Acne in teenagers has always been a major problem. Over 85% of adolescents develop this skin complaint which can last a few months or even years. The spots, pimples and zits can last well in to adulthood, making the lives of many teenagers a nightmare

The teenage years are already rife with confusion and mixed mixed emotions. Rightly or wrongly, modern society teaches younsters that how they look is the most important thing in their lives. TV advertisements, soap operas and films pump out continuous images of ‘beautiful people’ with the latest fashions in clothes, hair styles, electronic games, mobile phones, music and video players. They all play on the teenage emotions by portraying teenage boy/girl relationships as a must have, where only the beautiful, fit and handsome are able to be cool while the rest of the ‘spotty nerds’ are just there for background laughs at the expense of the cool kids.

Acne’s association with puberty and unclean skin can cause teenagers to worry how they are viewed by their peers, and nothing is more important in a teenagers mind than what other teenagers think about them. Fear of that judgement can dramatically reduce self-esteem and self-worth.

The reality is that depression, eating disorders, isolation and social anxiety are all conditions that can result from the pressure that teenagers are under to look good , and pretty much nothing else can alienate you like teenage acne?

During the early teenage years both boys and girls are at greater risk from bouts of acne although boys may be more likely to suffer due to more body/face hair production. Androgens (which are hormones that are produced during the onset of puberty and can continue well into adulthood) increase in both boys and girls and the sebaceous glands (oil glands) in the body start over-producing sebum (the natural oil produced by the skin glands). The hair follicles can become blocked by dead skin and sebum and the all to obvious signs of teenage acne will appear.

Parents often don’t help the situation. They may think ‘I had spots and pimples when I was younger, they won’t last and it will clear up all on it’s own.’ Unfortunately during the whole process teenagers are worrying about how their peers are judging them, which can cause serious distress to many individuals.

What can be done? Teenage sufferers have sensitive skin and fluctuating hormones so prescription medication or skin ointments should only be used as last resort. However, a face full of zits can seriously hit a teenagers self-esteem and long term severe case can cause permanent scarring. Therefore some kind of treatment should always be sought as soon as possible.

Also this disease does not always respond in the same way to the same products. What works for one teenager may not work for another. Some products are extremely harsh and problems can occur especially in people with sensitive or dry skin..

You should also be sure that what you are treating is in fact acne. Dry skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis and a skin reddening condition called rosacea can be confused with teenage acne but require very different treatments.

The best solutions, as always, are natural treatments which, if followed properly, can be very effective indeed. With the proper education and natural treatment, teenagers can stop worrying about their skin and concentrate on the really important things like enjoying their teenage years, getting an education and growing into well balanced and successful adults.