How To Help Your Teenager To Cope With The Often Major Problem Of Acne

It might very well seem relatively trivial to many people but to a teenager the arrival of acne can all too often seem to be the end of the world. Most teenagers will suffer from acne at some point and, in most cases, it is quite mild and more of a nuisance than anything else. However, in other cases acne can prove to be severe and cause a negative body image and even serious depression. In every case however there are a number of steps that you can take to assist your teenager in dealing with the difficulties posed by acne.

A major problem with acne is that there are many myths about acne which your teenager 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 truth and here are a few the principle facts about exactly what causes acne and what can actually make an acne attack worse:

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

* Too much scrubbing – a surprising number of teenagers believe than cleaning their skin thoroughly will help in getting rid of acne. Although cleanliness is undoubtedly important, scrubbing the skin too vigorously can cause problems with existing spots and also result in their spread.

* Popping pimples – most teenagers cannot resist the temptation to squeeze their spots and this is one thing which we can all understand. However, despite the fact that this may appear to help things look better in the short term, it is only going to make things worse in the long term.

* Diet – the precise link between acne and diet is not terribly well understood at the moment but it certainly appears that diet has a part to play when it comes to acne.

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

* Makeup – many children, of both sexes, will attempt to use makeup to cover their acne. However, this can produce problems both in terms of the skin’s ability to breathe adequately and of acne reacting to the chemicals contained within the makeup used.

The first thing that your children must understand is that acne is a natural part of growing up and, especially, of the hormonal changes which their bodies are undergoing. They must also understand that some kids will be affected more than others and that, whether they are one of the lucky ones or not, this is merely a phase which will pass given time.

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

Teenagers should wash their face in the morning and again each evening with a mild soap and, when acne arrives, with a special acne soap which can be purchased over-the counter at the majority of supermarkets or drug stores. One important point here is that washing twice a day is quite sufficient and that, desite the fact that they may be tempted to wash more frequently this can actually dry the skin and make their acne worse.

Washing with acne soap will frequently be enough, although this is not an instant cure and your children need to be persistent and patient. Where this does not do the trick however you should talk to your doctor or consult a dermatologist. Your doctor or dermatologist will be able to suggest the best acne medication which your child will again need to use for quite some time before it does the trick.

Unquestionably, the most important step which you can take in assisting your child to deal with acne is to begin early. Your child may well be embarrassed by the appearance of acne and you might be reluctant to step in and assist if they have only a pimple or two. Starting treatment early can however frequently stop the problem in its tracks and prevent it from growing into a serious problem. Dealing with teenage problems is not always easy but with a bit of forethought it does not have to be too hard either.

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