The Mother-Daughter Derm Duo Revolutionizing Teen Acne Care

The bathroom door is slammed shut, and your 14-year-old has been in there for 45 minutes. She comes out with small, red nail indents all over her face. She's been picking pimples again. Or your 16-year-old son gets home from flag football, removes his sweaty helmet, and sits on the couch to snack. Hours later, you notice his jaw peppered with zits and blackheads. This isn't new—tweens, teens, and frankly, people of all ages deal with acne and the emotional toll it takes on confidence and mental health.

What is new this month: Dr. Amy Wechsler, a dual board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist, and her 27-year-old daughter, Zoe Wechsler, are on a mission to make acne treatment as accessible as a walk-in healthcare clinic or even a blow-dry bar. As co-founders, they've launched Spotless, NYC's first-ever dedicated acne clinic.

At Spotless, you don't need an appointment to get a cortisone shot, a peel, or a prescription for acne meds (though you can certainly make one if you prefer). In addition to treating acne—and acne only—Spotless sells products for oily skin, including a soon-to-launch custom skincare line by Dr. Wechsler. And if you don't live near the Upper East Side, sit tight, as expansion is in the works. First, they plan to open more acne clinics around the city, then to other states and, yes, countries.

So why now? When we caught up with Dr. Wechsler and Zoe on Zoom, they shared their journey. After graduating from business school last year, Dr. Wechsler felt pulled toward building a scalable, impact-driven business. The two had already teamed up on a pandemic-era podcast and were eager to work together again.

"[During business school], I kept getting texts from patients asking if I could come in at night or on weekends to give them a pimple shot because they had a wedding or whatever," Dr. Wechsler shares. Though making these last-minute calls wasn't always easy, she went in whenever she could. One night, after returning from yet another acne emergency, Zoe asked where she'd been, and something clicked. "We should open a pimple shot bar," the younger Wechsler said. The idea for Spotless was born. "We started riffing on that, and it evolved into, let's treat all acne," explains Dr. Wechsler. "Let's create something."

While both Wechslers have breathtaking, clear, bright skin, they each struggled with acne growing up, and that lived experience fuels their empathy. Dr. Wechsler brings decades of expertise, a thriving UES practice (including patients like yours truly), a partnership with Chanel Beauty (she helped create the brand's sensitive-skin moisturizer, Solution 10), and a book under her belt (The Mind-Beauty Connection). Zoe offers the Gen Z filter, ensuring the brand stays stigma-free, culturally relevant, and genuinely approachable for teens and young adults.

"The reason we wanted to do acne is partly because I'm also a psychiatrist," Dr. Wechsler says. "I've always loved treating acne because it really changes people's lives. Some people with acne are anxious and depressed. There's nothing better than giving someone back their self-confidence."

On the eve of their Drew Barrymore Show appearance and just two sleeps before the Spotless NYC launch party, the mom-and-daughter duo opened up on how parents can support tweens and teens through breakouts, what's real (and what's not) on "DermTok," and ways to cope with hormonal adult acne (because us moms need some skincare love, too).

How Does Acne Affect Teens' and Young Adults' Mental Health?

Ninety to ninety-two percent of teenagers have some form of acne. It affects self-esteem and can cause social anxiety and depression. Teens may avoid certain social situations, such as not taking their shirt off at a pool party, canceling a date, or even skipping an audition for a school play, because they're self-conscious. They think people can only see their pimples, and they often feel like they're the only one who has it. I hear that every day. And literally, if 90 to 92 percent of your peers have acne, how can you be the only one?"

How Can Parents Support Their Kids Struggling with Acne?

Whenever a parent brings a kid in to see me, I always thank the parent because they cared enough to make the appointment and pay for it. They're treating their kids' acne as opposed to dismissing it and telling them to ‘grow out of it.' And obviously, it's not helpful to point it out and say, ‘Oh my god, you have a huge pimple.'

Basic, Effective Ways to Treat Teen Acne

They need a routine that includes washing their face at the end of the day and using non-comedogenic products (like moisturizer and sunscreen) that won't clog their pores or cause pimples. Some kids really need to be taught how to wash their faces, because it can be tricky when you have to close your eyes. Kids who play sports should wash their helmets, including the inside of them and the chin strap, as well as sports bras. These items can get sweaty. Get everything off of them and have them shower as soon as possible to help with hygiene.

Products to Consider for Acne-Prone Skin

There are a few over-the-counter products parents can try before bringing them in to see a dermatologist. My first one is Differin 0.1 Gel. It's a retinoid, which is one of the strongest medicines for acne—both topical and oral (the latter being Accutane). Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are the only other two molecules FDA-approved to treat acne OTC. I like salicylic acid as a spot treatment and face wash. The only time I suggest benzoyl peroxide is as an acne body wash. Give the routine six to eight weeks, and if it's not working, bring your kid to see someone who's trained in treating acne.

