If your child has acne, you should know they are not alone. Nearly every teenager deals with at least an occasional pimple or breakout 2a – and they usually appear at the worst times, like the first day of school or the night of a big date!
Acne, from mild to severe, affects nearly 85 percent of adolescents and young adults.3
To talk effectively with your teen about acne and what to do about it, you need to know the facts.
What is acne?
Acne is the most common of all skin conditions. It appears as whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and, in some people, deep painful bumps that look and feel like boils.2b Acne most commonly occurs on the face, but can also appear on the back, chest, shoulders and neck.2c
Acne can range from mild to severe.
Acne facts
- Acne usually starts between the ages of 10 and 13 and typically lasts for 5 to 10 years, but sometimes even into adulthood.2d
- Acne needs time to heal. On average, 6 to 8 weeks are needed to see initial results, even with treatment.4
- By their mid-teens, more than 40 percent of adolescents have acne that requires treatment by a doctor.2e
- Young men are more likely to have more severe, longer lasting forms of acne; young women are more likely to have intermittent acne due to hormonal changes and cosmetics that may clog pores.2f
How and why does acne develop?
No one knows exactly what causes acne,5 but experts know of several factors that do contribute. Genetics can even play a role – if you had acne as a child, you might have passed on a hereditary tendency to break out to your child.6a
In teens, the typical chain of events is:
Hormones surge
Acne usually begins around puberty, when males and females both experience an increase in the production of sex hormones (called androgens).7 These hormones can affect the activity and size of the sebaceous glands – glands in the skin that produce an oily substance called sebum to protect the hair follicles and the skin.7 When hormones surge during puberty, the androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands, leading to more sebum and potentially more acne.7
Pores get clogged
The lining of the wall of the hair follicle sheds skin cells, which then stick together with the sebum.8a This causes a plug to form below the surface of the skin.8a This plug is the root cause of acne and cannot be washed away.8a This process can take days to weeks for a visible lesion to form and results in whiteheads and blackheads.8b,8c,8d
The body fights back
This sebum and cell debris mixture that is stuck in the lining of the hair follicle contributes to the growth of bacteria that naturally live in pores.8a Specialized immune system cells are trained to invade the follicle in attempt to clear this mixture out of the clogged pores. However, when the immune cells join in, the walls of the follicle may get weak and rupture, causing the contents of the follicle to invade surrounding tissue.8a When this occurs, swelling or redness can develop around the tissue…and voila, a pimple is born! These eruptions are (more technically) known as papules and pustules and can cause scarring.8e
For more information about acne, visit www.Differin.com.
| 5 things you should never say to your teen about acne |
…and why |
| You have acne because you eat too much junk |
There’s no evidence that what people eat has any impact on the development of acne.9a |
| If you scrubbed your face more, you wouldn’t break-out |
While proper cleansing is important, acne isn’t caused by dirt or surface skin oils. Acne begins below the surface of skin in the hair follicle. Washing the face too much or too vigorously can actually make acne worse.9b |
| Pop that zit to get rid of it |
Your teen should never squeeze or pick at pimples, since it actually contributes to infection, inflammation, more redness and even scarring. 2g,6b |
| Just deal with it – it will go away |
40 percent of acne sufferers in their mid-teens have acne severe enough to need to talk to a doctor to figure out how to effectively manage it.2e Even mild acne can sometimes benefit from professional help.10 |
Should my teen see a doctor?
Like most teens, yours may attempt to get rid of acne by himself/herself. This often means trying various cleansers, creams and ointments. Below are some of the tell-tale signs it’s time to make a doctor’s appointment for your teen to talk about his/her acne with a professional:
- It’s been at least two months and the over-the-counter or non-prescription creams and cleansers have not made your teen’s acne better.
- Your teen’s acne never really goes away – you believe it is more than just hormonal changes.
- Your teen regularly gets red blemishes that are worse than the common blackhead or whitehead (e.g. painful bumps).
- Your teen has scars from acne on his/her face and/or body.
- Acne is affecting your teen’s emotional well-being:11
- Reduced self-confidence
- Social dysfunction
- Embarrassment
- Depression and anxiety
- Anger and frustration
- Poor body image
How is acne treated?
The key to acne treatment is getting to the root of the problem – clogged pores.2b The goal of acne treatment is to get rid of existing blemishes and, more importantly, to unclog pores and work to keep them clear.12
Everyone’s acne is different and there are many different types of treatments. Only a doctor knows the best course of action for your teen’s acne. For more information on acne treatment, check out the "Talking Acne with Your Teen" e-guide. And, for even more information on the #1 topical acne treatment prescribed by doctors, visit www.Differin.com.
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