How do you help a 16 year old girl, deal with a bad acne face that nothing helps?

Question

I am a mother of a 16 year old that has a very bad acne problem.
We have tried every skin care product that is out there. Nothing helps. She is haveing a very hard time dealing with her face. She
does not want to go to school or go out. She does not want anyone to see her. She does not want to take medication because of the side affects. Lazer treatment we can not afford.
Any herbs or natural way we can treat her acne we are open.
Thank You

Answer 1

Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products. The truth is, most of these products are full of chemicals that can actually slow down the healing of acne, and irritate your skin, causing farther breakouts.

When an acne product has 20 ingredients listed on it, it can be hard to know if one of those ingredients is actually stopping you from having success. It can be even harder when you can't pronounce the ingredient, much less know what it is and how it is going to affect your skin. Most mainstream acne treatments are not only much more expensive than common household items, but they also don't always work as well either. With that in mind, I will list some basic household items that can work wonders on clearing up your skin.

Baking soda ? A very cheap cooking ingredient that most people have in their homes already, baking soda can be used as a great scrub. The purpose of a scrub is to exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin that can eventually clog pores and lead to acne spots. To start off, you'll want to mix a small amount of baking soda with some water for form a paste. Baking soda is very effective as a scrub, so you want to be sure to be extra careful when applying it to your face. Gently massage the paste into your skin for ten to fifteen seconds. Then rinse the baking soda off, and pat your face dry with a clean towel.

Apple Cider Vinegar ? Though most people that use vinegar to treat acne use the apple cider form of vinegar, you can also use plain old regular vinegar. Regardless of which type you use, vinegar can be very helpful with it comes to clearing up acne. It can kill off acne causing bacteria, balance your skin's pH, and absorb extra oil on your skin.

Starting with clean, dry skin, apply diluted vinegar (eight parts water to one part vinegar) directly to your skin with a cotton ball, and leave it on. If you want, you can also use a stronger vinegar solution (say, 2 or 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar), and apply it directly to problem areas, rinsing it off after ten minutes.

Lemon or lime juice can also be substituted for vinegar. Both of these juices are rich in citric acid, and can exfoliate your skin very well, halting the growth of acne spots, as well as fading previous, non-active acne quicker.

Egg Whites ? Rich in protein, egg whites can be used as a mask to heal and rebuild your skin. It can also help to absorb excess oil from your skin. To start off, crack an egg, removing the yolk so that just the egg whites are left behind. Beat these egg whites, and apply them directly to your face. Let it sit for fifteen minutes, and then rinse the egg off.

Oatmeal ? As odd as it may seem, oatmeal can absorb unwanted oil and draw out impurities which reside deep in your skin. Cook some plain oatmeal like you would for consumption. Let it cool off, and rub it over your clean skin. Let it sit for a while, like you would a mask, and then rinse off. If you do this on a regular basis, you should begin to start noticing results soon.

Tea Tree Oil ? TTO is a commonly used all-natural household antiseptic, which you can pick up at most drugstores or supermarkets. You can apply TTO directly to acne spots to kill bacteria, or, if you strongly dilute it with another oil (such as jojoba oil), over your entire face. Tea tree gel can be easier to apply than the oil, and many are made for applying over large areas of skin, so they aren't quite as strong as straight TTO and do not need to be diluted.

Pantothenic Acid (Also known as Vit. B5) ? Pantothenic acid can be taken in large quantities for the benefit of acne reduction. B5 works by helping your body to metabolize fats which would otherwise be later turned into sebum (oil) and excreted through the skin. Small amounts of B5 won't help though, and it has to be taken several times a day.

To help with acne, you will need to take 2.5 grams of pantothenic acid (the powder form is much easier to take), 4 times per day, for a total of 10 grams per day.

Aloe Vera ? Aloe Vera has been used for many years in kitchens for topical application to burns. Another benefit of aloe is that it can prevent scaring, fade marks and help heal acne spots.

You now have an idea of some basic household items you can use on your skin, that work better than many OTC acne products, and are much cheaper to use. Since we have only really covered basic acne treatments, you can always take this to another level and take all natural, internal acne treatments.

This sums up our basic list of natural alternatives for chemical based acne treatment products. You can take this a step farther by attacking your acne from the inside out. Acne has been shown numerous times to be very closely affected by the digestive system, so keeping your entire digestive system working as smooth as possible can help reduce acne. I will help give you a basic idea of some all natural products you can take to help clear up acne.

