acne ?

[Lotsoflearnin]

I have a question. My daughter is 12 and she gets what I think to be acne on her upper back, shoulders and chest. The reason I say I think it's acne is because I not sure if it's acne or dry neglected skin. What suggestions do you have to help her get rid of this problem. Where whould we start first. Moisturising the skin or a cleanser for her skin. I know she get irritated when I bring the subject up.... so I hope there is a uncomplicated way to go about this.

 

[ali.t]

my daughter was the same i took her to the doctors and he gave us a wash and cream to rub into the area hth

 

[VHunter]

Do a search for pictures of acne online.. if it looks like that, like blemishes and pimples, then it likely is.
I have VERY oily skin and suffer the same in the summer, plus my long hair aggravates it on my back.
For her, it could be hormones causing this.

To combat it, I use a gentle exfoliant (you can get shower mitts that are a bit scrubby? or similar) or a cream exfoliant. Just rubbing a soap bar along the skin will not slough off the dead skin and debris. A washcloth or better is a necessity. Then use products like those used on the face to combat the acne.
I'm in Canada, so it's not the same here as over there, so I can't point to a specific brand, sorry.

I'm sure other geeks can suggest good products

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Nimue Youth is perfect for this Nimue Skin Technology

 

[ValencianNails]

my son suffered from facial acne, i took him to see my beauty therapist, he has dry skin aswell as acne.
she advised him to get cleanser (which we had already) and to use a moisturiser too, twice daily.
using a moisturiser tricks the skin into thinking it has enough oils and therefore slows down the amount of oil it creates, cleanser used on its own dries the skin out and creates more oil, makes it a vicious circle
it's done the trick for my son, his acne has improved a heck of a lot

 

[NailSpa]

Bless her , Acne is one of those things that people dont like to speak about , But theres is always help at hand. If you cant find any help or advice and the acne still persists then you should see your GP who will have something stronger to give to your daughter BUT first of all see if some of this works.

If she has greasy skin then use :
Cleansing lotion or cleansing milk
Facial wash or foaming gel , something soft to the skin - slowly massage a cream cleanser into the skin as this will help to remove dirt but will also help the skin to become softer , this depends on personal pref.
Clay based masks are very good as they the tighten the skin and help to extract spots , we all know we shouldnt pick or pop blemishes so ensure once their out that you use a product that will assist with the blemish heads - be them black or white.

There is no need to constantly was the skin but AM and PM is a good idea , ensure its done with luke warm water and not hot as this can damge the skin . And maybe applying a PM product is a good idea , as when we are asleep this is the time our skin absorbs products at its best !

Or you could visit your local beauty salon and have a therapst carry out a skin analysis followed by a facial OR visit a beauty counter in your local department store.

Good luck and i hope this will elp.
x-x

 

[weezie]

Maybe write her a little note about it and leave her a note pad to write back to you. I had acne as a child and it really got me down. She is probably being defensive as she is embarresed. If you explain to her that it is very common to get this and maybe go to the library to buy her a teens book about puberty in general and leave it on her pillow with a note so that she can read it in private then discuss anything with you she wants.

If you decide to take her to the doctor really press the subject (sometimes if you get the wrong doctor who hasn't experienced acne for themselves they will dismiss it as something that will pass-I was told this for 4years!!) They can prescribe her benzol peroxide which helps to exfoliate the skin or some kind of topical lotion that will kill any spot causing bacteria on the skin. At her age this sounds like it is definatley due to teenage type hormones and therefore should improve with time, but obviously this does not help your daughter now and there are things you can do to help.

You could "treat" her to a back facial treatment at a local salon. Call a few up and discuss her situation and you will quickly suss out the best one to take her to. They can do a basic back cleanse with steam extractions and a mask. This will also open discussions for you about general skin care and hygene.

You can buy a product that is a spray treatment for the back from "Natures own" and I know you can buy gentle exfoliating washes specifically for the body with AHAs or BHAs Jan Marini does one with glycolic acid.

Also people with oily skin do not have dry skin, this is a common mistake, what they have is dehydration therefore and moisturiser brought should be a light fluid for rehydrating the skin by preventing evaporation of water and adding essential vitamins and minerals. Putting on a heavy oil based moisturiser will only make it worse. Also make sure that the cleanser is not very alkaline as the skin is acidic so you need to keep it this way by not stripping the skin. Once again a good beauty therapist will explain all this to you.


Hope this is of some help x :hug:

 

[weezie]

Sorry it's "natures cure" not "natures own" it is a salycilic acid based exfolant that you just spray on, no hassle and you can buy it in the superstores in the states. Jan Marini is manufactured there too.

 

[Lotsoflearnin]

Oh Thank You everyone!!! I was pretty sure I need to do all the things everyone suggested. But a bit of reassurance is always needed. I will take all of your suggestions to thought and start looking for what we need. If those don't wotk I will take her to the doctor and get something prescribed.

The good thing is that my daughter and I have a open enough relationship that she's know's I'm not doing this to hurt her feeling it's to help her. It just might take a little time for her to realise that. And I know she is embarrased about it. I'm just glad it's on a place that can be covered up while we're trying to get it under control.

