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Pimples During Puberty: What To Do About Acne?
Oily skin, blackheads on your nose, thick pustules on your forehead: skin just goes crazy during puberty. Why this is so and what you can do if your child's skin becomes a problem.
During puberty, the self-confidence of many young people is pretty much in the basement. No wonder if your whole body suddenly changes. A decent growth spurt, body hair, breasts, a new, deeper voice - quite a lot to deal with. As if that wasn't enough, most teenagers have pimples and blackheads that are not only annoying for the moment, but sometimes also leave scars. Often not only on the skin, but also on the soul.
Acne - what is it and how does it arise?
The causes of acne lie beneath the skin. This is where our hair roots, the so-called hair follicles, are located. Around these follicles are glands that supply the skin and hair with sebum so that they remain supple. In childhood, the sebum glands are still very small and produce just as much skin oil as necessary. But that changes during puberty: in girls and boys, the body produces more male sex hormones, the androgens. This stimulates muscle and body growth, but also sebum production. The face begins to shine, the hair becomes greasy faster and pimples, pustules and blackheads appear. Because at the same time as the production of skin fat, the number of horny cells that form the top layer of skin also increases.
These skin particles stick together with the excess sebum, Blackheads are noticeable as dark spots on the skin. The skin pigment melanin, which is also formed in cells in the hair follicle, collects at this point. Since the sebum can no longer flow off unhindered, bacteria of the type Proprioni bacterium acnes multiply in the clogged hair roots. The bacteria use enzymes to break down the sebum. The cleavage products then lead to inflammation in the hair roots, and painful pimples, pustules and nodules form on the skin. And above all where there are a particularly large number of sebum glands: on the face, neck, shoulders, upper arms and décolleté. But inflammatory skin reactions can also occur on the back, buttocks, under the armpits as well as in the genital and groin region.
REALR Skin is an institute for aesthetic-dermatological cosmetics that goes beyond the range of services of a conventional cosmetic studio due to its specialization. At REALR® Professional Skin Care in Boston, MA, we specialize in luxury paramedical health and beauty services, offering a full array of advanced skincare and therapeutic body treatments.
REALR combines the power of advanced science with the soothing properties of pure natural extracts, to bring you skin that is not only clear, but also healthy and balanced. When disrupted by internal or external factors, the skin’s natural balance is replaced with a new order that, if not treated, can have negative long-term consequences.
Diseases and forms of acne
The skin disease does not develop in the same way for everyone. In some cases only a few pimples and blackheads can be seen on the face, in others the whole back, chest and face are covered with painful pustules. In common acne (acne vulgaris), a distinction is made between various symptoms and forms:
Acne comedonica: With this type of acne, blackheads occur frequently, especially on the face, which are not or only rarely inflamed.
Acne papulopustulosa: When blackheads are squeezed out or split open, pus-filled blisters (pustules) and papules (small nodules) develop. In addition to the face, the chest, upper arms and back are usually also affected. This inflammation can leave minor scars.
Acne conglobata: This more severe form of acne is more likely to affect men. The inflamed blackheads form 1 to 2 cm large nodules, which can also merge with one another or become extremely inflammatory abscesses. After healing, the characteristic acne scars remain.
A facial peeling is also recommended once a week to loosen dead skin and open the pores. In general, proper skin care is very important during puberty. Because not only increased sebum production can lead to acne, some care or cosmetic products contain certain fats or oils that clog the pores. Mechanical stimuli such as tight clothing or medication are also among the causes. Pay attention to which cosmetics and care products your child uses and what clothes they are wearing.
Although tempting, pimples should definitely not be squeezed out yourself. Because then the content pours into the surrounding connective tissue of the skin, the result is often even greater inflammation. This also promotes the formation of scars. And these are not only annoying on the outside. Acne and remaining scars become a problem for the psyche, especially during puberty, when self-esteem is already depressed.
Diet also plays a decisive role in skin appearance: junk food and too many carbohydrates can have a negative effect on acne. Anyone who finds that certain foods have an adverse effect on the skin should change their diet. A balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is the healthiest. Fruits with a high vitamin C content also have an anti-inflammatory effect. The antioxidants they contain make pimples heal faster.
Steam baths are also a great way to combat mild acne. The hot vapors open the pores and nourish the skin. A little honey can then be added to worse pimples. Honey has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. Just leave it on the skin for half an hour and then wash off with warm water.
Therapy options for acne
If your child has moderate to severe acne, you should see a dermatologist and have them draw up a suitable therapy plan. While drug stores, pharmacies, and online stores have a huge range of acne remedies to choose from, it is not advisable to experiment with your child's skin. In the case of intolerance, acne can be aggravated. Every skin is different and has different needs. A dermatologist can easily find out.
Severe acne usually has to be treated not only externally with ointments, but also internally with medication. Even if it doesn't seem like it to you, most acne cases get milder after puberty and larger scars can also be treated in such a way that they are less noticeable.
We help clients restore and preserve their skin’s natural balance with our customized skincare management plans designed to address individual body chemistries.
Contact one of our specialists today for a free skin consultation to find a skincare management plan that’s right for you.