Why do some teenagers get acne and others don’t?

by Joanna Basile

There are a lot of things associated with teenagers, acne being one of them.  Acne is very common in the teen years but it doesn’t affect everyone in the same way.

Some teens get away with perfect skin or the occasional spot, whilst others suffer with severe breakouts that needs specialist treatment.  So apart from the teaching teens the great life lesson that ‘life isn’t fair’… why do some teens get more pimples than others?

The facts

  • Acne commonly occurs between the ages 12-25 years
  • 80% of teens are affected by acne
  • 3 out of 10 teens have severe forms of acne
  • Acne is more common in teenage boys than girls

What causes acne?

Hormones! Of course there are other contributing factors but the main culprit is hormones, and in particular testosterone. Both male and females produce testosterone, however males produce it in higher levels. The amount of testosterone produced increases during puberty, especially in boys, which is why acne is more common in boys than girls.

Testosterone encourages the production of sebum, or oil. Sebum is actually there to protect the skin, but increased production means it can  sit on the skin and block pores. Once it gets trapped in a pore with dirt and bacteria, it causes a red, swollen bump or pimple.

 So why do some teens get bad acne while others have clear skin?

 There are a lot of differing factors that affect the skin:

  • Different levels of testosterone in everyone
  • Genes – yes, you can blame your parents!
  • Stress
  • types of medication
  • skin/cosmentic products
  • Diet

Acne is really a part of life and difficult to avoid – obviously you can’t change genes! There are things you can do to reduce the severity of acne and sometimes prevent breakouts. Taking care of the skin by using skincare products that remove excess oil and dirt and protect from bacteria (like the Sam&Jo Skincare range) are definitely worthwhile. As is following a healthy diet with plenty of water and omega-3 fatty acids. Severe acne should be treated by a dermatologist.

 

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