How to Prevent and Cope With Acne

Acne is one of a teenager's biggest worries. At least 90% of teens have to deal with acne some point during adolescence. Acne affects facial appearance and self esteem. More serious cases of acne can affect social contact and after school activities. Fortunately for teens there are many ways to help prevent and cope with acne.

Contrary to popular belief, acne is not triggered by certain foods. There is no scientific evidence that foods like chocolate and sugar cause acne. If you notice that a certain food causes you to breakout then avoid that food for a week. If your face is clearer than before then just avoid that type of food. Masturbation and sex don't cause acne either. This myth was started to prevent young people from engaging in premarital sex. Try no to fall for the many myths of acne that exist. Get information from reliable sources. A great website with a lot of information is www.acne.org. They have a great regimen for treating acne.

The best way to avoid acne is by prevention. You should wash your face with a facial cleanser twice a day. Use a mild facial cleanser to wash your face. When you wash your face do not scrub your face really hard or wash your face more than three times a day. Too much scrubbing and washing will just irritate your face and acne even more. Over-washing your face can even cause to your skin to produce more oil. The best times of the day to wash your face is when you get up in the morning and when you go to bed.

One of the worst things you can do is pick or squeeze pimples. This can cause your acne to spread and create more breakouts It can also cause bacteria to be forced deeper into the skin which will irritate even more. Permanent scarring is another nasty effect of picking and squeezing. Don't pick or squeeze regardless how tempting it is because you will regret it later in life.

Acne can also cause severe depression for many teenagers. Teens with more serious acne can suffer withdrawal and avoid social situations. They will avoid going out with their friends because they are embarrassed or ashamed of their acne. You should not let your acne control your life. Just because you have a few pimples on your face doesn't mean that you have to barricade yourself inside your house and live like a hermit. If your friends don't like you because you have acne then they're not really your friends.

The most important thing to realize about acne is that it will go away in time. As a teenager it is hard to believe that but it's true. It's hard to deal with acne as a teenager because you have so many other problems to deal with as well. The best thing to do is wash your face twice a day and avoid picking your face. If your acne is really severe then you should consult your dermatologist to see if they can get you a prescription for Accutane or some other type of treatment.