Teenage Acne: What it is and How to Prevent It

Many are unaware, uninformed, or misguided by false myths and beliefs of what acne is, how it is caused, and how it can be prevented.

Acne is a word to define a group of skin rashes, of which have different causes. The most common type of acne is Acne Vurgaris, and is most common among young adults and teenagers who are going through puberty.

Acne Vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the skin. When most people refer to acne, they are talking about this particular skin condition, which affects mostly the face, shoulders, chest, and back area. Acne develops when the oil glands in the body produce too much sebum (oil). Too many 'stick' skin cells causes the oil to mix in between the cells and clogs the hair follicles. As the oil traps different types of germs and bacteria, the follicles tend to swell and a red rash is present. The small red bumps can eventually lead to pimples and whiteheads, also called zits.

A large percentage of people encounter this problem at some point in their lives. If acne is not treated, it can get worse and leave permanent scaring that is very expensive to treat. There is a strong link between severe acne and social withdrawal. There have been cases among high school students where victims are bullied for their acne, to the point where they could not take the pressure and resorted to suicide or homicide, to relieve their emotional stress.