It might well appear relatively trivial to most people but to a teenager the onset of acne can often seem to be the end of the world. The majority of 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 lead to a poor body image and occasionally even serious depression. In all cases however there are various steps that you can take to help your teenager in dealing with the difficulties posed by acne.
One major problem with acne is that there are numerous myths about acne which your teenager is likely to hear in school or to pick up on such things as the Internet. You need to therefore begin by arming yourself with the truth and here are several of the main facts about precisely what causes acne and what can make an attack of acne worse:
* Genetics � some kids are simply more prone to acne 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 unquestionable important, scrubbing the skin too hard can both cause problems with existing spots and also result in their spread.
* Squeezing pimples � almost all kids cannot resist the temptation to squeeze their pimples and this is something which we can all understand. Unfortunately, although this may appear to help things look better in the short term, it will only cause more problems in the long term.
* Diet � the exact connection between diet and acne is not well understood just at the moment but it certainly appears that diet has a part to play when I comes to acne.
* Stress � when we are suffering from stress the chemical balance in our bodies is disturbed and this can add to the problems of teen acne.
* Makeup � a lot of children, both girls and boys, will try to use makeup to cover their acne. This can however produce problems both in terms of the inability of the skin to breathe properly and of acne reacting to the makeup used.
The first thing that your children must understand is that acne is a normal part of growing up and, in particular, of the hormonal changes which their bodies are undergoing. They also have to understand that some children will be affected more than others and that, whether they are lucky or not, this is just a phase that will pass given time.
Next, you children need to be taught proper skin care and this is best done from 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 one thing that they need to both learn and practice.
Children should wash their face each morning and again each evening with a mild soap and, when acne appears, with a special acne soap that can be bought over-the counter at most supermarkets or drug stores. An important point here is that washing twice a day is sufficient and that, despite 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 often be enough, although this is not an instant cure and your kids need to be both patient and persistent. When this does not do the trick however you will need to talk to your doctor or consult a dermatologist. Your doctor or dermatologist may well suggest a stronger prescription medication which your child will again need to use for some time before it produces results.
Undoubtedly, the most important step which you can take towards assisting your teenager to cope with acne is to begin early. Your child may well be embarrassed by the appearance of acne and you may be reluctant to step in and help if they have just a pimple or two. Beginning treatment early can however often stop the problem in its tracks and prevent it from developing into a surprisingly serious condition.
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