Cucumber, lemon and carrot juice, brewer's yeast, and active charcoal pills are all capable of helping the digestive system function normally. Since the digestive system is closely related with the health of the skin, they should help reduce acne breakouts. Flax seed can also be wonderful for helping your skin heal faster.

http://withoutacne.com

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Dry and/or greasy skin due to poor oil composition of the skin. Thick greasy oils clog pores, lack of oil leads to dryness and irritation. You need thin oils to moisturize while dissolving and clearing gunk in your poors. Try fish oil or seafood. 2 tsp fish oil a day or 4 servings of seafood a week. Stick it out for at least 2 months; it will take a long time to replace all your oil. Any effect after 1-2 days is temporary or random; so even if it makes you break out a little at first, you haven't given it a full try yet.

In the short term you can wash and moisturize well, but that will only go so far. Plus excessive washing can be drying and excessive moisturizing can be clogging. Use a small amount of a light moisturizer, made with oil not jelly or grease. Often that means soybean oil or mineral oil. Mineral oil means mined from the ground. So soybean oil is usually better, though mineral oil won't cause too much harm. Clean with soap and water, not a harsh acne cleanser. Even then they only work so well. So you really need the seafood.

Antibiotics aren't really good for bacteria long term, they'll come back in force after. Short term they may help. After you get off them find some kefir with acidophilus listed first or 2nd to replace the friendly bacteria they destroyed. Studies show less illness when you have these bacteria, even outside the stomach in places such as the lungs and elsewhere. You want friendly bacteria to fill the void when the antibiotics stop, not harmful ones.

In the short term you might also try 100,000+ iu retinol vitamin A (a megadose, and too much for normal use) or one of the acne drugs that is similar to retinol vitamin A. It's some minor harm to your organs, but it helps against bacteria on your skin. At least it doesn't have the other long term drawbacks to your skin that antibiotics and many scrubs do.

If you would like to learn how to treat your acne permanently and regain your health and wellbeing, without drugs, without typical acne treatments, and without any side effects, then this will be the most important letter you will ever read.

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

I had that problem and so did my sister. I treated it with ProActive. it really worked for me. But not for my sister. She ended up going to a dermatologist and he gave her trycycline which is working GREAT and theres almost no side effects.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that you can say to her to give her self confidence. I am 24 and still break out from time to time, and i WISH that my mom forced me to a dermatologist when i was a kid, i would have had much more fun in high school. If she tells you that she doesnt want meds because of the side effects, then tell her to write a list of what the negatives are of taking the medicine, and the negatives are of having bad acne. I'm SURE she will realize all the side effects are worth having if the outcome is clear skin and an ego boost.

I really know how it feels to be her. If she still refuses, the only thing you can do is to make sure to tell her DO NOT scrub. It makes it worse, also, do not wear foundation or cover up. even the kind that it made for acne is bad. And use mild astringent (no matter how bad it is, the more chemicals you put on it, the more it reacts and gets worse)

and finally, tanning beds. As bad as they are for your skin in the long run, they are good for acne because they dry it out. I would go 2 or 3 times a week on low (you dont want to burn) and give in 2 weeks, you'll see and improvement. but this is only temporary and cost money.

tell her to get to the dermatologist.. theyre expert and compassionate for people in that situation.

much luck.

Answer 6

I heard that proactive works bit I've never tried it and it costs a good deal of money. I had a huge acne problem for years and finally went to see a dermatologist. She has me on a light antibiotic and a facial gel. Honestly there have been no side effects and it is a God send. My skin is wonderful!
Also birth control can help . I know you are reluctant to try that because of her age but it's important to help her through this or her face could be scarred.

Answer 7

i'm 20 and have had acne problems since i was 9. i have tried various products such as proactive and retinol A (not to mention countless face washes cleanses from biore, clean and clear, neutrogena ...). for about the last six months, i have been doing a little experiment with my face to see what triggers my acne the most. i now know what it is i need to do so my skin will be healthy. here's what i do ...
*wash face and neck morning and night with St. Ive's face wash (they have some really good ones for sensitive skin) i love St. Ive's!
*apply mary kay acne gel only to the pimples and not whole face (sometimes i actually apply this constantly throughout the day on the bigger ones)
*wear very light make up, oil free, no liquid foundation - always wash off at night!
*never touch face or rest face in hands or even on arms
*sleep on clean sheets (preferrably on my back or side so my skin can breathe)
*drink LOTS of water! water does wonders for the skin and your entire body period! drink, drink, drink!
*take daily vitamins
*eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
*try not to stress out (this always breaks out my skin!)
*be careful of the greasy, fatty, or sugary foods (if anything, just because of the oils it can leave on your fingers)
*never pick pimples! (very gently pop if you must, but afterwards, wash area off and apply acne gel if possible)

