Deactivate Acne

Whenever I have a teenager battling acne on my facial table I feel thankful that I didn’t have that self-esteem killer as a teen and determined to help my young client win the war. Acne is a disease of inflammation and keratinized cells not properly being released from our follicles. Triggers for breakouts can include over-production of oil, hormone fluctuations and food allergies. I sometimes feel like a “derma-detective” searching for clues as to why the breakouts are happening and what I can do to help clear them up without heavy duty topical agents or pharmaceuticals. Here are the culprits I found when I cracked my cases:

1. Get allergy tested. I can’t tell you how many teens I have seen with acne predominantly on the cheek area, and it ended up being triggered by unchecked food allergies. Dairy, gluten and yeast imbalances such as candida are common, and when our digestive track is irritated our skin can reflect that. 
2. Not properly cleansing. Do you use that same washrag over and over to wash your face? Stop! It is full of bacteria that would love to reside in your pores. I am a big believer in the Clarisonic cleansing brush to prevent blackheads, and if you tend towards pustules, stick to using your hands to cleanse and a clean towel to pat dry.
3. Wrong product choices. You think dry and tight equals clean but what you are actually doing is stripping your oil and causing your body to produce more oil. Stick with pH-balanced facial cleansers with salicylic or glycolic acid, both of which contain small enough molecules to get into the follicle to clean it out. Personal favorites include Jan Marini Bioglycolic Cleanser and Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Face Pads for after gym class.
4. How you sleep. I have my acne clients keep a stack of clean pillow cases on hand to change out every day. Our body releases a high amount of oil in the early morning hours and keeping a clean pillow can prevent bacteria from spreading.
5. Hormone Fluctuations. I don’t recommend parents putting their daughters on birth control for the sake of clearing up acne. Quite honestly, it only helps 33% of the time. The other 66% it either doesn’t help or makes it worse. I do, however, see the benefits that come from natural balancing agents such as Dong quai, probiotics and flax seed oil.  Hormones are also triggered by stress, so I encourage teens to find ways of relieving pressure – whether it’s team sports, yoga or hiking.

I always praise parents who take the time to bring their child in for regular facial treatments instead of automatically putting them on a drug from the dermatologist. Teens tend to be more inclined to heed my instructions since I am not “Mom” telling them what to do. So, keep your hands off your face! And know that with proper measures, a little time and daily effort, you too can have clear skin.

Tiffany Vitale has been a clinical esthetician and skin care advocate since 2001. She loves all things beauty, from at-home remedies to medical grade products; we all have unique skin and our desire to keep it glowing