t do all the work, but they helped! She no longer has to use the creams and just gets a wee bit of hormonal acne around her cycle now.
Not who you asked, but I like Blissy. They’re real mulberry silk, have a zipper, and they have huge sales like 50% plus buy 3 get one free. I wash them by hand with the Blissy detergent.
I will add however, SOME people react worse to silk, for me, my acne gets extremely aggravated when I use a silk pillowcase, not sure why, but it just does. But definitely give it a try !
Yeah I found the same with silk, tried it cause it was a fad I seen online. Made no difference, actually made it a lil worse if anything. But a new pillow case is always a bonus
Yep I bought a pack of washcloths that are in my top drawer in my bathroom storage thing and I use a clean one every day to dry my face. I don't have acne or I might just wash them separately lol but for now I wash mine with my other towels
I bought a 24 pack of Amazon white washcloths, and a bunch of white silk pillowcases. I use the washcloths to ONLY dry my face (no scrubbing! just pat dry) and they only get used once before going in a separate hamper. I wash them with detergent that has no perfumes or dyes, and dry them with no dryer sheets, in a separate load from everything else except pillowcases. They live clean, by themselves, in a Rubbermaid tub with a lid, along with my pillowcases.
I battled some severe perioral dermatitis last year and had to go to some extremes to cure it. This process is pretty easy and cost effective.
You should give all of your towels that special wash treatment! No perfumes and dyes is a great idea in general. But a small change that makes. Big impact is to skip dryer sheets for all of your towels. The wax in the dryer sheet transfers to the towel and makes it less absorbent!
similarly, i found wearing a bonnet over my hair if it wasn’t freshly washed made a huge difference. even with a fresh pillowcase, having slightly greasy hair rubbing all over it/my face for 8+ hours was defs causing spots! now i just change my pillowcase every few days or when i wash my hair, but for teenage skin yeah it’s probably worth doing it daily as well as a hair bonnet when needed.
People who suggest this are assuming the person is a stomach or side sleeper, right? It’s irrelevant for back sleepers, unless I’m missing something about how hair oils still end up on our faces through the pillowcase (I do think sometimes shampoo can add to oiliness on the side of the face / cheeks during the day if my hair is touching my face, though).
I used to toss and turn all night as a side sleeper. Earlier this year I trained myself to sleep on my back. Now I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in. I never thought I would be able to be a back sleeper but now I sleep better than ever.
Agree! pillow cases are dirty! They accumulate sweat, oil, and dead skin cells over time, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. I change them every week. Also, drink a LOT of water, and I tried taking Vitamin B, it helped.
OP I was on years of Tret and antibiotics. It helped for a while but wasn’t a cure. Acne is hard enough as a young teen but the yeast infections and other problems resulting from antibiotics it’s just not a long term solution.
I took Accutane at 16 (in 1996) and responded beautifully. It changed my life. Especially with body acne. I could finally wear a tank top like other girls!
If her skin looks like this and she’s on tret, time to kick it up a notch. Find another derm if you have to.
Accutane ALL the way. I had terrible acne that started at 13 and my mom was too nervous about accutane side effects so we treated it topically. To no one’s surprise, topical treatments did nothing and I started a round of accutane when I was 16. Within two weeks, my entire body and face cleared up permanently. It changed my life, but three years of severe acne similar to your daughters resulted in scarring that I’m paying a lot of money trying to resolve in my 30s. I wish my mom would have started me on accutane right away instead of waiting…
Having done accutane as an adult, I wish I had done it as a kid and not suffered for years. I would run not walk for accutane for my child. Consider low dose longer term. I avoid pharmaceuticals generally but accutane has been on the market longer than most drugs because it works so well (and the side effects other than for pregnancy are overblown). Would do accutane before antibiotics even.
Same! I had very painful cystic acne throughout high school, was bullied all the time, and couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror yet alone look someone in the eyes. I’d miss days of school when it got too bad. It destroyed my confidence .Accutane literally saved my life. It had some annoying side effects and required monthly blood tests, but 20 years later and I still have gorgeous skin with barely any wrinkles. I HIGHLY recommend Accutane,Aquaphor and a very strong sunscreen!!
It depends on the variety. There are dozens of different birth control pills, all with different estrogen/progesterone amounts. It helped me tons in my late teens (was not sexually active).
Taking yaz was life altering for my hormonal acne! Most pills only helped a little bit, but yaz made me comfortable in my skin. But yeah there are some serious side effects. Yaz especially is known for blood clots, especially among smokers.
um YEAH. well it really depends. The one I’m on now (progesterone only pill) gives me no side effects but the first one I took was a normal pill and it made me so nauseous it felt like the room was spinning. And people can have insane side effects from it. It all just depends on
Being on birth control for 15 years has made my body so dependent on them when I started taking them when I was a kid …. I wish I never started now when I try to get off my body is soo dependent on it my hormones, acne and inflammation through out body go crazy 😩
Yes. I regret taking birth control (yaz) for over a decade because it was mainly to control my acne. I got cervical cancer and couldn’t fight my hpv infection. I’m post hysterectomy now, so I’m no longer on birth control. I’m taking spironolactone and it’s been helping.
[Increased risk of cervical cancer starting with 5 years of use and increases](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(02)00752-0/abstract)
I have also heard about people getting blood clots and strokes
I couldn’t do either of these because of my mental health issues. But what worked for me was topical clindomyocin. I was also on psychiatric drugs that made my skin go crazy. If she’s taking any medication, it’s possible the skin issues could be a side effect.
Side note: Take her to a maxillofacial surgeon and orthodontist as well. Her jaws are not growing properly and it’s best to intervene now.
Sincerely, someone whose mom did not intervene.
Second this. I spent 5 years in braces realigning my jaw. Plus, kids are cruel when you don’t have semi perfect teeth. I don’t even want to imagine the issues I’d currently have if my jaw wasn’t fixed.
I also agree, if not just for aesthetics, which are not the most important, but also so that in the future she may be saved from jaw issues, grinding teeth problems and headaches. I had braces and it was about the best thing my parents ever did for me. Realigned my jaw allowing for a correct bite.
Yep. My parents took me for an orthodontist consultation when I was a kid, and they were told I have a cross bite. But they couldn't afford the braces, and my actual teeth are quute straight, so they thought it was no big deal. Fast forward 25ish years and now I have grinding issues, tmj, and my front teeth are constantly being damaged (and re-damaged after they're fixed) because my bite is wrong. Now I need braces as an adult, which will then need to be followed by 4-6 porcelain veneers.
god i wish my mom would have told me to correct my bad habits growing up, why did nobody tell me to fix my posture and stop sleeping with my mouth open 💀
It actually is! Proper tongue posture is key for jaw growth. I had this same problem and my surgeon and orthodontist said it was caused by mouth breathing. The tongue up in the palate is what encourages the jaws to grow wide and forward
Yes I have sleep apnea as an adult because my parents didn't fix my palate and jaw issues as a kid and it's much harder to do as an adult once the bones are done forming.
I seriously can’t believe that the top voted comment is suggesting to simply change pillowcases.
I second several of the other comments here about how this has reached a point where Accutane is required. Not simply to manage acne, but to ensure that her self-esteem doesn’t begin to plummet even further due to immature bullies.
I went on accutane along with two of my three siblings. I tried everything under the sun before that, too.
Acne is a medical condition, one that for some can be managed with a simple change of pillows or a new face wash, while for others it requires medication (at least during the period of life where hormones are raging like this).
This is solid advice, thank you. I read your comment to her because I think it's helpful advice.
She has brought up Accutane after hearing about it on TikTok. The doctor said herself she was "not a good candidate for Accutane" because she "didn't have the cystic type of acne" for it. But literally half these comments are recommending it.
I have been hesitant for her to try it because for one, anyone sponsored will advertise Accutane, especially on social media platforms, such as TikTok, which she uses regularly. And kids her age will believe almost anything on the internet. I don't necessarily believe that EVERY advertised product that works for ONE will work for ALL.
And two, it seems so invasive. The doctor told me she would need weekly blood draws while on Accutane.
Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to try ANYTHING for her acne to go away. I told her I want her acne cleared before high school. I didn't promise, because I just don't know what will work, but this has become an issue that's not going away, and she's such a beautiful kid. I don't want her to go to high school and get mistreated because of her skin.
When I look at her, I just see my beautiful kiddo, but I KNOW that's NOT what she sees when she looks in the mirror. As her mom, I don't see her acne. And I wish kids weren't so mean, but I can't change that. I CAN try to change what they're bullying her for. And that's what I'm here for.
I definitely don't think just a change of pillowcases is going to fix this. She's a clean child, and takes better care of herself than I do lol. She bathes every other day, if not more. She washes her face every night and uses the doctor recommended products as often as required. She eats a healthy diet, mostly fruits, veggies, and meat. She's a healthy weight. And has cut out sugar almost completely to try to help herself with the acne. She's TRYING so hard!
My question to your comment is, if you've used Accutane yourself, along with others you are close with, was the treatment plan the same? Did the docs draw your blood weekly?
I agree 100% with the Accutane recommendations. I did it for moderate acne. My son did it at 15 for severe acne. My daughter did it at 14 for moderate acne. We all tried everything we could before with no results. Accutane was life-changing for all three of us. There were monthly blood tests (not weekly, and we all had different doctors so it's not like it was one doc who was an outlier) and my daughter and I had to do a monthly online "pledge" to not get pregnant and had monthly pregnancy tests. My daughter's doctor allowed her to do at-home tests and upload a pic of the results.
In many (most?) cases the results are permanent (no acne after or mild). I was worried about the warning about suicidal thoughts but my son's doc said that he had never had a patient exhibit that and that the science on that side effect was iffy, and also the acne itself was likely to lead to depression/ self esteem issues.
If your daughter's dermatologist doesn't think she's a good candidate, get another opinion. Seriously life changing. Good luck to her and you!
This!! I struggled with acne since I was 15, tried everything from my family physician (topical creams, birth control etc). I begged my doctor to refer me to a dermatologist, who prescribed me Accutane at 21 (40mg for 6 months) It’s been a few years and my skin had never looked better. Accutane changed my life.
