Part II Figuring Out Your Acne and How to Tackle It on Your Own

In this part . . .
Not all acne is alike. Acne has many faces and fea-
tures, and the condition often varies according to
age group (teens and adults) and gender. So, I spend some
time in this part distinguishing between the signs and
symptoms of teenage acne, which affects both boys and
girls, and adult-onset acne, which largely targets females
in their 20s, 30s, and beyond. I also set the record straight
by weighing in on the various factors that some people
claim make your acne worse. Finally, I provide you with a
complete guide to over-the-counter acne-fighting prepara-
tions, explaining how to use them, what to expect, and
what side effects to be on the lookout for.
Chapter 4
Examining Acne in Teens
In This Chapter

Addressing teenage acne

Figuring out what causes teenage acne

Putting some old notions to rest

Battling the blues
Acne is the most common skin problem that teenagers face.
Just about nine out of ten of them have to deal with pimples
or acne at some time. That’s right, nearly 90 percent of kids have
to deal with at least an occasional breakout of pimples.
In this chapter, I give you the lowdown on teenage acne. I help you
spot teenage acne in all its glory. I help you deal with the emotional
scars of acne. And I remind you (or tell you for the first time if you
haven’t heard it before) that you don’t have to accept acne as a
rite of passage. You can do something about it.
Identifying Teenage Acne
We dermatologists generally refer to the acne that you get as a
teenager as acne vulgaris. Yeah, it sounds horrible, but vulgaris is
the Latin word for “common,” not “obnoxious” or “repugnant.” And
as you saw in the stats I just tossed around, common is a good
choice of words! (Some adults also suffer from acne vulgaris that
sticks around after the teen years turn to the 20s and beyond. But
most adults usually have a somewhat different type of acne, which
I discuss in Chapter 5.)
In teenagers, acne is one of the signals that your body is going
through a tremendous upheaval called puberty (see the
“Understanding the Causes of Teenage Acne” section, later in the
chapter, for details). Teenage acne often begins around the ages of
10 to 13. It may start before puberty in both sexes, but teenage
girls tend to start getting acne at a younger age than boys; how-
ever, boys tend to have the more severe cases.
Studies have shown that puberty is occurring at an earlier age
these days, and so is acne. Most teenagers grow out of it when
they reach 19 or 20; however, don’t be surprised if your acne per-
sists into your early 20s and even into later adulthood.
But just because acne is common and almost every teen suffers
through it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. You don’t
have to just wait for it to go away. That’s what I’m here for — to
help you knock out those pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads.
With so many excellent acne treatments available today, treating
your acne will prevent (or at least greatly lessen) the scarring that
often results from untreated acne.