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Pediatrician About Your Teen’s Acne
Much to your teen’s dismay, nearly all teens have some form of acne. While there is no “cure” for acne, there are things that your teen can do to manage it. If your teen has been struggling with white head, pimples, or acne scarring – it could be time to seek help from your pediatrician or dermatologist.
What Causes Acne
But what causes acne? Acne can be caused by a multitude of reasons: hormones imbalances, stress, or simply plugged up oil ducts. During puberty, our bodies are changing in a lot of ways. All these changes cause the hormone levels in your body to trigger the oil glands in your arms, face, shoulders, and back to over produce oil. Some girls who have started getting their monthly period can expect an acne flare up before and after their period because of a change in hormones. Bacteria can also cause acne. Bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes can cause acne in some people, washing your face regularly can help combat acne from this particular reason. It is also helpful to not touch your face with your hands, as they are usually covered in germs and other bacteria.
What Doesn’t Cause Acne
Some people might try to pin your child’s acne on them, citing poor diet or lack of exercise. These are all false. A common misconception is that junk foods or greasy foods cause acne. While, yes, these foods are objectively not good for you – they are not directly linked to your child’s acne. However, there is a bit of evidence supporting the claim that a high intake of sugar, starch, and sugary foods can contribute to acne. Certain whey proteins can also have an effect in some people. Make sure your teen is not picking at their acne, even if the urge to do so is strong. Picking at acne can cause it to become inflamed, infected, bleed, or even leave permanent scarring – definitely the opposite of the desired outcome for both you and your child.
How to Combat Acne & When It Is Time To See Your Doctor
Having your teen wash their face twice a day can be a great thing to do to keep acne at bay. If your child plays sports or sweats a lot, have them wash their face immediately after working out or playing. Pick a more milder soap or cleanser that will be gentle on the skin. However, don’t over do it on face washing. This could strip the skin of moisture and oils that it does need and make things worse. Changing out your teen’s pillowcase once or twice a week is also a good idea, keeping residue from the face and hair products off the skin.
If you are still not seeing any results. It may be time to speak to your pediatrician. The best pediatrician, such as a Pediatrician Stamford, CT, will offer some OTC medications options before referring your teen to a specialist. Certain prescription acne medications can be very harsh and cause some undesirable side effects so it’s best to seek more gentle, readily available options first. Make sure your teen follows their skin care routine and follows the instructions the products provide, even when their skin is clear. Not following a routine is why many treatments fail.
Overall, if your teen is being teased for their acne, remind them that everyone has to deal with this sometimes. It is part of growing up and usually gets better as your teen grows into an adult. Try talking to your child about their insecurities or what others are saying about them and instill in them that it’s okay if their body looks a bit different than others, as long as they are healthy. Maybe try to help them by not caring about what others think so much, even if it’s hard at that age.
