Acne Treatment Guide

Most people, especially teenagers who are more prone to acne outbreaks, the best solution to the problem is a good acne prevention program. Many doctors and skin care professionals believe that acne is only a part of growing up and the hormone fluctuations that are also blamed for teenage acne. However, if a teenager considers that their skin is the body’s largest living organ they can then better understand that to take good care of their skin, it will be healthier to them in return.

Before you can embark on an teenage acne prevention program, you need to understand how acne forms and as each person is different, the causes of their acne outbreaks will be different. Some of the causes of acne include genetics, hormones, stress, the accumulation of dead skin cells and overactive sebaceous glands. Additionally, acne prevention programs also include eliminating bacteria in the pores, avoiding skin lesions and not using anabolic steroids.

Primarily, hair follicles push hair through the skin through a kind of tunnel, lubricated by sebum from the sebaceous glands. Any of the causes of acne can block this tunnel and create a lump under the skin, which in turn, collects bacteria creating acne. Prevention includes being able to keep the pores open and kill the bacteria as it is forming, or before it has the chance to grow.

Daily Skin Care Is Key

For teenagers that suffer acne outbreaks, once the blackheads and pimples appear on the skin, it can take several days and even weeks to get rid of the unsightly blemishes. By using an appropriate acne prevention routine, they can limit the frequency and duration of the outbreaks. Keeping the skin clean and free of dead skin cells is probably the most important aspect of prevention they can use.

Topical bactericides such as benzoyl peroxide are commonly used in the treatment of acne outbreaks, but are not recommended in an acne prevention program. While keeping the skin clear and the pores open is an integral part f preventing the development of acne, products containing this chemical should only be used to kill the bacteria once it makes its presence known as it can also dry out the skin.

A very simple teenage acne prevention tip is washing the skin with non-perfumed soap that contains no oil at least twice a day. Even though black heads may appear to be dirt in the pores, the blackheads are actually spots of bacteria growing in the pores and can be eliminated by washing the face often and removing dead skin cells daily. A simple bar of soap is often forgotten but can be a very effective treatment.