The best acne treatment plan for teens

QUESTION:
My 16-year-old son suffers from moderate to severe acne on his face, chest, back and shoulders. He has seen a dermatologist and was put on a low dose, long-term antibiotic as well as topical salicylic acid- and benzoyl peroxide-based cleansers. The dermatologist suggested that the next step would be to take Roaccutane®*, but neither my son nor myself are happy with this – he would prefer to just wait it out. I was wondering a) whether he is indeed likely to grow out of this condition and b) if you could suggest alternative topical products for him to try.
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ANSWER:
With regard to whether your son will grow out of his condition, because of the extreme increase in hormonal activity during the adolescent years, the majority of teens do develop some form of acne. [In most cases] teen acne settles down with age. If he is one of those teenagers, one could expect your son’s acne to clear up in his early 20s. Acne, however, is a very varied condition and, left untreated, can cause severe scarring.
In many instances of severe acne, oral drugs are used to get the condition under control. This can be assisted by an effective doctor-recommended skincare programme.
As far as product recommendations go, I recommend skincare ranges that contain high levels of active ingredients and are sold only under the supervision of doctors and skincare specialists. Some I have found very helpful in the management of acne include:
• A cleanser such as Aspect Purastat 5 Cleanser (find it at adorebeauty.com.au), which is free of the harsh chemicals that strip and damage the skin. This cleanser will thoroughly free the skin of dirt, make-up and excess oil that would otherwise block the pores.
• To exfoliate the skin, I suggest resurfacing products that include AHAs [alpha hydroxy acids] as these increase the rate of natural cell renewal, lifting away old and damaged surface cells. This results in more refined pores and the skin appears smoother and more evenly coloured. A quality resurfacer will not leave the skin red, blotchy or itchy. We recommend Aspect Exfol L 15 (find it at adorebeauty.com.au).
• A treatment product such as Aspect Jungle Brew will calm and decongest the skin without leaving it dried out. Aspect Retinol Brulee will help reduce the appearance of coarse pores, oiliness and mottled pigmentation (find both Aspect products at adorebeauty.com.au). Find more information on retinol here.
We also recommend medical grade facial treatments. In-clinic treatments take around 30 minutes and can deliver very active and therapeutic ingredients into the skin. Blue Light Phototherapy is another recommended treatment. Fast and non-invasive, the blue light destroys the bacteria in the blocked pores and glands within the skin, breaking the acne cycle.
* Roaccutane® is an oral retinoid prescription only medication containing an active ingredient called isotretinion.
Other buys to try
Cleansers
Kora Organic Cream Cleanser (find it at sephora.com.au)
philosophy purity made simple 3-in-1 cleanser for face & eyes
Exfoliants
Ultraceuticals Ultra Clear Exfoliating Gel
Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant
Treatments
Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Acne Spot Treatment
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum
Skin Republic Retinol Hydrogel Mask
What is your go-to acne treatment?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
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132 Member Comments
I didn’t have anything as severe as acne as a teenager but I never seemed to have clear skin. My skin is looking better now that I’ve changed my skincare routine. My cousins daughters have such clear beautiful skin. I honk genetics plays a big part.
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Some great sounding treatments here, wish I had of known about them when i was a teen
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I need to encourage my 14 year old to start a skincare routine as he is starting to get some breakouts
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Using both The Ordinary Salicylic and Niacinamide has made a difference in my skin, though I only ever had a few spots.
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I've never had acne, but I did (and still do) get the odd pimple. :(
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Also using gentle cleansers and moisturisers helps such as QV
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Some great products to try...
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Some good product hints here
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I suffer from hormonal acne from time to time. Thank you for the information.
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I'm lucky in that I've never had acne just the occasional pimple even when I wasn't taking care of my skin properly.
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I still get acne from time to time.
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I used to suffer from painful hormonal acne. A visit to a beauty therapist to have high frequency treatments really helped with pain relief, skin clearing and prevented scarring
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I think teens need to be careful that they dont use harsh products that are too drying on their skin as this can cause a lot of issues also.
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Feel sorry for people that have bad acne :( Would be so hard to manage!
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good information!
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I had terrible acne as a teenager, I saw a dermatologist and I was given a script for solution which was made up by a compounding chemist. Also had some treatments at Ella Bache. Nothing really was that effective and in the end thankfully it cleared up on its own.
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Probiotics have been shown to help with acne.
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Low GI diets focusing on whole foods such as the Mediterranean Diet have been shown to protect against acne. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124078499000488
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As long as it is a low fat version, it is high fat that is a problem.
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Changing my diet made a huge impact on my acne
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Good on you, what did you do?
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I eliminated dairy from my diet, I try and stay away from fried and oily foods and I eat a lot more fruits and vegetables
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Regular routine and awareness at this age seems to be key.
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Wow, informative!
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