Quick Skincare Tips for Your Acne Prone Tween or Teenager

It’s no surprise that most individuals first taste of acne is at the start of puberty.  As puberty arrives bodies go through many different changes.  One change is the increase in the gonadotropin hormone levels in both girls and boys.  This triggers a cycle in those who are acne prone -of more sebum, excessive skin cell production which clog’s the pore and creates a perfect place for bacteria to grow.  This is where acne starts and the cycle from the beginning of a zit to when it reaches the surface of the skin can take three to four months.

Since most acne appears during puberty.  Typically age 9 for girls and age 11 for boys, I suggest teaching your child some healthy skincare habits beforehand.  when the acne hits you’ll have a teenager who has a good foundation of following a simple skincare routine which can help immensely in controlling their acne.  

Cleansing

Get your kids cleansing their face on a regular basis.  Clean hands and a very mild face wash is all they will need. Start by having your child cleanse in the morning either in the shower or after they brush their teeth.  Once they are consistent with cleansing in the morning add a night cleansing to their routine. 

No picking

Picking at pimples can become a bad habit quickly.  I’ve seen lot’s of “pickers” in our clinic.  One of my first priorities is to get that client to stop picking because it spreads bacteria and can cause scarring. If it seems that your child or teenager is picking maybe inquirer about the reason behind this activity.  We see picking in our clinic attributed to boredom anxiety or embarrassment over their acne. 

Moisturizing

Keeping skin moisturized is important for everyone.  I always suggest moisturizing in the morning and at night. This step would follow cleansing.  However, if this is too many steps for a younger child to follow just moisturize at night.  Reason being is that the next step “ Sunscreen” can double as the morning moisturizer.

Sunscreen

Teach your child and teenager to always wear sunscreen during the day as the last step in their skincare routine.  Sunscreen helps prevent sun burns which can lead to skin cancer, wrinkles and premature aging later in life.

Have more questions about clearing acne and helping your tween or teenager have clear skin?  Visit our website at UtahAcneClinic.com or call us at 801-800-6602

The Rundown on Clear Skin: Lifestyle Changes to Deal with Acne / Part 2

In our last post, we introduced the first set of lifestyle changes that you will need to achieve clear skin. In this post, we will go over the last 4 changes you need to make in your everyday program to keep your pores clean and skin clear. We urge you to start practicing these habits every day, as soon as possible - but we do warn you that these lifestyle changes are not enough to clear your skin. You also need to start a guided regimen of extractions and product use right away. When you pair these lifestyle changes with our clearing program, you will achieve clear skin.

1. Make sure you are using the correct birth control.

While many people assume that birth control will automatically clear your skin, the reality is that many birth controls can actually cause your skin to break out. Overall, it is best to avoid low-estrogen birth control pills. Please see our post on Acne and Birth Control to learn more about the safest birth control methods for acne sufferers. In general, we suggest staying away from IUD’s, implants and birth control shots. Please consult our list of safe birth control methods before choosing your pill. 

2. Always, always, always check the ingredients of your cosmetics.

If you suffer from acne, you cannot use cosmetics OR hair products that contain pore-clogging ingredients. Products that contain pore clogging ingredients will absolutely make you break out. Please see our list of pore clogging ingredients and make sure to check the products you are buying every time you purchase them. 

3. Wear your sunscreen!

While the best way to keep your skin safe from the sun is to limit your exposure, we do understand that sun exposure is just a part of life. Really though, the sun is great and the best things happen outdoors, so if you can’t limit your time in the sun - make sure to wear sunscreen every day. We ask you to do this because sun exposure damages the follicle, causes hyper pigmentation, skin cancer and premature aging. Too much sun exposure can also cause “solar acne” later in life. Acne sufferers also see more breakouts in warm climates with heat and humidity.

4. Protect your skin when you swim!

When swimming in pools make sure to protect your skin with Aquaphor. Most pools will contain Iodides and Chlorine because of their disinfectants. The Iodides and Chlorine can remain in the water and cause breakouts for swimmers. If you protect your skin with a layer of Aquaphor, you are less likely to breakout and irritate your acne prone skin.

 Remember that you should be making these changes while working with a Skincare and Acne Specialist who can guide your journey to a clear complexion by implementing deep cleansing treatments and finding the right product for your acne type. Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City can help.  Give us a call