Few things define our teenage years more than acne. Although official estimates vary slightly, almost 80% of teens get acne. Girls start to get pimples around age 11 and boys start noticing blemishes a couple of years later. Even the best skin care routine can’t always stop the arrival of puberty-induced skin issues.
It’s unfortunate that the arrival of acne coincides with a period in which people care so much about their appearance. A 2017 study found that 71% of teens reported that acne had a negative effect on their body image while 67% said it hurt their self-esteem. It’s no surprise then that 61% say they are doing everything they can to manage their acne.
Are you ready to get rid of your acne or help your child put acne behind them? If so, come see the team at Qvita Health & Wellness. Our CEO and leader, Panagiota (Peggy) Demetriou, ARNP, FNP-BC, is proud to offer a wide-range of primary care and cosmetic services. Our practice uses a holistic approach to deliver comprehensive health care that considers all sides of the equation. We’ll work with you to address any acne issues and give you great results.
With this in mind, use this blog post as a beginning resource for how to treat teenage acne.
Acne is typically caused by sebum, which is a waxy, oily substance that plays a key role in keeping your face healthy. It’s a combination of fatty molecules called lipids and helps waterproof your skin, provides elasticity, and keeps harmful bacteria and fungi out. However, when the body produces too much sebum that gets trapped in pores, acne can result.
Androgens, a type of hormone that increases during puberty, make the skin's oil glands get larger and make more sebum. Adults have less acne because their hormone levels tend to level off and become more consistent. This makes acne easier to clear up and contain.
Acne is commonly associated with the face but can occur anywhere on the body where a lot of pores and hair follicles are in close quarters. Common acne spots include:
Rubbing and pressure can also irritate the skin and cause acne.
Acne treatment can generally be split into four main categories — effective cleaning habits, topical treatments, oral treatments, and in-office treatments. Oral treatments are antibiotics and should only be used after consulting with a doctor. The same goes for antibiotic topical treatment.
These treatments typically use acetic acid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or sulfur as active ingredients. They may be gels, lotions, creams, soaps, or pads and should be used at least daily. They’re moderately effective for acne treatment.
Most dermatologists and doctors recommend that you wash your face twice a day. There are a few keys to getting the most out of this cleansing. First, use warm water — hot water can be too drying and cold water just doesn’t do much. After washing, pat your face dry instead of rubbing. Irritation will only make current pimples worse and could actually spur new acne growth.
At Qvita Health & Wellness, we offer different treatments shown to help with acne. Microdermabrasion exfoliates the skin to remove layers of dead skin and is proven to help with acne and acne scars. Two of our specialty facials, the deep cleanse/acne facial and teen facial, include extractions and deep cleaning to help spur healing and encourage repair. We also offer chemical peels and laser treatment. Any one, or a combination of treatment can help you on your journey to clear skin.
Don’t let acne get you or your teen down. At Qvita Health & Wellness, we can help put acne in the past. Contact us to book an appointment at our Wesley Chapel office today.
