To the OP…I would go to a dermatologist. While one of my kids did the accutane route…the other did just fine with a couple topicals.
Go to the dermatologist. My D had great success with Epiduo and another product that I don’t remember. It was well worth it.
I’m in my mid-20s and still get acne. I have just had bad break outs since my early teens. I finally caved on got Proactiv about a year ago and I am hooked. It’s expensive, yes, but IMO worth it.
They have 3 different formulas you can try- basically strong, regular, and gentle. I use gentle now because I have to use other things on my skin for an unrelated condition.
ETA: I have a dermatologist and use Clindamycin HCl on my back. I also have something for rosacea on my face which apparently causes some of my acne. I do recommend a dermatologist so you know what’s causing the acne.
My dermatologist got to talking one day during the boring-for-both-of-us process of doing biopsies on some of my endless, ever-growing collection of suspicious moles. She said that she had had a hard time deciding between gastroenterology and dermatology as a specialty, but in the end, she was glad she chose dermatology because dermatologists get to do things that please their patients – especially patients with acne. She said that treating people with acne was her favorite part of her practice because she could truly help those patients to have better lives.
It’s definitely worth seeing a dermatologist for acne.
We heard all the bad stuff about accutane, so I didn’t put D1 on it. When we lived abroad, a dermatologist recommended it for D2. She said all the side affects were over blown in the US. D2 went on it when she was 18 and her skin became flawless. Two years ago, at age 25 D1 decided to go on it and she also loved the result. She wish she had done it earlier.
@LoveMyPuppies – you sounds like you are a very caring, concerned parent. I had the same concerns when my son started having acne (around 7/8 grade). I bought him face wash; topical medicine; it got worse. I realize now he was not good about washing his face and applying the medicine. In high school, we resorted to Accutane, and his skin cleared up. I was as afraid as the next mom about side effects, but besides chapped lips, there were none. And his skin was clear for the first time in years. I wish you good luck.
Course of oral antibiotics, Clindamycin 1%, Retin A 0.05%, and some Neutrogena face wash. It is quite a regime. Very slow progress, but it is working.
Another +1 – Accutate is pretty scary stuff, but it straight up works.
One of the consistent challenges with every acne regimen my son was on was that the products which seemed to work best at clearing up the acne also seemed to cause his skin to be overly dry. It becomes a very difficult balancing act to find products that clear up the acne without causing overly dry skin because the dry skin in and of itself negatively affects appearance. I will say that he also wasn’t as good about using a moisturizing lotion consistently. But from personal experience, I’ve found that even moisturizing lotions don’t necessary eliminate the dry skin problem.
My son and youngest daughter both took Accutane and it worked quickly and well. Neither had any side effects more serious than dry lips. Day to night difference in how they looked and how they felt about themselves.
My oldest daughter had lovely skin. She never needed to see a dermatologist and never used anything stronger than Neutrogena. She developed IBS in her 20s - obviously not Accutane-related as she never took it. If she had, we’d probably blame the medication but nope - not related.
I see a lot of posts down-playing the serious side-effects of Accutane, so I just want to reiterate that it’s pretty serious business. I’m a lawyer and had a case years ago where those side-effects happened. I’m not trying to scare anyone, I just wanted to put it out there that those cases are real so caution should be used. My girls have had acne, and luckily have done well on antibiotics and birth control. I’m not saying I wouldn’t consider accutane, but I would say it would definitely be a last resort med here.
This is just a sample of one but it’s an easy experiment:
One of my kids had terrible acne, we tried many treatments prescription and not, she still has scars and acne. In adulthood she discovered by accident that she can almost completely control her breakouts by avoiding dairy (she’s in her late thirties). No dairy, no breakouts. Indulge in some dairy, breakouts. She said she really wishes she had known this 20 years sooner.
No expense, no side effects, the ability to indulge but with knowledge of consequences.
Could be some other food for your child.
Agree with posts #9 and #31. I second avoiding dairy, and take a probiotic. If you are looking for a simple, effective, reasonably priced topical, try EVA Naturals Skin Clearing Serum. Available on Amazon and others.
My horrible acne cleared up in my twenties when I started using zinc oxide ointment (diaper rash cream).
I was also going to mention the dairy avoidance! After oral antibiotics, several prescription creams, etc. avoiding dairy is the one thing that helped clear up my son’s acne. He really is a text-book case- zero dairy means a clear face, eating dairy (especially milk and ice cream) means a break-out. He just turned 23 and still gets small, periodic pimples but for the most part, his acne is under control.
Agree with most of the above posts. Would reiterate the importance of going directly to a dermatologist. IIRC, if your son is in college perhaps he can visit student health and start with the basics now. He could be well on the way to clearer skin by the time the semester is over. Also, accutane is a great drug when used with proper informed consent and following all orders but your son is many steps away from that now.
Can not underestimate the psycho-social damage that young people can suffer with facial acne.
Thank you again for the great suggestions! I will certainly try these products first before going to the doctor. Some helpful ideas are difficult to implement – he is not giving up ice-cream and pizza for an extended period. Washing pillowcases often while in college is not going to happen either. My older son came home after his first year and his white bedding was not washed once. He just did not realize it needed washing, having the top bunk:) A simple routine of 1-2 products will do.
I am surprised that some people take serious warnings on the drugs so lightly. It seems that the original manufacturer stopped making Accutane in 2009 for this reason and what people use now are generic versions. I don’t think generic companies are even liable for damages. Crohn’s disease is much more devastating and irreversible than acne face in every aspect.
I don’t think people are taking warnings lightly. I think people are informed of the risks and are using the medicine in conjunction with routine and rigorous consultation and testing by a doctor. My guess is your child’s acne isn’t so severe if said child is unwilling to undertake pillowcase washing and dietary changes in order to potentially see improvement. Accutane is typically a last resort after many years of very severe acne and trying scads of other products and strategies. Folks reporting success with and few side effects other than dry lips from Accutane aren’t taking “serious warnings on the drugs so lightly”. They are just expressing their own experiences when nothing else worked.
@LoveMyPuppies - my son rarely washed his sheets in college and his acne still cleared up with simply avoiding some dairy.
He didn’t want to give up milk and ice cream either (he still ate pizza - that isn’t as big of a trigger) so it happened by pure accident. He had been drinking lactose-free milk for years and he didn’t have access to it on campus, so it was a “forced” avoidance. Miraculously, 4- 6 weeks later his face was clear! Note that he had been inconsistent with his prescription acne medicine, not sleeping enough, not washing sheets, etc and still had a clear face.
Fast forward to December of that year when he was home for break and had access to his milk and ice cream and voila - breakout! That is when he started to realize that there was something to this theory. He always said his acne didn’t bother him enough to give up foods he loves but I think seeing his clear skin made him re-consider. He did spend 6 weeks in Rome one summer and ate his weight in gellato and cheese and when I got him from the airport his entire forehead was covered in acne! But, a couple weeks of avoidance and it was gone again.
This may not be an answer for everyone but it is stunning how consistent it is for my son. Maybe you can convince him to try it for just 4 weeks and see what happens?
A combination of otc products, Oxy wipes and salicydic acid product in the morning, Oxy wipe and Benzoil peroxide overnight. I can definitely tell when he has run out of any product!