Irrelevant,but if anyone else has a teen with acne

[catatonic]

My oldest (15 yr old boy) has developed a truly awful case of acne over the past several months. None of the over-the-counter stuff did a blasted thing. None of the prescription washes or ointments did a blasted thing. The doctor was talking about antibiotics and Accutane, neither of which made me precisely enthusiastic, sooooooooooooooo

I read a bunch of research!!! (There's a surprise, huh?)

Anyway, the studies on treating acne through natural methods had some REALLY good results. Zinc has been studied extensively. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) has also been the subject of a number of well-designed studies. After obsessive reading, I checked with a LPA friend and a physician friend to make sure I wasn't going to poison my boy, and then I started him on:

100mg zinc daily (50mg in the morning, 50mg evening)
(after one week, reduced to 50mg in evening ONLY)
1,000mg Pantothenic Acid daily (half in am, half in pm)
(after one week, increased to 1,500mg, then to 2,000mg in another week, will keep going until good response is seen up to the maximum of 10,000mg)

It's now been 10 days, and I can see a real difference! My son is so happy. It's really hard on a kid to have awful skin problems. I'd say that at this point the improvement is about 30%. Forehead clear. Cheeks clearing and no longer full of red inflammation. Chin still kinda ugly.

The Pantothenic Acid studies claimed a 100% effective rate for those who continued treatment for 12 weeks. (That is, 100% of the subjects showed improvement in skin condition...NOT that every subject had a total cure.) A friend is so surprised by the change in my son's acne that she's now trying the same thing for her daughter.

One thing to keep in mind...all that zinc can result in copper deficiency, so if you give zinc, make sure you are also giving a multi vitamin that contains at least some copper. A general rule is 1mg copper for every 15mg zinc...however, I'm only giving my son a total of 2mg copper with all that zinc, and my medically trained buddies say that's just fine.

Down with acne!!!!!!

Oh yeah, one other thing to keep in mind is NEVER EVER use the zinc in nasal spray form. Newer research has proven that using nasal spray zinc leads to PERMANENT loss of your sense of smell!

[Allanque]

Accutane is EVIL.

My brother and I both had reactions that they said "Well, that just doesn't happen." Bullcrap. That's part of the reason why my upper arms have so many scars and look like crap. My brother still has little red marks all over his arms from it. I don't think my skin ever went back to how it was - it's been dry and cracking ever since. That stuff is EVIL I tell you.

[sierra]

100 mg of zinc? Holy cow. How long is it safe to take that much? That's over 6 times the RDA.

Bean Sprout has mild acne. At least it's mild so far. He's ok having a couple zits and just doing the OTC route. Doesn't want to see a dermatologist. I think he's decided there are enough doctors in his life as it is. Besides that would be another regular appointment.

[catatonic]

The 100mg zinc is a "loading dose" which he only took for a week. Now he is down to 50mg per day and this will continue indefinitely, but certainly for at least 12 weeks. You shouldn't take such a high dose of zinc without making sure you get enough copper as well.

The B5 is also a "loading dose" and increased to 1,500mg on Monday and 2,000mg on the following Monday. Recommendations for B5 and acne range from 2,000 up to 10,000 mg daily. We're increasing gradually because once my son's acne shows a good response, we'll quit upping the dose. No need for overkill.

Allanque, I think you're right about Accutane. Any drug that requires TWO pregnancy tests before a girl can take it because it has such a high frequency of producing dead or deformed babies just CAN'T be a kind and gentle drug.

[rosyred45]

This might sound kinda stupid or lame, but you know me, I'll say it any way. I only say his because it helps me.

WATER.....I notice that when I drink more water, my skin is better. I haven't tried anything else, but that has always helped me.

Drowning over here ;D
Kaiti

[Allanque]

I probably don't drink as much as I should, but I do drink a fair amount of water (especially when I'm working).

Cat - They actually only had me take one. They didn't even make me go on birth control.

[Linda]

We have been lucky...no acne and he is 16.....I never had acne when I was a teen-ager...the only time I would get a pimple at all was just before my period...and always on my nose!!!! Still haven't figured that one out.

Kaiti the water thing ...might be something to it.

[AnneM]

Picking up on the water drinking - I think there is a lot in this! .. I read an article recently about drinking enough water and that it can prevent/cure a huge abundance of things and definitely significantly helps keep a clearer skin...

As for acne ... Sam is also lucky as he doesn't suffer from acne BUT like Linda was saying gets an occasional spot right on the end of his nose! ... Of course he just cannot leave it alone and it ends up as a red/purple extra nose!! ... much to his annoyance for a few days!! ...

