Looking For Acne? Here’s Acne Information For You

Acne affects about 90% of all teenagers, regardless of race or culture. This is due largely to puberty, and the raging hormonal imbalances that occur during puberty, and acne is further aggravated because teenagers often don’t wash their faces often enough, touch their skin, and are often compelled to pop the acne adolescent pimples.

Acne adolescent skin care is imperative for treating acne. Even when topical or oral treatments are used, acne adolescent skin care helps those treatments to perform better and produce more satisfying results. Teaching your teenager about acne adolescent skin care will help quite a bit.

First, your teenager needs to wash his or her face at least twice a day. Furthermore, after activities that cause your teenager to sweat, they should wash their face. Use a pure soap, such as Ivory, and clean water.

A common problem with girls and teenage boys who have longer hair, is that they don’t keep their hair off their faces. This is a problem because hair contains oil that can aggravate acne. Encourage your teenager to keep their hair off their faces.

Teenagers worry quite a bit about how they look, and are often compelled to pop or squeeze the acne pimples in an effort to make them go away faster. This causes the bacteria to spread to other areas of the skin, resulting in more acne. It can also leave acne scars.

Teenage girls often use makeup to cover acne, which only serves to further clog the pores. This not only slows down the healing process, but it also creates more acne. Failure to remove makeup before going to bed is another problem. It will be difficult to convince a teenage girl not to wear makeup, so instead, have them purchase makeup that is hypo-allergenic, or contains more natural ingredients.

Teenagers eat alot of processed foods. While no foods have been scientifically proven to cause acne, food allergies can - and do - cause acne. Your teenager could have unknown food allergies. Encourage them to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Your teenager wants to clear up their acne, but often, they don’t have the right information to help them cure their acne adolescent problem. Talk with them, and give them the information here. Explain that avoiding these things, and taking these steps will help their acne clear up much faster.

Studies show that during adolescence close to 100% of the population has at least an occasional whitehead, blackhead or pimple—regardless of race or ethnicity. These studies also confirm that acne most frequently occurs between the ages of 12 and 20. The likelihood of developing acne is greatest during adolescence because hormone levels become elevated. Elevated hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands, glands that are attached to hair follicles, to produce greater amounts of sebum—an oily substance. An acne lesion (whitehead, blackhead or pimple) occurs when a hair follicle becomes plugged with the sebum and dead cells.

In most cases, acne begins between the ages of 10 and 13 and usually lasts for 5 to 10 years. In some adolescents, more severe acne follows the development of comedones, reaching a peak 3 to 5 years after the first comedones appear. Adolescent acne commonly disappears between the ages 20 and 25. However, severe acne, also known as nodular acne or cystic acne, may not resolve until 30-plus years of age.

Emotional Toll
Living five or more years with acne can be emotionally devastating, especially during adolescence. Between the ages of 12 and 20, the appearance of acne can seem like a social misfortune for which that person alone has been selected. To a teenager, acne can be one of the worse things that ever happened. Acne frequently makes teens feel embarrassed and lowers their self-esteem. A recent survey of British teenagers found that the emotional toll can be significant:

•    39% of teenagers with acne claimed they avoided going to school because of embarrassment
•    55% of 11- to 18-year-olds said acne prevented them from having a boyfriend or girlfriend
•    32% indicated acne stopped them from making friends

Treating acne typically alleviates the emotional effects and leads to greater self-confidence. Treatment can also prevent acne from getting worse and deter scarring.

Most mild cases of acne can be controlled at home by gently washing the affected areas and using a topical preparation, such as benzoyl peroxide. If the condition does not improve in 6 to 8 weeks, a dermatologist’s help may be required. Acne that ranges from moderate to severe typically requires the help of a dermatologist. The good news is that today virtually every case of acne can be controlled.

Reference:
Jancin, B. “Teens with Acne Cite Shame, Embarrassment About Skin.” Skin and Allergy News, January 2004. p. 28

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