It is inevitable; almost all teens will get some form of acne. Whether it is moderate, mild, or severe, it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. It is all part of being a teenager, but it can seem to come at the most inopportune times...like prom and your first date.
Teens are most definitely prone to getting acne because their bodies are developing and going through many different phases. Chemicals are rushing in and out of them, causing the body to react with zits on the face, back, and sometimes even on arms and legs.
These pimples can be ugly and cause pain for some teens. Below is an idea of how to categorize between the different levels of acne.
Moderate - only a few zits here and there. Mostly smaller sized, and don't last long, but once one disappears, another comes back!
Mild - zits appear on all different parts of the face, maybe in a reddish coloration. Last for a week or two and are the "ready to pop" or blister kind.
Severe - sections of acne on the face; very red colored and sore to the touch. Most of the face is covered in pimples that are blister-like and may leave scars. May appear on the back, arms and legs.
Bacne can occur due to several reasons. The most common cause of bacne is the secretion of oily sebum by the sebaceous glands which are seen under the skin. These glands secrete more sebum when one reaches puberty. The main function of the sebaceous glands is to keep the skin and hair healthy and moist. Too much of a good thing creates the bacne skin condition. The sebum that is secreted by the sebaceous glands comes out through the small openings on our skin. These small opening are called pores. When there is excess secretion of the sebum by the sebaceous glands, the pores and the hair follicles on the skin get blocked. Dead cells that are shed by the skin every minute can't find a way to escape from the skin. Instead, they accumulate around the hair follicles. That's when bacteria begin to develop. These bacteria that begin to irritate the surrounding tissue leading to the inflammation of the skin. Ok, so now that I've given you a sixth grade health class lesson, let's talk about a few things that I know can work.
Let me start by saying I am not a doctor, although the advise I give here comes from my experience in a med spa environment it is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. My goal is to give you info you may not have so that you may use it as a jumpstart to finding the solution.
There are four main ways to treat bacne. These are:
1. Reducing pore blockage by normalizing the shedding of skin cells.
2. Reduction of P. acnes bacteria.
3. Reduction of the inflammation associated with bacne.
4. Altering of hormone levels
To kill P. Acnes bacteria, many over the counter treatments are available that contain benzoyl peroxide. Mild to moderate bacne can often be treated in this manner. If you have a severe bacne, your doctor may decide to put you on topical antibiotics. Topical antibiotics such as clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline are applied directly to the skin. There are also a variety of oral antibiotics available for the treatment of bacne. These include erythromycin and tetracycline.
Due to hormonal imbalances, some females may benefit from hormone treatments. These include estrogen/progestogen which is why some women see their acne and bacne improve when they go on birth control pills.
Topical retinoids are also available for bacne treatment. The retinoids help prevent the hyperkeratinization of cells which often leads to pore blockage, thus reducing bacne breakouts.
An energy treatment for bacne is the use of blue and red light lasers which can reduce bacne lesions by up to 64%. This makes lasers a very effective bacne treatment. Isolaz is a laser treatment which combines the use of a vacuum to extract the pore along with blue light to kill the leftover bacteria. I've seen this one work very well.
If a more natural approach is what you are hoping for I will say three words DEAD SEA SALT. Dead Sea salt works best but any type of sea salt is said to work for acne. The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, is near Jerusalem in the Judean Desert. Dead Sea salt has 10 times more minerals than ordinary sea salt. The Dead Sea salts or minerals are calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and iron, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine. These minerals assist in cleansing, detoxifying and restoring a healthy status of the body, especially the skin and muscles. High sulfur content in sea salt is useful in the cleansing required to purify the skin of acne sufferers. Dead Sea salts thus are an endless source of balanced elements that aid in treating acne, and promoting great health and tone.
How to Use Sea Salt :
Another widely used anti-acne home remedy is apple cider vinegar. The product of pulverized fermented apples, cider vinegar has long been used as a treatment for acne. When applied topically, the acetic and alpha-hydroxy acids in apple cider vinegar attack bacteria and help dry out blemishes. It’s believed that apple cider vinegar helps detoxify the body when taken internally, therefore promoting clear skin. Although this has never been proven scientifically, it’s been used as an effective detoxifying remedy for thousands of years.
Dilute 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1/3 cup water. Soak cotton ball with mixture and apply directly to blemishes. It’s best to do this each night, before bed, as apple cider vinegar doesn't smell pleasant. Wash off in the morning. Also for a weekly mask: Make an apple cider vinegar and bentonite or green clay treatment mask. Mix 1 part green clay with 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar. Add water until the clay becomes a thick paste. Apply the mask to your face or body and leave on 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mask dries. Rinse off with cold water. Bentonite clay draws toxins from your pores. When mixed with apple cider vinegar, it becomes a potent acne remedy. Use the mask once a week.
Lastly, I’ve heard of a "treatment" using Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo. I do not have any idea if this works as I don't know anyone personally who has tried this method. I am going to give you the instructions as they were given to me. If any of you decide to try this out I would love for you to post the results. The directions are as follows:
1. Shower as usual then pour a decent amount of the classic Head and Shoulders shampoo into your palm.
2. Rub in the mixture all over affected area.
3. Leave the shampoo on for 5 minutes and rinse!
Finally, drink lots of water. Water flushes out toxins that can potentially end up in your skin!
I am now taking appointments at the Salon Professional Academy on JFK in North Little Rock. Just call 501-753-2400 to schedule a facial, waxing, acne treatment, makeover, or electrotherapy facial.
Looking forward to hearing from you ~ Sharon
