Teen Acne

What is the difference between teenage and adult acne?

The difference between adult acne and teen acne
While the very root cause is the same, there is a very important difference between teen and adult acne. Hormonal imbalance cause both teen and adult acne sufferers trouble. But with adult acne, the cause of hormonal imbalance is a little different then with teens.

Hormonal imbalance often occurs with teens because at that time the body produces a SURGE of all kinds of hormones which can easily overwhelm the system, leading to hormonal imbalance.

The best way to try to combat teenage acne is first to start fighting it early. When your child gets his/her first pimples, take the necessary steps to ensure that it is treated. Bacteria, like misery, loves company so if you can control the outbreaks early on in life, it will diminish outbreaks in the future. Plus, your child should also get into the habit of using the proper medicated face washes regularly. One of the easiest ways to prevent more Acne is to wash the face regularly especially if you have oily skin. Don't give your children treatment with antibiotics unless it is absolutely necessary. One exception is Triclosan, the non-prescription drug usually found in face washes, since it is more of an antiseptic rather than an antibiotic. Since we all have different faces, none of the other groups of drugs have proven effective in all cases so it is important to find out what works best without using two different treatments at the same time.

Most cases of teenage acne disappear once they grow into adulthood and hormone production cools off. In some cases, acne may persist and needs to be treated for life. For the purposes of brevity I won't go into detail on adult acne but suffice it to say that the same treatments are usually the only options available to the patient. On the same note, it is also worthwhile noting that acne is sometimes presented as symptoms of another overlying illness.

In the meantime, the most important thing is to teach your kids self-confidence in the face of acne attacks. Do not force things upon them but subtly provide positive reinforcement towards helping them realize that it is a battle that needs to be fought regardless of whether they may win outright or not. What I've noticed in most severe cases of Acne at our community hospital is that teenagers are usually frustrated that they "break out" and stop using facial care treatments. Self-confidence builds self-respect and this will help motivate them to continually use the proper face washes that will at least reduce their breakouts.

One good note about teenage acne:

Teenage boys who suffer from acne may be less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease in later life than their clear skinned peers. Sufferers of the confidence-denting skin condition are one-third less likely to die from coronary heart disease, according to a UK study of 10,000 men.

The researchers believe that the androgens responsible for bringing on acne may have a protective effect on the heart.