In many instances, the teenage years are when most people experience the greatest amount of acne. This is a result of hormone level variances and increased sebum (oil) production. The best recipe for acne!
So, what is a teenager to do? Prevention is the name of the game with regards to acne and teens. Unfortunately, because there is no cure for acne, prevention and control are the only things a teenager can do to control acne.
The initial step is to get on proven acne prevention regimen like the one discussed on our acne prevention page. The next thing is to utilize products that minimize acne you may already have and reduces the chance of future outbreaks. Those really are the two most important things a teenager can do to combat acne.
A visit to the doctor or dermatologists may be in order if these steps do not work. Stronger treatments like antibiotics and Accutane may be needed- only a doctor can know definitely.
For most young adults though, merely following the cleanse-treat-protect routine combined with using high-quality acne treatments will be effective in lessening acne.
For sure some people are confused when it comes to acne prevention. Many people say to scrub your face all day, consume the right foods, prevent sweat, workout, and on and on. Unfortunately, these have nothing to do with acne prevention.
These numbers really tell the story when it comes to adult acne, 25% of men between the ages of 25 and 44 are suffering from acne. With women the numbers are even higher- nearly 50% of all women between the ages of 25 and 44 get acne.
These numbers tell a story many adults do not want to hear. It’s not just teenagers who get acne. Many adults will get recurrences in their 30s, 40s, and beyond.
Another important fact about adult acne is that it is more prone to leave permanent scars. This is because as skin ages it loses collagen, which is responsible for skin’s elasticity. So, with less collagen, it is harder for skin to “bounce back” after the tissue damage that acne can cause.
Acne prevention is best accomplished by using a skin care routine that incorporates three basic steps. In one form or another, the skin must be cleansed, treated, and protected. As long as these steps are followed, a person’s acne should improve.
Acne Prevention Step 1: Cleansing
Due to what we know about how acne is formed, it is pretty clear that it makes sense to gently cleanse your skin on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean scrubbing a way at your face 5 times a day. It means use a good cleansing product to carefully wash away dead skin cells and impurities. Also, it doesn’t hurt if your cleanser contains proven acne fighters like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
Acne Prevention Step 2: Treatment
For optimum acne prevention, the skin must be cured with something that diminishes bacteria (like benzoyl peroxide) or slows down the shedding of skin cells (like salicylic acid). There are many good manufacturers of these products, all professing to be the best acne treatment who will give you suggestions as to how long these products should remain on the face and how frequently they should be used.
Acne Prevention Step Three: Protection
The last step in acne prevention is protection. By protection, we mean that the face should be properly moisturized and protected from the sun’s damaging rays. You can find a great number of quality moisturizers available that contain sunscreens in them. One more thing to bear in mind, many acne treatments tend to dry out the skin a bit making moisturizers extra important.
That’s it, a simple 3 step plan for acne prevention.