We know that supporting your children in their journey to healthy skin can be tough. In fact, we’re a local company that was inspired by parents wanting to help their children through this uncomfortable season.
The parents in our acne.org.za community are also supportive of one another and often share what they’ve learned in helping their children with acne healing. Here are a few things that consistently spring up from discussions.
Watching your child battle is not easy and fighting the fatigue as a parent is a real struggle. Especially when finding the balance between allowing them to face the world and simultaneously resisting the urge to jump in and take charge. That said, in our experience, taking charge, in the beginning, is beneficial. Thereafter, allowing their teens to learn consistency with the regime they find works.
“Act fast,” says Charmaine Woolls, mother of two children with acne. She knows that the trigger is genetic. She also stated, “Being intentional about the next steps and going to a dermatologist is important as well as using the correct skincare.” She didn’t only use the skincare products the doctor provided, but did research and found what fit my budget or products with great reviews.
Speaking with parents we found the above to be a consistent theme. Make sure you are aware of what is being used on your children’s faces.
Here are a few other things that may affect your child’s wellbeing during this time:
Emotions and self-esteem
This is a wonderful teaching moment as a parent. When you have a child who suffers from acne you can teach them to love who they are rather than what they look like. This is something they can be grateful for in years to come.
It is important to understand why acne could affect their self-esteem. It goes further than feeling self-aware, a teenager’s body processes a lot, from brain development to a surge of hormones. For the first time they need to learn how to process their emotions with a brain that isn’t fully developed, nor do they have life skills to help manage their emotions.
Acne is a product of hormone imbalance, especially among teenagers. The main hormone is testosterone, which is found in both sexes and plays an important role in the brain. From muscle development to structuring of the brain. Teens with less testosterone respond to situations with child-like behaviour. Teens with higher levels of testosterone use their frontal cortex (the portion of the brain that assists emotional control) to rein in their emotions.
How does this align with acne?
Even though it is also the hormone that’s in charge of how you process emotions as a teenager, testosterone is the leading hormone that causes acne.
Acne can be hurtful and discouraging. It can have lasting emotional effects. To help this, parents can assist their children with how to process their emotions and help their minds mature with emotional tools.
Emotions found in teen acne sufferer’s
Anger
Excessive anger is also a side effect of testosterone. If your child suffers from rage outbursts, seeking help from a doctor using blood tests could help you navigate the root cause.
Another form of anger is frustration. Teens could view acne as a stumbling block in their lives. How they perceive themselves, their social life, and the frustration of trying everything and nothing works could all lead to frustration.
Discouragement
Teens who feel discouraged for a long period could battle depressive symptoms. This manifests in them not wanting to go out because of how they look.
We have found that teens are encouraged by starting the journey of dealing with acne, rather than ignoring the issue and ‘growing out of it’. It is important to measure the importance of clear skin from child to child as everyone is different.
Children who are naturally confident and extroverted could be more impartial about acne than a child who is introverted and has less confidence.
Acquiring professional help
- As Charmaine Woolls said, “Act fast”. Going to a dermatologist and finding the root cause is vital.
- Speak to a dietician. Hormone balance, with a holistic approach, could help with hormone dominance or a lack of hormones in the body. Something as simple as adding vegetables or seeds could assist your child in many ways.
Products to purchase
Every company claims to have the ‘winning solution’, but why are they not working for you? A lot of products have more ingredients than needed. Our products have been developed scientifically and proved effective over a number of years.
The main ingredients you will find in our three-step protocol kit are:
- The cleanser: containing fruit extracts that assist in exfoliation. A crucial part of dealing with acne. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells; dirt stuck in pores (that leads to blackheads) and helps balance out the oil your skin produces.
- The treat: with benzoyl peroxide which targets bacteria in the skin. Bacteria builds up from pollution in the air, how much you touch your skin and how often or how well you clean your skin. (Benzoyl Peroxide has been a tried and tested active ingredient for many years).
- The moisturiser: with squalene and hyaluronic acid. Both ingredients hydrate and restore barrier function, leaving skin stronger to help fight acne breakouts. You often find teens with a good skin barrier have smaller pimples than a teen with a weak skin barrier.
All three products contain prebiotics – a non-living ingredient that helps balance out the good and bad bacteria found in the skin.
If you have any questions about your child’s skin and would like to be a part of our growing community, please email info@acne.org.za.
In addition, take a look at our review’s page and see the difference our products can make.
References
How hormone’s affect teens brains
Frontal Cortex
Coping with Acne
