Puberty, here we come! Acne?

[Famatigia]

My fourteen year old son went to his grandmas for a week and came home with lots of acne!! He SWEARS he showered every day.. but he probably has thirty pimples that he didn't leave home with.

I went out and bought him some face wash and those pad things, but how can I really, really nip this in the butt before it gets out of control?

I considered Proactiv.

Suggestions?

[heartmama]

With my son, stress and diet are the biggest factors. If he is calm and eating well he seems not to have break outs. I'm not convinced face washing matters much with my son. I do find that surprising, because me and his father both had worse acne than he does--in fact a lot of the time his skin is totally clear. But we were both much more stressed out that he is too.

Maybe the trip to Grandma was just a change he found stressful in some way. Or maybe the soap was different there, or another irritant got in his system.

[mom2ponygirl]

I find that I break out when the weather dramatically changes. Generally the first hot and humid spell of the year and then again the first really cold spell. It is like my skin goes wonky with the dramatic change.

My daughter has regular break outs but the clear up really fast. I keep thinking we've figured out how to keep her face clear and then boom it breaks out again.

I heard elsewhere that someone's teen cleared up all their acne by using a sonic face brush. I think it must be something like this: http://www.clarisonic.com/us/ Really expensive! Has anyone used something like this? Does it really work so well it is worth the cost?

[SilverFish]

acne is NOT caused by diet or washing or anything but the natural balance of hormones in the person's body. some things (like eating well, hydrating, staying away from irritants) can help minimize breakouts, but nothing but hormone therapy will STOP the body from producing excess sebum that causes acne. face washes don't really clear up acne, other than perhaps helping the skin to heal faster. the fewer irritants he comes in contact with, the better, so simple ingredients and non-abrasive materials are your best bet. not picking or poking at his acne will also help.

if this becomes a serious problem that affects his self esteem and is causing deep scarring, there are therapies that will help, but they are not something to use lightly. it's a bit easier for girls, since often the right bcp will balance the skin out.

[nextcommercial]

There's also a chance that it was the products he was using at Grandma's house. He may have broken out because of the soaps or shampoo.

My daughter has very severe acne. We've tried everything. But, we have noticed a slight difference when she uses certain shampoos and conditioners. Especially with the acne on her back. So, if we stick to the brands that seem to work better for her it improves. But, it never really goes away.

I'd pay nearly anything to help her with this. But, so far nothing has really worked. We are considering asking for accutane.

[NiteNicole]

acne is NOT caused by diet

For many people, diet does have a direct impact on break outs. In high school we called it the "Lenten Clear Up" because everyone always swore off sweets and sodas and their skin cleared up. For me, even as an adult, if I cut out sugar and processed foods my skin clears up. If I'm heavy on processed foods and sweets, it breaks out again. Every time.

[AbbieB]

Originally Posted by NiteNicole

For many people, diet does have a direct impact on break outs. In high school we called it the "Lenten Clear Up" because everyone always swore off sweets and sodas and their skin cleared up. For me, even as an adult, if I cut out sugar and processed foods my skin clears up. If I'm heavy on processed foods and sweets, it breaks out again. Every time.

I agree. I just discovered that I have the same food additive sensitivity as my daughter. Once I stopped drinking coke and banned the processed food from the house (for the most part) my skin has cleared up for the first time in 25 years. If I slip and get a coke at a restaurant, I break out again for a few days.

[raksmama]

As someone who suffered with acne on an off as a teen and young adult, I have to say that I believe while acne can be caused by natural balance of hormones, diet or skin care still DO play a great role. In fact, I used to use the excuse that diet did not influence acne myself to justify my eating sugary foods. For me, cutting out sugar made a huge difference. The other thing that made a difference was breaking the bad habit of always touching my face and squeezing my pimples.
Now my son is 12 and just starting to get a few pimples. We tried all sorts of natural creams and cleansers and nothing helped. Finally we went to the doctor who suggested Spectro gel as a cleanser and topical cream Clindoxyl (with Benzoyl peroxide). They seem to be doing the trick! I remember now that I also used a benzoyl peroxide cream and it helped me too!