Can I prevent my 13yr old getting acne?

rosie383

My 13 yr old daughter has all of a sudden got very lumpy, red, blotchy cheeks and it looks as if she is going to erupt in acne any day.
Are there any natural things we can try as a prevention, or as a cure? She doesn't have much in the way of spots yet, but as I say, it looks like she will!
I am trying to encourage her to use Simple cleanser daily, and otherwise she just washes her face with water. She does have a history of eczema too, but not normally on her face.

nikki2804

A good cleansing routine is always a good thing but sadly a lot of acne is hormonal. My skin has been horredous for years, since around 13 upwards and its only recently that i've found a semi decent routine that works for me. A good diet is essential too.

I also found that evening primrose oil capsules and zinc supplements helped. The OCM once a week for a deep cleanse.

Sparklyfairy

I'm dreading this, too when my little one's get older as both my dh & I had acne...I agree that it's mainly hormonal. I would suggest going to your GP & asking what to do. Problem is her age - if she were older she can be put on the pill (which helped me almost 100%) but I'm unsure what a GP would do in her case. Seems odd that nothing could be done when the pill surely will help, though. Kids can be cruel & I hope she gets the help she needs. x

bunberry

I would definitely take your daughter to the GP; prescription medication for acne is always more effective than over the counter ones, most of which don't do what they claim. Even if they won't prescribe anything in the early stages it's still worth asking about preventative measures.

In the meantime make sure that she doesn't over cleanse or use cleansers with harsh ingredients because when stripped of too much oil, the skin will start producing even more sebum to compensate, and some chemicals may further aggravate acne. Using an oil free moisturizer is important as well.

adelight

Get her a natural gentle cleanser (A-derma oat milk range, green people, good things, botanicals etc), some jojoba oil for moisturising after cleansing (especially good if she is getting oily) and some tea tree oil to topically treat acne as soon as it appears.

Yes you can take her to your GP if it gets bad but do remember that putting a 13 year old on hormones, antibiotics or any other medication long term is not without side effects.

angelil

Arghhh this is such a tricky road to go down. I'm nearly 26 now and have had acne since I was 10...nothing has EVER worked for me (prescription acne medication, prescription topical treatments, off-the-shelf skincare, holidays in the sun, supplements, the pill, not washing my face with water but instead using toner to lather up the cleanser and remove it from the skin, changing my diet...OMG the list is endless ). However, what you're describing doesn't actually sound like acne to me! While acne can come with redness, something that's more like a rash could be something else: allergies, rosacea...

In either case, take her to your GP.

youngie

I would say ask your gp for advice but remember many kids of this age go thro this (im 50 and still get hormonal acne outbreaks) try not to make your daughter feel to self concious by making a big thing of it I know you are trying to do the best for her but tread carefully let her ask you for help and advice

gunsandbanjos

A big factor in acne control is diet, particularly wheat or dairy. Bit of experimenting with her diet - sensibly of course should help. Watch the junk food too!

devildog

I would highly recc Blue Flag Compound from health food shops. One of my youngsters developed major acne problems and nothing prescribed from GP would touch it. Got ref to a dermatologist(3 month wait for the appt) in desperation tried Blue Flag and it was nothing short of amazing.
It is also extremely gentle on the system(needed to be because of other health issues/drugs etc)

I think you are right trying to prevent it before it takes over, the scarring it leaves is so much harder to deal with

wondercollie

Went through this with my youngest son. The pharmacist at work said if it was his child, he'd have him on Acutane (not sure what it's called in the UK). I dithered over it because of bad reports out of the US. My son didn't want to go to the doctor for the prescription.

Well after three years of trying every product from Pro-Active to Clinique for Men, he finally agreed to the Accutane.

The dermatologist (GPs won't write the script here has to be specialist care) was great. Bloodwork done every three months. Regular check-ins on how he was doing. Was on the drug for 18 months and apart from some really dry lips during the summer, his skin cleared up a treat. He's been off it for a year now with no flareups.

He has a small amount of scarring but told me I should have made him go to the doctor sooner.

soccermom

my lads have found T tree oil to be good but it can be a PIA to get. Otherwise they get benzyl peroxide over the counter from the chemist.

None have had it to bad but youngest gets it on his back and it gets to him a bit, it's a hard time from them.