I’s back to school and some of your teens might be adding facial products to their school supply list! Yes, facial products! With social media being the new way of advertising, teenagers these days are so much more aware. They want the new facial line because their favorite celebrity came out with that pretty packaging or those single use masks are the trend when hanging out with girlfriends. It’s finally happening; people are starting to care for their skin at an earlier age!!! While this does excite me, I would like to touch on some key points when dealing with certain skin conditions such as acne.
I experienced cystic acne during high school. Let’s just say it did not do much for my self-esteem. I was using acne cleansers, acne-spot treatments, acne over the counter everything, no moisturizer, popping pimples, wearing heavy makeup, using my hair to cover up my cheeks and forehead scars, you name it I probably tried it, but nothing worked. I finally gave in and saw a dermatologist and he explained to me that we had to get to the root of the problem. What is causing the acne? The combination of sebum (oil), dead skin cells, and bacteria within a clogged pore causes a pimple along with some other factors that I will explain later. After following the doctor's instructions for a month, my skin felt and looked even better and I never had to deal with cystic acne again. I worked on bettering my skin with the help and guidance of my aesthetician and doctor with deep cleansing facials or chemical peels quarterly to maintain a healthy glow and unclogged pores. My suggestion for you mothers/fathers out there who are dealing with a teenager with acne would be to take them to see a dermatologist who has an aesthetician on board who specializes in this condition. Do not just buy the pretty packaging or all the drying acne products out there. Work with someone who will get to the root of the problem.
These were my triggers and factors for my grade of acne: dairy, hair products, oily heavy clogging makeup, drying out my skin with my facial products which caused me to over produce oil, and picking. I changed my skin care routine to a simple cleanser, added an oil-free moisturizer, used a prescription topical for a couple of months, stopped my dairy habits and changed my bathing routine. I began to cleanse my face and body after I rinsed out my hair conditioner. These simple changes helped me to finally have control over my acne.
There are different degrees of acne and each stage has a specific way it needs to be treated in order to achieve the goal; free of acne or maintained acne. Having a consultation first is always key. Allow your teen to find an office that they feel comfortable with. This should not be a scary or stressful experience. I always found it easier for the child to consult with me when the child was allowed to answer their own questions, it helps to build a rapport. They feel more comfortable and it makes the process enjoyable and productive.
“You are what you eat” is the saying and was true in my case. But that was only one component of my acne story. Working with a professional, I was able to target my other underlying root causes so I didn’t have to endure many years of acne unnecessarily. Navigating what’s good and not so good for your skin on social media can be a challenge, but teen acne does not have to be a rite of passage into adulthood anymore.
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