grooming for an adolesent

[globetrotter]

my son needs some grooming advice, he is 11, but he's starting to break out and stink. I never had skin trouble as a kid, and things have changed since I was his age. what should I be advising him? I have a pretty simple skin/hygine regimine - irish spring, regular shampoo and conditioner. rock deoderant.

what is the right regimine for a kid? some of you guys aren't that far removed, some of you have kids. educate me

 

[Rambo]

where's he breaking out (I assume its his face but one never knows) and at what point does he stink? might just need a stronger deodorant.

 

[globetrotter]

1. side of his nose

2. he hasn't started using deodorant.


basically, he was a kid up until really recently, not he's an adolesent. so I am planning on having a talk with him about grooming and getting him some soap and stuff, but I am not sure that what I (a 45 year old) uses is right for him (an 11 year old)


any advice welcome

 

[Rambo]

seems like it might be time to start then.

get him a bar of Dove. its completely neutral and shouldn't cause any problems. if you DO notice something - rash, dry skin, etc. then worry about a change. but he'll be set with that till he starts jackin off.

as for the face - probably just horomones. is he washing it? regularly?

 

[hendrix]

1. Might be just hearsay, but I think it's goood that he's getting the breakouts early. IME, the people who get acne later in their teens tend to take much longer to get over it.

2. Simple routine of a facial wash (clearasil or anything) every morning and evening, and potentially a very light moisturiser.

 

[Thomas]

Okay, is he using soap now? I know that our son hated washing. I mean, he could stand in the shower for 45 minutes and not touch the damn soap. I had much better luck letting him pick something that he liked (which sadly was Axe-type crap) because 1) he actually used it, and 2) I could tell right away when he did.

Deodorant: yes. Whatever he thinks smells good and will put on.

Face: We experimented with a few products, I think we ended up using Clean & Clear face wash which he was sporadic with. I think that it's easy to go overboard with products, but the wife also picked up a can of those face pads (Stridex?) which disappeared after a short while.

Part of this, I think, can be mitigated with a reasonably-clean diet, and adequate water intake. You might be there already, though - I don't know - and therefore have a head start on this.

 

[globetrotter]



Okay, is he using soap now? I know that our son hated washing. I mean, he could stand in the shower for 45 minutes and not touch the damn soap. I had much better luck letting him pick something that he liked (which sadly was Axe-type crap) because 1) he actually used it, and 2) I could tell right away when he did.
Deodorant: yes. Whatever he thinks smells good and will put on.
Face: We experimented with a few products, I think we ended up using Clean & Clear face wash which he was sporadic with. I think that it's easy to go overboard with products, but the wife also picked up a can of those face pads (Stridex?) which disappeared after a short while.
Part of this, I think, can be mitigated with a reasonably-clean diet, and adequate water intake. You might be there already, though - I don't know - and therefore have a head start on this.

thanks, guys. I guess I was looking for some ideas for stuff I just don't know about. I think I'll give him his own bar of irish spring, which I buy in bulk from cosco, and some face wash, and I'll take him to a pharmacy and let him sniff the various deodorants until he finds one he likes. maybe that's a plan. we'll go from there.

 

[Thomas]

I think that's a good plan. You shouldn't over-think grooming at any age, much less at that age. A lot of what's out there is unnecessary fluff.

 

[dfagdfsh]

if he develops acne (like, real acne) take him to a dermatologist and get him on accutane. he will thank you. if he's just breaking out, get him a simple oil-free acne wash, neutrogena makes a good one, but most store brands have a knock off version that is pretty much identical, as well as a very basic face wash (cetaphil or something like that). have him use the acne wash at night and the face wash in the morning.

also try to get him to use sun screen. it makes a HUGE difference.

 

[fuji]



if he develops acne (like, real acne) take him to a dermatologist and get him on accutane. he will thank you. if he's just breaking out, get him a simple oil-free acne wash, neutrogena makes a good one, but most store brands have a knock off version that is pretty much identical, as well as a very basic face wash (cetaphil or something like that). have him use the acne wash at night and the face wash in the morning.
also try to get him to use sun screen. it makes a HUGE difference.

If I recall globe trotter had a thread asking about Hgh for one of his children. If you're worried about administering Hgh I'd be much more worried about accutane, side effects seem horrific. Pretty sure it's fairly hard to get prescribed now because of how harsh the side effects are.

 

[matty long legs]



if he develops acne (like, real acne) take him to a dermatologist and get him on accutane. he will thank you. if he's just breaking out, get him a simple oil-free acne wash, neutrogena makes a good one, but most store brands have a knock off version that is pretty much identical, as well as a very basic face wash (cetaphil or something like that). have him use the acne wash at night and the face wash in the morning.
also try to get him to use sun screen. it makes a HUGE difference.

+1 on the Accutane.

If I recall globe trotter had a thread asking about Hgh for one of his children. If you're worried about administering Hgh I'd be much more worried about accutane, side effects seem horrific. Pretty sure it's fairly hard to get prescribed now because of how harsh the side effects are.

I was on Accutane my senior year of high school. The only side effect I had was horribly chapped lips.

 

[Rambo]

Kid's 11 and has a few zits on the side of his nose. No need to get on Accutane. That's for people with long standing, horrible acne.

 

[globetrotter]

thanks, yes, we are talking about a few zits on the side of his nose. I don't think its serious at all, I just don't have personal experience with it and I was wondering what to suggest/get for him.

his diet is very good and he is is pretty fit, so I'm less worried about that. I just want to start him on the right path on grooming, and he doens't need to use the same stuff that I do.


thanks


oh, and yes, we are fanatical about sun screen, I am lily white.

 

[dfagdfsh]

yea I get that, but if he does develop cystic acne (you'll know), don't futz around with all the bullshit creams -- go straight to accutane. will save everyone a lot of grief.

 

[Rambo]

****, its probably the sunscreen clogging his pores. just buy him a bar of cetaphil and have him wash it off his face every night. don't have him use the irish spring on his face though.