A h, youth. The days of sports, first dances and dates, proms and so many new things. These are exciting days. But, if your teenager is exhibiting problems with their skin, there is no time like the present to begin skin care treatments. Teen skin has special needs. Why not address these challenges early, like at the first sign of acne break out? You can run to the drug store, but picking from the often mind-boggling selection of mediocre products, many of which are overly drying and contain a plethora of unhealthy ingredient chemicals, can lead to wasted time and money. Waiting too long to see how it develops can be detrimental to your child’s mental health and confidence. What’s more, waiting too long gives a case of Acne grade 1 a chance to develop into Acne grade 2, and so on. If left untreated, chances are that the acneic condition will worsen, which can lead to permanent scarring. In this post, we will discuss what can be done to help your teen get back to having healthier and less reactive skin.
Teen girls and boys alike are prone to skin issues. It is said that about 85% of people between the ages of 12 - 24 will experience at least some mild acne. Hormonal issues in adolescence bring about skin changes. In boys, the development of facial hair can exacerbate the possibility of increased issues since hair follicles are connected to sweat and oil glands. Many boys and men experience ingrown hairs. This is due to the hair curling back in on itself as it grows, sometimes not even growing through the skin’s surface.
H arvard studies from the 1990s showed a positive correlation in milk consumption with adolescent girls and to a lesser degree with teenage boys and acne. Skim milk was more problematic for boys than regular milk. And, the paper on the boy’s study suggests that, since the boys were studied at younger ages when acne prevalence is lower (mean around 12 years old), that in reality, the results are more likely closer to the girls who exhibited more acne with milk and dairy consumption. Girls usually are almost fully developed around age 15, whereas boys take longer to reach their fully developed stage at around age 18, which lends weight to the idea that skim milk equally attributes to acne in boys as girls.
Many children already have self-esteem issues and are super self-conscious as their young bodies mature into adult form. Acne can exacerbate these issues and make the journey more complicated and challenging. Nipping acne in the bud before it has a chance to flourish will help more than your teen’s skin. It very well may help their entire sense of self-worth. Clearer skin will help your teen feel more confident.
F irst, it is important to get your child into the right hands for regular facial treatments. The estheticians at Oasis Med Spa in Albuquerque together have decades of experience taking care of acneic skin. Booking your teen for a facial is a wise choice. The treatment consists of a number of steps of preparing the skin for extractions. Then, once the skin is fully prepped, extractions are executed. This is when the esthetician can see the amount and quality of the specific lesions. Some teens have multiple types of lesions, from blackheads to papules to pustules, to severe cystic lesions and nodules. Some acne travels to the chest, shoulders and back. It is found in scientific studies that extractions are the best way to rid the skin of bacterial infection.
During extractions, your esthetician makes sure that nothing is ever forced to the surface. Instead, an approach of prepping and gentle exploration is used in the process. This type of extracting, unlike the do-it-yourself type at home, is completely safe, sanitary, and effective and will not lead to scarring. When teens extract their own pimples at home, it is often not done in the highly sanitary method as in a clinic. Instead, fingernails are often utilized and these can be full of germs. Bacterial infection leading to scarring and discoloration can be the result. What’s more, excoria can develop, which is a form of OCD and is associated with excessive picking at one’s own skin. This ultimately can lead to permanent facial scarring, or the more temporary PIH (post-inflammatory-hyperpigmentation), which can take many years to remedy. However, extractions done in the sanitary conditions of a facial room, in skilled hands eliminate bacteria and help to reset the skin. In treatment, a fine, soft cotton pad is dampened with a safe and soothing liquid as the pimples and blackheads are gently removed from the skin. The High Frequency device is almost always a recommended post-extraction procedure due to its antibacterial qualities. This is a machine that was developed by Nikola Tesla in 1891 using the Tesla Coil. It is said that he used it on his own eczema.
S econdly, it is imperative that you invest in high quality skin care products for your teen to use according to the instructions in our next blog post that was written with your teen in mind. Your child’s esthetician will prescribe products based on the exact nature of your child’s skin and its overall condition.
At Oasis Med Spa, we have created a special Teen Skin package. Currently, at the time of this writing, it includes a series of facials and a discount on home care products. Please call 505-314-1444 to schedule a free consultation.