[Kimmers]

I'm kind of embarrassed posting this...but I STILL have acne. Thank goodness make-up covers most of it but was wondering if the dosages are appropriate for an adult? I was on birth control that helped keep my skin clear [er] but was taken off due to cycle problems. Now it is coming back! YIKES! Anyone know?!

Thanks!
Kimmers

[catatonic]

Kimmers, my son is bigger than a lot of adult women. He's 5'11" and weighs 160lb. His dose ought to be appropriate for you, 50mg zinc and around 3,000mg pantothenic acid daily. Don't forget the multi-vitamin. You'll need the copper to avoid throwing yourself out of balance.

[ohmama]

Kimmers,
Just a thought. Have you had that dreaded pap smear lately? I know someone who put this off again and again. This woman had complexion problems and it turned out to be hormonal. Her pap test results alerted her but it was too late and she ended up getting a hysterectomy because of an abnormal cervex and inflamed ovaries. The skin condition was the first noticable sign of this problem but no one connected it till it was too late.

[Madison]

OK OK OK......I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS MYSELF!

I fought acne seemed like forever! Went to the doctor/washed my face more/bought over the counter medicine/got pregnant 3 times (that doesn't help acne) and it was terrible I was ashamed to FACE kids in class via room mother or parties because I was always TERRIBLE broke out with acne!!

Now my solution: WATER WATER WATER!! Cut those COLAS to 1 or no more than 2 cans a day! That water FLUSHES the acids and whatever from your system and in 3-4 weeks the acne was about TOTALLY GONE!! In fact my new friends that didn't know I EVER fought acne doesn't believe me because she is suffering from it too. She's in her middle 30's like me and she was so UPSET over it and said 'WHEN the heck does a person get over acne!?" I told her my solution ;D

another thing: MORE SALADS!! I try and eat at LEAST 1 to 2 salads a day. Those salads seem to flush the system.

DON'T eat those GREASY fries and other fried food as much. GET the SALAD and hamburger instead! Believe me all these tips HELP and it doesn't look like I EVER had acne!

TAKE CARE.....MADISON

[rosyred45]

i KNEW i WAS CRAVING SALADS FOR A REASON. pERFECT TIMING, i'LL BE SHOPPING LATER AFTER THE BANK OPENS

tHANKS

[catatonic]

Madison is right - get rid of the cola! Replace it with water. And while you're drinking that water, use it to wash down a couple of Vitamin E capsules. The Vitamin E will help break down sebum before it gets stuck under your skin, loaded up with bacteria, and puffs up into pimples.

There's an ongoing argument in the medical community about whether diet affects acne. Plenty of docs - and plenty of research - say diet has no effect. On the other hand, different research implicates dairy products, fatty products, etc. etc. etc. Just based on personal observation, I completely agree that what you eat affects your skin. DUH!!!!!!!!

(My 15 year old does not doubt that bad food can cause acne, or that vitamins can cure it. How hard do you think it would be to convince him that having sex too young will make his acne come back? Or that consuming beer and liquor cause acne? That being rude and obnoxious to his mother puts stress on him that causes acne? Not that he does any of these things - except the last one - but he'll do ANYTHING to get rid of his acne, so I'm just trying to think of ways to turn this to my advantage!)

Kimmers, if your skin - like mine, unfortunately - is prone to breaking out at certain predictable points in your menstrual cycle, add Vitamin B6. There is research out there showing that it reduces acne related to hormone fluctuations. Between 50 and 100mg per day is normally recommended.

[Allanque]

Tolerable Upper Intake Level: the maximum amount of a nutrient that appears safe for most healthy people and beyond which there is an increased risk of adverse health effects.

For a 15-year-old, that amount is 34 mg of zinc.

For people 19 and up, it is 40 mg per day.

Random fact from my food and nutrition book.

"Excessive zinc intake will eventually affect the balance and proper ratios to numerous other important nutrients that may include iron, calcium, selenium, nickel, phosphorus, copper, as well as Vitamin A, B1, C, and others. It may also cause, or contribute to gastrointestinal problems, hair loss, anemia, loss of libido, impotence, prostatitis, ovarian cysts, menstrual problems, depressed immune functions, muscle spasms, sciatica, renal tubular necrosis / interstitial nephritis, dizziness and vomiting, among others."

That one also lists the "therapeutic range" as 10-250 mg.

- from www.acu-cell.com/znk.html