Teenage Acne

Acne is not a teenager's disease, regardless of the fact that most teenagers get acne and many of these cases clear up in time.  So why can we say for a certainty that it's not just for the kids?

There's a reason why teenagers get acne and why many cases clear up as a person leaves their teen years.  This reason is why many women get acne around their menstrual cycle, and that reason has to do with hormones, which are typically all "out of whack" during these times.

Men Have Hormones Too!

When someone talks about hormones and about them being imbalanced, most people usually think of women and their time of the month.  But hormones are just chemicals in the body that serve many functions, and men and women actually have the same types of hormones in their system.  Women just have higher levels of estrogen, the female hormone, and men have higher levels of testosterone, the male hormone.  These chemicals can affect many things about one's body and one's system, including causing acne.  As a matter of fact, it's thought that acne is aggravated by hormones called androgens, something that is more present in men than in women.

Hormones cause a mutation and over-activity of the oil glands of the face; this is one connection between hormones and acne.  These oil glands get clogged and acne appears when the hormones become unbalanced.

Androgens are male hormones present in both sexes, but which can get out of balance during puberty or a woman's menstrual cycle.  It's thought that when a woman is pregnant or using birth control pills, this helps to regulate the androgens in the system which is why her face might clear up during these times.  The androgens become steady and less aggravated during these times, so acne is less likely to be present.

Teenagers and Hormones

There's no arguing the fact that teenagers and out-of-balance hormones are related.  The body goes through tremendous changes during puberty, many of which need those years to balance out.  Just as a teenager can go through different growth spurts until their height levels off at a certain age, they can also go through bursts of hormones and experience a lack of balance with them until they finally level off when they become an adult.

This imbalance of hormones is just part of puberty and the body's changes during this time.  Rarely can you do anything about changing this situation, nor should you try.  The body must grow into its own cycles and hormone levels, rather than being forced into something by using birth control pills or harsh chemicals.

This isn't to say that a teenager's hormones and acne should be ignored.   There are many things that teenagers should be aware of when it comes to their acne and how to treat it properly.

Teens and Their Skin

If hormones are causing the oil glands to go into overdrive and the skin above hair follicles and pores to remain unbroken, then the next thing to address is the buildup in those follicles and pores that are causing them to erupt in the first place.

Cleaning routine. 

Teenagers rarely care about the cleanliness of things around them; their rooms often look like a tornado has recently hit, and their clothes are sometimes purposely manufactured to be torn, faded, and downright dirty!  So when it comes to their skin and their skincare regimen, teenagers can sometimes be very negligent about taking care of their face and their breakouts.

Keeping the skin clean but not overdoing it is imperative during the teen years especially.  A teenager should be taught how to clean his or her face thoroughly at night, but without using harsh bath soaps and other cleansers.  They should also be given products they can use to exfoliate, and a good moisturizer.  All of these are important for the health and overall appearance of a teenager's skin.

Their diet. 

While there will always be controversy about whether or not diet plays any role in acne, or how large of a role, it's true that a wealth of greasy and deep friend foods are going to cause problems for them and many of these problems will show up on their face.  But what teenager doesn't love all those fried treats and fast foods?

Learning good eating habits is imperative for a teen's health overall, including their skin's health and appearance.  Very few teens actually want to eat fruits and vegetables, but getting them to do so is going to pay off in the long run.  They also typically don't want to give up their fast food lunches and fried snacks, but this too is equally important.

Sometimes a kind but frank talk to the teen about his or her diet and how this might be affecting their skin can go a long way toward convincing them to adopt better habits when it comes to what they eat. 

Parents need to take some responsibility in this regard as well, both when it comes to the example they set and what they're providing for the household.  While teens may have their own money to buy their own lunches and snacks, they still learn their eating habits from what they see at home and still need to have some things provided for them.  They may at least cut down on greasy junk food if there's fresh fruit and vegetables in the house, and of course mom and dad snacking on chips and packages desserts is not going to help them make better choices.

Using acne products. 

Sometimes when they're prone to acne breakouts, teenagers can go overboard with the products they use, believing all the advertisements about how this or that is "guaranteed" to stop breakouts once and for all.  Teenagers are very impressionable when it comes to what they see in magazines and on television, so there is where some discretion and parental direction might come into play.

It may be better to try some homemade facial masks first before choosing commercially produced products.  If you do opt for something from the pharmacy, choose something with a small concentration of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid and see if that doesn't work first, before opting for the stronger medications.

Make sure your teenager is applying things as instructed on the package and avoid the sun when using these products.  They may need some help and encouragement in this regard, as they're often tempted to just slather on anything and everything they can and in ridiculous amounts, causing more damage than before.