Zits Are the Pits

Face Care for Preteens and Teens

By Gina Roberts-Grey LCSW

With all the mood swings, peer pressure and physical changes that tweens and teens have to cope with, putting a clear face forward shouldn't be a daunting task. For many, achieving a "fresh look" or being thought of as having a clear complexion is a difficult chore. Sadly, many young people cope with not only having mild to severe acne, but with the social and emotional ramifications that frequently accompany skin blemishes.

Although it is typically associated with teens, acne can start as early as 9 or 10 years old. By the time they've weathered the storm of puberty, most children have experience with some form of acne. While acne usually clears up after several years – even if it goes untreated – it can severely affect a child's self image and confidence, and be extremely embarrassing to an already insecure teenager.

You can offer some support and comfort to your teen's or tween's already challenging existence by knowing how children with acne feel about themselves, what causes acne and how it can be controlled.

According to dermatologist Dr. Kelly Ryska, all teens should wash their skin with a mild cleanser once in the morning, in the evening and after heavy exercise as a means of preventing or controlling breakouts. Experts like Dr. Ryska caution against excessive cleansing that can aggravate acne. "Remember, scrubbing will not improve acne and can make the problem worse," she says. "Drying out lesions by using alcohol, alcohol-based astringents or gels will not eliminate acne." Drying out acne still leaves a residue or dead skin cells piled up to clog the hair follicle. "Clinical experience has also shown that acne scars don't improve much in their appearance when the skin is repeatedly aggressed by drying products," she says.

Want to see more?

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• Best Face Forward: Coping With Teenage Acne
• Talk about it!