How To Get Rid Of Acne In Teenage?

Teenage comes with its trials and triumphs for both parent and the child. As if battling hormonal changes that leave them frustrated, confused they have to bear the numerous pop-outs on their skin – known as acne – making them all the more conscious about their looks, their body image thus plummeting low on confidence. As a parent, you feel helpless to see them battle all these issues, as this is also the period when your teen wants to demonstrate his or her independence as well.

Well, worry not! As we bring you some easy lifestyle changes that will help teens battle acne in a natural way and some changes in their diet. But first, let's understand what acne is and what is teen acne?

What Is Teen Acne?

Acne is a skin disorder, which occurs when skin pores are filled with bacteria, dead skin cells and sebum. Sebum is an oily substance mainly produced by the sebaceous glands present in our skin. Medically acne is also called acne vulgaris and is identified as whiteheads or blackheads, and pimples.

Can Acne Occur Anywhere On The Body?

Acne can occur on the neck, face, back, chest and shoulders and can be traumatic for a teen, because they may end up with a poor body image, social withdrawal, anger, low self-esteem, discouragement, embarrassment and low self-confidence.

What Causes Teen Acne?

While acne is not restricted to adults, teens are more prone to it as they are undergoing puberty, there are lots of hormonal changes due to which all the glands in their body are hyperactive and one such gland is the sebaceous gland that produces sebum – an oily substance that is responsible for clogging your teen's pores thus resulting in teen acne. So it is like more the production of sebum more clogged pores as sebum makes the skin pretty oily and there are a lot of dead skin cells.

So what is the treatment for acne? Let's find out here.

Natural Remedies For Teenage Acne

There are numerous creams and other substances available in the market that teens tend to get confused as to which treatment is good for their acne problem. However, we suggest you go for natural remedies for teen acne. So, here are some home remedies to curb teen acne:

1. Tea-tree oil: Tea tree oil has natural inflammation-fighting properties and when mixed with witch hazel plant extract or oil it becomes an effective treatment for acne in teens. Just take 2 – 3 drops of tea tree oil with 30-40 drops of witch hazel oil; blend them together. Now dab it with a cotton ball on the acne. Do it twice a day daily and you will see that your teen's acne has dried and your skin is glowing. Don't forget to rinse your face with cold water
2. Green tea: You as a mother must be aware of the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of green tea. Well, those particular properties are quite effective in fighting acne and keeping them away from your teen's face or any other body part. You can either use the used tea bags on the affected area or else you can dab a cotton ball in a cup of cold green tea on the affected area for instant relief. Rinse your face with a cold water
3. Lemons: Lemons are a natural exfoliate disinfectant and skin lightener as well and it is easily available in all homes. So how do you use lemon on your acne? Squeeze a lemon in a bowl and with a help of a cotton ball dab it on your acne. Leave it for 5 -10 minutes then wash your face with cold water
4. Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is another natural exfoliate, which helps in reducing the red scars and treating acne as well. You can make a do-it-yourself skin toner by mixing equal quantities of apple cider vinegar along with plain water and refrigerating. Once cooled apply it to the affected area with a cotton ball
5. Citrus or Acidic foods: It is believed that citrus fruits like oranges and acidic foods like vinegar help in cleaning the clogged pores thus making the skin clean and acne-free. With a help of cotton just wipe your face with the juice of a citrus fruit or dip a cotton in vinegar and wipe your face with it. After 5 minutes, wash your face with cold water
6. Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe Vera gel is another plant renowned for its soothing properties, along with its healing and infection-fighting properties it is a good remedy to fight acne in teens. Aloe vera gel is a plant that is commonly found in every home. If the plant gel is not available then you can buy it from a store. Just ensure that it is pure aloe with no added ingredients. If you have a plant, just scrape some gel with a spoon and apply it to your acne. Follow this practice twice a day daily and you will see the results
7. Omega – 3 Fatty acids: Omega 3 Fatty acids are renowned for their natural inflammation-fighting properties. You can either take a capsule of it or add more walnuts to your diet to get the maximum benefit of omega-3 fatty acids to fight acne

How Can Diet Help With Curbing Teen Acne?

In order to treat acne, a holistic route is needed, and diet plays quite an important role. While there is not enough scientific evidence that food can lead to acne, avoiding certain foods and controlling the intake of some can definitely help in clearing mild to moderate acne. However, it is important to remember that each one of us is different, and hence every teen may react differently to exclusion or inclusion of a particular food item.

However, diet, is believed can help with curbing teen acne as most of the time; it is the food along with hormonal changes that result in teen acne.

1. Avoid carbohydrates: Foods such as cakes, pastries, pies, cookies (all laced with maida) fruit juices and aerated drinks are high in calories and can lead to inflammation, and ultimately acne. If your teen has hormonal imbalances, it's best to avoid the above foods. Instead, stick to complex carbohydrates like oats, brown rice, quinoa, wheat bran and so on
2. Reduce the intake of salt: Teens are fond of foods like chips, crackers, French fries, cheese, packaged soups, Maggi and so on. One common ingredient, with very high levels in all of the above, is sodium. Sodium can lead to cracked and dry skin, and can even lead to over-production of oil from the oil glands present in the skin, leading to breakouts. So, say no-no to an overdose of salt if your teen is prone to acne.
3. Consume dairy products in moderation: Various studies have shown that milk and milk products, like cheese and ice cream, can lead to acne. This is because of the presence of hormones and inflammatory substances in milk, which can clog pores and give your teen red, inflamed ugly skin bumps. You can include products like Greek yoghurt (which is also low in fat), low-fat paneer and buttermilk instead of the above dairy lot
4. Eat more fruits and veggies: All of us are aware that fruits and vegetables are good for the skin but why? Because these are loaded with antioxidants, minerals like selenium, zinc, Vitamin A and C, and fibre which are known to be great for the skin. Hence, if your teen is suffering from acne, it's time to add these foods to their diet
5. Drink water: Water is a magical liquid! It is known to cleanse and detoxify your body, can reduce the build-up of waste in skin cells and ultimately self moisturize by hydrating. So if your teen has just attained puberty, time to include at least 8-10glasses of water per day
6. Eat food rich in good fats: Foods like almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, salmon and avocado are a great source of Vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids which nourish the skin and reduce the clogging of pores, hence relieving one from acne

You must make sure that your teen understands that they are what they actually eat! A burger or pizza, which is high in calories, salt, and fats and low on fibre, minerals,  antioxidants, and omega 3 fatty acids is fine occasionally, but make sure it does not form a habit.

Was this blog helpful to you? Tell us how you tackled your teen's acne problems in the comments below!