The most acne affected population is teenagers. Almost every teen in the world will experience at least one breakout of acne during their adolescence. Acne can range from mild to severe acne in which teens experience blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne, however the condition depends on the individual. In addition to facial acne, many teens will also experience body and back. Luckily there are a number of teenage acne treatments developed specifically for teen acne due to hormonal changes.

Causes of Teenage Acne

Teenage puberty is marked by great changes in hormone levels. Imbalanced hormones can create growth spurts, body hair, and overactive body glands. One type of gland, called the sebaceous gland, is responsible for producing sebum, an oily secretion that helps keep hair and skin moisturized. These glands get bigger and produce more sebum during adolescent hormone imbalance. Overactive glands and too much sebum are factors that pose risk in the development of acne.

Acne is due to injury to healthy cells within these sebum glands. Cells can be injured due to the force of sebum output, which is more common during periods of hormonal change. Hardened sebum as well as oil and dead skin cells within the follicle can also damage living cells. The body's immune system responds with an inflammatory reaction which irritates the skin and causes what we know as pimples. Acne may also have hereditary factors meaning that if your parent had teen acne or still suffers from adult acne, you will be at higher risk for acne during your teen years.

Teenage Acne Treatment

Teenage acne treatments come in many shapes and forms including topical spot treatment, acne creams, prescribed medications, and a variety of natural skin care therapies. There is no cure for acne and each skin care product and its effectiveness depend on the individual and their condition. However, advice for all is to know about the causes of acne in order to treat those rather than just the symptoms. Severe medications are not necessary in treating teenage acne. In many cases, acne will improve naturally with the passing of puberty and balancing of hormone levels. Stay away from harsh treatments that can leave you with damaged skin cells long after acne recovery. Instead, opt for natural types of acne treatment cream that target the biological factors of acne development.

Skin Friendly Diet

Diet changes could also help in the treatment of acne. However, oily foods and a bad diet are not considerable risks in acne development as some might think. Hormone changes and sebum production are not linked to what kind of food you eat. Nevertheless, your skin will be healthier if you make sure you eat right and get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. Diet is important during adolescence as the body is growing and needs enough to do so healthily as well as maintain a strong immune system. Also, it is shown that those with healthy diets are less stressed and therefore less at risk for overactive glands and acne.