It’s a rite of passage for teenage girls to learn about caring for their skin and start experimenting with makeup. Some girls will be fascinated by beauty from a young age – others won’t want to know. But, with hormonal changes taking place, it makes sense to encourage every teen – boy or girl – to keep their skin clean and healthy.
Here’s what you need to know:
Can you prevent pimples?
In a word – no. Even the most scrupulous beauty routine isn’t going to stop the odd spot from appearing. Teenagers get acne because of the hormones that come with puberty. These stimulate the oil glands in the skin to produce more sebum, which clogs pores. Cleansing the skin with the right products will get rid of excess oil and help minimise spots. But there’s no miracle cure.
What’s a good age to start using skincare products?
According to skincare expert Jose Kakebeeke of Dr Hauschka, it depends on the maturity of skin. Some girls have their first period by 11 and the pimples to go with it. others develop a lot later.
What about diet?
A healthy diet is important but chocolate, burgers and fries don’t actually cause acne.
So what makes it worse?
oil-based makeup, suntan oils, some hair products, stress, that time of the month, touching the face too much (there’s bacteria on our fingers), scrubbing at your skin too hard and getting too much sun.
Does acne run in the family?
If you or your husband had acne as a teen, your kids have more chance of being affected.
What about acne medication?
There are prescription-only drugs available, such as antibiotics, oral contraceptives and Roaccutane, but these are for serious cases only, as some can have side effects. If your teen has problem acne Do NoT even consider buying drugs over the internet! It’s important the correct drugs are prescribed and your teen’s health is monitored while he or she is taking them. See your GP and get a referral to a good dermatologist.
Emergency pimple control
Here’s a tip for when a monster zit appears. Soak the pimple with a warm, wet facecloth until the cloth is cool. Apply a topical acne treatment. Repeat two or three times a day.