At Museo Skin + Spa, we know that having bad skin can feel like the worst thing that has ever happened to you. Particularly for teenagers, who are struggling to find their way and place in the world, bad skin can be seen as just another thing that isn’t going right or is holding them back and affecting their confidence.

 

As our children move into adolescence, some will be prone to acne unfortunately and to ensure they are not left with irreversible scarring and/or hyperpigmentation a good home care routine needs to be established quickly. For those skins that have visible blackheads with no pustules- we can clear a skin quite quickly in this 1st stage with a good facial and introduction of a home skin routine. For skins that have progressed further a 6-month skin programme may be needed with bi-monthly facials in conjunction with a clinical home care routine.

 

As teenagers start to move towards big exams and their Year 11 and 12 school balls, even those with the clearest of skins can experience breakouts that seem to take on a life of their own, appearing from nowhere and causing more stress than they are worth.

The skin specialists at Museo Skin + Spa have some great tips below for anyone struggling with occasional breakouts, acne, or the teen who hasn’t as yet established a skin routine.

Why teenagers?

Acne and breakouts usually begin in teenagers because during puberty there is a complete shift in hormones, which can cause an increase in the size and oil production (sebum) of oil glands. With thick excess sebum sitting on the skin, it blocks the opening of the pore and causes a plug. Due to the blocked pore, there is a reduction in oxygen, which creates the perfect environment for oil-eating bacteria that live naturally in your skin (p.acnes bacteria) to multiply and encourage inflammation and infection – hence a pimple is formed. Blackheads are usually caused from oxidised sebum on the skin, and so teenagers will often suffer from both as they move through adolescence.

 

Yes, Stress Can Make it Worse.

It’s not a coincidence that pimples always seem to pop up at the worst times. Just before the big game, just before your big exam, just before the ball or prom. It’s because stress affects hormones, and changes in hormones affect your skin. The less stressed you are, the better your skin is likely to be – not that that is always achievable! If you can’t control the stress, then the best thing you can do is to control the skin.

 

What to do for your pimples.

For most teenagers, a good skin routine needs to be established as their skin changes and they go through puberty. The earlier you start on using good products for your skin and getting into a routine, the less likely it is for pimples to get out of hand and cause serious scarring to the face. For those with pimples, you need to include target-specific ingredients to balance sebum production and to control the environment that acnes bacteria thrives in.

 

  • Cleanse
    Cleansers can greatly reduce the amount of excess sebum hanging out on your skin, but over cleansing can encourage your skin to produce more sebum – the opposite of what we are trying to achieve here. So, cleanse daily, but don’t go at your face with rough scrubs or cleansing multiple times a day or use the alcohol-based cleansers often found in chemists- it can actually cause more harm than good.
  • Moisturise
    It often sounds counter-intuitive to apply moisturiser or other oily products to your skin when you’re suffering from oily skin in the first place, but its imperative to the protection of the skin and healing any damage. Moisturise daily after you cleanse to ensure your skin is well nourished and protected throughout the day.

*Try our O Cosmedics Mineral Pro SPF 30+; a moisturizer, sunscreen with a sheer tint. A great simple daily moisturizer for teens containing zinc oxide – a powerful ingredient which is scientifically proven to help reduce antimicrobial/bacterial properties associated with acne as well lowering inflammation that is triggered by acne and helps regulate the production of sebum.

 

  • DON’T POP
    The advice is all there, but we all know how hard it is not to pop a pimple. But particularly on young skin, they can leave severe scarring or cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that can be with you for life – so best to avoid popping them when you can. If you absolutely have to get rid of a spot, make sure you’ve got a warmed (steam from having a shower works well) clean, moist skin and clean hands first.

*We recommend coming in for one of our blackhead extracting facials where our skin therapists expertly extract blackheads while simultaneously reducing inflammation. We include the high-frequency current, which produces a gentle spray of oxygen molecules that penetrate deep into the areas that are affected by blackheads and enlarged pores. The treatment is applied by passing the hf current through neon gas-filled glass electrodes, which gives a gentle warming feeling to the skin.

 

The reality is that for particularly nasty blackheads and blockages these skins are best left to the professionals to ensure they are removed with as little damage to the skin as possible. The team at Museo Skin + Spa offer a complete Teen Acne Control Treatment Package which includes a consultation on your skin, a deep pore facial to remove any nasty blackheads or blockages, as well as a take-home cleanser and moisturiser. This gives teens all the gear they need to make a change in their skin and advice on what is going to banish the breakouts. Book your teen in for one of our Teen Acne Control Treatment Packages online today.