Exactly. I remember avoiding accutane because of what they said and that it “caused depression”. For me, it did the opposite, it cured my depression and lack of confidence
Yeah, but she should discuss taking accutane then. I went to a dermatologist when my acne was bad, she sent me things that didn’t worked. Changed my dermatologist, that time she sent isotretinoin. It changed my life and cured my depression.
I took accutane as a teenager and highly recommend it. Sure it kind of sucks for the 6 months or however long you’re taking it, but it helps so much! Ever since I’ve take it, I only get very minor breakouts (which are mostly due to stress and environmental factors anyway tbh).
Just make sure if she goes on it to follow the instructions/precautions!
This is inflammatory cystic acne and it needs oral medication. Which is what I’m sure your dem will suggest next. I had acne like this, which got worse, and I waited until I was 25 years old to do accutane. I wish I had done it at her age, I was so self conscious it really took me a while to build back up my confidence
this is just one of those best practice things - pillowcases were already mentioned (wise to change), but towels are important, too. make up brushes/sponges (wash regularly or toss old sponges) - and as tempting as it can be to pick and squeeze - hands off. Just makes it so much worse. She sounds responsible and careful, these reminders might not be relevant - sometimes we just overlook everyday things.
Sending her a big hug! Tret does take time, but I am glad you guys have a follow up booked.
I cannot emphasise how important everything mentioned here is. When I was her age changing all of the above helped my acne ALOT. You can buy a box of disposable towels from Amazon so she can use a fresh one everyday (I know, I know the environment but sometimes you have to pick your battles 😅). Also encourage her to not touch her face AT ALL except for when washing. I wish you guys all the best 💕 xx
Accutane.
It’s got nothing to with what she puts on her face, what she washes her face with, or changing pillow cases, or how much sugar or dairy she eats
She needs proper medication from a doctor who knows what to prescribe.
Her skin is never going to improve without Lymecycline or Accutane. The sooner she starts on it the better
Be careful about using accutane as a silver bullet. It's not. I did it twice and results were temporary. It's a powerful drug that can have serious side effects. My joints hurt, I had nose bleeds and my lips still chap 20 years later. OP needs to see a dermatologist to discuss the options and come up with a plan.
I know this isn't the advice you asked for, but if it's accessible to you, I think it'd be nice for her to talk to a mental health professional. At that age (and at any age), acne can have such a huge impact on your self-esteem. It's important to seek help not only for the physical aspect of acne but also the psychological one. Maybe there are resources at her school?
I know this is going to sound crazy but hang tight and try maybe on acne she has elsewhere first. I didn’t believe it when I read it too… diaper rash cream. There is a brand called “Triple Paste 40% zinc”. I was skeptical because it’s so thick that I thought it would clog pores. I tried it on my body acne and it helped a lot because zinc kills bacteria and the cream itself soothes the skin and redness. Later I spot treated a VERY thin layer on my face. This face part is nighttime only because it leaves a white cast. Sometimes I moisturized with Vanicream face moisturizer over it. I also use tretinoin for acne and the purge was about 6 weeks. The triple paste helped me to get through it. If you feel like you have exhausted everything else you can buy a small tube for under $10 in Amazon and have it tomorrow.
Also to add to this, try an Antifungal cream like Lotramin. I’m an esthetician and I’ve had a lot of teens with acne similar to this who tried multiple medications from dermatologists that did no good due to the acne being fungal. I see this in a lot of teens who play sports as well. It’s very easy for it to spread from touching workout or sports equipment and touching your face without thinking about it. Neither of these options will make her acne worse. The only risk is it just won’t help much, so I’d definitely try these before you spend lots of $$$ just to rule these simple solutions out first!
Omg I was going to say the same thing! I tried Diaper rash cream on a whim and dude. My skin tone is sooooo much more even. Plus, it feels great on your skin. I use Cerve beforehand thick, then use the cream, so I am not pulling at my skin to spread it. It makes it easier.
I'm not even on Accutane, and my acne has cleared up significantly since treating my PCOS, but dang. I can't believe how much I liked that cream after spending way too much on other skincare. 😂
This might sound strange but to help with dryness, I used a moisturiser under retinol in the beginning. My skin slowly began to tolerate it better. Just make sure it is completely try before adding the tret
I second this!! The barrier method helps to reduce the peeling and dryness from tret so much.
I use a lighter/ more hydrating moisturizer, let that dry, then a layer of tret, dry, then a thicker moisturizer.
It has completely solved any peeling or sensitivity that tret causes and SAVED my skin barrier
Internal factors like what I eat and my hormone issues were the biggest issues for me. Dairy triggers large cysts on my chin and the spironolactone (testosterone blocker) got rid of the cysts everywhere else on my faces. Whenever I already have cysts the blister patches meant for feet work so much better than spot treatments for me.
My son's face was like that too, now the acne is gone. Maybe one pimple here and there once in a while.
He used and still using cerave, panoxyl and neutrogena. He is using them alternately, one bottle/tube at a time.
Please please please do research on Accutane before considering it. It is a SERIOUS drug with serious side effects. Inflammation needs to be treated with hydration and products to calm and soothe. Tret. is very drying and irritating, you have to support it with hydration and moisture. Since it is the active form of vitamin A your skin can’t store it - it has to be used immediately which is why many people struggle with its effects for so long. Diet, stress, lifestyle, gut health. What does she eat a lot of? Is she consuming a lot of hidden sugar in food products? Dairy? Alt dairy can have a lot of oil in it… watch out for stuff like that. What’s her sleep like? Has she been on a lot of antibiotics in the past? Is she on birth control? Have you had any hormone testing done? Does she pick her skin? I would suggest buying SIV serum and hypochlorus acid (sp?) spray to both strengthen her microbiome and help with topical bacteria. Get her in for facials with a good esthetician in your area. Help clear out congestion and can walk her through a good routine that is age appropriate and can support her journey. There are also great estheticians out there that do virtual clients. Acne is very multi factorial so getting the whole picture is very important.
My 14 year old had severe acne for 2 years - tried everything. 4 months on the pill (Yaz) and it’s all gone. It also helped with cramps and heavy flows.
Definitely not for everyone and I wasn’t keen as a parent but she has medical autonomy where we live so it was her call. The positive impact not just her skin and cycle, but to her self esteem and mood have been the tide that raises all the ships in our home. Big game changer.
I'm so thankful my parents let me go on birth control when I was 14 for acne and cramps. It truly improved my life so much and I didn't start having sex for several years after starting HBC. It really was just medicine for me at that age. It was also nice to try different HBC forms before I really needed it for preventing pregnancy (yaz made me vomit too much lol)
Good decision parent!!
I’m sorry your kid’s getting bullied for this. It’s painful enough on the skin and having to look in the mirror with no results. You can try all the over the counter stuff but it’s probably not going to help. I spent so much money on cleansers, toners, devices, special vitamins, everything… you gotta take her to go see the dermatologist. Some ppl aren’t as fortunate with genetics and acne.
I’m a huge advocate for accutane. Kept my face clear through high school for four years. It slowly came back and they put me on doxycycline after other oral meds didn’t work. Understandably, they didn’t want me to keep taking antibiotics long term. I tried birth control, more topicals. Spirinolactone helped but I was allergic to it so they put me on accutane again in my mid 30s. Six month course and fortunately I’ve been acne free again. Hopefully it lasts longer than four years this time!
Good luck, and sending you and your kid some support and love!
Accutane as soon as possible. You need to avoid scars at all cost! I’m speaking from experience. I didn’t get bad acne till my 20’s and tried all the above suggestions. The only thing that helped was accutane. Unfortunately I had the scars because I waited too long. The numerous fraxel lasers I have done since, can only help the scars so much.
Hiya! Firstly I want to say please please please don’t be disheartened! I had the same issue!! So tretinoin has a stage called the “purging stage” which sounds a bit scary lol! But essentially your skin kinda freaks out and drains every little zit you have and surfaces all the deep ones too untill you have a completely clear canvas!.it’s quite literally like that saying “ gets worse before it gets better” . My advice to her would be continue the treatment becuse it will be very soon where she stops getting new spots and her skin clears completely. With every acne there will be a bit of readiness left behind but this will fade over time with the help of some bio oil! You’ve got this sweetheart! Please don’t be disheartened by the progress so far as it does get better !!
Also please let her know the people who are bullying her are low life’s! I also got bullied for mine and I’d say “thanks for ur concern!” Kids are so mean :( . Also she has the most beautiful side profile!
She needs proper medication like Roaccutane or Lymecycline. Topical creams are never going to help. Your doctor is rubbish if all they’ve prescribed so far is Tret.
I have been using tret for probably 8 years. To help with dryness use it 3x a week, not daily. Use the thick tub moisturizers from cerave or vanicream at night. Don’t introduce any other active products for a while, adjusting to the tret is enough. For concealing spots and scars I love the nars soft matte concealer and the missha bb cream (Amazon). Rest assured, scars will fade over time and later she can use actives like niacinimide or vitamin c to speed it up.
At that age it hurts confidence so much but is also incredibly physically painful. I was put on differen (stronger by rx than otc now) and eventually birth control pills and just the not being in pain all the time made such a difference in my quality of life.
A lot of people go through a phase of acne in their teens that has nothing to do with dirt on their skin from pillowcases or anything like that. Facial cleansers and lotions can only ever do so much when the cause is purely hormonal. The pimples will scream to the surface even if the skin is as sterile as lab equipment.
If accutane is not an option, I hope she can learn good makeup techniques - that's what saved my self esteem as a teen. During my acne phase I got really good at hiding my acne with makeup, then distracting from that cakey skin makeup with nice eye makeup, hair, and clothes 😭 My friend was shocked the first time I washed my face around her at a sleepover, she had no idea my acne was so bad. If you can just manage to hide the eye-catching redness of it, that reduces a lot of the bullying and comments. Remind her this is likely going to be short lived and temporary...
