Coping With Teenage Acne, Oral Contraceptive Use & Acne, Removing Blackheads, How Does Sun Affect Acne And What If It’s Not Acne

How should you cope with teenage acne? Teenagers are naturally self-critical about most things, especially their body and appearance. Kids will stand in front of a mirror and bad mouth everything about them that is less than stellar perfection. They tell themselves that they are too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, too ugly, their noses are too large or that they are not perfectly shaped and on and on and on.


Teenager’s bodies are undergoing very dramatic physical changes that cause great emotional upheaval. Everywhere they look; there are sexy images of famous young people who look totally perfect; yet, different than they see themselves. They soon come to believe that unless they look and act like the people portrayed in these sexy images that their life is incomplete and un-fulfilling! Nothing could be farther than the truth.

Life is tough enough for teenagers under normal conditions, then suddenly and at the worst possible moment, there is a zit! If you have never lived through the trauma that a teenager goes through (and puts the entire household through) when a zit appears on their nose or chin, you can thank your lucky stars. It’s truly traumatic AND dramatic!

One zit does not constitute a case of acne; but, about 95% of all American teenagers will have some type of acne in their lifetime. Some will have very mild cases that can be treated with over-the-counter medications; but, sadly, others will develop moderate to severe cases that do not respond to over-the-counter medications. When moderate to severe cases of acne develop, it is a wise and loving parent who will make an appointment with a dermatologist to get medical help as soon as a case of acne is apparent and well before deep scars are created.

There are treatments available for teenage acne. Teenagers have a hard time with self-image under the best of circumstances and acne can cause many problems that are more severe than the simple case of acne. Psychological problems like depression, eating disorders, self-isolation or social anxiety can develop in a teenager who has a moderate to severe case of acne.

Oral Contraceptive Use and Acne

Acne is very often brought on by hormonal imbalances in the body especially in teenagers during puberty and in young adult women. The male and female bodies begin to produce large amounts of the male hormone, called testosterone.

The increased production of testosterone stimulates the sebaceous glands and they produce excess sebum. The sebum travels up a hair follicle, clogs a pore, a pimple forms, and acne is born. Oral contraceptives decrease the amount of testosterone that the body produces; thereby, reducing the stimulation of the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

Many times physicians will prescribe oral contraceptives to young women for the purpose of controlling acne that is being caused by this temporary hormonal imbalance. However, the body has its own defense processes. When females first begin a regimen of birth control pills, their body will often react by making the acne worse rather than better. However, with continued use birth control pills will usually lessen the frequency of acne breakouts as well as their duration.

On the other hand, when birth control pills are discontinued, it is fairly certain that the acne will get worse, maybe a lot worse, until the body compensates for this change. Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) have been proven to be very safe for most of the young women who take them.

As with all medications, however, there are always some risks and some possible unwanted side effects. Women who take birth control pills are advised not to smoke while taking them. Additionally, there is some evidence that consuming alcohol can also cause some adverse effects.

Oral contraceptives come in various strengths and the lowest possible dosage is the wisest course of action to use when birth control pills are being prescribed as an acne fighting measure.

Removing Black Heads
There isn’t a person on earth over the age of 15 who hasn’t seen or had a blackhead in their life. However, what a black head is may be another story. Some people think that a black head is a grain of dirt that has managed to get under the skin. Blackheads are not a grain of dirt!

A black head forms when the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum. The sebum rises to the surface of the skin. When sebum is exposed to the air, it oxidizes and turns black.

Blackheads can form just about anywhere that a white head or a pustule can like on the face, neck or back. There are several methods for removing blackheads that are really effective since there is no inflammation associated with a blackhead.

People who have oily skin are more prone to having blackheads than those with drier skin. Here are a few simple home remedy methods for blackhead removal.

1. Use pure lemon juice applied with a cotton ball twice a day to remove blackheads.

2. Apply a little heated honey to the blackheads. Let the honey stay on the blackheads for a few minutes and then rinse it off.

3. Beat an egg white until it forms peaks, add a teaspoon of honey and apply to the blackheads. Let this stay on the blackheads for a few minutes and then rinse thoroughly.

