Although your child may not quite be a teenager, he or she may already be showing signs of pimples and blackheads. Around 8 in 10 preteens suffer from acne. This common condition can cause a lot of emotional distress in preteens, so it’s good to know how to help them handle the time when they start getting acne.

What is Acne?

Before you start treating your child’s acne, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with what acne is, as this will give you a better understanding of how to treat it.

Acne is a common skin complaint that appears as a number of different types of bumps. These include pustules, which are bumps filled with pus; pimples, which are red bumps; blackheads; and whiteheads.

The cause of these lies in the tiny holes that cover the skin’s surface – these are pores or hair follicles. Within these pores you’ll find sebaceous glands (often referred to as oil glands) and these produce sebum, which is an oil that moistens the skin and hair.

A lot of the time, these glands won’t affect the pores because they’ll produce the correct amount of sebum. However, when too much sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells build up in these pores, they can become clogged. This, in turn, can cause acne.

When a pore becomes clogged, closes up and starts to bulge out from the skin, this is a whitehead. If the pore gets clogged up but remains open, this can cause the top of the surface to darken, which creates a blackhead. However, sometimes, the pore’s walls can be broken, which allows the dead skin cells, bacteria, and sebum to leak under the skin. This causes a red infection – a pimple. Finally, if clogged-up pores open deep into the skin’s layers, this can cause a bigger infection, which is what results in cysts.

With these different types of spots revealed, here are some top tips to help you provide emotional support to your child, as well as helping them get into good hygiene habits:

Diet and Acne: Many dermatologists agree that foods that have a high content of trans fats and saturated fats can contribute to acne breakouts. By making sure your child follows a diet that is rich in protein and low in high Glycemic Index (GI) foods, this can help reduce the effects of hormones and excess oils on your preteen’s skin.

Stress and Acne: Although stress alone cannot cause acne. If your child is prone to breakouts, stress, in combination with changing hormones, can worsen them. This can end up being a vicious cycle as your preteen begins to stress over their acne because it’s making them self-conscious.

Personal Hygiene and Acne: Here are some daily hygiene tips to help your preteen combat acne:

• Use a gentle medicated facial wash twice each day. This should also be done at the end of a hot day or after a sports session.
• Use a gentle toner such as an apple cider solution or cucumber juice after washing.
• Apply an anti-bacterial acne lotion, just make sure it’s oil-free.
• If the acne is also on the body, wear loose, breathable clothes.
• Using a clay facial mask once each week will help prevent excessive oil build-up and keep dirt from the pores
• Keep long hair tied back.
• Resist the urge to pick or scratch acne; it will only worsen the situation.

Treatment Choices for Acne

There’s quite a range of over-the-counter medications suitable for treating the odd zit or mild to moderately severe acne. Products range from lotions, creams, scrubs, concealers, and face masks. Make sure you choose products that are not too harsh on sensitive young skin as they may cause further irritation. Check out these reviews to find the best treatment for acne and see how others rate the various products that are available.

If you have tried over the counter treatments for your preteen’s acne and they have not been successful, the best thing you can do it take them to a dermatologist. A medical professional is best equipped to treat acne, especially if it is severe. The prescribed treatment may take the form of topical or oral medication.

If your preteen is struggling to get control over acne be understanding about their concerns and help them to find a suitable treatment. Make sure they don’t apply too many treatment solutions at once or apply them too often. Talk to them about their acne and reassure them that it is something they can regain control of.