Acne Is More Than Skin Deep! Adding the Emotional Acne Remedy.

The sudden surge of hormones experienced at puberty can drastically and dramatically alter not only a child's physicality, but their personality too.

It is often said that the eyes are the mirrors to the soul, but if that is the case then your skin should be the mirror to your personality and physical state. So it's not surprising to see teenagers suffering from severe bouts of acne start to withdraw into themselves, to hide away from activities they would normally enjoy, and develop a totally different personality from the usual outgoing and sociable persona you have been used to seeing.

The teenage skin texture changes to become thicker, with deepening pores, and an increase in sebum production (the skin's natural moisturiser) that results in the skin becoming, and also looking very greasy.

This increase in sebum production also extrudes from the hair follicles on the scalp resulting in dull looking, greasy and lank hair, often with a dose of dandruff for good measure. Combine this with sweat production from the apocrine glands situated in embarrassing bodily places, the rise of a very distinct body odour, and a severe dose of acne, and you can understand why teenagers feel embarrassed and self-conscious about their personal appearance.

This is a time for adult sympathy with their situation, so you shouldn't dismiss their anxiety over these matters out of hand, or treat them as unimportant without the risk of deeply wounding their already fragile self-esteem.

Some reassurance should be offered to your teenager that you understand, and that you yourself have ‘been there and done that' so they don't feel like they are the only one in the world to have ever suffered with acne. Try talking through your experiences with them - it may have been a while ago since you suffered from acne, but to remember once how worked up you got over a ‘huge volcano' of a spot that appeared just before a date, may make you feel more sympathetic towards them.

Children these days seem to develop a lot quicker than in previous generations, so don't be surprised to see the first outbreak of spots in children as young as 10 or 11 years old. Acne can affect some individuals right from puberty and into their early 20's, and in some cases even their 30's, so be prepared for the possibility of a very long and bumpy ride!

Although it must seem tempting to pick at spots and squeeze blackheads, try to encourage your teenager not to do this as the results could look a lot worse than the original spot or blackhead ever did. Remind them that picking and squeezing will result in angry and inflamed sores, crusty scabs, and ultimately scars being left behind from all the damage done. Trying to camouflage acne with make-up is a lot easier when the skin isn't broken, bleeding or covered in scabs.

There is no sure-fire acne remedy, but try to suggest washing four times per day with a medicated face-wash, and drying the skin thoroughly with a rough towel to encourage the removal of dead skin cells that can clog pores and cause more spots to develop. There are plenty of over the counter acne remedies formulated for teenage spots on the market that they can try. If you can find one that works well, then great! But if irritation occurs it may be best to use a natural product made from plant extracts such as Pettigrain, which can help to control the amount of sebum produced by the skin. Neroli oil is good for skin tone. Chamomile oil helps to sooth the skin and reduce inflammation, and lavender oil is a good antiseptic and can help to speed up healing. On old spots that are healing well, use a cream that contains comfrey extract, which is reputed to reduce the risk of scarring to the skin.

It is hard to monitor what teenagers eat all the time, and they often consume large amounts of junk food while out of the house. Stodgy fried foods and chocolate have been blamed for causing acne, but there has been no medical proof to back up these theories, however we do know what nutrients are good for the skin, so when they do eat at home, make sure they are getting enough Vitamin C which helps repair and grow new skin cells. Offer plenty of fresh fruit salad for puddings, and fresh orange juice with breakfast. Good nutrition is the cornerstone of a good acne remedy.

These are just some tips to get you started, but there is a whole host of other helpful advice revealed by a team of experts in the management and treatment of acne in my new book, available for acne sufferers no matter what your age. See my Author Box for more details.


M Newbold is a prolific writer who enjoys writing about family life, health, fitness and sports. Get a free Acne mini ebook by visiting http://www.acne-home-remedies.weebly.com
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