Most people are concerned about how they look and teenagers especially worry
about how others see them. It is a time when they want to feel attractive, appeal to their
friends and generally feel good about themselves. But it is also a time when they often
feel gawky, ugly and under confident. They often seem to exaggerate the bad points about
themselves. Pimples can become one of the nightmares for an adolescent. As a parent there
is a delicate balance between being helpful and yet not drawing too much attention to
their skin and how it looks. Pimples are usually called zits by adolescents.
Reversion Acne Control Info.
WHAT CAUSES PIMPLES? (ZITS)
Your teenager's skin is largely influenced by two things:
- heredity (the genes inherited from parents)
- puberty (the hormone changes that happen as your teenager moves from childhood to
adolescence)
The skin contains a huge number of pores (tiny holes) connected to glands which produce
the oils to keep the skin healthy. At puberty these glands become more active and make
more oil. Sometimes bacteria (germs) get into the pores. The bacteria make the oil thicker
and harder so the pore can become blocked. The blocked pore may be black at the top
(blackhead) or it can become a sore (red with white pus).
Boys often have more acne than girls, but many girls find pimples more common around
the time of their period.
HOW CAN PIMPLES BE AVOIDED?
The way you give your teenager this information will make the difference between it
being accepted or rejected. Lecturing and nagging are likely to have little effect. A more
casual, laid back manner which gives the information without "pushing" will have
more chance of being taken up.
Your teenager cannot stop pimples altogether but here are some things that might help:
- regularly washing the skin with soap and water or skin cleanser (no more than three
times a day otherwise there is a risk of more oil and more pimples)
- touching pimples as little as possible (fingers are a terrific source of germs and the
more often the pimple is touched the more it is aggravated)
- reducing the level of stress (tiredness, overwork, exams, big events, worry,
overpartying and difficult relationships can all trigger a "zit hit")
- exposing the skin to a little sunshine- (not enough to give sunburn)
- avoiding cosmetics and sunscreens which have an oil base
- avoiding smoking or being around tobacco smoke. The skin of a smoker is
less healthy and looks older.
- getting regular exercise, sleep and food. Some people believe that foods can trigger
pimple outbreaks but there is no "pimple free" diet and food is not a cause of
pimples for most people.
You also may want to try Reversion Acne Control.
The Reversion Antimicrobial Wash eradicates the skin surface of 99.99% of acne-causing bacteria for up to 12-hours.
HOW CAN YOUR TEENAGER MANAGE PIMPLES?
There is no "cure" for pimples but with medical treatment severe acne can be
improved a lot.
If the pimple hangs around for more than a day or so your teenager will be tempted to
squeeze it, particularly if it comes to a "head". There is a risk then of
spreading the bacteria and making things worse. If she must squeeze, encourage her to wash
her hands first and use a clean tissue. Use astringents or alcohol based skin cleansers on
areas where the pimples collect, once or twice a day only. These skin products work by
cleaning and drying the skin and opening up the pore. This lets the oil flow more freely.
Acne lotions, provided they are used for several weeks at a time, can suit some people.
It is a good idea to talk to your chemist about this, rather than just buy one over the
counter. Some treatments may cause more irritation if your young person goes in the sun.
It is very important to read the information on the package. If the skin becomes very red
or sore, stop the treatment.
If your teenager is distressed by the acne or there are a lot of pimples, suggest seeing a doctor.
Antibiotics and other medications are generally very effective. IT can be better
to get medical treatment early than to go on trying lots of expensive but often
ineffective skin products.
Suggest to your teenager that she ask the doctor to explain all the effects and any
possible problems with whatever treatment is suggested. Some treatments cause
the skin to be sensitive to sunlight and the skin can sunburn more quickly than
normal.
REMINDERS
- Be sensitive to your teenager's embarrassment about pimples.
- Remember it feels a lot more serious to your teenager than to you and severe acne can
have a major effect on social and job opportunities.
- Don't draw attention to the pimples.
- Provide information in a laid back manner.
- Suggest seeing a doctor if your teenager feels there is a problem after he has tried the
usual treatments.
- Reassure your teenager that for most people pimples eventually disappear.