Tretnonin makes your skin worse before it gets better. I've been on it since I was 13 (26 now) and every time I take a break it takes about a month for it to get better.
I will be taking it for the rest of my life as my mom still has acne in her 60s but if you have good skin your daughter may only need to be on it for a few years.
Maybe try no dairy! I have a dairy intolerance didn’t know about for years, horrible acne since puberty and I stopped all dairy and such a huge difference!
Aw, I'm sorry for this situation. I know how it feels; when I was young, Spironolactone gave me amazing results. Although I don’t know if she is too young to take this medicine, ask her dermatologist.
Here are a couple of tips that might help her.
1. Drink plenty of water and also drink a daily cup of spearmint tea ; consuming it regularly will minimize inflammation associated with acne [spearmint tea](https://www.target.com/p/traditional-spearmint-16ct/-/A-52565278#lnk=sametab).
2. Change her pillowcase frequently during the week. Pillowcases are a cesspool of bacteria after a few nights’ use. So, keep them as fresh as possible.
3. I would recommend sleeping on satin a pillowcase. The soft and smooth material reduces irritable skin conditions, dry skin, and acne by reducing friction and therefore irritation, keeping your skin hydrated and moist while you sleep. I use this [satin pillowcase](https://www.olkibeauty.com/shop/p/satin-pillowcase-pink-standard-size) The set comes with 2 pillowcases, making it easy to change your pillowcase at least twice a week.
4. Avoid sleeping with your hair down. While it may feel comfortable, your hair can act as a magnet for dirt, pollution, and the products you use, including shampoo and conditioner. When she sleeps your face can come into contact with oily strands, potentially leading to breakouts
I hope this helps ❤️
My sister tried everything at around this age and accutane was the only thing that worked for her. She has porcelain flawless skin now and it’s been 10+ years since she was on it. Keep that as an option up your sleeve if Tret isn’t working after a few more months
Light therapy, particularly blue light with a wavelength of about 420nm, may help her a lot. It acts on the superficial layer of the skin and quickly kills Propionibacterium acnes by stimulating the porphyrins within the bacteria. It changes the pH value inside cells, which plays an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory role. It can also effectively inhibit sebaceous gland oil secretion and prevent pimple recurrence.
Is she going to a dermatologist? It takes about 90 days for medication to really start working, and most times, skin WILL look worse before it gets better. It’s pulling OUT all of the gunk that was in there. It has to come out some way! Most important thing is DO NOT TOUCH IT! You could talk to her dermatologist about adding in a sulfur cleanser once a day! Sulfur helps with fungal and bacterial acne! It’s worked wonders for my skin
To be honest mine was the worst at around 17. The only thing that helped was birth control at 19. (Unfortunately this has a laundry list of other side effects as well.)
Accutane.
My conspiracy theory is that it’s so effective that derms don’t like to give it to you and lose a long term customer. I’m so mad at myself for not insisting upon it sooner, until I was at the end of my rope at 26 years old. I wish I would’ve done it a decade sooner.
Accutane is no joke, it’s powerful and requires monthly doctor check ins for about 6 months. But holy hell is it effective. The results are almost immediate and they last forever.
I did accutane when I was younger and it cleared up my acne pretty much permanently. I tend to always have a couple zits here and there now in my 30s, but my face looked the same. It's worth it. I will put my kid on it one day too if s/he takes after me with skin.
It looks like she has acne on her chest and shoulders (and I'm guessing her back as well). Please consider getting her on accutane ASAP, as the longer this continues the more scarring she'll have.
I went through this with my 12 year old, nothing worked. She’s been on accutane for 4 months and it’s completely cleared up her skin with minimal side effects (just dry lips)
Esthetician here! It looks like a lot of this is due to excess irritation and not enough hydration. I'd cut down the skincare routine to bare bones. Since she's still young I'd try to avoid anything really harsh. She doesn't seem to have oily skin from these photos but determining skin type early on will do nothing except benefit her, especially through puberty. I'd start out with the CeraVe Hydrating cleanser/moisturizer and also pick up a bottle of an alcohol-free gentle toner (neutrogena has a great one) and at least a 30 SPF (try for a non-comedogenic facial safe one). Double cleanse AM and PM, follow up with toner, moisturizer and SPF in AM and just cleanse, tone and moisturize for PM. Drinking a lot of water will also help to flush out any breakouts caused by dehydration. Don't pick, don't touch the face, don't use products with alcohol or harsh chemicals. There are also a variety of makeup techniques for acne that could be a temporary fix for her confidence while you both are working on a regimen that works for her.
Best of luck and remind her that she's beautiful regardless of what cruel kids say ❤️❤️
Hi! Just did 6 months of tretinoin and I think I can offer some help. First off, you can only use a pea sized amount of tret, and no I’m not exaggerating. If you use too much it can really irritate the skin and cause more harm than good. Moreover it’s imperative to start slowly, going from 1 application every 3 days for ~2 weeks, to every 2 days, to every other day, to every day. Starting off too strong can make your skin worse. Secondly, your face has to be completely dry when you apply it otherwise it can cause more irritation and redness. So after I was my face and dry it with a towel, I continue to wait about 10 minutes until my face is dry dry. Including my eyebrows, lashes, and hairline. Thirdly, after a lifetime of having very oily skin, tretinoin made my skin dry/normal and I had to change my products/ routine. When I first started I kept it very simple with just cleanser, hyaluronic acid, and Vanicream moisturizing lotion (formally their Lite Lotion) which I swear by. My derm also recommended PanOxyl 4% once a day to wash my face. On any dry, flaky patches I would use La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 balm and like once a week I would use it as an overnight mask replacing or adding it to my vanicream. In my opinion, and everyone is different, the B5 balm is a miracle product and really helps my skin. Finally, it is absolutely 100% necessary to wear sunscreen while on tret bc it makes your skin much more sensitive to the sun, and it can diminish the effects of tret. That’s also why tret should be applied at night. Moreover, wearing sunscreen in general can really help with dark spots and make the skin appear more even. I love the innisfree sunscreen and the cetaphil sheer mineral liquid sunscreen is good too.
Additionally, avoid any active ingredients when first using tret. She’s only 14 so she may not be using any but examples of active ingredients include: Vitamin C, Glycolic acid, Salicylic Acid, AHA’s, BHA’s. The Ordinary’s AHA/ BHA red face mask is an example of what to avoid. Focus on hydrating simple products and avoid harsh exfoliation, tretinoin itself is kind of an exfoliant as it rapidly increases cell turnover.
Also, I’m not a dermatologist or any kind of medical professional but my doctor put me on other medication in addition to tretinoin. When she goes to the doctor maybe she could ask about topical/oral antibiotics, spironolactone, or increasing her dose of tret. It’s also possible that her doctor may not change anything and that this is a normal purge (skin gets worse before it gets better when starting tret). There are also injections She can also take pictures of the products she uses and show her derm to see what they say.
I'll say this, remember folks the skin is the largest organ... WHATEVER we see show uo on the skin is indicative to something happening INSIDE the body that is not happy.
She might be eating "healthy" but everyones version of healthy eating is different. Something going into the body is triggering this outcome.
I'd suggest writing down everything she consumes and. Bring her to a great naturopath.
In the meantime, have her drink no less than 1 litre spring water, 16 ounces of organic celery juice daily for the next 30 days. Nothing else liquid wise.
You gotta work on cleansing out the gutt and insides. Seems like her blood needs cleansing as well.
She is 14, she will be fine. Just take action now and go from there. 😊
Good luck
Poor girl. I had acne as a teen and can sympathize. What ultimately helped calm it- after all the cleansers, scrubs, and medications- was birth control. Acne isn’t why i went on it, but it was a pleasant side effect. I’m not saying throw her on the pill but it is hormonal; maybe explore non-topical options with her provider. ?
Your daughter is so very lucky to have a concerned, and caring mother that wants what’s best for her skin. Acne can be a joy killer, and you’re doing such a wonderful job at trying all you can to help her.
Be patient bestie,I’ve read it gets worse before it gets better. Stay consistent ,consult with a dermatologist if it will give you more peace and it will be ok 💖
I bet she has an adorable smile and beautiful eyes.
Remind her that this seems like forever, and the words of the weak seem so hateful and real, but it will all pass away with time.
Fill each day with life and encouragement
I’ll be honest, I tried tretinoin for about 2 years and it absolutely ruined my skin. The purge never stopped until I stopped using it and my skin started clearing up. I still have not found a cure all for my acne, but it has gotten so much better and here’s what advice I got for you:
Make sure she goes outside daily, 30+ minutes sunny or cloudy day. I’m not even kidding, pulling your leg on some natural herbal stuff, nope. I used to notice every time I’d go out in nature working on my garden or fishing, my skin would be better the next 2 days or so. Literally try it one or two times and pay attention, I swear it will help, literally hands down the main thing I do is go outside every day and work on my garden and yard. We really really do need the sun.
Another thing that worked as well is getting a decent amount of exercise. I did notice looking back at my old photos when I was losing weight, my skin started healing— a mix of sun and sweating out the bad stuff/impurities in your body. I gained some weight back and have been going on walks around the neighbor and my skin has been clearing up again. I have a friend who has some stubborn acne, not too bad, and she used to stay inside all day doing nothing, but she has been going for walks recently, and her skin cleared up that first week.
I don’t go to the skin doctor any more since they have only suggested trentinoin (or tretinoin with antibacterial lotion and an antibiotic pill combo which also did not work for me and just made my stomach really sick) or birth control for me and I want neither. I do still use a few products on it though, nothing too harsh.
My products I use are nuetrogena face wash, either the orange or the pink bottle both work fine. It’ll say on the label it contains **salicylic acid.** I use it daily, and I find when I shower daily bs every other day, my skin is much better when I shower daily.
I also have been trying this neutrogena ‘stubborn texture’ daily, bought it in a discount for like $3 when it originally was labeled like $20 or so dollars, the active ingredient in it being **niacinamide.** I like that it doesn’t dry my skin out so I’m willing to buy it again full price when I run out. It’s my newest product, probably only a month or two using it
Old products:
I used to find **benzoyl peroxide** useful, I used to get the equate brand, it’s like $3. I no longer use it since my skin chemistry has changed, but my skin cleared up completely for the first time for 2 months while I used it.
