Acne is the most common type of skin condition that occurs in almost 95% of the teenagers regardless of their sex, religion or race. Acne in teenagers is said to begin at the puberty age of 12 years and may go on to an age of 20 years. The face is the most common place where the acne strikes first on a teenager.

It usually occurs on the nose or forehead or chin or cheeks. But, acne in severe cases tends to affect the neck, shoulders, chest, upper arms and shoulders. A teenager will stop to get acne once he or she reaches adulthood.

The main reason for the occurrence of acne in teenagers is the hormones released during the onset of puberty. The oily skin that is formed due to the hormones reacting with the sebaceous or oil glands will result in the pores being blocked and hence leads to clogging of the pores. The various dietary habits, stresses undergone in day to day life are also found to trigger acne in teenagers.

Many teenagers get upset seeing the pimples on their face and this creates a lot of mental tension in them. They tend to loose their self esteem and self confidence. They will isolate themselves from public and will always be thinking about it and hence become very emotional and depressed. This will lead to a lot of psychological problems and in severe cases of acnes; there has been suicide attempts also from the part of the teens. It is the responsibility of the parents to talk to their children about the occurrence of acne and advise them on why this acne occurs in them and what the ways in which it can be reduced. Giving proper guidance and support and helping the teens with medication will make the teens move around with self confidence.  

There are plenty of over the counter topical medicines like ointments, gels, creams, lotions etc that can be used by teenagers on the areas affected by acne. In haste to get rid of acne quickly, many teenagers tend to apply a lot of these topical medications on their skin and this in turn will cause irritation, redness, and itching or sometimes severe acne problems as well. It is advisable that the teenagers use these medicines as per the instructions given on the medicine or as per the dermatologists instructions.   

Most of the teenagers will be able to control acne by proper application of these topical medicines. It is advisable to meet a dermatologist only if there is no improvement or subsiding of the acne after home treatment for a few weeks. For severe acne, there are oral medication and some physical treatments that are available. These treatments will help in reducing acne over a due course of time. Proper personal hygiene is also very important for teenagers suffering from acne problems. Proper diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and plenty of water will help in alleviating acne soon. Teenagers should avoid oily and dairy foods while suffering from acne. Proper use of topical medications, good dietary habits and maintaining a good personal hygiene will help teenagers to relieve themselves from acne problems.

November 20, 2007