Acne Solutions for Pre-teens

Hi J.---Yes, diet and lifestyle can impact the health of the skin. Of course, cleansing is very important also.

One of the biggest problems we face today is the overwhelming number of chemicals that we are exposed to which mimic estrogen in the body. Plastics, food additives, hormones in cows milk are only a few. We want to eliminate our exposure to as much of these as possible as excess estrogen in the body raises our risk for cancers, for both men and women. Another easy, very important way to improve your diet and skin is to eliminate dairy products. You really must read the information on the website www.strongbones.org to learn why. IF you MUST have milk in the house, it MUST be organic. Then you are not exposed to the hormomes they give cows in order to increase milk production.

The best way to improve your daughter's skin, and your entire family's health in general, is to eat a diet mostly of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. Minimize animal protein, using it as a condiment or flavoring in soups and casseroles. Read the China Study by T. Colin Campbell if you'd like to learn about the association between animal protein and degenerative diseases. Eating a diet like this also adds lots of good fiber each day, which removes excess estrogens and cholesterol from the bloodstream.

If getting enough fruits and veggies every day is a problem (it is suggested that we eat 7 to 13 servings each day) let me know because I have several strategies to share which can help. I have many colleagues in the medical field that have seen great improvement by adding a fruit and veggie supplement to their daily diet, from clearing the skin to fewer or no colds. The independent, original research on Juice Plus+ is impressive. Call me if you would like to know more. I am a Wellness Educator, soon to be certified by a Naturopath who has her PhD in nutrition. I really enjoy helping people learn more about how to optimize the health of their families and any consultations are at no charge.

Good luck, and have a very Happy New Year. Talk to you soon. In health, D. ###-###-#### www.dianeshealthed.com

Dr Bob Marshall has a radio show on 560 AM at 5pm or 5:30 pm in the evening, and on Saturdays for an hour beginning at 10 am. He explains that acne is a symptom of a problem in the gut, and he recommends oral probiotics ans supps.

Dr Marshall is a Ph.D., not an MD or DO, and you may be able to find his acne protocol on-line. The show is called Health Line Live.

Hi J.,

My son is 15 & has suffered with acne all over his face since the age of 11 also. The pediatrician stated that it is hormonal & that she did not recommend any drugs. She stated to buy over the counter benyzl-peroxide wash at CVS or any other drug store or when I mentioned I used the neutrogena acne product for a few breakouts here & there, she stated they had a wash. So I bought clear pore cleanser/mask by neutrogena & he uses it everyday or every other day & his face his clearing so nicely. I myself have always had a clear complexion so he now brags about how his face is getting as smooth as mine. It has boost his confidence! Hope this helps.

Good luck,
D.

Ive struggled with acne all my life. Ive noticed that drinking water instead of soda and other beverages helps keep my face clearer, much clearer! Tell her to try to limit the other beverages and drink plenty of water! At her age hormones will contribute to a lot of the problem, but tell her to go a good 2-3 weeks drinking plenty of water! Hope it helps, Good luck!!~~~

Hi J.,
This must be hard for your daughter, being so young. As a few other people mentioned, a lot can be done without drugs. She does need to drink purified water- we all should, since they are finding traces of drugs, hormones and chemicals in our drinking water- even the chlorine is not good, so filter it out. And ditch the soda pop if she is drinking that. One thing that could help a lot is some good probiotics- 90% of our immune system is in our bowel, and most of us don't have the proper flora, due again to many external factors, like antibacterial handwashes, etc. upsetting the natural bacteria. My son had the deep cystic acne ad we did the Accutane route for awhile, but after he stopped, some came back. His skin is now much better and we are just taking healthy supplements from Shaklee. They have an awesome probiotic system, which has helped so many people- it cleared up my friend's baby's acne and runny tear duct in less than 48 hours.
There is help with nutrition- please let me know if I can help in any way. The body is an awesome machine and can do so much on its own if given the right tools. I have lots of information if you need anything.

M.

Dear J., acne at the tender age of 11 is rough. I really feel for you and your daughter.

I do have some information. May I ask a couple of questions first to know if my info is relevant for you?

