Life as a teen can be an incredibly challenging time without having to worry about acne aswell.

You might be a concerned parent or a teen yourself looking for a bit of help, but you have come here today looking for answers on what to do for teenage acne.

In this post I’m going to be covering what causes teenage acne, how long it lasts and what you can do to help control it and even get rid of it!

What Causes Teenage Acne?

Teenage acne can start anywhere from age 10 to 13 and it can last in to the early 20’s.

It is caused by an increase in androgens.

These are male hormones in both boys and girls and are responsible for the increase in sebum levels.

This is the oil produced by the sebaceous glands.

This is a tiny gland that sits at the bottom of our hair follicles or pores within our skin.

We need this oil to keep our hair and skin soft, but when it’s produced in excess it mixes with dead skin cells and can clog up our pores.

When a specific bacteria gets involved (Propionibacterium acnes) the clogged pores become inflamed and this is what we know as acne.

It can present in different ways from open comedomes known as blackheads, closed comedones known as whiteheads, pimples, papules, pustules and cysts.

The most common form in teens is acne vulgaris, I know it sounds horrible but it really just means common acne.

It can range from mild meaning just a few pimples on the chin to extremely severe which could include deep cysts covering the face, neck chest and back.

How Do You Get Rid Of Teenage Acne?

It is always worth a conversation with your teenagers GP if their acne is quite severe and causing them emotional upset.

There are prescription topical treatments they can try, even medication which can work really well when all else has failed.

Topical treatments for acne, especially the prescription ones usually include benzoyl peroxide, or tretinoin.

These can make the skin quite red and sore though, and be careful with benzoyl peroxide as it can bleach your bedding and clothing.

Medication that might be prescribed may be the contraceptive pill (not for the boys), and an antibiotic called lymecycline or for more severe cases roactutane.

Roacutane has been linked to depression so your teen would need to be closely monitored if prescribed this, it can also make the skin really dry and sensitive especially to the sun.

Does Teenage Acne Go Away By Itself?

For some people teenage acne goes as quickly as it comes, for others unfortunately it can be part of their lives for as long as 10 years.

What Age Does Teenage Acne Go Away?

Usually by the time you hit your 20s, hormone levels start to balance out and teenage acne will start to become a thing of the past.

Everyday Tips To Control Acne

• Cleanse twice daily with a salicylic based face wash, and after any exercise.
• Change your pillow case for a clean one every other day and flip it to the clean side in between.
• Drink plenty of water to remove toxins from the skin.
• Eat a balanced healthy diet with a variety and fresh fruit and veg.
• Wash your makeup brushes at least once a week.
• Keep hair off your face and clean.
• Cleanse back after conditioning hair if you suffer from back acne.
• Moisturise with a non comodogenic moisturiser, dry skin will over compensate by producing more oil.
• Avoid too much dairy and sugar as people that consume high amounts of these in their diets have been shown to have an increase risk of acne.
• Avoid processed foods as these contain high amounts of sugar.
• Change Pyjama tops regularly for back and chest acne.

Final Thoughts

If you are a teenager or have a teen wanting to know what to do for teenage acne, I hope this has helped, but if there’s anything else I can try to help you with that I haven’t mentioned please just get in touch via any of the ways under contact us.