Hi all,

My son is 14 and has had pretty bad acne for about a year.
We've tried different over the counter cleansers and a friend gave me some Proactiv that her kids never used and nothing seems to be helping.
I'm thinking our next step is the dermatologist. Anyone have any experience and did they do anything that really helped?
We have a high deductible insurance plan, so whatever they charge, I'll be paying out of pocket. I hate to waste money, but I really want to help his poor face.

Thanks!

My brother also had fairly bad acne around that age. Obviously everyone is different but he had great success with tetracycline (An antibiotic I think). I think in total he had two one month courses, and his acne totally cleared up for good.

I had a bit of rather late acne (At 19, and only around my chin) I also tried tetracycline but it didn't really do anything for me, but then mine seemed to very hormonal-which the pill sorted out.

I hope you can find something which works out for your son

I say spend the money on the dermatologist. There really are good products for acne that are available by prescription only.

I don't think it will be a waste of money.

your regular doctor may be able to do a lot without seeing a dermatologist

I had pretty bad acne for a few years. I was on a few different prescribed products, but the dermatologist eventually got it cleared up with two prescription meds and an OTC wash. Now I just keep the acne to a minimum with the OTC stuff. Acne's embarrassing (and sometimes painful), and can cause lifelong scars. I don't think taking your son to a doc would be a waste of money - it's an investment in him. And don't give up if the first med(s) the doctor recommends don't work.

If it is "serious" acne then you should go get strong antibiotics from your doctor. It can even lead to your kid having facial scars for life if you do not catch it early on.

It is best to act on it quickly and not just hope they are teenage pimples. A heavy skin infection can be a cause of a lot of mental stress, bullying, etc.

My cousin had acne and treated it with antibiotics and a hormone supplement. Of course doctor prescribed only.