Personal Experiences with Acne

So, growing up, obviously, with the mama dermatologist, I never suffered from anything on my skin for more than four seconds. The same went for acne. I started to break out and said, “Um, hello. Can we do something about this?” And mom was like, “Of course.” I eventually ended up going on Accutane, and it was the best thing I ever did. I'm cured. I had that access. I was always aware of my peers suffering and felt so grateful that I didn't get to that point. I also knew my mom and dad had such bad acne as teens.

I always tell people about my acne story because it doesn't have to leave marks and scars. It is totally treatable. I should have been given Accutane (and wasn't). There aren't a lot of photos of me from that time in high school. I still remember what it felt like. And I would cover half of my face with my hair because I felt so bad about myself.

Social Media and Self-Perception

The parallel to that when I was growing up was the “perfect” models in Vogue and Elle. I didn't look like any of them. I didn't have a face or body like theirs. But I could choose not to read the magazine and put it away. But kids today cannot avoid it unless they don't have a phone or social media, which is so rare. Oh, I think Zoe wants to say something…

I raised my hand. The trend is shifting toward using no filters, so you can still see your acne. There's a girl who's my age, and her demo is college-age and younger kids. She posted a video getting ready in the morning and didn't mention her acne. It was just part of her face. I think that's really positive and cool—not being ashamed of it. I've seen a lot of people just being like, “I'm washing my face and there's my acne, and I'm not going to cover it or cut that part out.”

Not Picking at Acne

I always say my job is to give you nothing to pick at. But until you get there, there are some things to do. In our stressed-out world, we do things to our bodies, manipulating them to lower our stress levels. For some people, it's picking pimples. For others, it's twirling their hair or biting their cuticles. The problem with popping and picking pimples is that it often makes them worse. In rare cases, it can cause infections and scarring. And it definitely makes the acne worse. Pop one pimple, and two will appear next door.

Helping Kids Stop Picking and Popping

Just telling someone to stop or keep their hands off their face doesn't work. You have to partner with your kid. Try to figure out when they are picking. If a teen goes into their bathroom with the door closed and a magnifying mirror, get rid of the mirror. Put little sticky notes on the main bathroom mirror saying, “Keep my hands off my face” or “Stop picking” instead of nagging them. At Spotless, we are selling these NeeDoh Nice Cubes, which are little stress cubes. Many teens are now carrying them in their backpacks and squeezing them to keep their hands off their faces. Girls can wear scrunchies around their wrists to play with instead of picking. Figuring out ways to lower your stress during the day as a teenager can be really hard. Phone breaks are great. Fresh air is awesome. Seeing a friend in person. There are breathing techniques, stretching exercises, and all that good stuff.

Navigating Misinformation Online

I spend a lot of my day answering questions from patients about things they heard on TikTok. “Is this real? What do you think about this?” I ask who on TikTok told them to do this stuff. And it's usually other kids or an adult who doesn't have a background in [medicine]. Know your source. Teach kids to be critical readers and thinkers, and it has to translate to social media. I just got a TikTok account for work, because one of our goals for Spotless is to debunk and educate about the realities of acne care. I'm hoping to be filming more videos.

Adult Acne and Hormonal Issues

Hormonal acne tends to be focused on the lower face—the chin, jawline, and upper neck—because there are more testosterone receptors in that part of the face. I think we're going to have a lot of 35- to 55-year-old women with hormonal acne issues [at Spotless]. When they come into my office [now], they're complaining about their pimples and wrinkles—they feel too old for their acne and too young for their wrinkles. I can prescribe them a topical retinol, which is also great for anti-aging. They can use a retinoid as long as they're not pregnant or breastfeeding. There's also an oral medicine for hormonal acne called spironolactone.

Working Together as Mother and Daughter

This is the best. We also live together. Are you familiar with the famous Vine, And Then They Were Roommates? That's us. We're always working and also always not—it's just so natural and amazing. We also don't have to communicate much with words at certain times. We just know the other one's thoughts. So, it's really just like the best thing ever. There's nobody else I could really listen to for directions or respect more than my mom.

Final Message

My first one is that Spotless is for everybody with acne. I don't want anyone to second-guess that this isn't for them. And my other thing is that your acne is not forever, and you can get better. You don't have to suffer at all.

Acne is treatable, and there's always hope. A lot of people with acne feel very dejected. And some even feel hopeless, but there is always something to do.

You can clear things up, literally and figuratively.

Absolutely, one hundred percent. And also, staying out of the sun helps a lot with skin. I never see the light of day on my face without a lot of sunscreen.

I wonder who told you to do that…

I don't know, some crazy woman who, like, won't stop talking to me [laughs].

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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