Why Is Acne Most Common Among Teens?

This is such a common question I get asked in my clinic. Either from the teens themselves or from frustrated parents who don’t know how to help their child who is struggling. So, first its good to understand acne, which is a disorder or disease of the pores; these pores shed their dead skin cells at a much faster rate than normal. Normal pores usually shed about one layer of dead skin cells a day. Acne-prone pores shed up to five layers of dead skin cells a day! Unfortunately, this is how comedones form, leading to inflammation and swelling, thus causing the beginning of acne.

During puberty, our oil glands begin getting stimulated by hormones. That’s why people are likely to get acne in their teens! Acne is also an inherited genetic disorder, therefore, if other people in the family have or previously had acne, you may be more likely to get it.

Although acne cant be prevented or cured, it can be managed. Here are a few tips to help you get your acne under control:

1. Wash your face twice a day. By using a cleanser for your skin type and acne type you help to remove excess oils and dead skin cells that are clogging your pores.
2. Check ingredients in your skincare/body care/ and hair care products to make sure you aren’t using pore-clogging ingredients. I recommend using this list of ingredients to avoid (link here.)
3. If you eat dairy, try avoiding it for a couple weeks to see if your skin clears up. Dairy has been linked to causing inflammation in the body. It also spikes insulin levels which can lead to carb cravings and high testosterone.
4. Do not use fabric softeners/dryer sheets. The waxy residue will get on your sheets, pillowcases, and towels. This residue will clog your pores if you’re acne-prone.

Lastly, we all know how temping it can be to pop your pimples, but popping and squeezing your breakouts are a big no-no! This can lead to making the breakout worse by spreading the infection, leading to more pain, swelling, redness, or worse, a scar! So like I always tell my clients, “Keep your hands off your face!”