Are you noticing other changes in your daughter from puberty to adolescence? What is your daughter's face cleaning routine now?

One more...has your daughter been on antibiotics?

If I can be helpful to you I'd love to!

M.

You probably aren't going to like this answer, but a dermatologist can get this under control and prevent scarring better than anything you can do. In our efforts to help, we often make things worse. I learned this the hard way. Hormones are likely the main cause but a dermatologist has a lot of tricks, and you can request that it be as natural as possible. I took my grandchildren and it made a huge difference. One thing she had them do was buy the Cetaphil facial wash for oily skin, but that was only one thing. Good luck!

I never had problems with my skin until I went to live in Mexico during college. To this day I don't know what happened, but I broke out terribly. It was my face, chest, and back. I could not get rid of it - even when I got back to the US. I ended up treating it all naturally when I returned with essential oils, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. There is a clinic here in town that has naturopathic doctors that use the above listed things to treat acne and other problems. The website is http://www.healthyforlifemi.com/contact.shtml Good luck!

Acne is hormonal... the hormones make the normal body oils stickier and the pores get clogged..

I have had acne from about 11 or 12 to the present. (40s)

the dermatologist can help.

Diet will not help.. they heave done lots of studies and ther is nothing in the diet that makes acne better or worse..

She should wash her face.. but not more than 2 times a day.. and actually if she washes too much too often that will cause more acne.

I like stridex pads... they are a "chemical" but I think they help..

see a dermatogist.. they will help.

I have done 2 courses of accutane and it is a wonder drug... expensive and has side effects but it does last for years and years.

J.; what could be more natural than water, a cold rag washed over face can do alot, do this ever day first thing in morning, for the rest of her life, well it helped me, and not a bad habit to get into anyway, blackheads are nasty , sometimes the only way , to get rid of them , is biore strips, my nose was covered in them, and i used biore strips, this helped alot, but you have to keep that nose clean, and ive used a cold rag through my teen years and then maybe once in a while good old noxema, have a good day , D. s

My son and I both get bad blackheads on our face... I've found using the Walgreens version of the St. Ives apricot scrub with the _______acid in it works nicely. <reminds me, I have to pick up some> I can't remember the name of the acid... but its written on the container. and the Biore strips too. You can get those at Kmart.

What does she eat and drink? You know does she drink water and try to stay away from greasy foods and sweets? We can't be away from those treats all the time but if she can get raw fruits and vegetables in her diet that will help.

Our skin is a reflection of what is going on in our bodies. Especially at this time because her body is developing, her hormones are beginning to develop, I am sure you know that.

I provide personal nutrition consultations. The first consultation is complimentary. Email me at ____@____.com

M.

Hi J.
Sounds like she can start using a gentle cleanser with an exfoilent in it (but not a scrub, that can lead to acne if it's too abrasive). Mary Kay makes a nice one for pre-teens/teenagers called Velocity.

Other suggestion, when I was that age I had a blast making my own face masks with my girlfriends. Maybe you can find some online. Something with oatmeal and honey will work wonders. It's better to make it fun, then a chore. The mask will exfoilate her skin, which will help clear up the blackheads.

Also, make sure she's not touching her face with her hands. I remember resting my chin on my hand on my desk at school and my Aunt told me not to and all my blackheads and acne cleared up. There are a lot of oils on our hands that really affect our skin.

Good luck

N.

Hi J..
I have always used Avon's clearskin cleansing scrub. I started using it as a teenager and I have never had a problem with acne or blackheads. I am 39 now and still use it. I worked in hot oily shops for 15 years and this one cleanser worked FABULOUS! It only takes a little bit a couple times a week. It works best to wet face with warm water (helps break up surface oil) pat dry (removes surface oil) then apply scrub and work in an upward & outward circular motion.Let set on skin for a minute or two and rinse. It will take a couple weeks of regular use to show good results. It also helps to loosen those stubborn blackheads for easier removal. Peroxide applied directly on blackheads also works great. It wraps around them and suffocates them so they slide right out.
Hope this helps... E.

I found that cleaning the face with Noxema twice a day helps the most for black heads. Use the brand name, the off brands just don't work as well. Good luck and happy holidays.