It’s no secret that acne is linked to various other medical conditions, and the full extent of the condition’s involvement in the overall health picture is not yet completely understood. Recent research has shown that physicians – and parents, naturally – should be particularly watchful when it comes to acne in pre-adolescent children, as it could be indicative of much more serious problems than acne in adolescents and higher ages.
According to C. Yan, a paediatric dermatologist who is currently a section chief at the Division of Dermatology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, acne at a very young age could possibly indicate a disturbance in the hormonal balance of the child, and should be taken very seriously. It doesn’t always mean that there is a serious underlying problem, and sometimes it turns out that there’s nothing to worry about. But occasionally, acne at this age could lead to the discovery of much more serious problems, making it a good indicator that should be observed vigilantly.
In one severe example described by Dr. Yan, one of his patients developed acne as early as the age of five, and because of this, an adrenal tumor was uncovered. There have apparently already been several published reports that describe a very strong possible relationship between acne at a young age, and various health-related problems such as certain kinds of tumors.
The prevalence of the condition is not that high in older children, as according to current stats, about 5% of children in the range of 7-11 years have it. According to Dr. Yan, acne at that age is not as alarming as in earlier years, but it does often indicate that the child is about to suffer from a much more serious outbreak of acne as they grow into their older tee years. On the other hand, this at least is not a very difficult problem to treat, as various solutions for acne are available nowadays, and patients basically just have to choose something that suits their body types best.
Dr. Yan states that one of the best treatments for the condition are topical retinoids, as well as benzoyl peroxide. Oral antibiotics, which some pediatricians are quick to prescribe, are not that useful in attacking the condition head on, he went on to say, and it’s always best to rely on topical solutions for the best effect. The cosmetic market is certainly not poor on different solutions for the treatment of acne nowadays, and as time goes by, there will likely be even more products available for successfully dealing with the nasty problem. All it takes in most cases is to recognize acne early enough, and deal with it promptly.
My son has severe acne and nothing has helped. We started treatment under a dermatologist and 3 years later after trying various antibiotics, retinol, sulphur, benzyl peroxide, homeopathic, mineral supplements, advertised over the counter systems and miracle cures, etc…. Acne is still a terrible problem on his back, chest and face! (Accutane is not an option due to a family heath history).
“All it takes in most cases is to recognize acne early enough, and deal with it promptly.” is just not a true statement, at least in our case!
If you find it so easy to treat, I challenge you to make my son acne free. He truly suffers and sticks to any given protocol over the years (under my supervision; ) BUT to no avail… Thanks!