17 Year Old with Irregular Periods

I believe irregular periods are very normal for teens. I know you want to avoid b/c pills but it can really help with the periods and acne. When I was her age I had irregular periods. The OB/GYN had me take b/c pills for only 6 months and everything normalized after that. My skin cleared up too. You could consider it for a short period of time just to get her hormones balanced.

This may sound funny, but does she have any friends that have very regular periods? Or do you? Because it seems like women who live together cycle at the same time.

Here is my story...when I left for college my periods got really irregular and I was only having a period about every three months. Well, my dorm roommate that I moved in with was having her period every two weeks. After a couple months we both were on a regular monthly cycle.

So, I don't know how much you need to worry about it, it may all work itself out. I understand not wanting to do the birth control pill, but the OB may have some other suggestions too.

Good Luck, M.

I can talk to the acne,

I would suggest going to just a rice diet for a week to clean out the system. Then start adding foods, a week at a time, until she starts having acne. If there is no acne, she can move on to another food. That is the food that she needs to avoid. Then add other foods. Also keep to the fresh fruits and vegetables.

My son's big acne cause was chocolate which he absolutely loved. He finally developed the mantra, eat it today, wear it tomorrow. It made it easier to avoid the chocolate.

Hi,
I am an acupuncturist and a Chinese herbalist, and I just want to let you know that Chinese herbs can really be quite effective for these disorders---I suspect that the doctor actually meant that the acne and the irregular periods stem from the same source, not that one causes the other. That being said, the decoction you describe may not be the best way to take the herbs. The Chinese herbal formulas, when taken as a tea or decoction, are really an acquired taste, and most Americans that I've run across do not have the time/patience/motivation to acquire the taste. But there are companies that make formulas into pill form. Perhaps your Chinese herbalist even does this in his or her office. Ask about other forms of the herbs before you give up, because it can be extremely effective fairly quickly, especially in a younger person.

Good for you for not just wanting to put her on BC pills.

I had awful acne growing up and my mom put me on zinc tablets. They helped tremendously.

I've also purchased liquid calcium from WaterOz.com and I've heard of people washing their face with the calcium. It's expensive to do it that way, but it's an option.

I use a line called ZapIt that I buy from a members only company. It's 1/2 the price of ProActive and it works. My daughters face looks great now.

I don't know very many 17 yr olds with regular periods. Do some more research and see what you come up with. I'd toss the tea!

S.
www.DeliveringWellnessToYou.com

If your daughter has a hormore imbalance, don't rule out BC pills. It was recommended to start taking them around 17 but didn't out of "principle". I have PCOS which 1 out of 10 women have, some don't even know it. (Acne and irregular periods are two symptoms of PCOS) Anyhow, progesterone only BC pills are a tremendous help for me.. so while I relate to not wanting to put her on the pill, please leave BC pills as an option. Also as far as the acne goes, my sister swears by the ProActive line that is advertised on TV. It really changed her skin for the better. But I suggest looking at the root cause of the symptoms which sounds like a hormonal imbalance to me. PS Your daughter is very lucky you are looking out for her and advocating for her!

The best thing my mom did for me when I was a teenager was take me to the dermatologist. I got an antibiotic and it cleared my acne right up. Acne is caused by bacteria. I know antibiotics are contoversial because they make bacteria stronger, but when you're 17 all you want is clear skin. I tried numerous topical medications that only mildly worked, although anything with sulfur in it works pretty well, also from the dermatologist. I have also had irregular periods since I was 13, and it was never an issue for me until I started trying to have a baby. I doubt that's an issue for her right now, so I'd focus on the acne. Good luck!

Lori,

Are you opposed to taking your daughter to an OB/GYN because you prefer natural medicine/treatments? Or is this more of a "she's uncomfortable" about going situation?

If you prefer the more naturopathic way--try contacting Bastyr in Wallingford (I see you're in Bothell), and asking for a referral to adolescent/early adulthood service providers.

