Teenage acne and spots? Tried everything?
I have seen so many teenagers in the last few weeks in the clinic who had all but given up on achieving clearer skin. Its so easy to get sucked into the claims of clever marketeers who promise clear skin within two days but its simply not possible to achieve this.
In order to achieve clearer skin, you must be realistic and understand that whilst you are going through your teenage years, there are many changes going on in your body which are caused by raging hormones and whilst this is going on, you can work to manage your acne and spots but you will probably not be able to clear it up for good until your hormones have settled down. It is very simple to manage your acne through a consistent but simple cleansing routine using products with active ingredients that are gentle of the skin. Harsh ingredients used in high street products can aggravate your skin causing more inflammation and breakouts so please check the ingredients carefully and buy the best products your budget will allow.
Our hormones, primarily Androgens, are responsible for the changes that you will see on your skin. The oil that you produce, sebum, changes consistency during these years and it is much stickier and thicker and it is the biggest cause of breakouts and congestion.
You may notice that you have lots of smaller spots under your skin. It is important to cleanse your face twice daily with a cleanser containing Salicylic Acid which will clear out any excess oil from inside your pores and also from the surface of your skin. If you feel that you need deep and further cleansing, use an exfoliator twice a week to get rid of any dead skin cells and further cleanse your skin.
When advising young adults or teenagers who visit me in the clinic, I advise buying just one or two products from the range, usually a cleanser and moisturiser. Allow your skin to get used to these active ingredients and use the products once daily for the first five days and then introduce twice daily cleansing.
It is important to stick to one brand of products rather then cherry picking from various ranges. The effectiveness of the ingredients will be increased if you stick to one brand rather than interchanging.
It is highly recommended to visit a professional skincare therapsit who will give a free consultation with invaluable advice on your skin. This really is the way forward rather than trying various different products with outragous claims or just using a concealer to hide the problem.