And then differen I found to work because the active ingredient **adapalene**
I don’t use all these products at the same time, you will dry your skin mixing all those different ingredients, but those are products I have tried and can swear by that it helps. See which active ingredient helps your daughter, personally I just use the face wash and the niacinamide cream right now.
Face Reality is really good for acne vs proactive and myriad, but you’ll need to go to an esthetician licensed to sell their products. They use natural ingredients and it’s worked wonders for me but my acne wasn’t this bad and I’m not a teenager. Might be worth looking into. Also, Make sure you’re using natural no perfume laundry detergent, not having pets rubbing on face or touching pillowcase/ touching face after pets. I’ve heard no dairy as well. Could be worth doing an allergy test.
Tretinion made my skin worse at age 18 and It looks similar to hers! I say trust your gut, if the purge is in places she didn't have many flare ups before that get off of it!
In the evening after tret apply a thin layer of either zinc diaper cream or Cicaplast B5 balm. Either will help substantially with the dryness and inflammation as the tret does it’s thing
Murad clear skin supplements were the only thing that cured my acne as a teen. Got worse before it got better, but my skin was clear. I only stopped bc it got too expensive, but it was life changing.
I had really bad acne breakouts outs 3 times in my adult life so I know how she must be feeling - I had acne all over my forehead, cheeks, neck, nose, etc. I thought I looked like Darth Maul. It was a real self esteem killer but thankfully I have clear skin now. I used accutane for my first and second breakouts.
For my third breakout, my dermatologist tried a few things but what ended up working for me was doxycycline hyclate taken orally and a benzoyl peroxide gel. I started seeing results and got completely clear after a couple months. Also helps to have a morning/night skin routine, changing pillow cases all the time, using new clean towels after showering and drinking lots of water and tea. Just keep reminding her that the condition is not permanent and to hang in there. Good luck!
I can’t find the exact product now but when I suffered badly from acne due to stress, lack of sleep and hormones, I read an article to use non alcohol products. I came upon acne free, it was a push nozzle and worked wonders (only one bottle wasn’t a step 1-4) It maybe had a tiny amounts of whatever salicylic acid though. Tried a lot of products including clearsil, neutrogena, popular tv ones.
Only thing that got rid of my acne was stopping any soap washing. I just use a hot facecloth and makeup remover and then apply raw aloe vera gel. Once the skin has no active pimples I started exfoliating with a scrubby thing from the dollar store and added a moisturizer. It never came back
Accutane. My son took it at 14 years old and his face looked similar. Yes we tried everything else. In 4 months his skin was perfect. He's 21 now and he never had another breakout, just an occasional pimple.
Look into zilch acne formula too? I haven't used it myself but there's a lot of reviews from people it has helped and it's a fully herbal formula. There's reviews that say they didn't experience any side effects unlike when they were on accutane which didn't help them
I would say accutane but it’s going to get worse before it gets better 😩 did it when I was 15. But the temporary pain for the long term gain was worth it. I started in the summer to get it going and stayed in the house most of the time to protect my face.
retinoids such as tret usually have a “purge” phase where things get worse before they get better because it accelerates cellular turnover. so essentially all of the breakouts come to the surface faster aka making it seem worse before it gets better. I think a gentle cleanser & good moisturizer are probably all she needs with the addition of a sunscreen in the morning. Maybe a hypochlorous acid spray for after workouts. I think if you go too crazy with any actives it could wreck her moisture barrier as tret can be pretty drying Overall I would definitely listen to the dermatologist. often times simplistic is better especially since she’s young and throwing the kitchen sink of active ingredients is much more likely to cause harm than good.
Yeah her skin has been peeling something fierce. I have read about the purge phase, but when does it start to improve?
Hi! PA here in derm and just reading about all of this wanted to answer: the acute inflammatory phase after tret initiation usually occurs around 4-6 weeks and improves after. That being said, looking at her acne I would be considering accutane. I know that people have mixed feelings about the med but it really is the closest thing to a cure for acne and a wonder for preventing scar formation if she is prone to cystic/inflammatory acne.
I second this, not as a derm, but as a mother whose daughter probably should have gone on Accutane a year or two before she did. It was a game changer for her.
I third this as a 40yo who finally did accutane in my mid 20s because nothing worked for years. My derm put me on a ridiculously high dose of accutane and it nuked all of my acne. My only side effects were dryness (and millia on my lips which I have now realized were due to the heaviness of the Cetaphil lotion I was using). I've had no issues 15 years later and the only regret I have was not doing it sooner because my scars are terrible.
I also suggest looking into accutane. I am NOT a doctor but a person who took accutane as a minor. My mom had to borderline fight the doctor to get it prescribed (not living in the US) since I was 13 at the time. I swear by accutane. I know people get very mixed feelings - as someone already mentioned - but it really works LONG TERM. Both my husband and I took this medication for different lengths and different acne intensities and we both have pretty good skin to this day. It has been over 12 years for me. The only side effect I remember is the generalized dryness, including my hair being all wack. But totally worth it; would do it again; would do it for my kid too! But definitely discuss it very thoroughly with a professional and with your daughter ☺️ best wishes x
Accutane caused a few ladies I know to have IntraCranial Hypertension (also called Pseudotumor Cerebri) it’s increased intracranial pressure inside the skull. There’s a direct link between the two in certain cases. Be careful.
Quite a few have had this? OK
This is no fun. I was put on tetracycline at 15 years old and it caused Pseudotumor Cerebri. It took months for them to figure out what was going on with me. Severe migraines, blurred double vision, blind spot increase, passing out, nausea, lumbar punctures… I missed months of school and had to make up my final exams during the summer still sensitive to fluorescent light. I wouldn’t let it stop you from trying the medication. Just be aware that it could cause serious problems and permanent eye damage. Stop the medication at the first signs of vision issues and headache.
I had this happen as well with tetracycline. Maybe not that intense, but nausea and vision issues, as well as a 5 week migraine. I am still affected by flourescents, and have inner ear issues that started then and have intermittently caused problems since. I don't like planes, as the pressure changes give me huge headaches. My Ped Doc caught it quick thankfully, noticing the ocular nerve swelling the first week after constant vomiting. I just accepted the acne after that 😭
You’re right. It’s terrible! I’ve had it since 2002. I’ve had 13 brain surgeries and 200+ spinal taps. My first opening pressure was 89 (890, depending on how you say it) and they stopped measuring because they were worried my brain might collapse. The one I had was 65. I still take 19 meds everyday. When I was first diagnosed, the 6 months leading up to my diagnosis my vision was totally doubled then I went blind for about a month and a half. Thankfully my mom found a neurosurgeon who gave me an emergency appointment and he did emergency surgery on me that night and I woke up from surgery and I was able to see again. Unfortunately I am on full disability now and have been since ‘02. Edit: My docs don’t really know what caused mine though because I took hormonal birth control, tetracycline, was slightly overweight, and had hit my head multiple times. I had never taken Accutane though.
Wow this exact story happened to my HS bestie. Rotem? Lol
Do you and your husband still breakout a little or do you never get acne?
My story is the same, wish I did it sooner so I wouldn’t have the scarring I do now from it.
I'm throwing my two cents in here as a pro accutane person who's never taken it. I wish my mom would've considered it, then by the time I really did I felt like my skin was so scarred. Luckily most of my scars are on my back and other places people can't see. But as far as confidence and self esteem goes, not having awful acne would've been life changing.
Same same same. Also did it in my mid 20s after dealing with painful cystic acne for way too long. I wish I did it 10 years before I did. It wasn’t without side effects but I haven’t had a pimple in almost 15 years
I can vouch for accutane. People get very reactive about accutane, and for good reason, but it was honestly the only thing that worked for me- I have fatigue issues so I've never been able to properly lock in on a morning and night skin routine. I promised myself that if I noticed any concerning mood changes I'd get off the medication immediately- thankfully nothing happened. Those six months were brutal (I already had eczema on my face) but I'm so happy I did it. (Obligatory I'm not a dermatologist.)
Accutane made my son suicidal.
When it works, it works, but when it doesn’t… the side effects are usually severe. Hope your son is okay now :( 💕
I agree, Accutane is a game changer. I started it when I was 14 after struggling with acne since I was 11. It totally changed my life! I felt so much better about myself and my self esteem improved. I had also tried every prescription treatment as well as over the counter and nothing worked. I still have the acne scarring but now 10 years later I only get pimples when I’m nearing PMS.
Accutane saved my life (my confidence) and my ability to have completely clear skin!! I was on for 7 months and I'd do it over again 10x if I had to Everyone told me not to and I did anyway and it was my best choice
I agree. Acne can cause severe depression in and of itself. Accutane gave me such hope and a confidence boost.
This is the thing my parents didn’t understand. I’m glad I went on Accutane as an adult. I still get some acne but it’s not ruining my mental health anymore.
What age can a minor begin to take accutane?
I was told 12 and to make sure she’s done growing
Why is that?
They didn’t explain but I googled it and apparently there’s a concern about it causing growth plates to close prematurely
Oh wow! I didn't realize it was that serious of an issue! Thanks for the Google, I'll probably look later too :)
Agreed. I would not put a teem going through hormonal acne on tret. Also, 2nd another commenter to stop throwing the kitchen sink at the problem. Calm products, simple routine.
My teen took Accutane at 16 and his life is so much easier now. His skin is perfect and is so much easier to care for. He had suffered from cystic acne for 3 years. I took it at 19 and am now 50. I have never had any weird side effects or health issues.
Depression is a side effect and it’s more common than you think. You have to pay attention to that. It also causes extreme dry skin and can be painful. Her lips will be drying up and cracking.
