Controlling Teeange Acne

When we are a small child, our skin renews itself very quickly. Small children rarely have break outs or acne. Coming into our teenage years, our skin turnover slows down a bit and hormones, and a lack of a skin care regime can lead to clogged pores and acne.

Acne can be incredible stressful to the teen who is all ready feeling awkward with all the changes that are taking place with their bodies. Hormones increase and acne can come along with it.

Teens rarely have a regular skin care routine. This is the perfect time to introduce them to good regime and help them beat acne before it begins. As a child, because our skin turned over at a faster rate, the dead skin cells were renewed almost weekly. Teenager’s skin turns over at the rate of every two to three weeks, while adult’s skin turns over at a very slow rate of every 25 to 45 days. Because your teenager’s skin is not turning over as quickly as when they were younger, there is the ability for the dead skin cells to clog their pores.

With hormone production increasing, and sebum or oils increasing it is extremely important that the pores remain free of dirt, debris and the excess sebum production. By washing your face regularly both in the morning and evening with a good cleanser, you are helping to clear away those very things that can clog pores. When dirt and excess sebum become trapped under the dead skin cells, this forms acne. Acne is bacteria trapped beneath the skin. A blackhead and a whitehead are very similar. A whitehead or closed comedone is still under the skin, while a blackhead or open comedone is open to the air, and becomes dark because air has hit it, and it has oxidized.

Exfoliating the skin is another way to help your teenager keep their pores from clogging. When we exfoliate the skin, we’re helping to remove the buildup of dead skin cells. This in turns keeps the pores from clogging. Use a mild exfoliant and never be aggressive.

By following these simple steps you can lessen the impact of acne on your teenager’s life. Wash regularly both in the morning and evening, and exfoliate the skin once a week. If your child has a lot of buildup and clogging, you may gently exfoliate the skin twice a week. It is important to use a gentle exfoliant as over exfoliating the skin can cause the skin to be sensitized.