Posts Tagged ‘treating pimples’

How to Talk to your Teen about Pimples

Zit, Pimple, Acne, Blemish- We’ve all had our fair share of nasty visitors. Over time, I’ve come to accept that, no matter what I do inevitably, one will pop up when I least expect it. Now, acceptance took a long time, as did my own acne journey. How do you prepare a child for the world of the Blemish Battle?  How to explain that first nasty surprise can kick off a decade of frustration? By helping your teen to understand where pimples come from and giving them the skills to treat them, you’re aiding their first steps toward skin care independence.

First, Be Prepared.

Make sure you’ve scheduled enough time to have a complete conversation, demonstrate the products, and answer any questions that might arise. Sometimes things are more complicated then they seem, a conversation about that pimple may be an opening for your child to talk about other, underlying body image issues. Instead worrying about being late for to soccer, give yourself enough time to let the conversation evolve. Also, make sure you’ve created a distraction free zone. Turn off your cell and focus. This can be a pivotal moment in your relationship, make sure your child is your complete focus.

Remember, you do not want to make your child feel worse about their pimples. Instead aim to create an environment that is positive and empowering. Be Open. Listen. Share your Journey. 

Also, you know that prom picture where you have that pimple on your nose? The one hidden in the back of your closets… try bringing that too. We’ve all had a red monster pop up at an inconvenient time. Be prepared with an amusing or embarrassing anecdote about your own experience.

Make sure to bring an Acne Treatment Starter Kit suitable for your child’s skin type.  Read the instructions beforehand. This way, you will be prepared to demonstrate the product and understand what each step is supposed to do.  Most treatments take at least 4 weeks to be fully effective. Don’t be discouraged if your child doesn’t see immediate results, instead encourage them to give the product the “4 week test” and then decide. Often, it can take a few tries before finding the perfect product.

Some of our Favourite Acne Treatment Starter Kits:

Obagi CLENZIderm Acne Therapeutic System Normal-Oily Skin
Obagi CLENZIderm Acne Therapeutic System Normal-Dry Skin
Laboratoire Dr Renaud Clear Up Starter Kit – Kit de départ Clear Up
Murad Skin Care Acne Complex

Next, Explain Clearly.

Teenage acne is primarily caused by hormone fluctuations. It usually strikes between the ages of 10 and 13 and continues into the early 20s. The body is starting to produce different hormones to help with growth. Often, the skin produces too much of a protective oil called sebum. When sebum builds up on your skin, it can trap dead skin cells and bacteria in the pores. Once inside the clogged pores, bacteria rapidly multiply causing the red, swollen bumps we call pimples.

All of which sounds pretty gross. However, it’s important to know that these are usually naturally occurring bacteria that live on everyone’s skin. Having acne does not mean that skin is “Dirty” or “Bacteria Ridden”.  Often, Acne prone teens will be teased for being “Unclean”. This may lead to over scrubbing the face, which can actually make the acne worse!

Other things that can make teen acne worse?

• Stress – Being overly stressed out can cause more pimples through triggering the glands to produce more oil.
• Menstrual Cycle/Period – Talk about hormone changes! The internal shifts right before your period can cause sudden breakouts.
• Diet – A very controversial topic, many people feel your diet can influence but not eliminate acne. Avoid greasy or oily foods and swap out sugary pop for water.
• Oil Based Makeup, Suntan Oil, Hair Oils, and any other extra Oil – Adding more oil to your skin either deliberately or accidentally can result in an increased number of clogged pores.
• Popping Existing Pimples – This spreads the bacteria across your skin, increasing the likelihood of another breakout.
• Over Scrubbing – Like popping, this helps to spread the bacteria across the skin. Instead, use a cleanser twice a day as recommended.

Acne is the single most common skin condition, affecting almost everyone at some point in their lives. Reassure your child with some of your own experiences. Remember that Prom picture we talked about? This is the opportunity to share it. Most likely, your child’s acne experience will be similar to your own. Give them a heads up and let them know how you managed.

Finally, Give Them The Tools.

Start with a simple kit, especially for younger children. Make sure the routine includes a cleanser, active acne- fighting toner, and moisturizer.  To make sure the acne-fighting ingredients in the toner are effective, it needs to be applied to clean skin. Also, you want to lock in the treatment with a moisturizer.

A fantastic new product is the BB Cream. Originating in Germany and gaining popularity in Korea before arriving in North America. An “All-In-One” Cream,  BB Creams are often a moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, foundation, pimple preventer, imperfection hider and anti-aging helper. It’s great if you’re not quite ready to let your child out of the house in full makeup, but understand the confidence boost of an even completion. Designed to be subtle, even teenage boys have had success with  BB Creams! Just make sure to properly colour match to keep it looking natural. Our most popular are the Jane Iredale Disappear Camouflage Cream with Green Tea Extract and Yonka Tinted Protection BB Cream: Creme Teintee.

