Navigating through school and puberty in general are already tough enough for most kids, some do just fine and others take a bit more time. But if there is something you can count on during teenhood, it is acne. Approximately 80 to 90% of teens deal with a range of acne-related skin problems, usually clogged pores and inflamed acne. In severe cases, deep, hard cystic ones which scar.
WHAT CAUSES TEENAGE ACNE
In teen acne, the usual acne-causing culprits are the sebaceous (oil) glands. Under normal circumstances, these make sebum – a natural moisturizer for our skin. However, an overproduction of sebum can clog the hair follicles, which are also channels for sweat and oil. This combination of oil, dirt and debris creates a opportunity for bacteria to grow, resulting in pimples.
You might be surprised, but doctors have noted that a majority of teenagers do not actually adopt the correct skincare routine to combat acne! A basic anti-acne skincare routine should consist of a facial wash for oily skin, an anti-acne serum or cream (which can be medicated), and an oil-free moisturizer.
An old but gold formula for acne can actually be found in your spice cupboard. Tumeric, normally used in Indian curries contain curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory which can help soothe inflammatory acne and clear skin.
ACNE-CLEARING FACIALS AND LASERS
Professional facials such as the Deep Deep Clean facial combines 10 minutes of ultrasonic deep cleansing with aquadermabrasion with a fruit acid wash, which plunges deep into every pore to remove trapped oil and debris.
This can also be combined with anti-acne lasers such as the VBeam, a pulsed dye laser which sends bursts of light into skin and shuts down blood vessels around acne which causes redness and discolouration. It also reduces acne-causing bacteria within infected hair follicles. A series of 3 to 5 sessions are recommended at 3 to 4 week intervals for those with active acne.
By Megan Thomas