Sue Scheff: Top Ten Teenage Acne Tips

Johanna Curtis, a licensed skin professional, gives us some informational tips on teenage acne.  As soon is opening soon, many teens are concerned about their appearances, not only what clothes they will wear, and their hair, but what about their skin and if they do suffer with teen acne? Learn more. 

By Johanna Curtis

If you or your teenage son or daughter from acne, take heart in the fact that you are not alone. More than 90% of teenagers suffer from at least some level of acne. It doesn’t matter where you’re from; it doesn’t matter what you look like. Puberty throws the hormones into turmoil and acne can very often be one of the distressing results. 

Psychological Effects

While adults worry about world peace, global warming and the credit crunch (and we might think many of these worries are prompted by our children), teenagers worry about acne. For many teenagers, suffering from acne is actually their biggest fear. 

With teenage acne psychological effects can be severe. Some are so embarrassed about their skin condition that they literally won’t leave the house. It’s not fair, but teenage acne strikes just when young men and women are just starting to make their own sense of the world and get a sense of their place within it. Acne in teenagers can have a detrimental effect on how they interact with people and the relationships they form, both now and in the future. As a parent, if your child is suffering with their skin condition, you owe it to them to arm yourself with information on teenage acne. You need to help them through this difficult time, rather than belittling their fears. The acne may not seem severe to you but it might to your son or daughter. 

It’s just not fair, is it? You’re watching your teen struggling with learning about themselves and deciding who they want to be. Then acne comes along and blows apart the self-image they were just building. Suddenly pimples and blemishes have turned their faces into a minefield. It’s so upsetting! 

But since just about every teen suffers from some level of acne, you just have to tell them to suck it up and get on with their lives, right?… WRONG! 

Information is the Key to an Acne Cure

Armed with the correct information on teenage acne you can really help your teen find a cure for their skin condition. 

Why is Acne in Teenagers so Common? 

It’s all the fault of puberty. It’s at this time that the body becomes a melting pot of androgens, the ‘male’ hormones that both males and females have. Boys have more of them and that is why acne in teenagers is most common in boys.  

The androgens stimulate the skin’s natural production of sebum, the oil which keeps our skin soft and hydrated. As a result, too much oil is produced, causing the dead skin cells which should just slough off to be held onto at the surface of the skin. That trapped dead skin blocks the pores and effectively cork up the pores so oil and bacteria can’t get out of the pores.  That trapped oil makes the pores swell and the body, in its own smart way, tries to rectify the problem, sending in white blood cells to combat the bacteria.  That results in painful red pimples and ugly blackheads: in short – acne.

So how can you cure acne in teenagers? 

The key to curing in acne in teenagers is twofold: 

1. Prevention
2. Cure 

Unlike most other health problems, with acne in teenagers the cure tends to be easier than the prevention. As you have read, a major causal factor in teenage acne is the increased sebum production from puberty. There’s not a lot you can do about that, but there are many other things you can do to combat the problem with the right know-how. 

Here are some top teenage acne tips that can help prevent or lessen further acne breakouts, and cure the acne that you already have. 

1. Keep your skin very clean. Twice daily washing will help to remove the excess sebum from your skin. 

2. While you need to keep your skin clean, be careful not to wash too much. Use warm, not hot water, and a mild cleanser. Washing too harshly will just cause your glands to create even more sebum. 

3. Use a gentle exfoliator. Don’t scrub at your skin too much but a gentle facial exfoliant will help to remove the dead skin cells that could potentially block your pores.

 4. Avoid toners which contain alcohol. Alcohol will only dry out your skin’s top layer, causing your skin to over-compensate by producing even more oil. That will only result in more pimples. 

5. Never pick or squeeze your acne spots. That will just introduce more bacteria to the skin, leaving it inflamed and it may even cause an infection.  That can also cause you scars which may never disappear. 

6. Keep your hands away from your face. The acne causing bacteria is something we always have on our skin but it only causes a problem when it gets trapped in your pores. Rubbing your face or resting your chin in your hands will help to push the bacteria deep into your skin, where is can create acne in teenagers. 

7. Choose non-comedogenic and oil-free skin products and make-up. There is no sense introducing more oil to your skin. That will only further encourage blocked pores which cause acne. 

8. Take care in the sun. Small amounts of sun exposure are good for acne in teenagers but you should avoid sunburn, which will only make you shed dead skin cells more quickly, leading to more blocked pores. Also, certain sunblock preparations can worsen acne in teenagers so you need to be careful when you try a new sunblock.

9. Avoid accessories that will rub your skin. Hats and headbands are the main culprits. This is important because heat and friction can really cause acne to flare up. The need to avoid friction like this is a reason you should also shower immediately after exercise so you don’t have sweaty skin rubbing together. 

10. Find what works for you – and stick with it. For most acne in teenagers, an over the counter acne cure is effective. You just need to persevere with it a while.

To avoid teenage acne psychological effects and cure the problem before it becomes severe, you should follow these teenage acne tips in your daily life. Make them part of your life and you should have less of a problem with acne in teenagers.

Learn more on Johanna’s website at http://teenage-acne.net/

Tags: Parenting, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Sue Scheff, Teen Acne, Teen Body Image, Teen Help, Teen Self Esteem, Teen Skin Care