10 year old teenager

[lizwizz]

My 10 year old has just started her periods and is getting loads of spots which she is very self-conscious of. I feel very sad that she's having to deal with all this at such a young age. she's a happy, popular girl in other ways, and though she talks to her friends, they don't really understand cos they're not going through it. I want to help her improve her spots particularly, but also to keep positive and not woory about what others think. Easier said than done!

[alijangra]

Your daughter has my sympathy lizwizz. I suffered terrible acne and that was in my teens which was bad enough. I can only hope she grows out of it quickly.

Its hard to give advice as it really is hormone related and external products only help so much.

Im still bothered with spots at 26 so have a few years experience and have probably tried all the products on the market.

My personal favourite is 'Witch' exfoliating face wash. It is very gentle and contains natural ingredients. A little natural witch hazel or tea tree oil dabbed on the spots also helps with the inflammation. They also produce a medicated cover-up stick which is very handy.

The obvious thing to say is not to pick or squeeze the spots (easier said than done!) and also a balanced diet with plenty vitamin C is always going to help as well as plenty water to drink. Not so easy with a 10 year old I guess!

I am probably going to get slated for saying this, but if the situation gets unbareable then UV therapy can help.My mum bought me a facial tanning solarium which I only used very occasionally and it really helped. This is a decision that you as a parent have to make, but it really depends on how much the spots affect your daughters self-esteem. Dermatologists actually use this method and it really is effective.

[zara 4]

Perhaps when her body has settled down with the periods her skin may clear up on its own

[spacechimp]

If she washes her face with a soapy flannel every night I should think they'll be less prominent.

[alijangra]

spacechimp I dont think your answer is helpful at all. And anyway, flannels are breeding grounds for bacteria so I wouldnt recommend anyone put them near their face unless they are washed everyday.

IMO you seem to be making light of what is probably a very distressing time for lizwizz and her daughter and insulting her intelligence at the same time.

[Morrisonker]

I'm not sure how a GP would feel perscribing it for a 10 year old but the contrceptive pill Dianette is used to calm down acne, it's actually a contraceptive as a side effect. Ask your GP, I'm not sure how the various hormones would effect a girl so young.

alijangra - in my experience a clean flannel and good soap can be very effective in reducing spots. I really like Dove and Pears soap as they seem to work better than others, who knows why. I don't really think spacechimp was being particualarly insensitive, it's diffficult to empathise with someone if you haven't had the same experience as they have.

[ronnie963]

the pill for a 10 year old are you mad . Lots of confidences building and cuddles from her mum will help and she'll grow into a strong woman. The spots will get better with time.

good luck

[Puzzled23]

In my personal opinion it is far better to treat the problem from the inside first and only consider using acne medicines or other treatments in servere cases.

Let me start by telling you something that I was told - the spots are the result of the body being 'hot' (the meaning of this is not temperature) and the indigestion system is 'dirty' (our system is not cleansed well).

There are a few simple things that help to solve this - Firstly drink plenty of water (as said by other ABers). eat plenty of fresh greens like salads including cucumber, onions, tomatoes etc. Also plenty of fresh fruit like apples, pears (a very good variety of pear can be bought from the market its called a 'chinese' pear), blueberries, nuts (natural not roasted nuts). Also I would recommend to stop or at least cut back on sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, fried food like chips and high temperature cooked oven food. I understand this may be difficult especially at your daughters age but cutting down on those foods and eating fresher ones will only benefit her.

There is a very good health food store product - Aloe vera juice, it helps to maintain good skin and cleanse the body of toxins. Its relatively cheap too. There are some do's and donts about when to drink the juice this is labelled on the bottle, generally it is good for everyone but if concerned just read the label.

Finally a good general skincare routine is important too. Using a light facial exfoliating scrub 1-2 times per week and a gentle antbacterial wash daily will really help.Also a light non greasy moisturiser will help prevent further breakouts on the skin, and a small amount of tea tree oil (the diluted one available from shops) lightly touched on the spots before bed will reduce swelling/redness.

[lizwizz]

Thanks, lots of really useful advice.

[spacechimp]

I certainly wasn't trying to insult lizwizz's intelligence.

[morg_monster]

wah, the teenage years, what a horrible time. I started my periods early (just turned 11) and from then on always had lots of spots - I was lucky as they never scarred. When I was 16 my mum took me to the doctor and I went on antibiotics, about a year later and she agreed that I could go on Diannette instead. Those both did a decent job, but I'm now glad that mum made me wait til I was a bit older before I went on medication for it. Because all her school friends will catch up with her, in a couple of years they'll all have spots and greasy hair. I think it does depend on personality but these kind of things do help us to realise that looks aren't everything and its what's inside that counts.

As others have said, I would really emphasise with her the need for a healthy diet. To be honest, it probably won't make much difference to the skin, but it'll keep her feeling good and well and more able to cope with the traumas of teen hood. Plus she'll feel like she's being pro-active. Take her to boots or the body shop, or give her some cash, so she can pick a suitable face wash designed for oily skin - but make sure its fairly gentle (I'd recommend Lush's Fresh Farmacy soap - it is gentle with calamine lotion in and doesn't leave the skin tight). Also a suitable moisturiser. You could also offer to buy some foundation for use on special occasions if you think it would boost her confidence.

Depending on what kind of spots she has, they might just be kept under control by external products. But I think that at that age, prescribed medication would reinforce the idea that spots are a 'bad' thing - yes, they are rubbish, but everyone gets them, her friends will eventually. Wait until she's had them a few years before deciding between you whether you want to go to the doctors.

(cont)

[morg_monster]

(cont)...
On the periods matter - do you let her take pain killers for them? The doctor would be able to give you advice, but I should think that if she has started her periods, she would be able to take adult doses of ibuprofen or paracetomal. Might make life a bit easier.

Oh just thought about one more thing. Does she have brothers? Because my mum gave my little bro (2 yrs younger) a talk about all the things I was going through and that he should be sympathetic to me, explaining that I might be grumpy and cry at certain times (I had horrid PMS) and he might want to give me a wide berth, and be extra nice. It seemed to work - we fought like cat and dog all through childhood and teens, always insulting each other horribly, but he never once mentioned my face full of spots. Bless!

[Silversky]

Hi there,

I'm 15 and I started my periods at 11 years of age, I don't suffer from acne, but I do use a cream called Quinoderm. It's the best I can recommend, they do also have lots of other spot products.

But most of all she needs confidence, I was the first to start my periods amongst my class. Other people found out and I was teased like hell. So really give her as much confidence as possible, tell her she gorgeous all the time, and she'll need her mum! Even when she's 15.

[sherwina3141]

I had my frist period when i was 10 years old. I matured early. My breast had perfecly formed and also my shape. I did have acne but i dealt with it by going to the dermatology doctor. I know it was really hard to start this early because it has too many changes in our body as a teen growing up to be a woman. I was proud of myself because I started that early. All I had to do was to love myself who I was at that time, a 10 years old lady with pms.

[andy15star]

I had this problem myself and even now at 18 lol.what i would recomend is tee tree n whitch hazel as this will help with the prevention of breakouts and will also help control the amount of oil produced .tee tree is good for healing aswell so it will stop spreading any infection when tere is a head .
hope this is helpful
laura xxxxxxxx