I do know two great naturopaths in Kirkland who are both Bastyr graduates. They both specialize in women's health as well as family-practices. They work with most insurance too.

You have many great responses from other moms. I hope your daughter gets some relief from her issues soon.

Have you heard of PCOS? I started having symptoms around 17 years of age (cystic acne, irregular periods, abdominal fat despite being involved in sports, facial hair, etc.) I was finally diagnosed at age 20 (I am now 29). For several years I was treated the traditional way (bc pills, medications, etc.) which helped the symptoms, but not the underlying problem. About 5 years ago I decided to chuck the pills and go natural. Between diet, exercise and supplements, I feel like I am pretty much normal today. Best of all my periods came back, and I am now 7 months pregnant with my second child. I am telling you all of this to say that I believe it is really important to find the CAUSE of the symptoms rather than only treating the symptoms, like acne. Yes, SOME acne is normal in the teen years, as is SOME irregularity. But moderate to severe acne (especially cystic) and continuing irregularity are signs that something is off balance in the body. I would suggest going to a naturopath (maybe one that specializes in hormonal problems) to help you find a treatment that wouldn't involve bc pills. Or, you could go to a traditional ob-gyn for a diagnosis and to a naturopath for treatment.

I really feel for your daughter, because I know how hard it is to struggle with acne at that age. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier, because those three years were really tough for me.

If you would like more resources or to know what diet changes I have made personally, feel free to contact me.

Good Luck!

I strongly recommend seeing a naturopathic physician. They look at the body as a whole and can/will do some tests that will give them a better idea as to where to go. They also use bioidentical hormones rather than synthetic ones. I will admit that sometimes what they prescribe is not much better than tea that tastes like vomit, but you can discuss that with the ND and work something out. They typically have 3 or 4 options for treatments.

I don't recommend using bc pills for acne. The progesterone and estrogen in them is not a bioidentical hormone it is a chemical hormone and can cause other issues later on down the road. I was one who did that and now have PCOS and some other issues with bc pills (I can't take them.) They turn me into a raving lunatic.

I don't know of any in your area but you can check your insurance and see a listing of dr's there or go online and do a search for ND's in your area.

Good Luck

S.

Hi Lori,
First of all I think it's great that you and your daughter are willing to avoid manufactured chemicals in the pursuit of regulating your daughter's hormones and overall health balance. Like some others have mentioned, it's important to check that there aren't problems like cysts or something, but a good Chinese doctor would probably also detect that in her pulse. Pulse diagnosis is pretty amazing, and Western medicine is starting to recognize how powerful and accurate it is for diagnosing internal imbalances (and sending someone to a Western doctor if appropriate). Chinese medicine considers regular, healthy flowing periods as a sign of health and hormonal balance, and if you start reading about people with hormonal imbalances, you can see it makes sense.
Anyway, I've used Chinese herbs and acupuncture here and there in the last 15 years. When I used to use it in my 20's, it fixed me up right away, and it was generally for just not feeling quite right. Like I didn't have any energy, was cold all the time, sleep was not normal. The teapills I found to be weak, and I usually just took them on faith that they were doing something. When I went to someone who prescribed herbs like your daughter is taking, it was very powerful and the results were obvious and wonderful and I felt strong again.
Now I'm in my late 30's and I've felt run down and depressed since I was pregnant with my son 3 years ago. I've tried all the recommendations of my Western doctors, I eat great, walk a lot, do yoga, and was about to get on antidepressents because I was not able to cope, was having memory loss, inability to think straight, poor sleep, irritability, lack of motivation, etc. and it was seriously impeding my life. Something had me look up a chinese dr. here in Portland (I'd seen the others in Seattle), and a week later I felt like a different person. I've been on the herbs for 4 weeks now and decided to skip the antidepressents.
Basically I just want to convey that the Chinese Medicinal herbs are pretty nasty tasting, but it's powerful and gets your body balanced pretty quickly and in a lasting way (without having to keep taking the herbs). I would just keep a glass of grapefruit juice handy as a chaser. I drink mine down before the taste really hits, and the juice gets rid of any aftertaste.
If you've started reading about hormones, it starts to makes sense how an imbalance will make any number of different problems, but how balance really makes us feel normal and healthy and vital.
Best wishes.

