How does acne develop?

We have hundreds of hair follicles, or pores, on the surface of our skin through which hair grows. Deep inside each follicle is a hair shaft attached to small glands called "sebaceous glands". These glands make an oily substance called sebum to moisten our hair and skin. Sometimes when too much sebum is made, it can mix with dead skin cells (that we are constantly shedding) to create a sticky plug.

Trapped bacteria grow very fast in these plugged follicles and make chemicals that can cause swelling, redness, and pain. Eventually the plugged follicle can burst and spill everything - oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria - onto the skin surrounding other follicles.

There are several different types of acne:

Whiteheads are swollen pores that are filled with dead skin cells and sebum.
Blackheads happen when a clogged pore is open and a chemical reaction causes the surface to darken. The blackhead is not dirt so it can't be washed away. It is actually caused from a build up of melanin-a skin pigment.
Pimples occur when a clogged pore becomes infected by bacteria causing a red, raised bump to appear on the skin. Pimples can have a pus filled top, which is the body's way of reacting to a bacterial infection. Pimples, also called "zits," can be tender to the touch.
Cysts occur when clogged up pores break under the skin causing bigger and often very painful bumps. If left untreated, these cysts can cause scarring.

Who gets acne?

Eight out of ten teens will get acne sometime during their teen years because puberty is the time when there are many hormonal changes. Hormones are chemicals that are responsible for all of the physical changes that happen when you go from being a child to an adult. Teens who have a family history of acne (their parents had acne when they were teens) are more likely to get it, but keep in mind that most teens who get acne will be free of it by the time they are young adults.

Young women often complain of acne just before their periods. The medical term for this is called "premenstrual acne" and it is usually due to the hormones that are active before your period. Some girls are more sensitive to these hormones than others. So even if you are careful about taking good care of your skin, chances are you may have a mild to moderate breakout before your period. The good news is that once your period is over the acne usually goes away.

Acne is also common in girls who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS can cause weight problems, acne, excess hair growth and irregular periods. So check with your health care provider if you have any of the symptoms.

Do over-the-counter medicines work on acne?

Over-the-counter (no prescription is required) acne medicine that contains benzoyl peroxide (such as Clearasil?, ProActiv® and Oxy?), resorcinol, salicylic acid or sulfur often help with mild acne. Each product works slightly differently. Products come in soaps, cleansing pads, creams, gels, or lotions. Acne preparations may cause a rash or redness. Your skin may sting or burn if the medicine is too strong.

Remember when using over the counter acne medicine:

Stop the acne medicine if you have any side effects
It takes about 6-8 weeks of using a product to see a difference in your skin
Be careful to keep the medicine away from your eyes, mouth, and inside your nose
If you have taken good care of your skin for at least 2 months (washed it twice a day, avoided products that can clog pores, and tried nonprescription acne medicine) and the pimples just won't go away, don't worry?make an appointment with your health care provider or dermatologist to talk about stronger (prescription) medicine that may be helpful.

Skin Conditions: Skin Care Tips for Teens

Many teenagers struggle with acne due to their changing hormones. Here are some skin care tips to help teenagers achieve the best possible results for their skin.

Take care when choosing cosmetics: Cosmetics like foundation, blush and moisturizer should be oil-free. Chose products that do not promote the formation of blemishes or cause blocked pores. Ask a qualified sales person or a dermatologist which skin products would be best for your skin type.
Don't pick your face: If you pick, squeeze or pinch blemishes, you risk developing acne scars. Don't rub or touch blemishes.
Be gentle with cleaning: Hard scrubbing will only make your skin condition worse. Gently wash your skin with a mild cleanser in the morning, at bedtime, and after heavy exercise. Avoid rough scrubs or pads. After you wash your skin, rinse it thoroughly.
Use sunscreen (SPF 30 or more) regularly: The sun can damage the skin and promote skin's premature aging; therefore, daily use of sunscreen is recommended. Although a tan or sunburn can make the skin feel less oily, the benefits are short-lived. Remember that some acne medications, as well as some other medications, can make you more prone to sunburns. For this reason, use sunscreens all of the time. Re-apply sunscreen when you are in the sun for prolonged periods of time.
Be careful when shaving: Avoid the accidental nicks of blemishes by shaving lightly and only when you have to. You can experiment with different razors to find the one that is more comfortable for your skin.

