It could very well seem relatively trivial to most people but to a teenager the onset of acne can all too often seem to be the end of the world. Almost all teenagers will get acne at some point and, in a lot of cases, it is fairly mild and nothing more than a mild irritation. However, in other cases acne can be severe and cause a poor body image and occasionally even serious depression. In every case however there are a variety of steps which you can take to assist your teenager in dealing with the problems of acne.
One major problem with acne is that there are various myths about acne which your child is very likely to hear in school or to pick up on such things as the Internet. You must therefore begin by arming yourself with the facts and here are several of the principle facts about just what causes acne and what sort of things can make an attack of acne worse:
* Genetics: some children are simply more prone to acne no matter what they do.
* Too much scrubbing: a lot of children believe than cleaning their skin thoroughly will help to rid them of acne. While cleanliness is undoubtedly important, scrubbing the skin too vigorously can cause problems with existing pimples and also cause them to spread.
* Popping pimples: most teenagers cannot resist the temptation to squeeze their spots and this is something which I think we can all understand. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that this may appear to help things look better in the short term, it will only cause more problems in the longer term.
* Diet: the precise connection between diet and acne is not well understood at the moment but it certainly appears that diet has an effect on acne.
* Stress: when we find ourselves suffering from stress the normal chemical balance in our bodies is upset and this can contribute to the problems of teen acne.
* Makeup: many children, of both sexes, will attempt to use makeup to hide their acne. This can however cause problems both in terms of the inability of the skin to breathe properly and of acne reacting to the makeup used.
The first thing which your teenagers must understand is that acne is a normal part of the process of growing up and, in particular, of the hormonal changes which are going on within their bodies. They must also understand that some children will be affected more than others and that, whether they are one of the lucky ones or not, this is just a phase which will pass in time.
Next, you children have to be taught proper skin care and this is best done at an early age, and before the appearance of acne if at all possible. However, if acne is already present it is not too late and this is something which they must learn and practice.
Children need to wash their face in the morning and again in the evening with a mild soap and, once acne appears, with a specially formulated acne soap which can be bought over-the counter at most supermarkets or drug stores. An important point here is that washing twice daily is sufficient and that, desite the fact that they may be tempted to wash more often this can dry the skin and make matters worse.
Over-the-counter acne soaps and washing will often be enough, although this is not an instant cure and your children will need to be persistent and patient. Where this does not work however you should talk to your doctor or dermatologist. Your doctor or dermatologist may well suggest a stronger prescription medication which your teenager will again need to use for some time before it produces results.
Without doubt, the most important step which you can take in assisting your child to cope with acne is to begin early. Your teenager may well be embarrassed by the appearance of acne and you may feel reluctant to step in and assist if they have only a pimple or two. Beginning treatment early can however often knock the problem on the head and prevent it from developing into a serious condition.
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