Most people associate acne with those “awkward” teenage years, when the body floods with hormones that cause the skin to produce excess oil. In boys this leads to shine, blackheads and inflamed blemishes, while in girls, the combination of puberty and the menstrual cycle often causes recurrent breakouts.
Post acne scars are notoriously difficult to treat. Certain in-office treatments can help such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels, laser and microneedling. Ideally, post acne scars should be prevented from forming in the first place with suitable medications such as antibiotics or isotretinoin. Ask also your pharmasists about an expert daily skincare such as the EFFACLAR range.
Mild acne can be managed with the right dermocosmetic solutions. Gently cleanse skin twice daily with a micellar water or foaming cleansing gel. Follow with daily skincare with active ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide and piroctone olamine. If these measures are not enough, see your dermatologist to ask about medical treatments such as retinoids, antibiotics and isotretinoin.
In acne, an inbalance in hormones called androgens cause the sebaceous gland to produce lots of oil. The same hormones cause increased production of skin cells lining pores. Pores then get clogged with a mixture of cells and sebum, becoming a breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria. This results in several types of pimple ranging from red spots to pustules or deep, painful cysts.
Mild acne on the body can be managed with the right dermocosmetic solutions. Gently cleanse skin twice daily with a foaming cleansing gel. Follow with daily skincare with active ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide and piroctone olamine. If these measures are not enough, see your dermatologist to ask about medical treatments such as retinoids, antibiotics and isotretinoin.
Many teens try to camouflage their acne-prone skin with heavy, pore-clogging cosmetics, which only further exacerbates the problem. To prevent imperfections, using gentle cleansers skin and dermocosmetics with the right active ingredients is helpful at managing teen acne prone skin in many cases.
If the situation gets worse, your dermatologist will advise the right way to manage your acne-prone skin.
In this section, we’ll give you the low-down on teenage acne, from causes and symptoms to solutions and treatments. We’ll also offer lots of practical tips to quickly get you on the right track towards clear skin. You’ll also find an article explaining why many teen acne treatments seem to take time to work, and why “overnight cures” that you might find online are to be taken with a generous pinch of salt.
The sebaceous gland breaks and leads to the formation of inflammatory lesions in the form of pimples or white-heads. Depending on the type of acne there may be a combination of both of these lesions. In the most severe forms there will be large number of micro cysts and blackheads as well as inflammatory lesions. Both types of lesions must be treated. Inflammatory eruptions should be treated locally with products such as benzoyl peroxide which has a very effective anti-inflammatory effectand should be applied in the evening. Avoid using local antibiotics because you may become resistant to them. In the case of the non-inflammatory lesions the plug which prevents sebum from being eliminated has to be removed using products which need to be aggressive. We would start treatment by using mild products such as fruit acids and especially LHA which is well tolerated and very effective. If these fruit acids are not effective or well tolerated we would proceed to the next step: drugs containing all vitamin A acid derivation therefore tretinoine which have a stripping action and consequently cause mild irritation. Do not forget to compensate for the dryness caused by the treatment by using moisturisers suitable for this skin type in the morning. If the inflammatory lesions are too large oral antibiotics - cyclines - can be prescribed for their anti-inflammatory action.
This oral treatment should preferably be taken in the evening. Care should be taken to avoid exposure to the sun as cyclines can be photo-sensitizing. Treatment is relatively long; about 2 or 3 months as a rule. Zinc can be also be used and hormonal therapy may be prescribed for girls. In fact, some contraceptive pills are used to treat acne and may resolve such problems easily. For more severe acne oral isotretinoins, which have quite severe side effects will be prescribed. Finally, prevention is the best treatment for scars so avoid touching, fiddling with, or bursting the pimples. If the scars persist after the acne is treated it is possible to resort to treatments such as the use of lasers which effectively reduce their appearance.
EFFACLAR DUO(+) has been shown to prevent premenstrual acne relapses in a clinical study versus placebo.
Source: Clinical study by Prof. Dréno (Nantes, France) on 32 women, average age 25, twice daily application of Effaclar Duo (+) to the right hemi-face vs. placebo on the left hemi-face. Lesion counts over 2 successive cycles.
