Why didn't you speak up by asking to go to a dermatologist? Acne is your own problem, your parents can't properly diagnose symptoms and whatnot, but they can pay for their child to see a skin care professional.

I questioned myself these things a few years ago. I had acne for 5 years before ever going to a dermatologist and it's my fault because I never asked my parents to take me to one. I think it was because I was embarrassed/ashamed.

On 6/26/2019 at 6:26 AM, Mxx said:

Why didn't you speak up by asking to go to a dermatologist? Acne is your own problem, your parents can't properly diagnose symptoms and whatnot, but they can pay for their child to see a skin care professional.

 

I questioned myself these things a few years ago. I had acne for 5 years before ever going to a dermatologist and it's my fault because I never asked my parents to take me to one. I think it was because I was embarrassed/ashamed.

Why didn't I speak up? For the same reason victims of statutory rape don't speak up.

There are several reasons why parents are held accountable for children and why children cannot give legal consent. Two primary reasons I can think of is the lack of brain development (i.e. prefrontal cortex which is responsible for planning) and the lack of knowledge (i.e. I didn't even know what a dermatologist was until late teen years). This means not only children are bad at planning ahead but they often don't have the knowledge base to do so. Therefore, I believe it is the duty of parents to properly inform the situation to the child while sometimes acting on his/her behalf. If not done, I see it as an act of omission.

I also don't know what symptom there is to diagnose when a child had 20+ cystic acne on his face since 15.

I agree with @jhtea. How a child/teen in his 14~15 years know what's coming and how to deal with it. Parents should prepare for this because they've gone through it, they should bring the kid to the derm in the first sign and change the diet which should be better to begin with it.

A lot of people in my family had acne growing up so they all used to say it will go away eventually and everything would be fine. There's even "sessions" of popping up the acne for money. I don't know how nobody got scars from this but of course......... me. I blame my parents wholeheartedly, I didn't even know scars were possible from acne in the first place how could I prevent it?

If I ever have a kid (which I don't want to pass my genes anyway)I'll do everything in my power to not let his/her life ruining by this.

I think the biggest problem is people treating acne as something "normal" for teens, maybe some small zits is ok, but as soon as it became too inflamed it is a DISEASE (the body is not doing ok).

Wish you good luck, keep treating the scars so to at least have some hope for the future.

@jhtea , I kinda agree. I know it sounds stupid in hindsight, but making doctor's appointments let alone dermatologist appointments by myself as a teenager wasn't that obvious. I didn't know how insurance worked or how to find the right dermatologists. When I begged my mom to make dermatologist appointments for me, she didn't and when I finally did it myself, I didn't even see the Derm, only her assistant. It was a terrible experience for me.

I do have some resentment, but I try not to dwell in the past

I feel your pain. We all do. This disease is one huge pile of bullshit. I know I will not miss it one damn bit.

But acne is not genetic. Period. There is a reason it affects primarily western countries. And that reason has to do with the microbiota. There aren't thousands of people walking around with fucked up guts for nothing.

There is some thought in research that, while it's acknowledged that western countries tend have a detrimental effect on the microflora and the precise mechanism unknown, there may be a loss of "predators". They call it Loss Of Microbial Diversity (LOMD), a supposed hallmark of "dysbiosis". The idea being that in order to have a stable ecosystem such as exists in the guts of humans, there must be a balance of predators/prey. In this case, it means more or less bacteriophages or things of that nature. By introducing predators of bacteria, the populations are kept in check and greater diversity results, as with any ecosystem.

As i'm sure i'll repeat many times, I still believe acne to be an infection of some sort. Either that or a loss/reduction in key species. One reason I think that's true is that everyone has a different microbiome fingerprint. Among thousands of people and thousands of species, you mean to tell me that most of those people just happen to have clear skin and you don't? That their microbial profile just somehow doesn't permit acne, as if by chance? I don't buy that line of thinking. Especially because in all likelihood those people's diets are much worse off than yours - which is supposedly detrimental to the microbiota. Much more rational is that there is a specific organism causing the condition and an infection by that organism is responsible.

Or there could be a loss of some important key species that normally would out-compete the problem organism in typical fashion. Of course theres other possibilities... what if acne were caused by a toxin that was just not being metabolized or broken down by the microbiota like it normally would be? There's endless possibilities, but the two I've mentioned, at least in light in what i've read over the years seem reasonably likely.

At the same time, a loss of species doesn't seem to explain the severity of acne for some people. If a species is gone, it's gone. Possiby just a reduction? Who knows. But the severity of an infection would seem to explain that more easily.

@FvckAcnethere are scientific research papers that suggest that there are genetic links to acne.

Links, please?

Even so, I am highly skeptical. I've had enough experience with this condition (and been scarred by it) to witness firsthand that in all likelihood, acne is borne out of the gut microbiota. In my opinion, it is why diet, of all things, is the thing that helps to some degree. I don't think that's by chance. This is because the microbiota is shaped in large part by diet. It is generally understood that western diets reduce microbiota diversity. That's called LOMD.

What that might mean as far as acne is concerned no one really knows. But I do know that chalking things up to genetics can be dangerous for some people. Because it gives a sense that there's no hope and that nothing they do matters. Not everyone understands the psychological effects this problem can bring about - it can really fuck with your mind. While i've felt like that at times myself, in my opinion you always have to hold out hope no matter how bleak the situtation.

It would seem that those with more aggressive acne tend to be more severely depressed. Which I get it is totally fucking understandable. But I can't help but wonder whether that's coincidental, especially in light of the gut-brain axis. It's almost as if some function or machinery in the microbiota is somehow "broken" and makes one think that maybe the conditions that give rise to acne aren't so distantly related to those that promote depression. And when I read about some microbes being able to elevate things like Serotonin, that sort of thing seems promising.

The area of microbiota research is getting pretty crazy these days and considering things like rates of depression in modernized countries who consume modern type diets, I think in the coming years we'll discover some pretty striking things about humans we never understood prior. Almost like discovering our anatomy all over again.

It's good to remember that the collective genome of the microbiota is approximately 150 times larger than our own, with maybe 60-100 species as major players and contributing the most genetic material. With that in mind, if the gut microbiota isn't functioning optimally, it's almost impossible for us to if they influence us to any reasonable degree.

And contrary to popular belief, Lactobacilli are NOT dominant organisms in the microbiota. There are only a few species that are truly persistent in humans. The others are mostly transient, often supplied to the gut by the oral cavity. That could help explain why Lactobacillus pills aren't doing shit for you.

Others, like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (formerly Fusobacterium, considered a pathogen) are often more abundant and are known to possess potent anti-inflammatory capabilities, altogether aside from their production of SCFA molecules. These are strict anaerobes we're talking about.

Just the other day I saw an article about the microbiota producing TMAO from animal products, mainly red meat, which supposedly promotes the "aging" of arteries. There's some thought about whether this could explain age related decline in heart function even among people who don't smoke and otherwise lead healthy lives.

While i'm open to considering other views, at this point it would need to be very solid research for me to consider the idea that it's genetic. Acne is frustrating as hell, no doubt about that whatsoever. However, the genetic angle seems to be more one of "i'm a victim" mentality where people can just say "well, I got screwed". Trust me, we're all in the same boat. But thinking that way does nothing for helping to find a solution to this dilemma. These days, i'm so over the theory. I do what works in the real world.

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