Seeking Moms of Teenager with Acne

Hi V.,

The only thing that I have found that works is Proactiv. We tried everything.

However, there is something new out from Neutrogena that is supposed to be better than Proactiv...www.skinid.com.

I hope this helps.

A working mother of 3. 2 grown and 1 at home.

I agree Proactiv has really worked for the teens in our family. It is expensive but at thirteen to safe face so to speak it is worth it. Follow the directions.Let me know how it works for him. Take care and God Bless!

Hi V., I struggled with acne as a child. Diet ended up being a major part. Finally upon the advise of a nutritionist we eliminated all dairy and carbonated beverages and it made a huge difference. I never had eczema, but my daughters do. Recently I found a product on-line called Eczema No More by Forces of Nature. We've had it for about 2 weeks and it is really helping my daughter. Also we use Shaklee's Enfuselle purifying cleansing gel and companion products. They are safe and natural. My husband uses it as a shaving cream/suds. So if you son starts washing his face with it, he can transition to shaving with the same stuff when ready. They also have an acne clarigying treatment that I use when needed. Hope these ideas help. A.

Hi V.- As a facialist in Orlando who specializes in problem skin (acne, rosacea, etc) I have tons of info to share that would help....but don't want to be too long winded......Diet definitely makes a difference!!! Especially with eczema and acne....cut out or severly limit highly refined sugars and fats.....sodas/gatorade, fries, chips, pizza, peanut butter, cheese, ice cream,etc and use gentle (not drying products!) especially since he's had a problem w/ eczema as well. Acne is an inflammatory reponse to the hormonal changes going on, as well as the body's inability to digest and eliminate so much processed food. It is hot and painful to the touch so cool water, soothing products with natural antibacterial ingredients like aloe vera, zinc oxide, colloidal silver, saw palmetto, jojoba oil etc are the most beneficial. We do have a website you can look at(tamahras-secret.com) or please feel free to email me with any add'l questions...I am more than happy to share info that would help! Good Luck-L.

hy V., i'm a german girl with a son in your age. my son is in the same age. living in north naples, mail me, if you want ____@____.com
greetings steffi

Hey, this is a toughy, but at this age any problems with nutrition show up- first the skin is a large organ to get rid of toxins is the body cannot get rid of them otherwise, so #1 is enough good water- the easiest rule of thumb is take your teen's weight and divide by 2-and whatever that number is drink that number of good water daily- then the kidneys can get the waste out and it doesn't come out the skin!
This is how I got my girls thro their teen years, and it is now working with my 12 yr old granddaughter- need more assistance? check out docmccullen.com, or write me back- glad to help-kia

I have found this really great store online that carries lotion that was made by the best of science and nature to correct and at least sooth exzema. I do not have exzema but had scoriosis on my elbow that was very imbarasssing so I can just imagine what your son is going through. You can contact me and I will set you up an appointment to get all the information if you are interested in trying it out.
Best of luck.

I have chronic eczema, since I was 4 yrs old. Unfortunately for me, because dermatology is a newer phenomenon, I was treated back then for "allergies". As a result, what could have been treated and outgrown has become chronic and something I will have for the rest of my life. I've grown accustomed to the nuisance of dry patches and severely itchy skin bouts. What has worked for me for years is Cetaphil - bar soap for shower, cleanser for the face, lotion for the body, and cream for the face. As for acne, Neutrogena also has a soap bar (amber looking) that is for facial acne. The mask has also worked for my husband, but only apply to the pimple directly (not all over the face). Finally, have your son drink A LOT of water. You're on point with avoiding all the sweets, soda, and fried foods...but you have to make sure he drinks water...all the time. As a matter of fact, it should be all he drinks.

Believe it or not but bath soap and some body washes can cause this. You can buy special products for him to cleanse with. Also there are prescriptions that he can use to clear it up. My nephew also used this. He has a beautiful complexion now. If you can't get him to a specialist talk to the pharmacy a Walgreens, they are very good at helping with different things. Good Luck!

Goodmorning V.,
That's great you are watching your sons diet, that definitely helps. I hope he is drinking lots of water as well to flush toxins out of his body. Phisoderm is a great cleanser as well. Cetaphil is another good one. I'm not a big advocate of drugs but if you get desperate you could try Accutane. I too had a bad acne problem as a teenager and after suffering for years I tired Accutane and had great success with it. It is a strong drug but it works. Hope this is helpful.
J.

I'm using Proactiv and it's helping me. If Proactiv plus lots of water doesn't help, a dermatologist might prescribe Retin A (didn't work for me but worked wonders for a boy I knew in high school) or Accutane.

My sister has had bad excema her whole life (she's 19) and my daughter had if from ages 2-4 but it seems to be clearing up. Excema is not the same as acne. It's an autoimmune reaction very similar to allergies.

If you think your son's excema is part of the problem, you should definitely see a doctor. Diet and gentle cleansers can help, but not entirely.

one word proactive! i swere by it and its not too expensive. but if its exma then i would check with the dr first.

Proactiv works very well and they have a guarantee if it doesn' work. I think he will be pleased. Just give it time, like a month, to start seeing results. Every time I stop using it, I kick myself. It is a miracle.

Hi. My daughter is 18 now but there is a facial cleansing package that sells at La Piel Spa- it's not cheap- but can last a long time if used properly. Ask for Beverly. It really helped my daughter. I'm not sure how or if it would affect the excema but she could answer your questions. Hope this helps. A. B.

V.,
I have two teenagers one who has experienced acne and exema both. For the exema we use Cetaphil for the skin and it has worked and recently we have the exema in his hair which looks like dandruff and we got shampoo and conditioner with Tea Oil that seems to be working. As for acne --he has used what I used as a teenager and some people may think it is crazy but it works --Lava soap and a good moisterizing lotion after washing the face. Also drinking lots of water and not sodas too. My other teenager has not yet starting with any acne yet.
Hope this helps.
Take care,
P.
Mom of two