Education

Oh to be a teen in 2009!  Not much has really changed from my teen years in the 90’s (I won’t say early or late 90’s)- okay- maybe I’m just saying that to make myself feel better!  But in all honesty, even though our lifestyles and social interactions are more digital, the same issues come up. Popularity, fitting in and of course looking good. The spike in hormones that occur during puberty can do a nasty number on the skin, ie: oily slicks and acne.

As adults, we have only a slight edge on teens as far as understanding our skin and how to treat it. Our main advantage is the myriad of choices that are marketed to us. Now teens have a product line they can call their own.  No more need to use rubbing alcohol to strip the oil residue from their skin (hard to believe, but this does happen) or applying tooth paste to pimples as a zit-zapping remedy. Clean Start is here. Developed by Dermalogica in their Los Angeles Labs and a panel of teens, this line of products makes skin care fun and simple. With brightly packaged products with funky names like “Bedtime for Breakouts” and “Smart Mouth”, I can’t help but feel a little jealous that I didn’t have these choices when I was a teen. The main brand I identified with at the time was Clinique for it’s simplistic packaging that didn’t seem to scream “this is your Mom’s face cream”. The kicker is that now, not only do teens have an option for professional strength, quality products- the price point is incredibly good as well; products range from $21-$31. That’s pretty sick if you ask me.

Check out the Clean Start website with myth-busting skin care information that even an adult can learn from. And if you have any teens in your life- help them start taking care of their skin early. Undoubtedly most of us could have used the help!

Did you have problem skin as a teen? How did you treat it? Post your comments here.

Clean Start

What is the cause of adult acne?

More than 17 million adults are diagnosed with acne in the US, 50% are woman and 25% are men. In the past decade adult acne has been on the rise; studies indicate that between 40 and 55% of the adult population in the 20-40 age group are diagnosed with a low grade, persistent acne and oily skin. So why is this skin disorder no longer just a teen skin problem?

Teen vs Adult Acne

Teen acne is primarily found in the t-zone of the face and is largely associated with the hormones related to puberty. Adult acne is usually found on the sides of the face, chin and jaw line, extending onto the neck. The primary aggravating factor leading to adult acne is chronic stress… Our body’s response to stress is to activate the adrenal gland which in turn raises testosterone levels. This hormone triggers an increase in oil production and the result to our skin is the appearance of oily shine and clogged pores.

So we’ve established we’re stressed, then we get break outs. Then we get stressed about the break outs, which leads to more break outs. Another unfortunate side-effect is the bacteria spreading on the skins surface when the breakouts have been improperly extracted, leading to further inflammation, possible scarring and more eruptions.

Post-Inflammatory Pigmentation

Not only are we dealing with more stress, but our skin is aging. With the aging process comes longer healing time- so the break outs can last as long as 5-10 days. There’s also the risk of more scarring as inflammation also accompanies break outs. Our skin sends melanin to the site of inflammation and we’re left with discoloration once the break out has healed.

Effective Treatment- The end of the line for adult acne.

Dermalogica has recently revised their acne products to address the unique factors associated with adult acne. Most acne products are designed for teenage skin, making them too harsh and irritating for adult acne sufferers. This can cause flaking, peeling, excessive dryness and even additional break outs. The MediBac Clearing System takes into account these factors and works to treat, clear and prevent adult acne while addressing the needs of adult skin. Regular professional exfoliation and extraction work will help get this difficult skin condition under control Introducing mediBac Clearing products into a skin care regimen will continue to clear and improve the health of the skin.

Get Face Mapped by a Spruce Skin Care expert to see what the best plan of action is for your skin and say good bye to adult acne.