Teenage Acne and How to Cope

Acne starts during the preteen and teen years, at the beginning of puberty, and usually stays around until our late teens or early 20s.

So what is acne exactly? It is a breakout of pimples that can occur on your face, neck, shoulders or back. Pimples occur when the pores become clogged with oil and dead skin which results in bacterial growth.

You see, during puberty the hormones are elevated. This causes the skin glands to produce excess oil. Hormones are another reason why girls tend to experience acne breakouts before or during their menstrual cycle.

The good news is that while you can't prevent acne entirely you can manage it with the right treatment.

The best diet plan for managing acne is one that is hormonally balanced. This means eating the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat every day. Furthermore it is important to include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Eating right helps protect your skin against damage.

In addition to eating fresh, nutritious food, teens need to eat food that is well tolerated. In other words some food sensitivities may cause acne like reactions. Foods that may be a problem include dairy, wheat, gluten, citrus foods, chocolate, eggs and high fat foods. That pretty much rules out all the good stuff, doesn't it?

That said if you have severe acne you may want to rule out any food sensitivities. To pinpoint which foods may be triggering acne response, follow a food elimination diet. Start by eliminating one food at a time until you find the specific food item that is causing the problem.

When the allergic food is detected, it is possible that you may be able to reintroduce it on a rotational basis after a specific time of elimination. (Two weeks without a particular food is a good place to start.)If a reaction does occur after a re-introduction, chances are the food will have to be eliminated from the diet completely.

3 things you can do to keep your acne under control:

Drink lots of water

Teens should drink plenty of fresh water. Your water intake is so important. Water will ensure that skin stays hydrated and it helps excrete any toxins from your body. It is also best to avoid sugary beverages like pop. Where possible replace sugary beverages with water.

Go fishy

Did you know fish oils act as an anti-inflammatory and help to keep skin moist? Oily fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel are great choices. If you don't eat a lot of fish you may want to take a daily supplement of fish oils which will ensure that you receive these beneficial oils every day.

Facial cleansing

Wash your face twice every day with warm water and mild soap. Never scrub your face with harsh commercial exfoliates and soaps as they tend to dry out your skin. Some facial cleansers when used in combination with others can actually make your acne worse by irritating it.