Hello Lori,

I think you should get your daughter into the doctor for some blood testing. She may have a thyroid problem....or as the other "mama's" were saying, anemic, etc. By the way, I believe the correct name for the thyroid issue is called "hypothyroid."

It is so important for everyone to get blood tests every 6 months, if financially possible. I do that in my family. You can catch things that are undetected......the human body is EXTREMELY complicated. And with cancer attacking anyone and everyone, you just can never be too careful. I try to practice prevention in my family.

I wish you the very best to your family!
M.

'might try acupuncture--but find a woman acupuncturist who specializes in women's issues and fertility ... (mine took off on worldwide walkabout, but I think she found a replacement for while she was gone; if you are in Portland you could look up Blue Turtle acupuncture, or there are a variety of cooperative chiropractic/acupuncture clinics and some of them focus on fertility and birth issues) ...

I was SOOOOOO irregular ... really up until after this last (fourth) birth (now that I think of it, it was with this birth that I tried the acupuncture ;), although I was doing it to get labor going before 'time ran out' on my midwife being able to deliver) ...

... of the variety of things I had going on, a cervical eversion kept things confused, probably also hypothyroidism (but I never got the expensive, more accurate test, and the cheap one my insurance covered showed I was "fine") ... if you find a good obGyn, your 17 year old should be fine (I finally last year found an obGyn I liked, Thomas Flath--yes, he's a man, but when I said I wanted to ask questions without the whole disrobing thing he was fine with that and actually took me out of the exam room and into his office (no stirrups etc. to be distracted by) ...

Good luck and God bless to you and your daughter ...

I can't help with the irregular periods. But I can help with the acne scars. My mom had bad acne and scarring from it most of her life, then we started using Aloette Skin care and the acne is gone and the scars have gotten significantly smaller. They were the size of erasers and afew a few years were the size of the end of a pin. But her scars were 20+ years old, new scars are faster to repair. What the products did for my mom is why I started selling Aloette. If you would like to try the products let me know. My mom lives in Lynnwood, so I am in your area all of the time so I could give you and your daugher a skin care and makeup makeover.
Jeni
____@____.com
myaloette.biz/jenistutz

Like others have said, the acne and the irregular periods can both be symptoms of a hormone imbalance. You've had lots of good advice, so the only thing I can think to add is to find out from the herbalist if she can take the herbs in capsule form. If those herbs can be ground and packed into gelatin capsules, she can avoid the nasty taste part by taking the capsules with a cup of warm water. Or if they're one of those herbs-packed-into-gooey-ball things, you can just cut them up and take them like pills

At least that's what my acupuncturist recommended when I couldn't gag down the stuff she gave me.

Irregular periods are caused by a number of things. Acne is not one of them. Acne can be a symptom associated with irregular periods in that both may be caused by a hormone imbalance. Irregular periods at 17 is fairly common because the teens hormone production hasn't become level.

There are many OTC treatments for Acne. I went to a dermatologist who prescribed hydrocortisone cream before it was sold OTC. That cleared up my acne. I had irregular periods any time I wasn't taking birth control pills. Having irregular periods can be "normal" tho very inconvenient. Mine were also painful.

As an adult, I was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis. I was treated first with birth control pills which did make my periods regular and less painful. Eventually I had a couple of surgeries to correct the endometriosis. After surgery my periods were shorter and less painful but still irregular.

I think that endometriosis still only has two available treatments: hormones and surgery.

Irregular periods can be caused by several other conditions. An ob/gyn may or many not be able to diagnose the cause and then may or may not be able to successfully treat it.

Your post sounds like the mother and teen want to correct the acne because they think that if the acne is treated the periods will become regular. Hormone treatment may correct both conditions but then again it may not.