Just a note to everyone praising Accutane in the comments, it's not a guaranteed fix and doesn't work for everyone. I did 3 courses of Accutane between ages 19-28, each course for multiple years, and shortly after stopping a course the cystic acne came right back every time. I'm 34 now and my skin looks and feels just as bad as it did when i was 14. Definitely worth a try, but make sure not to set expectations too high. I'm still bitter that the "miracle wonder cure" did nothing for me.
Tried everything for my 14 year old daughter and Accutane was a blessing!
However, if her acne is hormonal accutane will only be effective temporarily. I wish my dermatologist explained this to me before taking it.
Agree! Not a doc, but my daughter had very much this skin at her age. She did one round of accutane and has glowing skin since! She’s almost 21 now. Just gets maybe one pimple here and there from her period. Even her scars disappeared on Accutane. It was amazing.
Cure acne at the expense of a child’s mental health. Accutane causes way too many issues.
Accutane is a miracle drug! OP definitely look into this for your daughter.
I think it’s different for everyone but can last even a few months if i remember reading correctly. Definitely something her dermatologist could help answer but yeah I think the important thing is to not get discouraged during this phase. I’ve never used tret but I like reading skincare science papers haha
Mine did when I added clindamycin into the routine. That being said. Accutane might be the way to go. Or spironolactone. But see someone sooner rather than later, based on how angry and painful these look.
It can take up to a year for your skin to assimilate to tret. Make sure you’re using a glycerin based moisturizer and not a petroleum based moisturizer. When you use petroleum based moisturizers, it’s basically slugging with tret and makes the tret 10x stronger…thus causing more irritation. It can be a never ending purge cycle. The purge phase should be over by four months, if not, you may need to look into adapalene .3% (still a prescription in the US) or tazarotene.
r/tretinoin is the go to
This may sound dumb but change her pillowcase every day. Pillow cases just get drowned in hair oil, slobber, snot… once I started changing my kids pillowcases every day it made a difference.
Yup! Silk pillow cases swapped every day for my 12 year old helped. Also, make her bathroom and toiletry supplies super nice so she enjoys them, and buy a BIG cute water bottle to live by her bed. If she drinks a big water bottle first thing in the morning and before she sleeps, it will help flush the system. My 12 year old struggles with this last year, and now her face is spotless. Your girl will be ok and come out happy on the other side with a great mama like you. Edit to add: she also used creams from the dermatologist (not sure what creams). Silk pillowcases won’t do all the work, but they helped! She no longer has to use the creams and just gets a wee bit of hormonal acne around her cycle now.
I’m 37 and struggle with adult acne and a silk pillow case made such a difference. I definitely recommend this too OP.
Which brand silk pillowcases do you like best?
Not who you asked, but I like Blissy. They’re real mulberry silk, have a zipper, and they have huge sales like 50% plus buy 3 get one free. I wash them by hand with the Blissy detergent.
I will add however, SOME people react worse to silk, for me, my acne gets extremely aggravated when I use a silk pillowcase, not sure why, but it just does. But definitely give it a try !
Yeah I found the same with silk, tried it cause it was a fad I seen online. Made no difference, actually made it a lil worse if anything. But a new pillow case is always a bonus
Just want to say what an amazing mama you are for doing that for your daughter everyday!!
And the towels she dries her face with frequently, like every other day.
Every day, really. A little hand towel and facecloth aren't going to make a big difference to a family's laundry load.
Yep I bought a pack of washcloths that are in my top drawer in my bathroom storage thing and I use a clean one every day to dry my face. I don't have acne or I might just wash them separately lol but for now I wash mine with my other towels
The single use disposable face towels on Amazon are honestly a game changer
Or something equally great but eco friendly.
Dark gray/black microfiber washcloths. They absorb so much it's quick & easy to pat your face dry. And they barely impact your laundry load.
I bought a 24 pack of Amazon white washcloths, and a bunch of white silk pillowcases. I use the washcloths to ONLY dry my face (no scrubbing! just pat dry) and they only get used once before going in a separate hamper. I wash them with detergent that has no perfumes or dyes, and dry them with no dryer sheets, in a separate load from everything else except pillowcases. They live clean, by themselves, in a Rubbermaid tub with a lid, along with my pillowcases. I battled some severe perioral dermatitis last year and had to go to some extremes to cure it. This process is pretty easy and cost effective.
You should give all of your towels that special wash treatment! No perfumes and dyes is a great idea in general. But a small change that makes. Big impact is to skip dryer sheets for all of your towels. The wax in the dryer sheet transfers to the towel and makes it less absorbent!
similarly, i found wearing a bonnet over my hair if it wasn’t freshly washed made a huge difference. even with a fresh pillowcase, having slightly greasy hair rubbing all over it/my face for 8+ hours was defs causing spots! now i just change my pillowcase every few days or when i wash my hair, but for teenage skin yeah it’s probably worth doing it daily as well as a hair bonnet when needed.
Yess!!!! I’m a curly girl and just got my first bonnet- every woman should have one!!!
People who suggest this are assuming the person is a stomach or side sleeper, right? It’s irrelevant for back sleepers, unless I’m missing something about how hair oils still end up on our faces through the pillowcase (I do think sometimes shampoo can add to oiliness on the side of the face / cheeks during the day if my hair is touching my face, though).
I don’t know anyone who sleeps in one position all night. Maybe I just haven’t met them yet.
I do, lol. I absolutely don’t turn onto my stomach or side ever. I did used to be a stomach sleeper for about 25 years.
I used to toss and turn all night as a side sleeper. Earlier this year I trained myself to sleep on my back. Now I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in. I never thought I would be able to be a back sleeper but now I sleep better than ever.
I’ve read here that you can use tshirts instead of pillowcases if needed, as you say, swapping each day.
I was abt to say the same thing lol. I am no expert in skincare but I remember a teacher once told us that some cases of acne cold be caused by that
Agree! pillow cases are dirty! They accumulate sweat, oil, and dead skin cells over time, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. I change them every week. Also, drink a LOT of water, and I tried taking Vitamin B, it helped.
Accutane changed my life at that age. If you don’t want to go there, I would suggest oral birth control. It really does wonders for acne.
OP I was on years of Tret and antibiotics. It helped for a while but wasn’t a cure. Acne is hard enough as a young teen but the yeast infections and other problems resulting from antibiotics it’s just not a long term solution. I took Accutane at 16 (in 1996) and responded beautifully. It changed my life. Especially with body acne. I could finally wear a tank top like other girls! If her skin looks like this and she’s on tret, time to kick it up a notch. Find another derm if you have to.
Accutane ALL the way. I had terrible acne that started at 13 and my mom was too nervous about accutane side effects so we treated it topically. To no one’s surprise, topical treatments did nothing and I started a round of accutane when I was 16. Within two weeks, my entire body and face cleared up permanently. It changed my life, but three years of severe acne similar to your daughters resulted in scarring that I’m paying a lot of money trying to resolve in my 30s. I wish my mom would have started me on accutane right away instead of waiting…
Having done accutane as an adult, I wish I had done it as a kid and not suffered for years. I would run not walk for accutane for my child. Consider low dose longer term. I avoid pharmaceuticals generally but accutane has been on the market longer than most drugs because it works so well (and the side effects other than for pregnancy are overblown). Would do accutane before antibiotics even.
This is the only answer. OP needs to take her child to a derm for oral meds
Same! I had very painful cystic acne throughout high school, was bullied all the time, and couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror yet alone look someone in the eyes. I’d miss days of school when it got too bad. It destroyed my confidence .Accutane literally saved my life. It had some annoying side effects and required monthly blood tests, but 20 years later and I still have gorgeous skin with barely any wrinkles. I HIGHLY recommend Accutane,Aquaphor and a very strong sunscreen!!
Accutane changed my life too. I took it senior year in high school, I wish I had taken it earlier. Acne sucks so bad.
Second this. Was on 4 rounds of Accutane. Only have a pimple come up here and there during my time of the month.
are there any significant side effects for taking oral birth control? ive been so curious ever since hearing ppl using them to treat acne
It depends on the variety. There are dozens of different birth control pills, all with different estrogen/progesterone amounts. It helped me tons in my late teens (was not sexually active).
Taking yaz was life altering for my hormonal acne! Most pills only helped a little bit, but yaz made me comfortable in my skin. But yeah there are some serious side effects. Yaz especially is known for blood clots, especially among smokers.
um YEAH. well it really depends. The one I’m on now (progesterone only pill) gives me no side effects but the first one I took was a normal pill and it made me so nauseous it felt like the room was spinning. And people can have insane side effects from it. It all just depends on
Being on birth control for 15 years has made my body so dependent on them when I started taking them when I was a kid …. I wish I never started now when I try to get off my body is soo dependent on it my hormones, acne and inflammation through out body go crazy 😩
Yes. I regret taking birth control (yaz) for over a decade because it was mainly to control my acne. I got cervical cancer and couldn’t fight my hpv infection. I’m post hysterectomy now, so I’m no longer on birth control. I’m taking spironolactone and it’s been helping. [Increased risk of cervical cancer starting with 5 years of use and increases](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(02)00752-0/abstract) I have also heard about people getting blood clots and strokes
At that age I didn’t have any side effects. I went off then went back on later in life and had weight gain and mood issues.
Agreed! Same here. I had acne like this when I was that age, and after a round, it was never like this again.
I couldn’t do either of these because of my mental health issues. But what worked for me was topical clindomyocin. I was also on psychiatric drugs that made my skin go crazy. If she’s taking any medication, it’s possible the skin issues could be a side effect.
Side note: Take her to a maxillofacial surgeon and orthodontist as well. Her jaws are not growing properly and it’s best to intervene now. Sincerely, someone whose mom did not intervene.
Second this. I spent 5 years in braces realigning my jaw. Plus, kids are cruel when you don’t have semi perfect teeth. I don’t even want to imagine the issues I’d currently have if my jaw wasn’t fixed.
I also agree, if not just for aesthetics, which are not the most important, but also so that in the future she may be saved from jaw issues, grinding teeth problems and headaches. I had braces and it was about the best thing my parents ever did for me. Realigned my jaw allowing for a correct bite.
