Zinc tablets???

[Mumonamission5]

My 14 year old daughter has suffered Acne bad now for a year. She hardly ever goes out, she has no confidence. We tried many things before taking her to the GP. She has been on antibiotics tablets now 3 weeks. What I want to know is why it states you shouldn't take Zinc tablets with her acne tablets? Anyone know why? Her inflamed areas are starting to not look so red now (thank goodness for her) but how can I help with scarring? Sorry with the question just want to help my little girl gain her come back. Thank you in advance guys.

[Glas46]

Hi there,

Usually the advice is that you can't take zinc for 2 hours either side of taking the antibiotic. If she is taking antibiotics in the morning and evening, it should be ok to take the antibiotics around lunchtime. Zinc can decrease the absorbtion of antibiotics making them less effective, but fine if taken after 2 hours when the antibiotic will be fully absorbed. Hope that helps. If you are seeing improvements after 3 weeks that's a really postive sign, it can take up to 3 months for the full effect. I hope as her skin improves she gains her confidence back. I know how difficult it is watching your kids stuggle with this. Good luck, hope she continues to improve. xxx

[Hidden]

Hi - Zinc can upset your stomach as do antibiotics so together they're not a good idea. I had to stop taking zinc altogether even without other pills as I kept getting a sore stomach. Separately I would highly recommend using Azelaic Acid as it reduces redness and inflammation. You can get it on prescription but I buy The Ordinary's cream (they refer to it as a multifunctional brightening formula) as it has a very nice feel to it on application. It's usually prescribed for people with Rosacea. Small caution - it starts off really well and I thought it was a miracle cure but then the effectiveness did reduce a little. The trouble with acne-prone skin is that it gets used to different treatments. Still, the cream has now settled down to be a solid performer and definitely stops spots from getting so severe. I find that the infection side is much reduced and if applied earlier enough it can stop a spot from forming. It's only around £6 so not an expensive treatment. Acne is a nightmare - painful and confidence zapping. I do hope you'll try the azelaic acid and have success too. I don't recommend many things to people but this I would. I've gone from a lot of spots to only a few. I was using a toner with salicylic acid in it and that made my skin spottier. You live and learn. Good luck to your daughter.

[bridgeit]

I empathize with your daughter. I was an acne sufferer for most of my teenage years and into my forties.

Here's my advice based on personal experience, that I wish (oh how I wish) I'd known during my teens. This is in case there's anything I can share that you haven't tried that might help.

1. Stop eating/drinking dairy products - all of them. Swap to soya or oat milk and avoid cheese/yoghurt/ice cream that is animal based. Again, swap to soya. It's the animal hormones in animal milk that can play havoc with young systems once their own teenage hormones kick in. Your daughter will know after 3 months of strictly adhering to a non-animal milk routine whether it is working for her or not.

2. Take a pro-biotic while on antibiotics, daily until 2 weeks after finishing the antibiotics. A probiotic keeps gut flora intact. Antibiotics destroy everything including good flora and can cause tummy upsets and, again, skin problems as a result. Probio 7 Advanced is my personal probiotic choice as it can be taken safely with antibiotics. Holland and Barrett sell it.

3. Use a skin cleanser and moisturizer that is ultra-gentle. I've just discovered a product called Sebamed, which is PH 5.5 and I think is marvellous. It doesn't dry the skin and matches the skin's PH. Most soaps/cleansers are too alkaline and strip the skin of its natural oils, so it goes into over-production to compensate. Sebamed comes in a lotion wash, a cleansing bar and you can get shampoo and moisturizers as well. Amazon sells it, as does 'Savers' in the High Street. Savers do a great price but their stock range is limited. An alternative is Cetaphil cleanser (dermatologist recommended) from any pharmacy, but it leaves skin feeling much drier compared with Sebamed.

I hope this regime helps - and particularly reduces the need for antibiotics sooner rather than later.

Finally, I wish your daughter a clear skin soon, along with growing confidence. Teenage years are difficult enough without the blight of acne.

[Biffy1212]

How is your daughter doing now? I really feel for her. Teenage years are tricky enough