If the acne progresses from the occasional breakout to constant redness, make sure to take your child to a dermatologist. A professional has access to stronger treatments. and will be able to investigate as to whether there is a deeper cause to your teens acne. Pay attention to any dosage requirements and make sure your teen doesn’t exceed them.

 

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Treating Acne with Toothpaste or A Change in Diet- Does it work?

Lately I’ve been getting an avalanche of questions regarding the Toothpaste Cure and whether or not diet can affect acne.

We’ve covered basic skin care for acne in previous posts here. Now let’s break these down one at a time shall we?

Toothpaste Cure:

Statement: “Putting toothpaste on a zit overnight will completely get rid of it!”

Most toothpastes contain menthol, alcohol and laurel sulphates. All three of these are known drying and irritating ingredients to the skin. The success people see when they say this method works is that the pimple has dried out. For some that is a good thing. For others, having a big flaky patch of red skin, albeit pimple free, is not success. If you read forums of people using this technique it’s kind of horrific how many people experience burning, scabbing, scarring and inflammation from this “tip”.

What I don’t understand is why people use this when there are so many products designed specifically to reduce a pimple and not burn the skin. If toothpaste were designed for this, the companies would market them as so. They would make millions more. But toothpaste companies themselves know that this is an awful idea and nowhere to do you see “Spot Treatment” as a recommended usage. This is also why you rinse toothpaste out of your mouth and don’t just let it sit there.

Conclusion: Maybe. This may work for some people. But the potential side effects do not seem worth it to me.  Products with ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide fight the bacteria, dissolve the oil and reduce swelling. You can pick either of these up at your drugstore in very basic formulas at very economical prices. Keep your toothpaste for oral hygiene. You wouldn’t use your hand soap as a shampoo just because it lathers and cleans. Trust that science has found a better, non skin-burning solution.

Diet and Acne

Statement: “Certain foods cause people to breakout more”

Go the holistic route and yes, food effects everything else in our body, why wouldn’t it effect the condition of the largest organ?

Go the medical, dermatological and  esthetic route and you will usually get a resounding no. According to their training, breakouts have to do with the surface condition of the skin and ultimately are not affected by food but by external factors.

There has never been a study that shows any correlation between diet and acne. Some say this is because the medical field and pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t benefit from people just eating better. I try not to think such sinister thoughts.

Acne is VERY complicated and varies from person to person as to why they break out. If it were as simple as no longer eating chocolate or dairy products, I can guarantee you people who suffer from extreme acne would be thrilled with their new lactose-free lifestyle.

Likewise, it’s frustrating looking  for a product that actually works and can be a life long search for people with acne.

I really believe it’s a combination of both. Healthy eating and living results in overall better and more balanced body functioning. Everything would ideally work at its peak and the skin could protect and heal itself. While veggies and lots of water can help improve the condition, it may not solve it for some people.

Acne is not an allergic reaction, it’s an imbalance of oil production. Oil production is largely effected by the hormone Andgrogen.  So the diet idea makes some sense. Certain foods can increase blood sugar and insulin levels. Through biology and SCIENCE! this also increases androgen production.

Hormone influxes are also associated with stress, puberty, pregnancy and menopause.

You can find numerous theories on which foods cause more breakouts. None of this has ever been proven.

If you notice that your skin breaks out more after certain binges, it may be wise to avoid or lessen your intake of them. But humans are also prone to seeing causation where it doesn’t exist. Sometimes our skin just changes, and there is no explanation. Read this article by The Beauty Brains fro some great insight. Actually, read them all the time. They’re amazing.

Try to take a thoughtful approach to figuring it out.  Was it just a particularly lazy week, and on top of eating poorly, cleansing routines fell by the wayside as well? How do you decide then which is the culprit?

Conclusion: Maybe. Acne is very rarely just ONE thing. More research is needed before anything can definitely be decided.

Approach skin health as part of your overall health. Eat well, exercise, drink lots of water. Ideally that would be enough. If it’s not, find a skincare routine that makes sense for you. The keys factors are, once again, as follows:

1) Consistency and Patience

2) Oil Control: Salicylic Acid dissolves and controls oil throughout the day

3) Regular exfoliation: Remove the build up of dead skin cells. Don’t irritate the skin, use something gentle yet effective. No crushed nuts or shells!

4) Kill bacteria: Bacteria cause the inflammation and pus. Tea Tree Oil or Benzoyl Peroxide are both effective at ridding the skin of P.Acnes.

5)Moisturize: Keeping your skin hydrated means it doesn’t feel like it needs to produce as much oil. Use Oil-free ones to keep skin soft and balanced.

Hopefully this provided you with a bit of guidance, even though it was two “Maybe”s. I would love to hear what you have to say! Share your stories, tips and tricks.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!