ACNE help !!

D

db89

O.G.
Feb 20, 2006
3,884
61
#1
I am now a grown women but I remember back to those high school days when
Acne was a big problem....

But these days I have no clue what kind of treatments are out there...
I wanted to help out a 12yr , which has a really really bad case of it..

I have heard of PRO ACTIVE ?? which is suppose to be good .. any comments /thoughts ?

another question ... how about anything from the pharmacy ,,, any tried and true
products to recommend ??
yes , she does have a dermo appt.... but its not soon enough for her !! can anyone
help out in the mean time ?
thanks !
 
#2
The derm appointment is her best bet. Until then I would reccomend the aspirin mask and the Queen Helene's Mint Julip mask. Hopefully someone else will respond to insure that these are not too harsh for a 12yr old's skin (I don't think they are, but just in case).
 
#3
my 13 year old sister had it pretty bad, went to the dermo, tried just about everything and finally tried proactive about a month ago, its clearing up, but not completely gone. i think some things are unfortunately just genetic. good luck
 
#4
Goto a doctor and get a prescription for Benzaclin. it's GREAT. i've been using it for about 5 years. I used to have horrible acne and it was all cleared up within a couple of months. I've backed off on it for the past year (only used it once a day) and i've gotten some acne back, so i'm back to using it 2 times a day and my skin is clearing up already. Its a cream that you use 1-2 times a day (morning and night). when i switched doctors because i moved, i needed a refill so i brought in the little tub of it and my doctor saw it and said "don't you just love that stuff!!!" both her and her daughter use it. it's a little on the pricey side if you don't have insurance. it comes in 2 different sizes, so make sure you request the larger size. With my insurance I pay $40 no matter what size i get.

this stuff will change the color of materials so if you start using it, just keep in mind that pillowcases and towels will change color if the cream gets on them.
 
#5
Definitely tell her to try the aspirin mask and QH mint julep mask combined. It is not harsh for a 12 year olds skin. Anyone who uses it more than recommended will suffer from the high levels of salicylic acid..doesn't matter what your age is. Do a search in this sub form and you'll find the 'recipes' to this mask.
 
#6
What cleanser is she using? Hopefully it's not bar soap. What I would start her with is Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, normal to oily skin or Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser. For Killing acne-causing bacteria I would have her use Stridex Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%) Power Pads. You can find the Stridex at CVS or Long's as well as the face wash. No moisturizer unless her skin is very dry & then only at night just on the dry areas.


Wanted to add that she needs to wash her face 2x a day once in morning once at night. Have her start out using the Benzoyl Peroxide pads every other day once at night for a week or so. After that she can do everyday once or twice a day.
 
#7
I second the recommendation for Stridex Power Pads. I started really breaking out in my early 20's and I hated it. My parents, brother, and BF are doctors, so I got to try everything there is for acne over the years (tazorac, antibiotics, etc.) and the only thing that has worked for me consistently is the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide formulation. 10% benzoyl peroxide did not work; I think it is too harsh for the skin and damages it, thereby allowing more opportunity for the bacteria to get in and have their little parties. :cursing: I believe that Pro-Activ solution also uses the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide formulation, but the Stridex is much cheaper.
 
#8
My 11 yo stepson uses the Power Pads, also, with excellent results. He just recently started to get a few little pimples around his nose. Neutrogena On-the-Spot cream is a readily available treatment (in 2.5% BP) for a more targeted application. I use this at night on the rare occasions that I feel a pimple coming on, and it gets rid of it in no time. Good luck!
 
#10
anneonimiss said:
I second the recommendation for Stridex Power Pads. I started really breaking out in my early 20's and I hated it. My parents, brother, and BF are doctors, so I got to try everything there is for acne over the years (tazorac, antibiotics, etc.) and the only thing that has worked for me consistently is the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide formulation. 10% benzoyl peroxide did not work; I think it is too harsh for the skin and damages it, thereby allowing more opportunity for the bacteria to get in and have their little parties. :cursing: I believe that Pro-Activ solution also uses the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide formulation, but the Stridex is much cheaper.
Click to expand...
I agree I used 5% benzoyl peroxide which cleared my skin by 90%
 
#11
i used the clinique anti blemish (or acne) solutions 3 step - my acne is horribly genetic! but another thing that i found helped was eating less dairy, and drinking lots of water, and exercise. but where the acne is on the face points out what causes it (ie hormonal, diet etc)
 
#13
ILuvShopping said:
Goto a doctor and get a prescription for Benzaclin. it's GREAT. i've been using it for about 5 years. I used to have horrible acne and it was all cleared up within a couple of months. I've backed off on it for the past year (only used it once a day) and i've gotten some acne back, so i'm back to using it 2 times a day and my skin is clearing up already. Its a cream that you use 1-2 times a day (morning and night). when i switched doctors because i moved, i needed a refill so i brought in the little tub of it and my doctor saw it and said "don't you just love that stuff!!!" both her and her daughter use it. it's a little on the pricey side if you don't have insurance. it comes in 2 different sizes, so make sure you request the larger size. With my insurance I pay $40 no matter what size i get.

this stuff will change the color of materials so if you start using it, just keep in mind that pillowcases and towels will change color if the cream gets on them.
Click to expand...

I agree. I had terrible acne when I was in middle school. I tried everything from the drugstore but nothing helped me. I also tried Proactive and it did absolutely nothing for me.

When I finally got a prescription for Benzaclin, my skin improved so dramatically. It also lightens up scars left behind by old breakouts. Benzaclin worked even better for me than Retin-A.

Now that my skin is under control, I stopped using prescription creams. Clean & Clear Persagel is what I use now for breakouts. This works well too but it's not something to treat acne with. It's more for individual breakouts but it's very effective.
 
#14
I was suffering with a bad case of acne for about 10 years (since I was 12). What helped me was putting salt on pimples for an hour or so. Just wet the area with water and put some salt on it. It kills the bacteria inside the pimple and helps to heal. Repeat as often as possible. Also, it's well known, but people still do it, - NEVER touch the face. Skin that is acne-prone is so sensitive to germs that even one touch can cause pimples to pop up.

Best of luck to your 12 year-old!
 
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