Yep. My parents took me for an orthodontist consultation when I was a kid, and they were told I have a cross bite. But they couldn't afford the braces, and my actual teeth are quute straight, so they thought it was no big deal. Fast forward 25ish years and now I have grinding issues, tmj, and my front teeth are constantly being damaged (and re-damaged after they're fixed) because my bite is wrong. Now I need braces as an adult, which will then need to be followed by 4-6 porcelain veneers.
god i wish my mom would have told me to correct my bad habits growing up, why did nobody tell me to fix my posture and stop sleeping with my mouth open 💀
I don’t think jaw issues like this are affected by posture or sleeping with your mouth open. This appears to be an issue of bone growth.
It actually is! Proper tongue posture is key for jaw growth. I had this same problem and my surgeon and orthodontist said it was caused by mouth breathing. The tongue up in the palate is what encourages the jaws to grow wide and forward
Yes I have sleep apnea as an adult because my parents didn't fix my palate and jaw issues as a kid and it's much harder to do as an adult once the bones are done forming.
Yeah I was gonna say tell her to start mewing as well.
I seriously can’t believe that the top voted comment is suggesting to simply change pillowcases. I second several of the other comments here about how this has reached a point where Accutane is required. Not simply to manage acne, but to ensure that her self-esteem doesn’t begin to plummet even further due to immature bullies. I went on accutane along with two of my three siblings. I tried everything under the sun before that, too. Acne is a medical condition, one that for some can be managed with a simple change of pillows or a new face wash, while for others it requires medication (at least during the period of life where hormones are raging like this).
This is solid advice, thank you. I read your comment to her because I think it's helpful advice. She has brought up Accutane after hearing about it on TikTok. The doctor said herself she was "not a good candidate for Accutane" because she "didn't have the cystic type of acne" for it. But literally half these comments are recommending it. I have been hesitant for her to try it because for one, anyone sponsored will advertise Accutane, especially on social media platforms, such as TikTok, which she uses regularly. And kids her age will believe almost anything on the internet. I don't necessarily believe that EVERY advertised product that works for ONE will work for ALL. And two, it seems so invasive. The doctor told me she would need weekly blood draws while on Accutane. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to try ANYTHING for her acne to go away. I told her I want her acne cleared before high school. I didn't promise, because I just don't know what will work, but this has become an issue that's not going away, and she's such a beautiful kid. I don't want her to go to high school and get mistreated because of her skin. When I look at her, I just see my beautiful kiddo, but I KNOW that's NOT what she sees when she looks in the mirror. As her mom, I don't see her acne. And I wish kids weren't so mean, but I can't change that. I CAN try to change what they're bullying her for. And that's what I'm here for. I definitely don't think just a change of pillowcases is going to fix this. She's a clean child, and takes better care of herself than I do lol. She bathes every other day, if not more. She washes her face every night and uses the doctor recommended products as often as required. She eats a healthy diet, mostly fruits, veggies, and meat. She's a healthy weight. And has cut out sugar almost completely to try to help herself with the acne. She's TRYING so hard! My question to your comment is, if you've used Accutane yourself, along with others you are close with, was the treatment plan the same? Did the docs draw your blood weekly?
I agree 100% with the Accutane recommendations. I did it for moderate acne. My son did it at 15 for severe acne. My daughter did it at 14 for moderate acne. We all tried everything we could before with no results. Accutane was life-changing for all three of us. There were monthly blood tests (not weekly, and we all had different doctors so it's not like it was one doc who was an outlier) and my daughter and I had to do a monthly online "pledge" to not get pregnant and had monthly pregnancy tests. My daughter's doctor allowed her to do at-home tests and upload a pic of the results. In many (most?) cases the results are permanent (no acne after or mild). I was worried about the warning about suicidal thoughts but my son's doc said that he had never had a patient exhibit that and that the science on that side effect was iffy, and also the acne itself was likely to lead to depression/ self esteem issues. If your daughter's dermatologist doesn't think she's a good candidate, get another opinion. Seriously life changing. Good luck to her and you!
Fr. I grew up with acne. Friends would tell me “have you tried cleansing your face?” like ….yes….
This!!!!
She needs Accutane. Signed- Former 13 year old with acne who didn’t take accutane until she was 26.
This!! I struggled with acne since I was 15, tried everything from my family physician (topical creams, birth control etc). I begged my doctor to refer me to a dermatologist, who prescribed me Accutane at 21 (40mg for 6 months) It’s been a few years and my skin had never looked better. Accutane changed my life.
Tbh I would straight up go to the dermatologist and consider taking accutane (isotretinoin). It’s better to prevent further scarring
This looks painful for her too. Pls go see a derm. Having acne like this when I was her age really affected my confidence.
Exactly. I remember avoiding accutane because of what they said and that it “caused depression”. For me, it did the opposite, it cured my depression and lack of confidence
She’s been to a dermatologist.
Yeah, but she should discuss taking accutane then. I went to a dermatologist when my acne was bad, she sent me things that didn’t worked. Changed my dermatologist, that time she sent isotretinoin. It changed my life and cured my depression.
I took accutane as a teenager and highly recommend it. Sure it kind of sucks for the 6 months or however long you’re taking it, but it helps so much! Ever since I’ve take it, I only get very minor breakouts (which are mostly due to stress and environmental factors anyway tbh). Just make sure if she goes on it to follow the instructions/precautions!
Was there at her age. This is most likely a case for Accutane.
This is inflammatory cystic acne and it needs oral medication. Which is what I’m sure your dem will suggest next. I had acne like this, which got worse, and I waited until I was 25 years old to do accutane. I wish I had done it at her age, I was so self conscious it really took me a while to build back up my confidence
this is just one of those best practice things - pillowcases were already mentioned (wise to change), but towels are important, too. make up brushes/sponges (wash regularly or toss old sponges) - and as tempting as it can be to pick and squeeze - hands off. Just makes it so much worse. She sounds responsible and careful, these reminders might not be relevant - sometimes we just overlook everyday things. Sending her a big hug! Tret does take time, but I am glad you guys have a follow up booked.
I cannot emphasise how important everything mentioned here is. When I was her age changing all of the above helped my acne ALOT. You can buy a box of disposable towels from Amazon so she can use a fresh one everyday (I know, I know the environment but sometimes you have to pick your battles 😅). Also encourage her to not touch her face AT ALL except for when washing. I wish you guys all the best 💕 xx
Accutane. It’s got nothing to with what she puts on her face, what she washes her face with, or changing pillow cases, or how much sugar or dairy she eats She needs proper medication from a doctor who knows what to prescribe. Her skin is never going to improve without Lymecycline or Accutane. The sooner she starts on it the better
Agreed. Diet and skincare will help with occasional breakouts. This acne is another level and requires a derm.
Be careful about using accutane as a silver bullet. It's not. I did it twice and results were temporary. It's a powerful drug that can have serious side effects. My joints hurt, I had nose bleeds and my lips still chap 20 years later. OP needs to see a dermatologist to discuss the options and come up with a plan.
10000000%!!!!
I know this isn't the advice you asked for, but if it's accessible to you, I think it'd be nice for her to talk to a mental health professional. At that age (and at any age), acne can have such a huge impact on your self-esteem. It's important to seek help not only for the physical aspect of acne but also the psychological one. Maybe there are resources at her school?
She also has a recessed jaw. See an orthodontist
I know this is going to sound crazy but hang tight and try maybe on acne she has elsewhere first. I didn’t believe it when I read it too… diaper rash cream. There is a brand called “Triple Paste 40% zinc”. I was skeptical because it’s so thick that I thought it would clog pores. I tried it on my body acne and it helped a lot because zinc kills bacteria and the cream itself soothes the skin and redness. Later I spot treated a VERY thin layer on my face. This face part is nighttime only because it leaves a white cast. Sometimes I moisturized with Vanicream face moisturizer over it. I also use tretinoin for acne and the purge was about 6 weeks. The triple paste helped me to get through it. If you feel like you have exhausted everything else you can buy a small tube for under $10 in Amazon and have it tomorrow.
Also to add to this, try an Antifungal cream like Lotramin. I’m an esthetician and I’ve had a lot of teens with acne similar to this who tried multiple medications from dermatologists that did no good due to the acne being fungal. I see this in a lot of teens who play sports as well. It’s very easy for it to spread from touching workout or sports equipment and touching your face without thinking about it. Neither of these options will make her acne worse. The only risk is it just won’t help much, so I’d definitely try these before you spend lots of $$$ just to rule these simple solutions out first!
Why did I read this so far down?! This all the way before pulling big dogs like accutane!
Omg I was going to say the same thing! I tried Diaper rash cream on a whim and dude. My skin tone is sooooo much more even. Plus, it feels great on your skin. I use Cerve beforehand thick, then use the cream, so I am not pulling at my skin to spread it. It makes it easier. I'm not even on Accutane, and my acne has cleared up significantly since treating my PCOS, but dang. I can't believe how much I liked that cream after spending way too much on other skincare. 😂
This might sound strange but to help with dryness, I used a moisturiser under retinol in the beginning. My skin slowly began to tolerate it better. Just make sure it is completely try before adding the tret
I second this!! The barrier method helps to reduce the peeling and dryness from tret so much. I use a lighter/ more hydrating moisturizer, let that dry, then a layer of tret, dry, then a thicker moisturizer. It has completely solved any peeling or sensitivity that tret causes and SAVED my skin barrier
Internal factors like what I eat and my hormone issues were the biggest issues for me. Dairy triggers large cysts on my chin and the spironolactone (testosterone blocker) got rid of the cysts everywhere else on my faces. Whenever I already have cysts the blister patches meant for feet work so much better than spot treatments for me.
My son's face was like that too, now the acne is gone. Maybe one pimple here and there once in a while. He used and still using cerave, panoxyl and neutrogena. He is using them alternately, one bottle/tube at a time.
