Online consultations with Dr Tara Treacy, a GP with a special interest in dermatology. Nationwide across Ireland, from home, with you there.
Ages 14 to 17 | 30-minute video consultation
Most parents who book a teen consultation with me have already tried a lot. Chemists' products, whatever the pharmacist recommended, maybe a cream from the GP that did not do much. By the time they get to me, they are not worried about spots. They are worried about scarring, and they are worried about a teenager who has stopped wanting to be in photographs.
Teenage acne is a medical condition, not a phase to be waited out, and not something your child caused by eating the wrong thing or not washing their face. It responds to proper treatment. The difficulty in Ireland is getting to someone who will look at it properly and stay with you while it clears.
That is what this is.
One thing I would say plainly: acne scarring is permanent, and it is largely preventable. The window for preventing it is while the acne is still active. That is the reason not to wait this one out.
You do not need a referral, and you do not need to have tried anything first.
I will be straight with you about what is on the table, because it depends on age.
Prescription topical treatments and, where appropriate, oral antibiotics. These are the right first-line treatments for this age group and they work well for most teenagers when they are properly chosen, properly dosed, and reviewed regularly. Most of what goes wrong with teenage acne treatment is that nobody reviews it.
Everything above, and where acne is severe or scarring and has not responded to previous treatment, the Advanced Acne Programme becomes an option. This is a structured programme with monitoring throughout, and a parent or guardian is involved at every stage.
I will not put your child on something stronger than they need, and I will tell you honestly if I think we should try something simpler first.
Book a time that suits. Evening and weekend appointments are available, so it does not have to mean missing school.
Tell me about the skin. If you can, upload a few photos and fill in a short questionnaire beforehand. It helps, but do not worry if you cannot get your teenager to co-operate. We will manage either way.
The consultation. 30 minutes on video, from home. I will assess the skin, go through what has been tried, and answer your questions and your teenager's.
You leave with a plan. A written treatment plan and a prescription sent to your nominated pharmacy where appropriate. You will know exactly what to do and what to expect.
We review it. Acne treatment is not a single appointment. Whether you continue on a monthly plan or book reviews as you need them, the plan gets adjusted as the skin responds.
If your child is under 16, you need to be present for the consultation. You do not have to be on camera the whole time, but you do need to be there.
If your child is 16 or 17, they can consent to their own treatment. Some prefer to speak to me on their own, and that is fine. In practice a lot of teenagers want a few minutes to talk without a parent listening, and I will usually offer that even when you are in the room. If your teenager is being started on the Advanced Acne Programme, you will need to be present for that conversation regardless of age, so that we can go through the treatment and its requirements together.
Practical things: find a quiet room with decent light, no makeup on the day if possible, and have any current or previous treatments to hand so we know exactly what has been tried.
I see patients from 14. Below that, acne is usually best looked at by your own GP in the first instance.
Yes. That is the point of it. Most teenagers hate sitting in a waiting room about their skin, and a video consultation from home removes that entirely.
No, not unless it is genuinely needed and appropriate for their age. For 14 and 15-year-olds, treatment means topicals and oral antibiotics. Stronger options only come into the conversation from 16, where acne is severe or scarring, and only with you involved.
Common, and not a problem. Plenty of teenagers say about four words to me in the first consultation. I will direct questions to you where I need to, and they usually open up by the second review.
I will write to your GP at the start and end of treatment so your child's records are complete. Your GP does not carry any responsibility for the treatment.
Yes. Treatment is designed to fit around normal life. Some medications need small practical adjustments, like being careful with sun exposure, and I will go through anything relevant to your child during the consultation.
Most treatments take 8 to 12 weeks to show a real change, which is why regular review matters. If we are at week 12 and nothing has shifted, we change the plan.
I will tell you. If your child's skin needs something I cannot offer online, I will say so during the consultation and point you toward the right route.
