For your Teens and tweens

Skin care 101

Your skin is just one more thing that changes when you go through puberty. Acne often starts in your early teen years because your body is making more oil glands, which is normal. A few different skin problems are a part of acne: whiteheads, blackheads, and cystic acne.

1. Whiteheads are made when a hair follicle (root) is plugged with oil and skin cells.
2. If this plugged up stuff comes up to the surface of the skin and the air touches it, it turns black and becomes a blackhead. So, blackheads are not caused by dirt.
3. If a plugged follicle breaks, the area swells and becomes a red bump. If this happens close to the surface of the skin, the bump most often becomes a pimple. If it breaks deep inside in the skin, nodules or cysts can form, which can look like larger pimples. This is cystic acne.

Acne is common among teens, but not everyone will have the same troubles. It may be worse in boys because they have more oils in their skin. Also, it can run in the family. If your mother or father had bad acne, the same may happen for you. Some people also just have more sensitive skin, yes, acne is part of sensitive skin, too!

How is acne treated?

First, wash your face regularly, twice a day. Beginning to take care of your skin before issues are present is the best course but if this is just the start, don't waste time trying to hide from it!  Attack it with the proper guidelines!  If the acne does not go away, there are over-the-counter products (you can buy these without a doctor’s order) available in different forms, such as gels, lotions, creams, and soaps. Common ingredients used in these products to fight acne are benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and sulfur. Use these on a small area to make sure you do not have a skin reaction (you don't want something worse to happen)! Also, it can take time for these products to work, often 2-3 weeks. If they do not make your acne better after two months, try another product with a different active ingredient. Remember these tips:

1. Always remove your makeup before you go to bed, with a makeup remover designed for the type your wear daily, even a sunscreen needs to be removed!
2. Treat acne gently, never scrub your skin, not even with a washcloth, this will cause tiny scratches (fissures) that will allow the bacteria to go into, creating more pimples!  Of course, this would also mean NOT to pick them either, this would allow the bacteria to spread, too!
3. Always use non-comedogenic products, these will never clog your skin;)
   
4. Sunscreen is essential, look for one that is oil-free.
5. Another word of caution: the medicine isotretinoin (the product is called Accutane) can cause birth defects and miscarriages (losing a baby while pregnant) if taken when a woman is pregnant.

What can make acne worse?

• oil-based make-up, suntan oil, hair gels, and sprays
• stress
• your period
• getting too much sun

What doesn’t cause acne?

Dirt, fried foods or chocolate do not cause acne. These are myths!

Posted via email from Faces by Trish with Rodan + Fields