Common acne is most prevalent in the teen years. It begins to appear at the onset of puberty and can last well into adulthood. Teens are certainly not the only age group to get acne, but it is at this age when it is most common. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 85 percent of teenagers suffer from acne per year. Before you attempt treatment, however, it's important to understand what causes teenage acne.
Hormone Level Changes
Hormone level changes cause your body to create more oils in your skin. Oil glands, otherwise known as sebaceous glands, make oil to lubricate the hair and hair follicles. Changes in hormone levels cause the sebaceous glands to overproduce oil, which mixes with dead skin cells and results in clogged pores. The clogged pore provides the perfect breeding ground for the bacteria in your skin, resulting in an infection otherwise known as acne. It can impact teenage girls and women well into adulthood when hormone levels change prior to their menstrual cycle.
Lack of Acne Regimen
It's tough to say when acne will start impacting a teen and to what severity, but many teens are caught unaware when they experience their first breakout. A regular routine to help cleanse acne-prone areas, such as the face, neck, shoulders, chest and back, will help keep acne at bay, regardless of excess oils being produced. Wash your face no more than twice per day with a mild soap. Many over-the-counter acne face soaps with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid are appropriate to help dry excess oil and slough off dead skin cells.
Heredity
Heredity plays a factor as to the severity of acne. If the parent suffered from severe acne as a teen, chances are his child will also suffer from a more severe form of acne. Heredity determines the behavior of glands and other factors, such as allergies that can also result in acne.
Food
There is no scientific study that can prove or disprove the correlation between food and acne. Chocolate and greasy foods have not been proven to cause acne, though it is recommended to keep fatty foods at a minimum for overall health. The American Academy of Dermatology does note, though, that some people may notice that certain foods trigger their acne. It advises avoiding those foods and adds, that eating greasy foods and then putting greasy fingers all over your face will grind that grease into pores, further promoting acne.
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