4. At the drug store look for an acne fighting cream that contains AHA's (Alpha Hydroxyl Fruit acids). Apply this cream to the blackheads about every three days.

Most acne medications that can be bought over-the-counter as well as those which are prescribed by a dermatologist will help remove blackheads. If you have a lot of blackheads, you should see your dermatologist as soon as possible.

How Does the Sun Affect Acne

One of the myths that persistently circulate the news and Internet is that sunlight will cure acne. Sunlight does NOT cure acne. As a matter of fact there is no cure for acne.

Acne can be controlled by using oral and topical products that are made specifically for controlling it; but, nothing cures acne. Sunlight is a great depression fighter. Sunlight is essential to life on planet earth as we know it. Not only will sunlight not cure acne, it will, in many cases, make it worse or cause other problems.

Many of the medications prescribed for treating acne actually cause an increased sensitivity to sunlight. They can make the skin more prone to serious sunburn. Rather than the sunlight making the acne better, sun exposure can make it worse. Tetracycline is an antibiotic that is often prescribed to acne patients by dermatologists. One of the side effects attributed to Tetracycline is that it increases the skins sensitivity to sunlight.

Doxycycline is another antibiotic that is often prescribed to acne patients who have difficulty taking Tetracycline. Doxycycline also causes an increased sensitivity to sunlight and those who are taking Doxycycline are advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight and that includes sun lamps. Accutane is a very strong oral medication that is used to treat severe cases of acne. It has a long list of side effects associated with it and one of them is extreme sensitivity to sunlight.

Oral medications prescribed for acne are not the only ones that can increase sunlight sensitivity. There are topical medications used for treating acne that have the same affect.

Retinoids like Retin A are topical treatments that are often prescribed for treating acne. Retinoids increase sun sensitivity and it is always recommended that a patient using a retinoid product avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Salicylic Acid is another topical acne fighting product that also causes increased sunlight sensitivity.

What If It’s Not Really Acne?

The skin on the face, neck and back starts to break out in pustules, white heads and black heads and the entire world might decide that the problem is a case of acne but, the world may be wrong. It might be something else altogether.

It could be Rosacea. A dermatologist should always be consulted to be certain that the outbreak is in fact acne and not Rosacea. It has been estimated that as many as 50% of cases thought to be acne can in fact be Rosacea.

Acne and Rosacea are two entirely different things but they look very much alike. Both tend to cause the same emotional and mental stress in those who suffer from either. While acne is most often caused by excess sebum being manufactured by the sebaceous glands, Rosacea is actually caused by a parasite. mild acne treatments will have absolutely no effect on a case of Rosacea.

The most effective treatment for Rosacea is actually the same treatment that is most effective for a severe case of acne and that is a chemical peel. Rosacea is caused by parasites that infest and clog the sebaceous glands and cause the skin pores to clog. The only way to kill these parasites is to do a deep chemical peel that removes several layers of skin.

This peel must be deep enough to uncover the infected pores and hair follicles so that the parasites can be killed. The most common treatments for acne like benzoyl peroxide will have no effect at all on Rosacea and even can contribute to making it worse rather than better. Antibacterial treatments for more severe cases of acne like Tetracycline and Doxycycline will help but the minute the treatment is stopped, the Rosacea will return.

fight acne by being smart and proactive. Take as many preventative steps as possible to avoid situations that create the opportunity for acne to develop. If acne does afflict you, consult a qualified medical professional before deciding on a course of action.

By: gmas00

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Stephen M. Seabrook, MBA President Nice Specialty Gifts, L.L.C. Looking for unusual anniversary gifts for a couple or marriage milestone, special personalized gifts for your loved one, or unique gifts for friends? Shop NiceSpecialtyGifts4u.com where we have all of these for you! www.nicespecialtygifts4u.com Home of 3.6 million item gift shop with over 1,250 suppliers and Home Income Portals at www.homeincomeportal.com/stesea490 and www.itsmyfranchise.com/stesea532