Acne, and Teenagers

I still remember my teenage days when I used to stay at home as much as possible and became very introvert. I was very shy and less confident and like all teenagers, I was really devastated at that time. I used to think that I am really very unfortunate to suffer from such a skin condition. Do you know what the reason behind my odd behavior was? The reason for all my sufferings was Acne.

Studies show that irrespective of race, gender, lifestyle and origin the majority of teenagers suffer from different forms of acne like whiteheads, blackheads, pimples etc. in fact most of the people in this world face some kind of acne at least once in their life time. Acne usually occurs from 12 to 20 years of age. Acne usually erupts in teenage years due to hormonal changes in the human body.

During adolescence hormone levels change and it stimulates sebaceous glands. These glands secrete Sebum, an oily substance which is the root cause of acne. Sebaceous glands are attached to the hair follicles and a zit erupts when hair follicle becomes swollen due to oil secretion and dead cells.

The important thing to be noted is that acne does not usually disappear within days. Acne treatment is often a long and time taking process. Acne normally starts from 10 to 13 years of age and last for 5 to 10 years depending on the individual’s situation. Adolescent acne disappears by 25 years of age but sometimes this acne reaches high level of severity and it may disappear by age 30. This type of acne is called nodular acne or cystic acne and it may cause scarring on the skin.

Acne may be cleared up within a few years but the emotional scars of the teenagers takes a long time to heal. It becomes very difficult for most of the teenagers to lead a normal life during this phase. They become shy and reluctant to go in to the crowds. Many of them hesitate to go to schools, colleges or make friends. For a teenager acne can be the worst thing that can happen in his/her life.

During this phase teenagers have very low self esteem and confidence. They don’t feel good about their physical appearance. Acne treatment can be very beneficial to boost their confidence. Timely acne treatment can prevent acne from getting more severe. Research shows that acne responds well to early acne treatment.

Initially acne in teenagers can be controlled by using acne face wash and some good quality over the counter acne medicine. But if the acne condition does not improve then they should consult a dermatologist.