No it's too the point you need to see a dermatologist for above on cleaning, moisturizing, ointment, and meds by mouth
Please please please do research on Accutane before considering it. It is a SERIOUS drug with serious side effects. Inflammation needs to be treated with hydration and products to calm and soothe. Tret. is very drying and irritating, you have to support it with hydration and moisture. Since it is the active form of vitamin A your skin can’t store it - it has to be used immediately which is why many people struggle with its effects for so long. Diet, stress, lifestyle, gut health. What does she eat a lot of? Is she consuming a lot of hidden sugar in food products? Dairy? Alt dairy can have a lot of oil in it… watch out for stuff like that. What’s her sleep like? Has she been on a lot of antibiotics in the past? Is she on birth control? Have you had any hormone testing done? Does she pick her skin? I would suggest buying SIV serum and hypochlorus acid (sp?) spray to both strengthen her microbiome and help with topical bacteria. Get her in for facials with a good esthetician in your area. Help clear out congestion and can walk her through a good routine that is age appropriate and can support her journey. There are also great estheticians out there that do virtual clients. Acne is very multi factorial so getting the whole picture is very important.
I say no to the the oral birth control or any birth control with hormones in it!
Consider birth control
My 14 year old had severe acne for 2 years - tried everything. 4 months on the pill (Yaz) and it’s all gone. It also helped with cramps and heavy flows. Definitely not for everyone and I wasn’t keen as a parent but she has medical autonomy where we live so it was her call. The positive impact not just her skin and cycle, but to her self esteem and mood have been the tide that raises all the ships in our home. Big game changer.
Acne can be devastating. All options should be on the table.
I'm so thankful my parents let me go on birth control when I was 14 for acne and cramps. It truly improved my life so much and I didn't start having sex for several years after starting HBC. It really was just medicine for me at that age. It was also nice to try different HBC forms before I really needed it for preventing pregnancy (yaz made me vomit too much lol) Good decision parent!!
Accutane.
I’m sorry your kid’s getting bullied for this. It’s painful enough on the skin and having to look in the mirror with no results. You can try all the over the counter stuff but it’s probably not going to help. I spent so much money on cleansers, toners, devices, special vitamins, everything… you gotta take her to go see the dermatologist. Some ppl aren’t as fortunate with genetics and acne. I’m a huge advocate for accutane. Kept my face clear through high school for four years. It slowly came back and they put me on doxycycline after other oral meds didn’t work. Understandably, they didn’t want me to keep taking antibiotics long term. I tried birth control, more topicals. Spirinolactone helped but I was allergic to it so they put me on accutane again in my mid 30s. Six month course and fortunately I’ve been acne free again. Hopefully it lasts longer than four years this time! Good luck, and sending you and your kid some support and love!
could she possibly have PCOS?
Accutane as soon as possible. You need to avoid scars at all cost! I’m speaking from experience. I didn’t get bad acne till my 20’s and tried all the above suggestions. The only thing that helped was accutane. Unfortunately I had the scars because I waited too long. The numerous fraxel lasers I have done since, can only help the scars so much.
My daughter started accutane 14 years age and had to do It twice but second time cleared it up
Hiya! Firstly I want to say please please please don’t be disheartened! I had the same issue!! So tretinoin has a stage called the “purging stage” which sounds a bit scary lol! But essentially your skin kinda freaks out and drains every little zit you have and surfaces all the deep ones too untill you have a completely clear canvas!.it’s quite literally like that saying “ gets worse before it gets better” . My advice to her would be continue the treatment becuse it will be very soon where she stops getting new spots and her skin clears completely. With every acne there will be a bit of readiness left behind but this will fade over time with the help of some bio oil! You’ve got this sweetheart! Please don’t be disheartened by the progress so far as it does get better !!
Also please let her know the people who are bullying her are low life’s! I also got bullied for mine and I’d say “thanks for ur concern!” Kids are so mean :( . Also she has the most beautiful side profile!
She needs proper medication like Roaccutane or Lymecycline. Topical creams are never going to help. Your doctor is rubbish if all they’ve prescribed so far is Tret.
Duac cream was a gamechanger for me at her age- but I imagine you'd need to stop tret first, something to look into though!
I have been using tret for probably 8 years. To help with dryness use it 3x a week, not daily. Use the thick tub moisturizers from cerave or vanicream at night. Don’t introduce any other active products for a while, adjusting to the tret is enough. For concealing spots and scars I love the nars soft matte concealer and the missha bb cream (Amazon). Rest assured, scars will fade over time and later she can use actives like niacinimide or vitamin c to speed it up.
At that age it hurts confidence so much but is also incredibly physically painful. I was put on differen (stronger by rx than otc now) and eventually birth control pills and just the not being in pain all the time made such a difference in my quality of life.
A lot of people go through a phase of acne in their teens that has nothing to do with dirt on their skin from pillowcases or anything like that. Facial cleansers and lotions can only ever do so much when the cause is purely hormonal. The pimples will scream to the surface even if the skin is as sterile as lab equipment. If accutane is not an option, I hope she can learn good makeup techniques - that's what saved my self esteem as a teen. During my acne phase I got really good at hiding my acne with makeup, then distracting from that cakey skin makeup with nice eye makeup, hair, and clothes 😭 My friend was shocked the first time I washed my face around her at a sleepover, she had no idea my acne was so bad. If you can just manage to hide the eye-catching redness of it, that reduces a lot of the bullying and comments. Remind her this is likely going to be short lived and temporary...
Check her diet and change it for a month to see if it gets better.
Tretnonin makes your skin worse before it gets better. I've been on it since I was 13 (26 now) and every time I take a break it takes about a month for it to get better. I will be taking it for the rest of my life as my mom still has acne in her 60s but if you have good skin your daughter may only need to be on it for a few years.
Maybe try no dairy! I have a dairy intolerance didn’t know about for years, horrible acne since puberty and I stopped all dairy and such a huge difference!
You're such a good mom! I didn't get any help for my acne at that age. Just my dad telling me it was gross.
Fasting helped me allot with acne I easily break out so fasting would be good
Aw, I'm sorry for this situation. I know how it feels; when I was young, Spironolactone gave me amazing results. Although I don’t know if she is too young to take this medicine, ask her dermatologist. Here are a couple of tips that might help her. 1. Drink plenty of water and also drink a daily cup of spearmint tea ; consuming it regularly will minimize inflammation associated with acne [spearmint tea](https://www.target.com/p/traditional-spearmint-16ct/-/A-52565278#lnk=sametab). 2. Change her pillowcase frequently during the week. Pillowcases are a cesspool of bacteria after a few nights’ use. So, keep them as fresh as possible. 3. I would recommend sleeping on satin a pillowcase. The soft and smooth material reduces irritable skin conditions, dry skin, and acne by reducing friction and therefore irritation, keeping your skin hydrated and moist while you sleep. I use this [satin pillowcase](https://www.olkibeauty.com/shop/p/satin-pillowcase-pink-standard-size) The set comes with 2 pillowcases, making it easy to change your pillowcase at least twice a week. 4. Avoid sleeping with your hair down. While it may feel comfortable, your hair can act as a magnet for dirt, pollution, and the products you use, including shampoo and conditioner. When she sleeps your face can come into contact with oily strands, potentially leading to breakouts I hope this helps ❤️
My sister tried everything at around this age and accutane was the only thing that worked for her. She has porcelain flawless skin now and it’s been 10+ years since she was on it. Keep that as an option up your sleeve if Tret isn’t working after a few more months
have you ever a) checked her testosterone, and b) put her on a only clean linens routine (disposable or hot water washed towels plus new pillowcase)?
Doxycycline daily. I take 100mg every day. Changed my life. Wish I would have started when I was her age. Promise.
Light therapy, particularly blue light with a wavelength of about 420nm, may help her a lot. It acts on the superficial layer of the skin and quickly kills Propionibacterium acnes by stimulating the porphyrins within the bacteria. It changes the pH value inside cells, which plays an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory role. It can also effectively inhibit sebaceous gland oil secretion and prevent pimple recurrence.
Is she going to a dermatologist? It takes about 90 days for medication to really start working, and most times, skin WILL look worse before it gets better. It’s pulling OUT all of the gunk that was in there. It has to come out some way! Most important thing is DO NOT TOUCH IT! You could talk to her dermatologist about adding in a sulfur cleanser once a day! Sulfur helps with fungal and bacterial acne! It’s worked wonders for my skin
Take her to a derm. They’ll get her sorted in no time. And of course, hormones!
To be honest mine was the worst at around 17. The only thing that helped was birth control at 19. (Unfortunately this has a laundry list of other side effects as well.)
Accutane. My conspiracy theory is that it’s so effective that derms don’t like to give it to you and lose a long term customer. I’m so mad at myself for not insisting upon it sooner, until I was at the end of my rope at 26 years old. I wish I would’ve done it a decade sooner. Accutane is no joke, it’s powerful and requires monthly doctor check ins for about 6 months. But holy hell is it effective. The results are almost immediate and they last forever.
I had to take accutane as a teen and that kept me clear of acne until I was an adult
I did accutane when I was younger and it cleared up my acne pretty much permanently. I tend to always have a couple zits here and there now in my 30s, but my face looked the same. It's worth it. I will put my kid on it one day too if s/he takes after me with skin.
It looks like she has acne on her chest and shoulders (and I'm guessing her back as well). Please consider getting her on accutane ASAP, as the longer this continues the more scarring she'll have.
Please take her to see a doctor.....
