Home » Acne scars & their treatments in teenagers
Are you struggling to get your acne scars under control? Do you want to understand why you have acne? Are you searching for the best way to treat your acne and wishing to achieve a clear complexion? Help is here.
Acne in teenagers
Acne in teenagers is common, with 8 out of 10 of teenagers experiencing some form of acne in their preteen or teenage years and at least 80% of the general public experience acne between the ages of 11 and 30 years of age. For women approaching their menopausal years, acne can flare up again due to the hormonal changes going on in the body during this time.
Causes of Acne
To treat acne, it’s important to understand the science behind acne and why it occurs. Everyone’s skin, especially on the face, has pores on the surface of the skin, that are connected to a follicle underneath the surface. This follicle contains the hair shaft and a sebaceous (oil) gland. When this gland releases sebum (oil), it will travel up the hair shaft and out of the pore onto the skin. The role of sebum is to keep the skin lubricated, soft and healthy. Sometimes these follicles can overproduce oil which blocks the follicle and traps a build up of dead skin cells and this is when Propionibacterium (P. acne) will grow. P. acne is the bacteria that causes acne vulgaris and it is anaerobic bacteria that can’t reproduce if the follicle is open and circulating oxygen.
There are multiple factors that can lead to this unregulated oil flow through the follicle that include stress, hormonal fluctuations, a compromised immune system, diet, smoking, PCOS, inadequate cleansing and comedogenic makeup or cosmetic products.
When acne forms, it starts as a microcomedone and it will either become an inflammatory or non-inflammatory lesion. A non-inflammatory form of acne is when there are whiteheads or blackheads present, but the surrounding area is not red or inflamed. Inflammatory acne is when the follicle wall is ruptured and fluid will leak into the skin, causing the immune system to respond with inflammation. This will present as papules and pustules.
Treatment Methods for Acne scars:
There are 3 classifications or categories of acne. The treatment plan and product recommendations will be depending on the severity of acne.
- Type 1 acne presents with oily, clogged skin and is commonly seen in teenagers as it is stimulated by hormones that turn on the sebaceous glands and an oily congestion will form.
- When there is a large number of blackheads and pimples present on the skin and if there is some pustules present too, it’s Type 2 Acne.
- Type 3 is the most severe type of acne and patients will experience large papules, infections and cysts. This type presents with deep, inflamed breakouts. These acne can be large, painful and can appear on the face, neck and back.
The best treatment option for acne is a holistic approach. Here the patient will need to:
- Address lifestyle choices
- Start using cosmeceutical grade products
- Supplement their healthy eating with nutritional supplements (such as fish oils and zinc)
- Invest in regular and ongoing clinic treatments.
Clinical treatment options for acne include fortnightly peels, monthly skin needling treatments and twice a week LED therapy treatments. All of these treatment options will help regulate skin function. They clear out the follicle and kill the P.Acne bacteria present on the skin.
