Clayton Bailey: I can't see an end. I didn't know when it was going to be gone and you would do something and then clear up like for a day and then be back as bad as ever.
Male Speaker: Being a teen is tough for a lot of reasons and acne is a big one, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, almost every teen will develop some form of it. But today, doctors and parents have an arsenal of weapons from over-the-counter remedies to prescription drugs that help teens attack acne.
On the lacrosse field, 14-year old Karsten Bench is in constant motion. Working hard to help his team gain control of the game.
Male Speaker: How are things been going with your skin?
Male Speaker: Off the field, karsten is fighting to gain control of another opponent, acne.
Karsten Bench: It used to come up around on my forehead but now it's just mostly down here.
Dean Morrell: I told all my patients that a 100% of people get acne. If they get to the teen age years without acne, they usually are the ones that end up with, what they don't, to acne.
Male Speaker: But breakouts can break down a teenager self-esteem.
Karsten Bench: At times when you're just kind of like, I wish it's just go away.
Female Speaker: It's embarrassing like younger kids they would be like what's wrong with your face?
Heidi Mangelsdorf: Acne is primarily a hereditary disorder, there are certain things that will make acne worse, and one of those is stress and the other is hormones.
Male Speaker: Today, a menu of strategies can help prevent, control and even cure teen acne.
Heidi Mangelsdorf: The treatment of their acne really does depend on the severity and also on their skin type.
Male Speaker: Microcomedones are tiny pore clogging plugs made of oil, skin and bacteria. And they become abundant during a hormone change in teen years.
Heidi Mangelsdorf: They really do need some sort of ongoing treatment, ongoing medication to help to keep the pores unplugged, so the acne doesn't developed.
Male Speaker: Over-the-counter remedies with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are often the first line of defense.
Male Speaker: 14-year old Paige Baratta needed stronger medicine to clear her pores.
Paige Baratta: I bought and store like just over-the-counter products and I was using those for a while and that helps a little bit, but it's just got worse.
Dean Morrell: When you have an increasing number of comedones that the over-the-counter products can't control. Now that's the time to discuss with your doctor, a prescription for a topical retinoid.
Male Speaker: And that's exactly what Paige and her parents did. She was prescribed a retinoid.
Heidi Mangelsdorf: Retin-A is an old product and now they have Retin-A Micro, for instance, which the Retin-A is in these all Microspherical particles that actually releases the Retin-A over a period of time.
Male Speaker: It makes the medication easier for more patients to tolerate.
Michael Gutierrez: If you used a Microsphere, people will have less redness, less irritation. So, they are good thing to use.
Male Speaker: There are other strategies too.
Heidi Mangelsdorf: A lot of people also have inflamed bumps or cyst with their acne. So they will need a topical antibiotic or even an oral antibiotic if that acne is deeper in the skin.
Male Speaker: Topical antibiotics can be combined with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide.
Dean Morrell: Low dose oral antibiotics are showing signs, that they help to be as affective as the higher doses without some of the potential side effects.
Male Speaker: These strategies act like a suppressive blanket.
Dean Morrell: Hopefully, towards the end of their acne years, we tried to sneak away the blanket and hopefully that we have gotten them through their worst years. They are getting some spots here, we still don't know that what make somebody go from pretty typical superficial, whitehead, blackheads to very inflammatory lesions.
Male Speaker: In those cases, doctor sometimes prescribed –
Dean Morrell: Isotretinoin, which of all the medications is the most powerful medicine for acne.
Male Speaker: Because Isotretinoin carries potentially serious side effects including liver damage and birth defects, the FDA has implemented strict guidelines including a mandatory monthly pregnancy test for females who take it.
Dean Morrell: Are you having any problems, any headaches?
Male Speaker: 15 year old Clayton Bailey is on his last month of treatment.
Dean Morrell: Your cheeks and chin, they look fantastic.
Male Speaker: Cyst on his face and back are nearly gone.
Clayton Bailey: I don't have to really worry about getting a bunch of pimples on my forehead when I wake up and it's just a lot easier on me.
Male Speaker: And as with everything, regardless of the treatment, parents can't push a teen to succeed.
Michael Gutierrez: Parents really have to have to their hands on approach almost catch any kid before they run out to how stick a pill in their mouth or giving them or putting the cream on their face.
Male Speaker: The right therapy, consistent use of the medication and parental involvement can prevent teen acne, control lesions, and stop the most severe cases. Strategies that are helping Karsten get his mind off his skin, and back on the game.
Parents need to know early treatment is critical to avoid scarring. So if the over-the-counter remedies aren't doing the trick, have your child see a dermatologist right away.
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