Teen Acne
Acne is common during the teenage. However, it is not only the Teen who suffer from acne, there is also an “adult acne” version of it. Since this is a site for the teens we are going to talk about the teenage acne only.
What is acne?
Acne is the development of pimples, normally on the face, due to the cloying of the pores on the skin by sebum, an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands.
The sebum becomes viscous when it combines with the dead cells of the skin and bacterial infections.
Acne can be like painless pimples or can be a bit painful to touch depending on the type of the acne. Severe acne infections can even leave permanent scars on the skin.
Why the acne is pronounced during the teenage?
At the time of puberty the body secretes a larger amounts of male hormones called androgens. Yes, even girls have androgens! The androgens make the sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum. The excess secretion of sebum during the teenage years makes acne worse in those prime years.
What are the other causes of acne?
Anything that can cause hormonal changes in the body can make acne erupt. Apart from just the hereditary causes, use of makeup, pregnancy pills, certain medicines etc can all cause acne.
How can using makeup cause acne?
The makeup components have very fine grains that can easily clog the skin pores. If the sebum is not let out of the skin pores, it gets collected inside and hardens in the form of whiteheads. If the sebum gets infected by bacteria it complicates the acne further and make it look like red pimples that may even be pus filled which if the skin is not kept clean, makes the acne even worse.
If you have to use the makeup, you should look for the one that is water soluble and comes off easily and completely with a face wash. The best is avoiding use of the makeup as far as possible.
Can you prevent acne?
It is not sure if you can really prevent acne completely but there are ways by which you may b able to mitigate it’s impact on your skin.
Your doctor can determine if any medication can help you keep the hormone levels and therefore the androgens in control. If you are on another prescription, your doctor can evaluate if using another medication might prevent the effects of acne.
Should I squeeze the acne pimples to clean?
The medical community believes that you should not. That might worsen the acne even more as the infection might spread even more. If need be, your doctor is the best person to decide. From your side, you should try o wash your face with a mild soap several times a day and keep the skin clean.
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