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School is out and your teen is either away at camp, on vacation, in the pool and on the beach hoping that their pesky acne will disappear due to lots of fresh air, sun and water … while they may be having a blast, sun and beach time may exacerbate teen acne if certain measures aren’t taken.
Most teenagers will experience acne at some point during their adolescent years. There are many reasons why teenagers have the highest incidence of acne. Many parents attribute acne to poor diet or lack of attention to proper skin hygiene. However, even though the above factors may increase or prolong acne breakouts, the real cause of acne is a hormonal imbalance related to adolescence that over stimulates the sebaceous glands.
A hallmark of teenage skin aside from pimples is "greasy or oily skin". The appearance of oily skin goes hand in hand with the increased appearance of acne. The oily skin is due to an over secretion of sebum (skin oil) by the sebaceous glands. This over production of sebum not only manifests itself as oily skin but can also lead to clogged pores that are seen as "white heads" and "black heads." Once the pores of the skin are clogged with sebum, they accumulate dead skin cells and provide a perfect breeding ground for the growth of bacteria. This combination of clogged pores and growth of bacteria is responsible for acne.
These oily skin symptoms often lead to two rather dangerous myths regarding sun and teen acne
The Environmental Working Group does a fantastic job of composing a comprehensive list of the best sunscreens every year. Visit their website for safe recommendations.
In addition – since teens love t-shirts and hats, encourage this - these provide for excellent sun protection. And here is a little surprise. A white t-shirt will only provide SPF 7, and when wet, SPF 3. A dark green t-shirt will give you SPF 10 (when NOT wet); and black t-shirt, especially a thicker shirt, SPF up to 50! It is not surprising as dark colors absorb sunrays, and thicker materials obviously provide for more barrier protection
AcnEase works without actually affecting circulating hormones and was designed to help stop both teen and adult acne and prevent new acne from forming. It’s a win win situation for all.
What steps is your teen currently taking now to treat acne? Tell us in the comments. We’re here to help your teen live a much happier life being acne-free, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us.