Acne Attack
Fact: the teen years are host to one of the biggest transitions you’ll ever experience in your life. This is the season when your entire being, your body, mind, heart, and soul shift from being a child to being a sexually mature young adult. This is a huge change to navigate. The hormonal change that signals a step toward adulthood can begin at 8 years old for some and 14 years old for others. There is no “right” time for the change to begin, but there can be added stress if you find yourself at either end of that timeline. One of the least desired or appreciated side effects of physical maturity is acne.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are four causes of acne: excess oil production, inflammation, bacteria, or hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells. There are also six different types of acne: whiteheads (closed, plugged pores), blackheads (open, plugged pores), small red bumps, pimples (red bumps with pus at the tips), large painful lumps under the skin (nodules), or painful pus-filled lumps under the skin (cystic lesions).
Most acne can be treated at home with over the counter or home remedies, but more severe cases should involve a doctor who specializes in skin issues called a dermatologist. It usually occurs on the face, forehead, chest, upper back, and shoulders due to the greater number of oil glands there.
Of the contributing factors that can cause or exacerbate acne, the biggest culprits are hormonal changes, medication, diet, and stress. Drugs that contain corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium can cause acne to flare up and while stress doesn’t cause acne, it does have the potential to make pre-existing acne worse (Acne, 2020). There aren’t many studies on the impact of diet when it comes to acne, but the ones that have been completed do seem to show that consuming carbohydrate-rich foods like chips and breads may make it worse.
Personally, my issues with acne, which carried into my 20’s disappeared completely when I gave up having dairy as part of my daily diet. And according to a 2015 study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, “the consumption of low-fat and skim milk, but not full-fat milk, was positively associated with acne” (Allaire, 2018). There’s a second, older article published in the same journal in 2013 that links dairy to acne.
The health and appearance of our skin (especially on our faces) often has a direct relationship to our self confidence and mental health as well. We don’t like the idea of others noticing something about us before they actually notice us ourselves. If you feel that your mental health is being affected by the health of your skin, talk to your doctor if you’d like guidance in developing a skin care routine that will help you cope with your acne and talk to your parent or caregiver if you want to try something like removing dairy (milk, butter, cheese, etc.) from your diet to see if that helps. There are also specific beauty products that can reduce the redness or appearance of acne so ask a pharmacy employee or a beautician if that’s something you’d be interested in trying.
References:
Acne, (2020). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047.
Allaire, C. (2018). I gave up dairy-and my adult acne vanished in under a month. Vogue. Retrieved from https://www.vogue.com/article/dairy-cause-of-acne-skin-health-diet-lactose-intolerance.
Challenges/Points:
Acne is a common problem that coincides with hormonal changes in the teen years.
Causes of acne may include hormonal change, medication, diet, and stress.
Cutting dairy out of your diet may be one of the easiest ways to reduce acne.
Questions:
If you are dealing with acne, is it only a nuisance or a major source of embarrassment?
Have you spoken to anyone professionally about what you might do to help cope with acne?
How is acne affecting your life? Do you avoid social events or find yourself acting differently around others?
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