Pre-teen Acne
My daughter turned ten this 2020 and she is really growing up fast. I can say that she has reached the puberty stage early. She started her menstruation a few months ago and, with it, she had to deal with acne on her forehead and more whiteheads on her T-zone. I never thought I will deal with this skin problem so soon. She is just still a baby for me! My firstborn and my only daughter.
I am actually more conscious of how here acne is flaring up. Sometimes, she will complain of some pain or itchiness from the bumps but, since she is still a kid at heart, she doesn't care much about how it looks or why there are so many pimples on her head.
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| Pre-teen acne: Pimples and whiteheads on the forehead |
What is pre-teen acne?
Pre-teen or pre-adolescent acne happens when different kinds of bumps start to show up in your kid's skin. It can be whiteheads, blackheads, pimples (the red bumps, and pustules (the bumps with pus). A lot of kids and teens today are experiencing what we call "acne vulgaris." For some kids, the acne may appear on their faces or necks or backs or chests or shoulders. In my daughter's case, it's her face that is affected specifically the T-zone area.
Acne is known to be an effect of puberty. Since my daughter has started her monthly menstrual cycle, there are a lot of changes in her body. To be specific her hormone changes are the culprit behind her acne. The hormones are stimulating the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum and the glands tend to become overactive. If too much sebum is produced, then pores are clogged by the oil that leads to acne.
Like my daughter, I had a long fight with acne when I was young. I can say it's in her genes then. Also, my daughter likes to stay up late especially those long months that they didn't have classes. Sleeping late and stress can lead to more sebum production so it contributed to her acne.
Is there an acne treatment?
Acne comes with puberty and the teen years are still to come. I have come to accept that I and my daughter will have to deal with her acne for a long time. Again, I am more concerned than my daughter because I don't want her to develop those scars I had from pimples. At least, I am hoping to prevent the pimple scars from her pretty face.
There are no specific ways on how to treat acne but there are several ways to keep some, if not all, pimples away. Here are some steps that may help your kid to keep the pimple away:
- Washing the face once or twice a day with a mild facial cleanser. Actually, she was a regular user of Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. This could have helped her to prevent the spread of acne on her face. I think with the surge of hormonal changes the cleanser was no longer enough to control the acne.
- If your child is scrubbing his/her face, then stop. Scrubbing can irritate the skin further.
- If your child is using makeup or powder already, then look for cosmetic brands that are oil-free. Also, check their label if they are noncomedogenic or non-acnegenic. Again, by experience, even the mildest cosmetics still caused me to get whiteheads and pimples. Hormonal change is hard to fight with. Thankfully, my daughter doesn't use any cosmetics.
- If your child has long hair, keep it away from his/her face. Regularly wash the hair too with oil-free shampoo.
- Teach your kid not to touch the face and not popping or squeezing the pimples.
There are also over-the-counter medications that can help to prevent or clear up acne. You can try using one of them on your child's acne to see which helps. Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid is an important ingredient for products used in acne treatment. A word of caution: always follow the directions for these products. Too much application can cause redness and dry skin. Also, do a skin test first to know if you are not allergic to the product. Take note that acne treatment is not an overnight miracle. It takes months or weeks to work.
The Pimples Keep Coming Back Though!
Again this is normal. For girls who already have their periods, it is common and frustrating to see acne coming out. This is called premenstrual acne and, again, this is caused by the changing hormones in the body. Even boys have to undergo these hormonal changes too and they can also suffer from severe types of acne. Lucky and you are blessed if you rarely get a pimple!
Even if you are getting acne even after treatment, make sure to maintain regular skincare maintenance. It helps your skin from scarring, acne flaring, and getting more pimples. If you are having acne treatment, avoid exposure to the sun. Use sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
My daughter now has a skincare regimen for her acne-prone face. She still has acne before her menstruation but it is now manageable because of the products she is using. I will update this blog about it!
PS If you think that the acne is getting really serious and you can't do anything about it, do not hesitate to go to the doctor or dermatologist.
Check my post on How to treat pre-teen Acne for my 10-year-old. I am sharing the products we used that we see as effective in controlling her acne problems. It doesn't mean it will work for all kids though. I still suggest that you consult a dermatologist.
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