Teenage acne

Acne and pimple are the most common skin condition among children and kids reaching puberty. To understand what causes acne and what are the options for the best teenage acne treatment in Islamabad , it is important to understand what acne is.

What is acne?

Acne vulgaris is a skin problem that causes skin problems like bumps, black and white heads, pustules, cysts and pimples. This skin problem can appear on any part of the face, shoulders, chest and back.

What are the types of teenage acne?

There are different types of acne that include:

Papules, pustules or nodules: This type of acne is most serious and causes red or white lesions with inflammation that may lead to infection deep inside the skin. This can become painful and needs medical intervention and proper treatment by a board certified dermatologist for teenage acne treatment in Islamabad.

Whiteheads: This type of acne has white dots that appear on top of the pores that are clogged due to any reason.

Blackheads: Blackheads are those pores in which sebum and other material oozes out through the follicles. The color of this type of teenage acne is black because of the infection.

Cysts:  This type of acne has pus-filled pimples and cystic acne must be treated under a professional practitioner’s supervision and advice.

What causes teenage acne?

Our skin contains pores that have oil glands beneath. The oil that is produced by these glands is called sebum. The skin becomes inflamed when these pores are clogged. It can happen at any age but almost all teenagers get acne. This could also be because of hormonal changes in the body.

Teenage Acne Treatment

Teenage acne treatment is something that board-certified doctors should treat only. After your doctor identifies the type of teenage acne, the treatment for acne is accordingly. Your doctor will decide whether your teenage needs topical medicines to be applied on your acne or oral medication is also needed to treat the acne. Where acne has health issues, it can also have psychological impact like lowering self esteem, shattering confidence in young kids etc. It is important to take it seriously and getting an effective treatment before it leave acne scars and more invasive procedures are required to improve skin and texture.

Here are the dos and donts for teenagers suffering from any kind of acne:

• Don’t pick your acne

Your hands are the most exposed parts of the body and tend to carry germs. When you touch your face, you may introduce bacteria and your acne is likely to get worse. So, rule number 1 is NOT to pick your acne

• Keep your skin clean

Wash your face twice a day with a mild unscented soap or with any medicated soap prescribed by your doctor.

• Know your skin type

It is also very important to know your skin type. Your skin could be oily, dry or combination skin. When you know your skin type, choose your skin care products for teenage acne treatment accordingly. The doctors also emphasize about knowing our skin type and choosing the product that suits our skin needs.

• Sun Protection

Indoors or outdoors, UV rays are everywhere. It is advised to wear sun protection/sun screen twice a day for maximum coverage against UV rays that are emitted by sun and our screens and gadgets indoors.

• Lifestyle modification

Teenage acne treatment also includes changes in lifestyle. Remaining active throughout the day, keeping a balanced diet and adopting an active lifestyle

• Hydration

A minimum of 8 glasses a day of water gives a good hydration to our bodies. It also helps in eliminating toxins out of body that can cause teenage acne on face, neck, shoulders and back.

Acne is treatable and one should always reach out for professional assistance for teenage acne treatment for teenagers that are going through a difficult stage where their hormonal changes and lifestyle can trigger acne thereby affecting their confidence and self-esteem. As parents, it is important to understand the needs of our teenagers and addressing them rightly. In case of teenage or adult acne, see a board certified dermatologist immediately.