It felt like overnight my son went from being a fresh-faced boy to a teenager; a face red with acne to match the teenage attitude.
Having never suffered from acne myself I really didn’t know how to tackle it.
At first, I put it down to his horrendous teenage diet of chocolate and lollies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But as the months passed and it began to spread to his back and chest, I couldn’t dismiss it any longer.
My sister had used isotretinoin as a teenager and put her son on it too, but I was reluctant to go down that path knowing how bad the side-effects can be.
As the acne worsened, I was left with no choice but seek the advice of a doctor who, despite my reluctance, put him on antibiotics.
We were given strict instructions to ensure he also took a probiotic to counter the impacts the antibiotic would have.
And warned of the long list of side effects including, headaches, muscle pain, dry skin and sore throat.
Three months later his skin had not improved and when we returned to the doctor Roacutane was suggested.
The problem according to SkinB5 founder, Judy Cheung-Wood, is that doctors are trained to follow a set course of treatment and don’t understand the need to treat the problem holistically or that the prescription drugs are not suitable for long-term management.
“There has been no change in the dermatology acne treatment approach for the last 50 years,” says Judy.
Antibiotics are still commonly prescribed for acne despite its limitations and growing concerns in the medical community this contributes to the big antibiotic resistance problem.
“Many young girls are offered the pill, which has side effects like weight gain and hair loss,” she explains.
“There is only a tiny sector of doctors who are open minded to the therapeutic benefits of high dosage vitamins and herbs.
“A few leading dermatologists are getting on board, including recommending the use of Vitamins B5 and B3 for persistent skin issues.
“However, it is not yet a prescription regime recommended by general doctors.”
Acne is a very complex skin condition and what you see on the surface is really just the symptom and not the cause. Most conventional treatment options focus on the symptoms not the cause.
Judy says, parents, like myself, are anxious and hesitant to put their kids on these treatments which have well documented and powerful side-effects.
My son began using SkinB5 the high potency vitamin tablets formulated to address the root causes of acne including sebum regulation, immunity, hormonal health and healing and regeneration.
He also took the all-in-one food based powder, which is a broad-spectrum nutritional support creating a 360 degree approach, high in natural vitamin C from superfoods.
Within just three to four weeks, we saw a vast improvement in his skin on the face and his back and as his skin began to glow so did his personality and the added bonus of his appetite for junk food also dropped.