If her acne is severe she will most likely need prescription medication to bring it under control. However, she may be able to reduce the acne with twice daily cleansing of her skin and an over the counter treatment. For some, washing their face twice daily using appropriate cleaning products along with a having regular nutritious diet will reduce the breakouts. It's important to not touch the face or pick at or squeeze pustules. There are several good sources to learn how to care for ones face as a teen. If her acne is severe and home and otc remedies are not effective I recommend seeing a dermatologist to prevent scarring.

So, what I would do is work at finding an effective way to treat the acne using home and/or otc products along with good hygiene and a nutritious diet.

Based on my own experience with my own and other's irregular periods I would wait until the teen is older unless there are other symptoms that may indicate something serious is going on. If she has pain she can take 800 mg of ibuprofen starting at the first indication that her period will start soon. Take the ibuprofen even if there is no pain. Ibuprofen influences our own "chemical" responses to the period and may prevent pain to start. Ibuprofen is a pain killer but it also affects other processes in our body. I don't remember enough to explain it.

The tea sounds terrible. Do you know the credential of the "chinese herb doctor?" Anyone can say that they're a "chinese herb doctor" without having any training or experience. I would recommend seeing a naturopath. They receive years of training and are licensed. It is quite possible that the naturopath could recommend natural ingredients such as teas which will be beneficial.

Hi Lori,
Acne is hormone related, which is why many people treat their acne with BC pills.
Arbonne has balancing creams that help balance these hormone fluctuations. It is a transdermal cream (absorbed through the skin) so your daughter's issues with a terrible-tasting liquid won't be an issue with this. This cream uses botanically-based hormones to balance the system. How this works is botanically-based hormones are only 10% as potent as a person's endogenous (internal) hormones but bind completely to the person's hormone receptors. Because of this, the person's own hormones are blocked from binding to the receptors and their hormone levels are stablized. What this does is eliminates the huge hormone fluctuations that many women are plagued with.
The caution with these products is that if you are taking hormone replacement or birth control pills, you don't want to use this as it will bind to the hormone receptors and decrease the efficacy of the pills.
If you would like more information you can go to my webpage at www.nursekerry.myarbonne.com.
Good luck!

Ask your doctor for a prescrition of Spironolactone. She should probably take 100 MG for the first 30 days to build it up in her system aftert that she can lower her dose to 50 MG to see if the lower dose works for her and the next month to 25 MG that is the lowest dose possible. It is considered a water pill. I have had Acne since I was 11 and a now 34. I did Acutane, I do NOT reccomend it, it only made my acne more systic after it left my system. I did Retin-A aweful stuff. I have also purchased thousands of dollars of acne products from TV and dermatoligists recomendations (antibiotics, just wrecked my system). I also take the pill for Acne because I do not need it for birth control my husband had a vasectomy. The key to taking the pill for Acne is taking a steady dose like in Ortho-cycling, one dose the same not three different doses in a cycle. I wish I had found this combination as a teenager, it would have saved me alot of embarassment and money! What's her mom's problem with the pill? It will regulate her period and help her acne.

It could be something like polycystic ovaries. I would take her to a gynecologist (if you haven't already). There could be many reasons, I'm sure..

the water and vegetables are very key...so keep doing that, but also EXERCISE! It should help with the irregular flow.

Time, time and time. She's 17 and a hormonal nightmare still. BUT there are a couple suggestions that I went through. One, if it's painful acne than there is Accutane. But if you go on Accutane you have to sign a paper that you'll take birth control (or at least I did) because it causes severe birth defects. It also played with my moods. But my skin was in so much pain that it was worth it.

If this does not interest you - don't say I blame you either -I recommend a product called Jan Marini. A lot of people will say ProActive. I HATE this product. It's basically bleach and ruins your eyebrows and clothes if you're not careful. This stuff rocks - http://www.janmarini.com/skincare_severe_acne_teens.html - but it is on a costly side. Not sure what your budget is, but it's good stuff. Another treatment that is good is Microdermabrasion. Both of these treatments can be on the expensive side, but if you have the money your daughter will thank you.

