By Mia Liefso
Continued from part 1 of this article…..
2. Weather extremes. The winters can be bitterly cold and the summers somewhat dry. You need a skincare line that can react to this harshness.
3. Moisturizer. If you have oily skin, your tendency will be to shy away from moisturizers. EVERY skin type needs moisture and hydration.
4. Check the ingredients. You want to make sure your skin care products contain the minerals, vitamins and healing properties your skin needs. For our teenagers, we often recommend our Dead Sea products which help to remove the excess oils and skin impurities. A good soap is essential for a good acne regime.
5. Foundation.You want a foundation that covers acne scars, blemishes and hyperpigmentation that won’t shine like you have Crisco on your face at the end of the school day. Make sure to find an oil-free formula.
Chances are a home regime, coupled with good skin care products may not be enough, particularly if you have moderate to severe teenage acne. You may need some supplemental acne treatments at a medical spa.
Tip #3: You Can Peel Away Your Blemishes
Medical grade chemical peels are an excellent defense mechanism for teenage acne. They help to exfoliate the skin by applying a gentle alpha or beta hydroxyacid to the top layer of your skin. This exfoliation signals the cells inside the skin to accelerate, thus preventing pores from being clogged.
Contrary to it name, chemical peels don’t really “peel” the skin. Instead, they quickly exfoliate the skin, sloughing off the dead skin cells. By keeping dead skin cells and excess oil from clogging your follicles, pore blockages and your pimples can be dramatically decreased.
Your friends will not even know you’ve had a chemical peel … there is no downtime and you can go right back to school or studying (drat) after this 30-minuite treatment. Your skin may look slightly sunburned, and it’s essential to be diligent about applying sunscreen for a couple of weeks after the peel. It’s okay to apply makeup to cover any of the redness.
According to Acne.org, studies show about a 45-50% reduction in acne lesions after a series of 4-6 peels.
Tip #4: Consider Laser To Help Acne at Light Speed
Relative newer to the cosmetic industry is the use of laser treatments to help with acne scarring. Laser acne therapy is a non-invasive, safe and effective way to treat teenage acne without dangerous medications or downtime. It can reduce and often eliminate acne on the face, shoulders, back and chest, leaving you with blemish free skin.
Laser acne treatments pulse light into the skin in a way that destroys acne-causing bacteria, while also directly targeting your sebaceous glands.We know that acne is generally caused by dead cells, too much sebum, bacteria and infection in the hair follicles, all of which are effectively targeted and destroyed by laser therapy. Laser treatments can also be used to help with teenage scarring, by stimulating healthy cells to produce collagen, thus creating newer, more even skin.
Don’t Just Live With Acne, Fight It!
No matter which combination of teenage acne treatments you choose, know that there are new technologies and skin care products coming on to the market every day that are targeted at helping you have a clearer, healthier complexion. Acne can’t be cured, but it can be effectively controlled. Starting these treatments may make your acne worse for a short period of time before it gets better. And if you control it in your teenage years, hopefully you won’t have to deal with adult acne.
Keep your chin up … free of acne that is!
– Mia Liefso is a professional medical skin therapist and the owner of Bradford Skin Clinic & Med Spa in Bradford, Ontario. She has certifications in IPL, LHE, laser and ultrasound technologies, as well as body contouring and medical facial peels. Her areas of special interest include difficult skin conditions—psoriasis, eczema, and acne—premature aging, and endocrinology. Mia’s passion lies in helping people love the skin they’re in.