Preteen and Teen Acne Treatment
Early intervention of your acne helps to prevent potential acne scarring.
Discover how we can help to not only treat acne but also maintain a healthier skin.
- Restore normal healthy skin
- Various treatment options to suit your needs.
- Acne scar management
- Helping over 10,000 patients
OUR APPROACH
TEEN ACNE TREATMENT
As a clinician with more than 15 years of experience, Dr Ng. understands the impact of how acne can affect an individual. Acne knows no boundaries, afflicting a wide range of age groups and affecting both genders for varying lengths of time. Dr. Ng provides a patient-centric approach that is backed by the latest scientific evidence as well as his own wealth of experience to create a care plan for the best acne treatment that is unique to your skin type. Early intervention can help prevent acne scars, restore your skin and confidence.
how common is Preteen and Teenage Acne?
“My Daughter is 9 and has acne. Can it be treated?”
Although the prevalence of acne is highest in the teenage group (more than 12 years of age), acne can occur at all ages. A study revealed that acne is present in up to 78% of girls aged 9 to 10. Acne may be the first sign of puberty in both boys and girls.
Acne is considered a chronic inflammatory condition of the pilo-sebaceous glands. In addition to being hormonally driven, other factors contributing to acne include an excess in sebum production and abnormal skin cell turnover. This creates an ideal environment for the colonisation of the C.acnes bacteria and inflammation to take place. Left untreated, acne can progress to more severe forms such as cystic acne, and can leave permanent acne scars.
Our goal is early intervention to clear acne actively so we can prevent any form of acne scarring, improve mental health and enhance quality of life during this challenging stage of their lives.
How Is Teenage Acne Different From Adult Acne?
Preteen and teen acne tends to be concentrated along the ‘T zone area‘. The forehead, nose, mid cheeks and chin tend to be affected by mainly clogged pores, whiteheads and blackheads. The back is usually the last to be affected if any at all. Inflammatory acne lesions are less common in this age group. However, whiteheads left unchecked has a higher tendency to progress to inflammatory acne. One special feature is the presence of blackheads in the ear, which many mistaken for dirt, leading to over zealous cleansing.
In contrast, adult acne tends to follow a “U-Shape” pattern, with acne lesions being distributed along the jawline, chin and cheeks. The inflammatory component is more visible in this age group, and are characterized by painful papules, pustules or even deep seated acne cysts.
what are the types of acne?
Mild
Acne Vulgaris
Moderate
Acne Vulgairs
Severe
Acne Vulgaris
Benefits of early treatment
- Prevents worsening of acne: Acne can progress from mild to severe if left untreated.
- Reduces inflammation and pain: Acne can be painful, swollen and itchy and affect daily activities.
- Acne scar prevention: Early treatment helps to prevent irreversible scarring
- Boost confidence and self-esteem: Having clearer and healthier skin leads to improved sense of well-being
- Improved mental health: Acne is associated with anxiety and depression.
- Maintenance of healthy skin: Healthy skin care habits early in life will pay dividends in the future
- Improved quality of life: Improved social interaction and future professional interaction.
- Reduced financial burden: Treating acne early is more cost-effective than leaving till late.
3 Tips to Fight Acne
- Use a 2% salicyclic acid-based wash if you find the skin to be very oily,
- Avoid over-washing your face more than 3 times a day, as this can lead to more oil production and consequently more acne.
- Over the counter Benzoyl Peroxide products are useful and can treat mild forms of acne.
Can Preteen Acne Be Treated?
There are several factors to consider with regards to teenage and preteen acne treatment. The predominant acne type (whether comedomal, inflammatory or mixed), the severity (mild, moderate or severe), presence of acne scarring and whether the acne is causing psychological distress.
Acne in our youth has its unique challenges. The treatment regime needs to be simple enough to follow, yet effective. Medications must be safe to use, yet side effects minimised. Patient education must be positively reinforced, and myths dispelled at the same time.
teen Acne Treatment
The best teenage acne treatment depends on the predominant acne type, and how severe the acne is affecting the child.
For mild acne, topical fixed-combination acne products are more effective and have a synergistic effect. For instance, Epiduo gel is a combination of the retinoid adapalene with benzoyl peroxide. Together, they exert an anti-inflammatory effect, unclog pores and kill the P. acnes bacteria. It is approved for use in patients as young as 9 years of age. It is common for the product to cause some initial skin redness, irritation and peeling. A gradual approach to application helps increase the acceptance in incorporating the treatment into daily use.
In cases of moderate to severe acne, the goals of treatment is more directed towards reducing inflammation and reducing permanent skin scarring. Treatment is more aggressive, and an oral antibiotic may be added on top of topical acne products. Trifarotene cream, a fourth generation retinoid is approved for those aged 9 years and older with facial and/or truncal acne. Studies have shown that it is safe for children and teens from 9 to 17 years old, with almost negligible systemic absorption.
The tetracycline class of antibiotics are only approved by children more than 8 years of age. Antibiotics may cause gastric disturbances such as vomiting, bloatedness, reflux and diarrhoea. The shortest course of oral antibiotic is usually prescribed, as the risk of antibiotic-resistant acne is on the rise worldwide.
3 More Tips For Parents & Patients
- Set reminders on your phone to apply or take your medicine. Consistent use will give superior results.
- Don’t spot treat. Acne frequently pops out areas that are not treated. Full face treatment should be the norm once you have established a simplified skin care routine.
- Patience. Everything is difficult before it is easy. It takes weeks to see some improvement, and 2-3 months before you see the full effect of the treatment.
schedule a consultation for Teen acne treatment in singapore
We treat a range of acne and acne scars at both our clinics in Woodlands and Kovan. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, so that Dr. Ng can develop a personalized treatment approach for resolving your teenager’s skin concerns and helping them to achieve long-term improvements in the health and appearance of their skin.
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Get in touch with us with any questions, pricing, or bookings.
Or give us a call at +65 6769 6007 | WhatsApp us +65 9855 3022
teen acne
My immediate concern whenever I see a case of acne in teenagers, whether it is mild or severe, is to assess how it is affecting their health. Acne that is not treated can lead to great emotional distress and scarring. This is quite unnecessary in this day and age, where effective acne treatments are readily available.
Dr. Moses Ng
References:
- Zaenglein et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;74:945-973.e933
- Eichefield et al. Evidence-Based Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Acne. Pediatrics.2013;131(Suppl 3):S163-S186