Along with others my first inclination was PCOS. Especially if she has had weight fluctuations.

Yes, the tea tastes terrible. I've drunk a Chinese herb formula for a few years now and you either get used to it or can't stand it. I fortunately got used to mine (except that one formula when I had an ear infection ewww). Good news is the formulas are usually available in teapill form. Ask the herbalist. If they are a super traditional doc they might say the pills don't work as well, but that isn't necessarily true. You just have to take a bunch of them 3 times a day, but they are small. Other herbalists may have the herbs in a granular form. It still doesn't taste great, but it's better.

The way I've found to get the stuff down is to heat it to just over warm and swig it fast. Don't add too much honey because that can effect dampness in the body (ask the herbalist)

The acupuncturist/herbalist I see is L. Taylor-Swanson at Abundant Health in downtown Tacoma. She specializes in infertility and women's issues. She is excellent. She may refer you to a Western doc for testing just to get a clearer picture, but it's worth it.

Is she overweight at all? Is she stalky? Does she have an excess of hair anywhere? Is she very muscular? Does she have a lot of pain in her ovaries? She may have Poly Cystic Ovary Sydrome. (PCOS) I was about 18 when I found out I had it. She will need to go to a doctor to find out for sure. If it is a low Carb diet should help.

1st... About the acne and the scarring. Have you taken her to a dermatologist yet? Scarring is not just an occassional breakout. It maybe that she'll need some antibiotic and/or some other intervention to clear this up. We have a Clarsonic face brush from Sonicare that works wonders, but with her breakouts, you'd want to make sure to clean the brush each day.

2nd... Irregular periods. I have had friends and then their daughters who followed in their Mom's footsteps who had acne and irregular periods. Hormone treatments helped both conditions. It could be that there is too much of one hormone and another is needed to balance things out. They now have 'mini pills' and this may be all she needs. See your ob-gyn or an endocrinologist.

I wish you well. The Clarsonic is an awesome gift. I got one for myself and ended up buying 2 additional brush heads, one for my 22 yr old college daughter and then one for my 17 yr high school sr. son. His face was breaking out around his heair line and chin. No matter how much he scrubbed, used his topical treatment from the doc, he still broke out. Started using he Clarsonic with his dermatologist's face wash, wow!!! At Nordstroms, Sephora or online at www.clarsonic.com. Then at Lush Cosmetics, they have a face soap called Fresh Pharmacy. Works really well, too. Either online or go Bellevue Square or Westlake Mall in the Puget Sound area, Portland has a shop as well. If you go to the store they give you a sample to see if it will work, they have other facial cleansers and all natural masks. They're so natural they're kept in the refrigerator at the shop.

Have you done an elimination diet to see if she's allergic to anything? My other sister has celiac disease (glutton allergy) and every time she eats wheat she breaks out and gets itchy. She had really bad acne in high school, which turned out to be celiac. It takes up to 6 months for glutton to leave your system, so you have to be dedicated to this for a while. Perhaps the Chinese doctor has a good elimination diet. Good luck!

I second the advice for taking zinc supplements. Irregular periods are not normal, think about it, she has had 5 years for hormones to level off. Irregular periods are only "normal" these days because everyones diet is so full of processed foods it is a side effect (severe and adult acne too), that is why when people eat more natural getting the vitamins and minerals our body needs to function correctly everything seems to go back to how it is supposed to be i.e. weight drops, blood pressure drops, periods normal out, acne clears up, cholesterol levels drop, we can come off some medications. A supplement will help for a while but is not a long term solution, the diet has to be changed at some point. If you ever get a chance, watch this show on BBC called "You Are What You Eat" I especially like seeing their food diary laid out on a table and the color if it is brown and tan. I personally haven't done her 8 week diet but I have increased our intake of vegatables and grains and tried to cut down on processed foods and it has made a small difference in our lives, I have more energy and a better complexion and my husbands blood sugar doesn't stay as high as is was. On the bc pills, I would consider them if she is even thinking about becoming or is sexually active, why put her in a position to deal with a possible pregnancy/abortion/adoption or solely relying on the boy to be the responsible one (that should be as well for diseases) but it doens't mean that she has the ok to go ahead with sex but it is understanding that she is human and might experiment and prevention might be a smart thing. With her having irregular periods she wouldn't be able to know if it was a safe time or not. Just something to think about.

