As many adolescent problems, now acne is rearing its ugly head! (no pun intended) As a parent you do everything you can to keep your child as healthy and happy as possible.
Part of trying to make them feel good about themselves is so easy because to you - your child will always be beautiful, no matter what. But when a teen has moderate to severe acne, your job may be a little harder. Just telling them they are still beautiful may not work.
You may now actually have to get really involved to help them fight acne so they don't become self-conscious. So it's off to Acne 101, to learn all you can about it; causes, treatments, options.
First lesson - What Causes Acne
The ultimate cause of acne is small bacteria that infect clogged pores. These bacteria breed and result in the inflammation that usually shows itself as reddened skin or as pimples.
The whiteheads that often form from these pimples come from your body¡¯s immune response, with that white fluid consisting mostly of white blood cells. So though whiteheads are unsightly, it¡¯s a sign that your body is working to wipe out the bacteria.
Hormones can play a part in this process, so for girls outbreaks are more severe during one point in the menstrual cycle than during others.
Before learning how to reduce and treat your teens acne is to think about your own teenage years. Did you have the same kind of acne that he or she currently has? If so, think back to what worked for you.
Lesson 2 - More than 1 type of Acne
There are more than just one type of acne. In order to prevent or cure acne problems, it is important to be able to recognize the different types of acne as well as what causes each type of form and how what works on one may not work on others and, in some cases, can actually make the situation worse. nn* Cystic acne is essentially a pimple that forms deep in the skin, typically at the root of a hair and is a painful and tender, causing an eruption on the skin.
These eruptions are commonly filled with pus and attempting to squeeze them to get rid of them, usually cause additional pain and can make the situation worse. nn* Blackheads - little black spots in the skin. Because of the way these look, people often misinterpret acne as a result of dirt on the face, meaning that those with acne have poor personal hygiene.
In reality, those black spots are usually composed of keratin, which is the substance that makes up skin and hair cells. Because this affliction is caused by unshed skin cells blocking pores, these black spots often show. This is normal, and reflects a symptom, not a cause. nn* Whiteheads - As mentioned above - Whiteheads often form after the bacteria breed and result in the inflammation that usually shows itself as reddened skin or as pimples and come from your body's immune response, with that white fluid consisting mostly of white blood cells.
So though whiteheads are unsightly, its a sign that your body is working to wipe out the bacteria.
Lesson 3 - Types of treatments
What works best for one type of acne or for one person can differ greatly when comparing treatments. nThere are light therapies, topical creams, herbal remedies and even simple
diet changes.
When trying new things, be sure to only have your teen try or change one thing at a time so when something works, you know what treatment is was.
Here are just a few dos and don'ts nIf your child has blackheads or inflamed acne with pus in it, you should not immediately try to pop the acne, because that could make it worse.
When it comes to figuring out how to reduce and treat this kind of acne, an effective treatment is to take a face cloth, rinse it with hot water, and place it on the acne.
By squeezing it you may actually push the bacteria deeper into the skin.
Another thing that you should consider when it comes to learning how to reduce and treat acne is the possibility of allergies. Sometimes allergies can create rashes that look like acne.
This can be caused by a variety of different things, but one of the things that can cause it is clothing detergent. Some children are allergic to the perfumes in the detergent.
Thus, it is important, if you think this might be the case, to buy detergent that is for sensitive skin and does not include any perfume.
Look in the skin care section for various lotions that contain salicylic acid. However, it should be noted that if your teen has especially sensitive skin, these kinds of lotion might result in skin irritation.
You may also be interested in some herbal supplements or all natural treatments. There are many available online and a simple search should find you with quite a selection.
When it comes to body acne, there are a variety of different body washes of varying strengths that will be able to help clear the acne over a period of time.
Another idea is to get skin care lotion that contains oatmeal for a great natural alternative for getting the acne to clear.
However, if none of these solutions have worked after a period of some time, you should take your teen to the doctor. The doctor will be able to assess the acne that your teen has and might refer the teen to the dermatologist. With patience and the proper remedies, your teens acne will clear.
If you can manage to get your teens acne under control you can then go back to the normal headaches of teenage years, Similar sentiments fluctuations and obesity.