How To Assist Your Teenager In Dealing With The Often Cataclysmic Problem Of Acne

It could well seem quite trivial to most people but to a teenager the arrival of acne can often seem to be the end of the world. Almost all teenagers will get acne at some time and, in many cases, it is quite mild and more of an irritation than anything else. In other cases however acne can be severe and lead to a poor body image and even serious depression. In all cases however there are a number of steps that you can take to assist your teenager to deal with the problems posed by acne.

One significant problem with acne is that there are various myths about acne which your child is very likely to hear at 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 can actually make an attack of acne worse:

* Genetics – some children are simply more prone to acne than others no matter what they do.

* Too much scrubbing – many children believe than cleaning their skin well will help to rid them of acne. While cleanliness is undoubtedly important, scrubbing the skin too hard can cause problems with existing pimples and also cause them to spread.

* Squeezing spots – many kids cannot resist the temptation to pop their spots and this is one thing which I think we can probably all understand. Unfortunately, although this may seem to make things look better in the short term, it will only cause more problems in the longer term.

* Diet – the exact link between diet and acne is not terribly well understood just at the moment but there can be little doubt diet has an effect on acne.

* Stress – when we are suffering from stress the chemical balance in our bodies is upset and this can add to the problems of teenage acne.

* Makeup – a lot of children, of both sexes, will try to use makeup to cover their acne. However, this can produce problems both in terms of the skin's ability to breathe properly and of acne reacting to the makeup used.

The first thing which your children have to understand is that acne is a natural part of growing up and, in particular, of the hormonal changes which their bodies are going through. They also have to understand that some teenagers will suffer more than others and that, whether or not they are lucky, this is just a phase that will pass given time.

Next, your children need to be taught proper skin care and this is best done at an early age, and before acne appears if at all possible. However, if acne has already reared its ugly head it is not too late and skin care is something that they must learn and practice.

Teenagers need to wash their face in the morning and again each evening with a mild soap and, when acne appears, with a specially formulated acne soap that can be bought over-the counter at the majority of supermarkets or drug stores. One important point here is that washing twice daily is sufficient and that, desite the fact that they may be tempted to wash more frequently this can dry the skin and make matters worse.

Over-the-counter acne soaps and washing will frequently be enough, although this is not an instant cure and your children will need to be patient and persistent. When this does not work however you should talk to your doctor or dermatologist. Your doctor or dermatologist will be able to suggest the best acne medication which your teenager will again need to use for quite some time before it does the trick.

Undoubtedly, the most important step which you can take towards helping your child to deal with acne is to start early. Your child might well be embarrassed by the arrival of acne and you may be reluctant to step in and assist if they have just a pimple or two. However, starting treatment early can frequently stop the problem in its tracks and prevent it from developing into a surprisingly serious condition. Dealing with teenage problems is not always simple however with the right preparation it does not have to be too hard either.