Hi Lori~

My younger sister dealt with this and we went to see a dermatologist after a year of trying everything. My sisters self-image was so shot....they put my sister on steroids and that cleared everything right up within weeks. I am talking she had acne all down her back as well as on every inch of her face an neck (it was a topical treatment that we applied for her every night).

I don't know if it is religious reasons or being afraid to mess with her horomones, but perhaps a dermatologist would be a better option? No matter the answer you want to do something asap b/c once the scars are there you can't remove them without surgery. Applying vitamin E oil to scars will drastically lighten them - but I do not recommend it until something is done for the acne. My sister is clear to this day, but she is so embarrassed of the scars.

Irregular periods shouldn't have anyting to do with acne. It is her horomones that are triggering the irregular periods and the acne (in other words these are symptoms). My guess is that she isn't producing enough estrogen (are her periods light or heavy?). Get some primrose pills to take - and have her take them faithfully. The reason they prescribe bc pills is b/c of horomonal imbalance. This can actually cause additional problems later on, and perhaps seeing a obgyn wouldn't be a bad idea (she should be seeing one once a year now - that should start about age 16 - they can also show her how to check for lumps in her breats - something else she needs to be doing). They can test for imbalance issues. They won't force bc, but will suggest it as an option. Remember anything anyone suggests is just an option.

I don't know where you live, but I see Dr. Margaret Hovey. She is really wonderful and will not beat around the bush. She worked with a midwife for years, and prefers natural routes. She works in the Albany area. There are naturopaths out there you can see as well. Ask your friends about their obgyn to see what they have to say. Best of luck!!

C.

Someone may have suggested this, but you might have her tested for food allergies. It's a simple blood draw that an naturopath can do. Her acne might be aggrivated by something she's eating.

As for the periods - they'll settle out. And she may just have a random period pattern. It happens. Annoying, though!

Hi Lori,

I know the chinese medicine herb teas taste really bad but you may be surprised by how well they work if your daughter can find a way to get them down.

If you haven't already you could try a naturopath before you head to the gyn.

I think the water is a great move. Juicing is good too, but don't let her get so used to drinking her fruits and veggies that she never eats any because the fiber in them is really very beneficial for her body, especially the digestive tract. Besides helping to prevent all sorts of digestive diseases, like colon cancer, the fiber helps our digestive system eliminate waste products from the body.

Good Luck!
S.

I can't imagine that the Chinese Doc said the acne was causing her irregular periods. I'm sure he would have said that the acne and the irregular periods have the same root or underlying cause ie they are symptoms of the same internal imbalance.

She can do a homemade mask using cucumbers soaked in lemon juice, or even ketchup mixed with lemon juice, about a table spoon of sugar..(its sort of to each persons skin..the best way is to make a batch and add more as needed. Start with a half cup of everything and do patch tests..let it dry..if it burns really bad or anything she shouldn't use it. Apple cidar vinager stinks real bad but it might also do the trick. I suggest swabbing the face after a shower before bed. It will also sting..she can water it down. You can add honey to almost anything to make it taste better and it is very good for the skin. I mix it into even my dog's hair conditioner..along with a little baking soda to help keep his skin soft. But I would start acidic and after that go to cucumber which is more soothing. Avoid the oily lotions, but she should use a thin coat at least once a day. The masks will dry her face out, which is the point..try not to pick :)

Mask ingredients:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup lemon juice or apple cidar vinager
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 egg

