Teen Acne:

Girls get a head start on puberty (and growing taller) because they start these changes, on average, around the age of 11. Boys tend to begin puberty around the age of 12. Boys and girls can start puberty earlier or later, and these ages are a good average.

 

There are two groups of hormones involved in puberty- estradiol/estrogens and androgens. Estradiol is responsible for the changes in the physical shape that we can so obviously see. Estrogens also cause internal changes such as the uterus growing larger, and it can either shed its lining during menstruation or support the development of a baby. Androgens initiate the growth of pubic and underarm hair, body odor and oil production in the skin. The oil produced at the direction of androgens is responsible for unwanted, dreaded, teenage acne. Since girls develop sooner, they also get acne at a younger age than boys.

For girls, teen acne typically starts on the forehead around age 11 as non-inflamed bumps and then travels down the face to the cheeks and chin by the age of 13-14.

 

Characterized by clogged pores and blackheads in the t-zone, acne on the lower part of the face becomes inflamed or a combo. It is essential to start treating the non-inflamed acne on the forehead as soon as possible to prevent it from getting worse.

At younger ages, the mild non-inflamed acne on the forehead does not need a full program. Instead, the teen needs to be educated on proper morning and evening cleansing, possibly a light exfoliating serum or scrub and a non-pore clogging moisturizer. It is also essential to educate them on the foods that trigger acne and lifestyle factors that will aggravate current breakouts. It is crucial for teens to know that their acne can get worse if it goes untreated. Remember that acne is a genetic condition of the pore; the forehead breaking out is just the beginning. Most likely, it will progress down the face over time. 

 

For boys, it does not typically start mild and gradually become worse. Instead, it arrives with full force, all at once. The acne is inflamed and in most cases begins on the cheeks, chin, and jawline. Most cases are moderate to severe, and some cases can be cystic. Cystic acne is the type of acne that causes pitted acne scarring. Therefore, it is important to catch this type of acne as quickly as possible to prevent permanent damage and scarring of the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

It is common for boys to develop acne on the chest, shoulders, and back during puberty. Even though acne for teen boys does tend to be more severe and inflamed, on the positive side, it does not last as long and clears faster than for girls. 

 

Acne tends to follow a pattern for males and females, such as beginning at a certain age, gradually worsening, reaching a peak, improving with age and then progressively clearing. During this time, the acne can flare and die down repeatedly. For males, teen acne starts around 12, peaks around 16-18 and is “outgrown” by age 22. For females, teen acne begins around age 11, continues up until age 24 and then most outgrow it. It is uncommon for acne to continue past 22 years old for males. Unfortunately, for females, adult acne can continue considerably longer into their late 20s, 30s, and 40s. 

*Fulton, J. E. (2001). Acne Rx: What Acne Really Is and How to Eliminate Its' Devastating Effects. Dutton Press, Inc. (p. 14).

 

Statistically, 80% of people will get acne at some point in their lives and 20% of that 80% will have acne that continues into adult acne.

 

Adult Female Acne (24-45 years of age)

Adult acne mostly plagues females versus males. Hormone imbalance is the primary trigger for at least, half of all female adult acne. Other factors such as diet, stress, digestion and pore-clogging ingredients contribute to acne, although, hormones are the primary cause