Good Personal Hygiene

Good hygiene is important in taking care of yourself physically as well as emotionally. People often have infections because they don't take good care of themselves physically, which can lead to emotional difficulties as well. To avoid physical problems associated with poor hygiene, consider the following ideas to keep yourself clean:

Hair Care

Washing Your Hair. It's so important to keep your hair clean and conditioned to ensure it stays healthy and strong. Washing your hair at least every other day is important to keeping your hair healthy and in good shape. If you wash it too frequently, your hair will become brittle and dry, making it difficult to grow and keep strong. If you wash it too infrequently, it will become greasy and will also stunt its growth.

Washing your hair too frequently also strips it of necessary nutrients required to keep it strong and healthy. Conditioning your hair is critical to keeping the nutrients within your hair intact. Use a "leave-in" conditioner every time you wash your hair. The long-lasting conditioning agents will rebuild your hair every time you use it.

Cutting Your Hair. Getting your hair cut frequently is critical to healthy hair. The longer you wait to get your hair cut, the more frail and brittle your hair can become, especially if it is longer.

The length of your hair will determine how often you get your hair cut. If you are male, or a female with a very short hairstyle, getting your hair cut every six weeks is best in order to keep it trim and neat, while keeping it healthy as well. If you have longer hair, you can go as long as 10 weeks without a haircut, but try to get your hair cut at least every 10 weeks. This will help keep your hair strong, and if you are trying to grow your hair, will enable your hair to grow more quickly, because you will get rid of the dead, dry ends and will enable the healthy part to grow more effectively.

Dental Care

Going to the Dentist. The mouth is the area of the body most prone to collecting harmful bacteria and generating infections. In order to have and maintain good oral hygiene, it is critical to visit your dentist at least every six months. In some cases, your dentist may recommend every four months, depending on how much tartar builds up on your teeth and how often you need to have it removed. To keep your teeth free from tartar build-up and tooth decay, make sure you visit your dentist as frequently as he or she recommends. This will ensure your teeth and your mouth stay healthy and strong.

Brushing Your Teeth. For best results, invest in an electric toothbrush. Crest and Oral B both make excellent electric toothbrushes designed to clean your teeth and gums. Regardless of the type of toothbrush you use, make sure you brush your teeth at least two times per day, if not after every meal. This will help minimize the amount of bacteria in your mouth which leads to tooth decay, and will help you maintain a healthy, happy smile.

Flossing Your Teeth. In addition to regular brushing, it is critical to floss your teeth at least once a day, usually before you go to bed. This will enable you to reduce plaque in the more difficult to reach places?between teeth and at the back of your molars. Flossing also keeps your gums healthy and strong, and will help protect your mouth from a variety of diseases that could eventually cost you your teeth.

Physical Care

Cleanliness of Your Body. Taking a bath or shower once daily is very important to ensuring your body stays clean. Cleaning your body is also important to ensure your skin rejuvenates itself, as the scrubbing of your arms, legs, and torso will slough off dead, dry skin and help your skin stay healthy and refreshed.

Shaving. In American culture, it is important to remember that shaving is a critical part of cleanliness. For men, shaving the face enables it to stay cleaner and is a more acceptable hygienic practice, especially for those who work in corporate America. For women, shaving the legs and under the arms also keeps the body cleaner, with less places for bacteria to grow.

Washing Your Face. It is important to wash your face at least once a day to remove all dirt and grime that you have come in contact with during the course of the day. This will keep your face freer from wrinkles and pimples, which are the result of clogged pores. Using some sort of moisturizer will also ensure your face stays rejuvenated and fresh.

Trimming Your Nails. Keeping your nails trimmed and in good shape is also important in maintaining good health. Going to a professional to learn proper nail care will help you get on the right track to trimming your fingernails as well as toenails. Proper trimming techniques will also help you avoid hangnails and infected nail beds.

