Living with Teenage Acne

You do not have to feel bad if you looked yourself into the mirror one morning and found a disgusting looking zit because majority of teenagers go through this distressing condition at some point of time in their teen life. Clinical studies are of evident that almost 100% of all teens have at least an occasional whitehead, blackhead or pimple.

Several changes occur in your body and emotions while you step into adulthood because of hormone modifications. When hormones are highly active, the glands that are attached to hair follicles (sebaceous glands) produce more sebum—an oily substance that “lives” within the pores. An acne lesion (whitehead, blackhead or pimple) occurs when a hair follicle becomes plugged with the sebum and dead skin cells that are always being shed by the body. Brace yourself.


When acne begins sometime between the ages of ten and thirteen, it is usually going to go on for five, or even ten, years! The most severe cases in some teens stem from the development of comedomes. Comedones are skin-coloured, small bumps that frequently show up on the forehead and chin of those with acne. Some may be so small that they are not visible to the naked eye – these are called microcomedones. The heaviest breakouts will be at their worst at about 3 to 5 years after the first comedones appear.


The pimples and blackheads you’re experiencing right now should disappear sometime between ages of 20 and 25. However, the most severe cases -- nodular acne or cystic acne may not resolve until you’re 30 or over.

Most of all, try not to isolate yourself just because you’re breaking out. Take a look around you. Lots of the kids you know are also walking around with acne – your parents probably suffered with it as well when they were adolescents. Ask them. Acne has not singled you out besides, you’re not alone in feeling the way you do.

British teenagers conducted a survey and found that they are suffering the same emotional pain that you are. Almost 40% of them have avoided going to school because they were embarrassed. Over half of them felt that acne prevented them from having a boyfriend or girlfriend. About one-third said it got in the way of them being able to make friends. By treating your acne properly, you can protect yourself from the emotional effects of your condition, and you can stop the breakouts from getting worse. Thanks to modern sciences, that is making the availability of medications possible.