Mix it all together and spread over face..allow the mask to tighten (leave on for about an hour..the egg is what makes it tighten up.) Use a warm warm, wet washcloth pressed over the face for a few minutes to loosen and then gently scrub off using a gentle cleanser...I can't use anything but Dove as far as cleansers. Follow up with a soothing cucumber wash. (She can simply take cucumber slices and lay them on her skin. like we do over our eyes sometimes.) I suggest this only once a month or so as it is a fairly harsh remedy. Also increasing her intake of herbs like garlic (a natural diuretic and detoxifier), basil, sage, thyme are all anti-bacterial as well. I would reduce her dairy intake as sometimes that can be a culprit and watch her wheat intake...are there patterns with the foods she eats and the breakouts? Perhaps increase her yogurt intake if possible. The cultures in yogurt are very good for keeping many things balanced in the body. As far as getting regular... but all my life from 13 up..whenever another woman was around me for any length of time I would start to change to her cycle time. It freaked me out many times. but, I have found that the best way to get on one's own cycle is to stay home for about a month. And to pay close attention to ones own body. If she starts feeling "pms" coming on and its two weeks early..if she's spent any time in other households at all that could be the culprit..simply women being in tune with other women...its sort of miraculous but a big pain in the tushie if you ask me. Good luck!

Acne is hormonal and true acne can't be helped with diet and herbs. Trust me, I grew up with horrible cystic acne and tried everything. She needs to see a dermotologist. Please take her. The teenage years are difficult enough without the added self-conciousness about acne. Acutane is what finally worked for me. It is controvercial, but it works.

I have known several people who have taken tetracyclene for acne. I guess I would say....isn't acne and irregular periods part of being a teenager? I don't see why doctors are so into getting rid of acne now. It's a normal part of growing up. Periods tend to straighten out and become more regular as a womans body matures. Heck, I'm only 18 and that was just part of growing up when I was that age only 10 years ago. One of the best things to realy do is to take good care of her skin with a good quality facial system for her skin type. They help control the pHbalance of the skin which helps keep it healthy and clear. There are quite a few good ones out there, and they don't always have to cost a ton of money. You just have to find the right one and avoid the really cheap ones.

Have you tried Tea Tree oil with Vitamin E for the acne? Tea tree smells bad so she would want to only use it at night but it may work if you haven't tried it.

Hi Lori, I totally understand your desire not to go the bc route! You are on the right track with the diet changes as I believe the root/solution is nutritional! I say this because I have been working an amazing nutritional business these past 4 year and seen what optimal cellular nutrition can do to enable our body to deal with about any health issue! It is a much simpler approach and we have known people to get results with both skin and hormonal issues! What I do mainly is educate people and give them customer service to help get their results they are looking for. I would be happy to let you hear about and from others with same or similar concerns that our using these nutritional shakes and what they have seen and just educate you and your daughter about it if you'd like. We actually have an informational meeting happening in Tukwilla at the Double Tree at south sound center that my husband and I will be at Friday evening where you could learn all about it and see if it sounds like your answer! There are others there who have teenage daughters that have seen remarkable results with hormone inbalances that you could talk to and see what they took and ask them questions! The people coming to do the presentation is a young couple from Kansas that are in their 20's. Let me know if you want more information either about this meeting or about the products.
In any case I encourage keeping on the natural non drug route if possible. ____@____.com

I say don't worry about it!! I had acne until I was in college (I tried several medications prescribed by my dermatologist but growing up seemed to work best), and I had irregular periods until my mid-20’s. I’m now nearly 30 with clear skin, and I just had my first baby with no complications. I wouldn’t stress your daughter out by taking her to doctors for something that most teenagers experience. It’s perfectly normal!

I have a 17 year old daughter with acne as well-There are many more effective treatments available for acne than there were in our day.

I would recommend that you take her to a dermatologist and consider using antibiotics--doxycycline has worked well for my daughter. There are also topical treatments available such as differin cream available.

If nothing else works I would suggest talking to her doc about low does bc pills. I have been on them since I was 14, and it saved me from scaring on my face and missing school due to cramping during my periods. If it is not right for you, then its not, but I just thought I would share my experience.

Have you checked to see if she is anemic or has endometriosis? Good luck!