Washing Your Hands

Before Meals. It's important to have clean hands before you sit down to eat. Washing with hot water and soap will clean your hands so that they do not carry bacteria to your family and friends as you pass the bread!

After Restroom Use. To ensure you don't carry fecal or other bacteria to other parts of the body or to other individuals, you will want to wash your hands after every time you use the restroom. Make sure you wash your hands immediately afterward?don't touch your nose or mouth to avoid unnecessary illness.

Before Preparing Food. Washing your hands before you prepare food is very important to ensure you don't spread bacteria to your food. Wash them with hot, soapy water for at least 2 minutes before you begin working with food, particularly poultry or red meat. This will keep your food free from bacteria, and will ensure your food is healthy to serve once it's cooked!

After Preparing Food. Again, washing your hands for at least 2 minutes with hot, soapy water after you have prepared food (and before serving) will ensure you don't carry bacteria with you, thus potentially infecting you or others.

Good hygienic habits are easy to begin and maintain. Starting with a few of these ideas will help you start on your way to developing good hygiene for both you and your family.

Puberty causes all kinds of changes in your body. Your skin and scalp may suddenly get oily very easily. Every day it seems you have new hair growing in different places. At times, you seem to sweat for no reason ? and you may notice there are odors where you never had them before. What should you do about it?

These bodily changes are a normal part of becoming an adult. Still, some of them can be a real source of anxiety. Who wants to worry about whether their underarms smell, anyway?

Read below for information on some hygiene basics ? and learn how to deal with them!

Sweat and Body Odor

Perspiration, or sweat, comes from sweat glands that you've always had in your body. But thanks to puberty, these glands not only become more active than before, they also begin to secrete different chemicals into the sweat that has a stronger smelling odor. You might notice this odor under your arms in your armpits. Your feet and genitals might also have new smells.

The best way to keep clean is to bathe or shower every day using a mild soap and warm water. This will help wash away any bacteria that contribute to the smells. Wearing clean clothes, socks, and underwear each day can also help you to feel clean. If you sweat a lot, you might find that shirts, T-shirts, socks, and underwear made from cotton or other natural materials will help absorb sweat more effectively.

If you're concerned about the way your underarms smell, you can try using a deodorant or deodorant with antiperspirant. Deodorants get rid of the odor of sweat by covering it up, and antiperspirants actually stop or dry up perspiration. They come in sticks, roll-ons, gels, sprays, and creams and are available at any drugstore or supermarket. All brands are similar (and ones that say they're made for a man or for a woman are similar, too, except for some perfumes that are added).

If you choose to use deodorant or antiperspirant, be sure to read the directions. Some work better if you use them at night, whereas others recommend that you put them on in the morning. But keep in mind that some teens don't need deodorants or antiperspirants. So why use them if you don't have to? Deodorant and antiperspirant commercials may try to convince you that you'll have no friends or dates if you don't use their product, but if you don't think you smell and you take daily baths or showers and wear clean clothes, you may be fine without them.

Body Hair

Body hair in new places is something you can count on ? again, it's hormones in action. You may want to start shaving some places where body hair grows, but whether you do is up to you. Some guys who grow facial hair like to let it develop into a mustache and beard. Some girls may decide to leave the hair on their legs and under their arms as is. It's all up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

If you do decide to shave, whether you're a guy or girl, you have a few different choices. You can use a traditional razor with a shaving cream or gel or you can use an electric razor. If you use a regular razor, make sure the blade is new and sharp to prevent cuts and nicks. Shaving cream and gel are often a better bet than soap because they make it easier to pull the razor against your skin. Some of the newer razors contain shaving gel right in the blade area, making even beginners feel comfortable shaving.

Whether you're shaving your legs, armpits, or face, go slowly. These are tricky areas of your body with lots of curves and angles, and it's easy to cut yourself if you move too fast. An adult or older sibling can be a big help when you're learning to shave. Don't be afraid to ask for tips.

You might want to avoid shaving your pubic hair because when it grows back in, the skin may be irritated and itchy. Also, guys may think twice about shaving their chests, and girls should avoid shaving their faces because the stubble that grows back will look prickly and thicker, forcing you to shave over and over.

Center for Young Women's Health

Health Information for teen girls around the world!