i have found that if i faithfully wash my face twice a day every single day new pimples will not appear on my face! it takes a while to get this started (maybe because pimples are already in the process of being made a few weeks before they appear?) but seriously, doing everything i listed helps me tremendously and it's very cheap! i also apply a very light moisturizer by oil of olay to my skin.

Answer 8

Here is what i did for my acne
Step 1. see a doctor and ask for Minocycline and Benzaclin. The Minocycline is a pill that is taken in the morning and at night (1 pill each time) and the Benzaclin is like a lotion and is used twice a day also. The Minocycline does make your face look bad at first but then it does improve in about a month. A prescription can by given by a doctor, no dermatologist required, at least my doctor gave it to me.
Step 2. Get a good cleanser to wash your face, i use proactive and it works great. I break out when i dont use it though. With proactive continue to use the Benzaclin, it didnt hurt me, but ask your doctor first. Also i dont know if this maters or what but i didnt use the proactive until i finished the pills.

http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_di...

http://www.benzaclin.com/index.jsp...

Hopes this works for you, if you try it.

Answer 9

Have you tried Proactiv? You can't get it in stores, you have to order it over the phone or online at the address below. I've heard it's the absolute best. Also, keep in mind that acne soaps and treatments won't work overnight. Some may take weeks before you really begin to see results. Also, check her diet. A lot of times that can contribute. But mostly, it's just her age. She WILL get over it. Still I'd try Proactiv.

Answer 10

Hate to tell ya, but meds may be her only option. My son ended up on acutane after trying alot of over the counter remedies also. People don't realize that there are different forms of acne, some bacterial, that respond only to prescription meds. Acutane may not be for her, but ask your family doctor what might help. We are pleased with my son's acutane results and wonder now, looking back in photos, why we waited so long. Best of luck.

Answer 11

There is a great topical solution you can get at Costco - much like Proactiv - but better and cheaper...its called AcneFree and for $30 will last about 2 months...

The hardest part is the feelings that your daughter has, the feelings that you have, and the struggle of watching your little girl go through this.

If you have not already, set up an appointment with a dermatologist, and if you need to go through your primary doctor, then request to see a dermatologist.

To help with the parenting and feelings try this: even if you think it wont help - it will...

Sit you daughter down, probably best to do this in her room. Look her in the eyes, ask her to look you in your eyes. (don't give in to the "ah mom, come on, enough already" stuff). Tell you daughter that what she is going through must be really hard and you want her to know that its ok to be upset, angry, and depressed about her acne.

Tell her there are ways to deal with this acne problem by explaining she can help herself. Tell her that she has options to help deal with this, but that it will take work. Tell her that you want to help her, but it is really her choice. Tell her you want to help her find all the options and research. Research the problem TOGETHER and work on the positives and negatives of each option.

This will help rejoin you as a team, while working the problem, rather than experiencing a problem. Make sure to allow your daughter to express feelings. Don't minimize the feelings by telling her "it will be ok, don't cry"; but rather, "I see you are crying, and its ok to cry, what you are going through is really hard, and I am sorry that you have to go through this."

Also, even though the doctors and books will say that diet has nothing to do with acne, what they forget to mention is that it can exacerbate existing acne. So help your daughter understand that increasing her water intake will help and decreasing the refined sugars and fatty foods will help her skin improve. Stress can also decrease the immune system, hence decrease the fighting of acne...

Remember what it was like to be 16, and having acne, in a world where what you look like and what other people think of you, is the WHOLE WORLD...hence; be the parent and keep the parenting reactions to your daughters emotional outbursts in perspective to the situation. Maintain boundaries of course, but meet her emotional needs by ALWAYS acknowledging feelings, even when she is telling you to stop already.

Remember to hug her, even when she says, "enough, or not again", tell her that you love her and she means the world to you even when she says, "come on mom, enough". Teens will try to push you away, but they really want to be close...

Continue to ask questions and help your daughter work this problem to find a solution - you can do it!!!

Best of Luck