Thanks again everyone. :hug: :hug: If anyone has other suggestions please let me know. I am open to other comments

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

personally hun ,i would see the gp first ,as trying lotions and potions could aggrivate the problem...
i suffer acne myself ,at the moment thankfully my skin is quite clear,but i have lots of scars(which also thankfully are fading)
i have zynerit of the doctor,and now my skin has cleared, i use the body shop vitiamin e skincare range ,morning and night
lots of people are commenting lately how much better my skin looks ,and i love it ,it feels so nice to hear that

 

[NtricateDesigns]

I just read an article about this today, those are very comon places for acne and the truth is there is NO sure fire way to fix it, you can try stuff, but it may make it worse, over cleansing will worsen it as well. Tell her to do her usual cleaning, moisturize it very well each day, but not enough to clog the pores, and in time she'll have grown out of it. Doing too many things to fix it can actually scar and damage her skin before her body has a chance to balance out... Just relax (both of ya), stress can cause it to worsen as well.

Best Wishes

 

[pazzy]

You have got to try Ketysugo...its amazing!

I bought some for my neice when she was at school and she was getting loads of hassle 'pizza' being the most frequently used. But its really gentle and non drying it just stops the skin 'over producing' sebum...comes in spray form and gel form and is also available as a skin wash...and its reasonably priced.

 

[louiser]

I have dalacin alcoholic solution which I have to put on twice a day, its like putting vodka on your face!! It works though! I know she's probably really embaressed about it but it will only make it worse if she covers it up in warm clothes,

 

[BABSann]

personally hun ,i would see the gp first ,as trying lotions and potions could aggrivate the problem...
i suffer acne myself ,at the moment thankfully my skin is quite clear,but i have lots of scars(which also thankfully are fading)
i have zynerit of the doctor,and now my skin has cleared, i use the body shop vitiamin e skincare range ,morning and night
lots of people are commenting lately how much better my skin looks ,and i love it ,it feels so nice to hear that

I would agree with this 100%,You can aggrevate the problem if trying out lots of different products.If it's hormonal the GP may even suggest a low dose pill as this can quite often sort the problem out.Sometimes a long term anti- biotic treatment.Far better to let your GP have a look first.HTH

 

[ADiva1]

personally hun ,i would see the gp first ,as trying lotions and potions could aggrivate the problem...
i suffer acne myself ,at the moment thankfully my skin is quite clear,but i have lots of scars(which also thankfully are fading)
i have zynerit of the doctor,and now my skin has cleared, i use the body shop vitiamin e skincare range ,morning and night
lots of people are commenting lately how much better my skin looks ,and i love it ,it feels so nice to hear that

Really good advice given here.

However, it just might be hermonal. So speaking to your GP is the best way forward.

However, I am also a strong believer in healthy diets. Most teenagers are into fatty foods. Perhaps it would be helpful if your daughter cuts down a bit on any junk food, if she eats a fair amount at present...

Most teenagers are not water drinkers too, but encourage her to have flavoured water instead of a fizzy drink etc. Its a great difference to the skin when we drink loads of water.

Hope it clears up and she's happy very soon, just encourage her with healthy skin care. :hug:

 

[Clairet]

I'd definitely go down the GP route hun. One of my best friends in school developed terrible acne on her back and chest. It was so awful that she dreaded doing PE or anything that involved stripping off.

After years of suffering, she was referred to a dermatologist who put her on a course of drugs and it was cleared up within 3 months.

I'm not saying that this will be necessary for your daughter, but its certainly worth checking your GP out first.

 

[bombini]

I'd definitely go down the GP route hun. One of my best friends in school developed terrible acne on her back and chest. It was so awful that she dreaded doing PE or anything that involved stripping off.

After years of suffering, she was referred to a dermatologist who put her on a course of drugs and it was cleared up within 3 months.

I'm not saying that this will be necessary for your daughter, but its certainly worth checking your GP out first.

I agree,

I developed acne at 14 & it was mainly on my chin. I tried every product going the ones that worked lasted for only a few months then it was back :irked: My gp prescribed me loads of pills & lotions none of which worked & finally when i was 18 agreed to refer me to a dermatolagist. Got prescribed roaccutene & my skin has been clear ever since.
Roaccutene has had quite a lot of negative press and some of the side effects ive heard can be awful but luckily i never had any problems.

 

[Clairet]

Hi Juliette

Roacutanne - that was the name!! Couldn't remember. It did have some quite bad side effects, dry lips and nose etc, but it worked. I think anyone who has suffered acne will see that as a small price to pay to rid yourself of such an awful complaint.

I know, as therapists, there is a lot of help we can give people with problem skin, but, in my opinion, severe acne MUST be dealt with via the medical profession.

 

[Peter Pan]

try this

5 drops Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) essential oil
7 drops Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia) essential oil
7 drops Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) essential oil
12 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil
1/4 ounce Jojoba oil

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

just to add on from my previous post ...if it is acne that she has hun
it can take a while to see an improvement even after seeing the doc ( which PLEASE do,i wish i had when i was 13 instead of waiting till i was about 22 could have prevented years of feeling ashamed and lots of scars!!!)
the solution i have at the mo is a topical antibiotic
i have tried.....
* dianete pill (but had severe side effects)
* tablet antibiotics
*a steroid cream which practically burned the skin off my face(all peeled,cracked,and was bright red ..still had acne though) my sister used the same cream of the doc and had great results though
*and finally settled on what i am using now
the mistake i made at first was using the lotion for a little while and when i saw results (within about 2 weeks) i stopped i thought YAYYY CURED !!!
...acne flared up again within weeks ...so i went back to the doc and he told me to use it for 6 months even if the acne go's do not stop using!
now my scars are going and everything (pure vitamin e oil is also great for scaring i got mine in superdrug)

the prob is 6 months to a teen with acne will seem like a lifetime...but it is really important that she sees the doc and follows whatever advice they give ...it may be trial and error but she will get there in the end :hug: