Need advice for 13 yo daughter blackheads

amother

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 10:57 am

My 13 dd has blackheads and pimples and it really bothers her! She's been using neutrogena sacylic acid and Mary Kay masks to no avail. Not really helping. She hates showering so only does these every second day when she showers.

What do I do. Should I start facials? Dermatologist? Pls advise!!

amother

Gold

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 11:58 am

Oy! I’m sorry she and you are going through this.
Definitely bring her to an excellent dermatologist to see what they can do.
Please take care of this before it gets worse because then you can have scarring which is 10 times more complicated to deal with and the emotional issues that result from having a face full of acne....
An excellent facial can help as well but do your research as a lot of then can do more harm then good. A facial can be a great way to clear out and start over but a lot of times the acne just comes back. Some people will say to never do a facial on active acne as that could potentially spread it. It really depends on the skill of who gives the facial.
She should be very careful not to touch her face and to only use products that don’t clog pores ( makeup and sunscreen and moisturizers are tricky to find ones that don’t cause you to break out . Usually trial and error is necessary:( Sad

)
She should use a new pillowcase every 2 nights and turn it over on the second night so her face is on a fresh pillow case.
The company Paula’s choice has fantastic products and can be a real game changer but it will take time. You can call them and speak to them about what products to use. They have CLEAR line that is great with acne and their light sunscreen doesn’t break me out.
If this was my kid my first step would be the dermatologist as meds can be faster and with a teen they don’t have time to wait until it resolves... I wouldn’t use super aggressive products either as that can cause more harm in the long run.
The main rule is to make sure she doesn’t pick at the acne but of course that is much easier said then done.
Good luck!!
If you have any questions feel free to ask as I have a lot of experience with this unfortunately

amother

Gold

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 12:06 pm

I see that you wrote she is only showering every 2 days. A teen should really shower every day but at the very least she should use a gentle wash ( Paula’s Choice has a great clear face wash for aprox 13$) once in the morning and once at night with warm water. She should follow that up with a toner ( or if you wish to be frugal you can use renu multi purpose lens solution) a BHA leave on exfoliant ( not a scrub as that can be harsh on the skin) spot treatment ( Paula’s Choice has a great 2.5 % Benzyl Peroxide spot treatment) and moisturizer . For the day a sunscreen moisturizer is a must.
Good luck!

amother

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 12:10 pm

Ok so my first step is to find a good dermatologist right? Also she doesn't use moisturizer or any kind of makeup. So that's not an issue right now.

MiriFr

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 12:14 pm

Use the cerave face wash with niacinamide.
Then Glycolic acid toner (The Ordinary)
Then niacinamide serum (The Ordinary)
The cerave moisturizer.

She should do this every day. She can wash her face in the sink on days she doesn’t shower.

Amarante

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 12:30 pm

Go to a good dermatologist and use whatever is recommended by the dermatologist.

While cleaning a face is of course important, teenage acne is not caused by being dirty and thinking so makes those with acne feel worse about themselves if it is viewed as a hygiene issue.

Teenage acne can not be controlled just by hygiene and there are truly medical advances that enable kids to be relatively acne free. And acne really causes lifetime scars - both physical and emotional.

Chana Miriam S

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 12:33 pm

I never believed this when I was young but when I stopped eating sugar and went low carb my skin improved unbelievably. I had adult acne and I used to get boils on my body too. No more. My dermatologist from when I was a teen was right after all. I’m 52.

amother

Floralwhite

Sun, Jul 19 2020, 12:34 pm

I had the most success with cedaphil cleanser, rinse with cold water and wash face only with paper towel. Cold water opens and uncloggs pores.