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My son is 13 and just developing spots – not sure if you would term this as acne… His father had acne when he was young and I am concerned that he might also develop this. My son is very reluctant to talk about it, let alone see a doctor but I managed to get him to the doctor who just said its his age and it will pass. I don’t really feel that is enough advise at this stage and wondering if I should take him to a dermatologist or am I being too dramatic? Also would I need to find a dermatologist that specifically looks after children / young adults? Many thanks (Carol)

Dear Carol,

Many thanks for your question. There are a number of treatments for acne at any age and stage and I always say that there is no need to suffer through it. If it is mild, he might benefit from over the counter treatments containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or glycolic acid (though I would not advise that he start them all together as too many products can cause skin sensitivities). Prescribed products include combination topical creams +/- oral medication such as tetracycline antibiotics.

I would certainly recommend either seeing his doctor again or seeing a dermatologist if you are worried about his skin as there will be a suitable treatment option for him depending on the level and type of his acne. Dermatologists are very familiar with treating acne in both teenagers and adults so should be happy to see him unless otherwise specified.

I hope this helps.
Dr Penelope Pratsou