Teenage means acne time. Puberty and acne are the best friends. No amount of denial will get rid of those red bumps on your face. Hating and crying about them will not help you in any way. In this article, I am going to tell you some of the best solutions for acne and also about the major cause behind teenage acne.
What are Teenage acne causes?
Every teenager gets acne. The intensity of the problem varies, some may get a few zits here n there, and some teenagers might get a full face acne outbreak. During puberty, the body releases androgen, a hormone in excess. This hormone is responsible for active oil glands which mean excess oil/ sebum production.
Excess oil production means the growth of acne bacteria (Propionibacterium). Too much oil production blocks the pores and hair follicles and turns into acne.
This process may lead to:
- Whitehead formation
- Blackheads
- Pimple
- Cysts (most worrisome skin problem)
How to get rid of teenage acne?
Below mentioned are some of the best lifestyle and skin tips to get rid of acne.
- Wash your face regularly- Make it a religious habit of washing your face twice a day. No matter if you have very few acne breakouts or a lot of them, cleaning your face thoroughly is very important. Washing the face helps in removing dead skin cells, excess oil and other pollutants and impurities from the face. Use a gentle face wash or cleanser and warm water to wash your face.
- Toner – Toner is used after washing the face. Toner comes handy for fighting the breakouts and controlling sebum production of your skin. Toner helps in cleaning any remaining impurities and residues of face wash. It unclogs the pores by wiping out any remaining impurities and dirt and prevents breakouts.
- Serum- most people think the serum is not important and can be replaced by a moisturizer. The serum contains active ingredients that go deep into the skin and keep your skin free from acne. You only require a very small quantity of serum and it goes a long way. After toning, apply the serum in gentle strokes and tapping motion.
- Hydrate using moisturizer- Acne products are often a little drying on the skin and this makes moisturizing even more important. Use a good quality moisturizer that suits your skin type to minimize drying and peeling of the skin. Buy a non-comedogenic moisturizer, these are made for dry, oily and combination skin types and don’t block the pores.
- Exfoliation- People with acne problems should not scrub their faces. Scrubbing and exfoliation are not always the same. Exfoliation helps in clearing dead skin cells and making the skin smooth. But using an exfoliant with granules should be avoided, as it can irritate the skin further and cause more damage. Use a chemical exfoliant instead and use it once a week.
- Don’t forget the sunscreen- Using sun protection is very important to avoid any discoloration on the face. Even when it’s not a sunny day, don’t skip the sunscreen. UV rays can penetrate the clouds and damage your skin.
- Avoid touching the face- Stop touching your face if you do, it spreads the infection further and irritates the inflamed skin. Squeezing and popping acne will cause a lifelong scar and a lot more infection.
- Use spot treatment- Acne leaves permanent scarring and spots behind. You can use products suggested by your dermatologist or natural remedies for spot treatment. Tea tree oil is great for healing both acne and spots. When you buy skin care and acne products containing tea tree oil, make sure it has at least 10% tea tree oil content.
- Stay Hydrated-Dehydrated body and skin is home to acne. Dehydration can make acne condition worse. Our body is a composition of 70% water. Water carries essential nutrients and flushes out toxins from the body. Lack of water in the body will increase bacteria growth in the skin and cause more teenage acne.
- Detox your Body- A healthy diet is a key to healthy skin. Avoid eating junk and processed foods; they contain artificial sugar, flavors, and colors. Avoiding these foods will reduce the amount of toxin buildup in your body. Processed foods are low in nutritional value. Include whole grains, fiber-rich foods, fresh fruits, and vegetables in your diet to keep your gut healthy.
- Take your vitamins and Minerals- zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin A are great for reducing acne inflammation. Vitamin A helps in controlling acne breakouts on topical application and promotes quick healing. Zinc controls the sebum production in the skin and omega-3 has anti-inflammatory properties which clear acne.
- Wear less makeup- avoiding wearing makeup is the best thing you can do to your skin to avoid your pimple and acne. Wearing makeup will clog the pores further and cause more breakouts. If you do wear makeup wash your face properly at night. Choose makeup products that are non-comedogenic and oil-free.
- Follow a healthy diet- Eat foods that are healthy for the body as well as skin and also help in fighting inflammation. Consume complex carbs like whole grains, legumes fresh vegetables, fruits, proteins. Eat citrus fruits, carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, salmon, tomatoes, nuts, and beans.
