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No Comments [ Add Comment ]Practice patience when pores produce pimples
By CHERI PEACOCKAcne: It affects us all.
About 85 percent of young people between the ages of 12 and 24 suffer from acne, according to the Web site www.acneresource.org. Yet 40 percent of those who have acne do nothing about it.
What exactly can teens do to fight off the pimples? And just how is acne looked upon by teens in Utah?
"Acne makes teens really self-conscious," said Melissa Ratcliffe, a sophomore at Roy High.
Ratcliffe said she thinks the problem may be different for guys and girls.
"Girls pile on their makeup to make themselves 'look better.' I don't think it is as bad for guys," she said.
Ashley Torman, a Weber High junior, said, "Acne affects teenagers' social lives. I know people who won't go out and do certain things, like go on a date, because they have acne."
"Acne makes people feel insecure," added Candace Finn, also a junior at Weber High. "I think people with acne are treated the same as those without, but they think people will treat them differently."
Hannah Hardgrave, a sophomore at Davis High, said acne makes you feel "like everyone is staring at you."
Although there may be people who might treat you differently because you have acne, hopefully most people will realize, as Hardgrave said, "How people are treated depends on the person, not the acne."
What can kids do to prevent or treat acne? Top of Utah teens have a few suggestions.
Ratcliffe says, "I take a pill and use a cream that works really good. Also, I wash my face twice a day."
Mary Dunkley, a sophomore at Weber High, suggests washing your face daily with an acne-cleansing product, not just hand soap.
Some teens may think that if washing your face helps, maybe washing your face three or four times a day will speed up the cleansing process. But wait! An article fromacne.org clears up the myth that washing your face more often will clear up your skin.
"Facial blemishes are not caused by dirt," the Web site article says. "Contrary to what you may have seen in commercials, pores do not get blocked from the top down due to 'impurities.' Rather, the walls of a pore stick together within the skin, starting acne formation.
"Far from preventing acne, frequent washing may actually irritate pores and cause them to become clogged. A washcloth can add even more irritation. The best bet is to wash very gently with bare hands, and only wash twice a day."
Another piece of advice is to visit a dermatologist, who can prescribe medicine that will help with your acne. It may be a pill, a cream or even a shot. Seeing a dermatologist can really save you time and money spent on products seen on infomercials or in your drugstore.
However, getting rid of acne may take time. Going to a dermatologist and getting medicine might not immediately clear up the problem.
"Causes of ... teen acne may include hormones, diet, evolutionary biology, vitamin deficiency, stress and more," an article at acne.org says. "The real explanation may be a complex mix of many of these factors."
Acne is treatable, although it may require time and patience.
In the meantime, Torman says, "Nobody should be treated differently just because they have acne."
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