seek dermatologist for acne problem?

Question

im 15 and recently have developed (i guess) moderate acen along my forehead (temples) and a lot on my back (the places where i can reach).
my mom's warned me NOT TO SCRATCH them... but its hard to keep my hands off of them...
now they're kind of... not going away, and i'm really scared my back's going to scar =[
i heard that going to a doc is the smart thing to do right now... but i'm still scared that my mom will start blaming me -__-
if i (and mom) schedule an appt with a doc, im i allowed to see the doc myself (without her staring at my acne)?

and if you have some other ideas that will diminish the acne (and prevent scars), please tell me!

Answer 1

What kind of laundry detergent does your household use? I have a son with the same problem. He uses Tide for his clothes now. While the rest of us use ALL. He clearing up now. I would try different detergents til you find one that works for you.

Answer 2

DO NOT PICK! I know it's hard, and I'm a hypocrite, because I pick them all the time, but it's better if you just keep your hands off of them. They can scar, but if they do, it's usually not really noticable. If you do pick, be careful, do not use needles or anything, that will enlarge your pores. (I'm not kidding, I have permanant blackheads now on my nose, because I used needles to try to pop them!) Try over the counter products, I like neutragena(sp?) a lot. If you clean your face, morning, and night, every day, you should prevent any really bad breakouts.

Before seeing a dermatologist, I'd reccomend seeing your normal doctor. Mine prescribed an antibiotic, tetrocyling(sp?) to me, and it works great (if I take it on a regular basis). Ask your doctor about it, and just be sure you clean your face every single day, and do not leave make up on at night. If none of this works, see a dermatologist(but all they're going to do, is give you some creams and stuff, that I find didn't help). Another good line of products I like, are clinique, they're acne stuff is really good and works well for me. Estee lauder face creams and lotions are really nice too, but expensive. Good luck!

Answer 3

She can't blame you for having acne. Actually, it's hereditary, so really, she gave it to you.... And as for the picking, yeah, it's hard to control, but acne may scar no matter what you do.

But a dermatologist will have the best advice. Have you tried any over-the-coutner stuff, like neutragena body wash or facial wash?

There is really no way to prevent scars. Some people say not to pick, but my acne always gets worse if I don't pick it. HOWEVER, I had major major scars along my forehead from middle school. And they are gone now (I'm 21). So I think the milder ones will fade with time for sure.

But just see the dermatologist and ask your mother to stay outside if she is going to judge. You can def. see the doctor without her.

Answer 4

You could try some Calamine lotion to help the itching and also try some of the facial products such as the Noxzema (I like this stuff for washing my face) or Physoderm (they have two different formulations).

I went to my regular dr to try antibiotics for the acne which actually did help the problem but ended up with a yeast infection from the antibiotics.

Later on I started taking multi-vitamins and that helped my acne so that now I very rarely have issues with it.

If you must go to the dr I would recommend starting with your local dr first and you can let the nurse know that you would like to talk to the dr alone first to start off the appt if it's ok with your mom.

Answer 5

Right now my skin is perfectly clear, for the first time in 3 years. It's been about 9 weeks and all my acne is gone. It is such a great feeling to wake up with clear skin.

Holistic Acne Treatment Guide?

Answer 6

It really depends on your family history. It isn't your fault. Just keep your face clean. There are so many different options to choose to help clear up your face. Gosh thinking about what I used is just insane. I tried proactive...didn't work. Tried so many prescription medications including pills and topical gels and pastes....didn't work. I am not on birth control and it seems to work the best. But it still hasn't gotten all of the acne off of my body. Honestly..I know you don't want to hear this but time is the only healing, if it ever will heal. But hormones are crazy at your age and even now that I am 18 it is barely going away.
If people can't like you for who you are instead of how you look, screw them! There are people out there who love you for you.

Answer 7

First, don't be discouraged! This too will pass.

Try www.acne.com. The more knowledge you have the better!

I do know Aloe Vera juice helped my daughter. You can purchase it in flavours to drink from health store. Try four oz., first thing in the morning before eating.

You can also buy the juice at Walmart. Just add to about 4 oz. of Apple juice, because this one is not flavored. There are also Aloe gels, and cream for clearing the skin.

Don't forget WATER! Drink at least half your body weight in ounces, daily. For instance, if you weigh 120 pounds, you will need to divide 120 by 2, and drink 60 ounces of water daily.

God Bless!

Answer 8

Try nuetrogena exfoliating body clear wash, and then switch to the regular body clear wash so that you don't exfoliate too much. For your face, my sister had the same problem and even got medication from the doctor, but the only thing that worked was "proactiv". You can buy it online, at the mall, on tv. As far as the doctor visit with your mom, just tell her you would like to go in on your own because you are not comfortable having her in there. My mom always wanted to go in too, but if you ask her not to, she should respect your wishes.

Answer 9

before you go to a dermatologist, i suggest you try over-the-counter products such as neutrogena, clearisil, clean & clear, noxzema, etc..try using the the ones specifically made for acne i have been using neutrogena acne wash since i was 13 and i havent gotten acne at all!. not all products work for everyone since we all have different skin- i have oily skin so i use oil free products...do you know what type of skin you have? - oily (occurs when your skin is shiny on your forhead, cheeks, nose etc), dry (peeling acne, dry skin, dull skin) if your skin isnt any of these, then use the products that say "normal skin"...its not much of a big deal but it would work much quicker....

a really popular product for acne is Proactiv ...for some people it works but for some it doesnt, if you have sensitive skin i suggest you dont use it..try using a product with salicylic acid in it or benzoyl peroxide....


if none of this helps then you can go to a dermatologist..but first try looking for products at drugstores such as CVS, Walgreens etc...before you spend a lot of money on a dermatologist..

Answer 10

Ask your mom if she could please stay out of the exam room when you go in. Tell her she can come in after the exam is over when you have your clothes back on. Good lulck. If she won't agree talk to your school nurse or guidance counsellor and maybe she can convince your mom to do it that way. There are great meds out there to help you. There is no reason for you to suffer from this. Good luck.

Answer 11

yes see a doctor. over the counter meds are not very helpful. use noxzema for the itch. It also helps to keep your skin clean.
Do not let the doctor put you on birth control pills for acne. there are other medications. there is not reason for you to die just because you have acne. Birth control pills are very bad.