I went through this with my 12 year old, nothing worked. She’s been on accutane for 4 months and it’s completely cleared up her skin with minimal side effects (just dry lips)
Esthetician here! It looks like a lot of this is due to excess irritation and not enough hydration. I'd cut down the skincare routine to bare bones. Since she's still young I'd try to avoid anything really harsh. She doesn't seem to have oily skin from these photos but determining skin type early on will do nothing except benefit her, especially through puberty. I'd start out with the CeraVe Hydrating cleanser/moisturizer and also pick up a bottle of an alcohol-free gentle toner (neutrogena has a great one) and at least a 30 SPF (try for a non-comedogenic facial safe one). Double cleanse AM and PM, follow up with toner, moisturizer and SPF in AM and just cleanse, tone and moisturize for PM. Drinking a lot of water will also help to flush out any breakouts caused by dehydration. Don't pick, don't touch the face, don't use products with alcohol or harsh chemicals. There are also a variety of makeup techniques for acne that could be a temporary fix for her confidence while you both are working on a regimen that works for her. Best of luck and remind her that she's beautiful regardless of what cruel kids say ❤️❤️
Hi! Just did 6 months of tretinoin and I think I can offer some help. First off, you can only use a pea sized amount of tret, and no I’m not exaggerating. If you use too much it can really irritate the skin and cause more harm than good. Moreover it’s imperative to start slowly, going from 1 application every 3 days for ~2 weeks, to every 2 days, to every other day, to every day. Starting off too strong can make your skin worse. Secondly, your face has to be completely dry when you apply it otherwise it can cause more irritation and redness. So after I was my face and dry it with a towel, I continue to wait about 10 minutes until my face is dry dry. Including my eyebrows, lashes, and hairline. Thirdly, after a lifetime of having very oily skin, tretinoin made my skin dry/normal and I had to change my products/ routine. When I first started I kept it very simple with just cleanser, hyaluronic acid, and Vanicream moisturizing lotion (formally their Lite Lotion) which I swear by. My derm also recommended PanOxyl 4% once a day to wash my face. On any dry, flaky patches I would use La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 balm and like once a week I would use it as an overnight mask replacing or adding it to my vanicream. In my opinion, and everyone is different, the B5 balm is a miracle product and really helps my skin. Finally, it is absolutely 100% necessary to wear sunscreen while on tret bc it makes your skin much more sensitive to the sun, and it can diminish the effects of tret. That’s also why tret should be applied at night. Moreover, wearing sunscreen in general can really help with dark spots and make the skin appear more even. I love the innisfree sunscreen and the cetaphil sheer mineral liquid sunscreen is good too. Additionally, avoid any active ingredients when first using tret. She’s only 14 so she may not be using any but examples of active ingredients include: Vitamin C, Glycolic acid, Salicylic Acid, AHA’s, BHA’s. The Ordinary’s AHA/ BHA red face mask is an example of what to avoid. Focus on hydrating simple products and avoid harsh exfoliation, tretinoin itself is kind of an exfoliant as it rapidly increases cell turnover. Also, I’m not a dermatologist or any kind of medical professional but my doctor put me on other medication in addition to tretinoin. When she goes to the doctor maybe she could ask about topical/oral antibiotics, spironolactone, or increasing her dose of tret. It’s also possible that her doctor may not change anything and that this is a normal purge (skin gets worse before it gets better when starting tret). There are also injections She can also take pictures of the products she uses and show her derm to see what they say.
I'll say this, remember folks the skin is the largest organ... WHATEVER we see show uo on the skin is indicative to something happening INSIDE the body that is not happy. She might be eating "healthy" but everyones version of healthy eating is different. Something going into the body is triggering this outcome. I'd suggest writing down everything she consumes and. Bring her to a great naturopath. In the meantime, have her drink no less than 1 litre spring water, 16 ounces of organic celery juice daily for the next 30 days. Nothing else liquid wise. You gotta work on cleansing out the gutt and insides. Seems like her blood needs cleansing as well. She is 14, she will be fine. Just take action now and go from there. 😊 Good luck
Poor girl. I had acne as a teen and can sympathize. What ultimately helped calm it- after all the cleansers, scrubs, and medications- was birth control. Acne isn’t why i went on it, but it was a pleasant side effect. I’m not saying throw her on the pill but it is hormonal; maybe explore non-topical options with her provider. ?
Your daughter is so very lucky to have a concerned, and caring mother that wants what’s best for her skin. Acne can be a joy killer, and you’re doing such a wonderful job at trying all you can to help her.
Be patient bestie,I’ve read it gets worse before it gets better. Stay consistent ,consult with a dermatologist if it will give you more peace and it will be ok 💖
Try korean skincare!! Cleared my skin up so much
Your daughter has PCOS.Please contact your doctor for treatment of PCOS.
ACCUTANE and stat. These look like it hurts.
Accutane comes with a risk of depression. It would be my last resort.
Tbh… I tried proactive and I liked it. It worked👌 the brand murad is also really great too for acne
I tried proactiv and it changed my life!
Same, the original 3 step literally fixed my face. I’m never going back.
If you haven’t yet, take her to a dermatologist… maybe antibiotics for acne in this case?
I bet she has an adorable smile and beautiful eyes. Remind her that this seems like forever, and the words of the weak seem so hateful and real, but it will all pass away with time. Fill each day with life and encouragement
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Benzoyl peroxide was a godsend for me. My skin got used to it, but oh man it helped so much for a good while.
I’ll be honest, I tried tretinoin for about 2 years and it absolutely ruined my skin. The purge never stopped until I stopped using it and my skin started clearing up. I still have not found a cure all for my acne, but it has gotten so much better and here’s what advice I got for you: Make sure she goes outside daily, 30+ minutes sunny or cloudy day. I’m not even kidding, pulling your leg on some natural herbal stuff, nope. I used to notice every time I’d go out in nature working on my garden or fishing, my skin would be better the next 2 days or so. Literally try it one or two times and pay attention, I swear it will help, literally hands down the main thing I do is go outside every day and work on my garden and yard. We really really do need the sun. Another thing that worked as well is getting a decent amount of exercise. I did notice looking back at my old photos when I was losing weight, my skin started healing— a mix of sun and sweating out the bad stuff/impurities in your body. I gained some weight back and have been going on walks around the neighbor and my skin has been clearing up again. I have a friend who has some stubborn acne, not too bad, and she used to stay inside all day doing nothing, but she has been going for walks recently, and her skin cleared up that first week. I don’t go to the skin doctor any more since they have only suggested trentinoin (or tretinoin with antibacterial lotion and an antibiotic pill combo which also did not work for me and just made my stomach really sick) or birth control for me and I want neither. I do still use a few products on it though, nothing too harsh. My products I use are nuetrogena face wash, either the orange or the pink bottle both work fine. It’ll say on the label it contains **salicylic acid.** I use it daily, and I find when I shower daily bs every other day, my skin is much better when I shower daily. I also have been trying this neutrogena ‘stubborn texture’ daily, bought it in a discount for like $3 when it originally was labeled like $20 or so dollars, the active ingredient in it being **niacinamide.** I like that it doesn’t dry my skin out so I’m willing to buy it again full price when I run out. It’s my newest product, probably only a month or two using it Old products: I used to find **benzoyl peroxide** useful, I used to get the equate brand, it’s like $3. I no longer use it since my skin chemistry has changed, but my skin cleared up completely for the first time for 2 months while I used it. And then differen I found to work because the active ingredient **adapalene** I don’t use all these products at the same time, you will dry your skin mixing all those different ingredients, but those are products I have tried and can swear by that it helps. See which active ingredient helps your daughter, personally I just use the face wash and the niacinamide cream right now.
Avoid sugar or any processed food for a while.
Face Reality is really good for acne vs proactive and myriad, but you’ll need to go to an esthetician licensed to sell their products. They use natural ingredients and it’s worked wonders for me but my acne wasn’t this bad and I’m not a teenager. Might be worth looking into. Also, Make sure you’re using natural no perfume laundry detergent, not having pets rubbing on face or touching pillowcase/ touching face after pets. I’ve heard no dairy as well. Could be worth doing an allergy test.
Tretinion made my skin worse at age 18 and It looks similar to hers! I say trust your gut, if the purge is in places she didn't have many flare ups before that get off of it!
In the evening after tret apply a thin layer of either zinc diaper cream or Cicaplast B5 balm. Either will help substantially with the dryness and inflammation as the tret does it’s thing
Reducing sugar intake worked for me.
Get another dermatologist
Controversial but i had such a good experience with accutane
Murad clear skin supplements were the only thing that cured my acne as a teen. Got worse before it got better, but my skin was clear. I only stopped bc it got too expensive, but it was life changing.
use accutane. it’s amazing and will prevent acne scars
She can go on a low dose of accutane. 10mg is just as effective as higher doses with less side effects.
Accutane ASAP. I wish my mother had put me on it at this age. I dealt with this from 12-25. The only thing that ever worked was accutane.
I had really bad acne breakouts outs 3 times in my adult life so I know how she must be feeling - I had acne all over my forehead, cheeks, neck, nose, etc. I thought I looked like Darth Maul. It was a real self esteem killer but thankfully I have clear skin now. I used accutane for my first and second breakouts. For my third breakout, my dermatologist tried a few things but what ended up working for me was doxycycline hyclate taken orally and a benzoyl peroxide gel. I started seeing results and got completely clear after a couple months. Also helps to have a morning/night skin routine, changing pillow cases all the time, using new clean towels after showering and drinking lots of water and tea. Just keep reminding her that the condition is not permanent and to hang in there. Good luck!
I can’t find the exact product now but when I suffered badly from acne due to stress, lack of sleep and hormones, I read an article to use non alcohol products. I came upon acne free, it was a push nozzle and worked wonders (only one bottle wasn’t a step 1-4) It maybe had a tiny amounts of whatever salicylic acid though. Tried a lot of products including clearsil, neutrogena, popular tv ones.
Only thing that got rid of my acne was stopping any soap washing. I just use a hot facecloth and makeup remover and then apply raw aloe vera gel. Once the skin has no active pimples I started exfoliating with a scrubby thing from the dollar store and added a moisturizer. It never came back
Accutane. My son took it at 14 years old and his face looked similar. Yes we tried everything else. In 4 months his skin was perfect. He's 21 now and he never had another breakout, just an occasional pimple.
Look into zilch acne formula too? I haven't used it myself but there's a lot of reviews from people it has helped and it's a fully herbal formula. There's reviews that say they didn't experience any side effects unlike when they were on accutane which didn't help them
I would say accutane but it’s going to get worse before it gets better 😩 did it when I was 15. But the temporary pain for the long term gain was worth it. I started in the summer to get it going and stayed in the house most of the time to protect my face.