By Lisa A. Lewis
Since 7th grade, Lisa, now 28, has battled acne.
“I don’t remember it being that terrible in high school. It was less embarrassing because other kids had it too,” said the Annapolis native who asked that her last name not be used. “It was worse when it continued, because other people were over it, and I still had it.”
Lisa tried everything for her pimples from benzoyl peroxide to oral antibiotics to sulfur face washes and while some treatments worked for a time, nothing took the problem completely away. It wasn’t a horrible case of acne, but it kept coming back, she recalled.
“It’s definitely embarrassing, especially when it’s flaring up. And when it’s really bad, it’s painful,” Lisa said of her pimples. “I would be doing exactly what I was suppose to be doing, and still it wasn’t totally working. It was very frustrating.”
Finally, when she was 26, Lisa’s doctor recommended Accutane – a controversial medication that lessens the amount of oil secreted by the skin resulting in less acne. It’s often used as a last resort because there are dangerous side effects, but in Lisa’s case it was necessary because the acne didn’t go away after adolescence. And in the end, it helped, she said.
Acne—a skin condition causing pimples, cysts and clogged pores — is the most prevalent skin disorder in the United States, according to The American Academy of Dermatology. It affects 40 to 50 million Americans, and by the mid-teen years, more than 40 percent of adolescents have acne or acne scarring that requires treatment by a dermatologist.
But your child doesn’t have to suffer in silence. Several treatment options are available—either prescription or over the counter—that can help keep acne under control. The key is to find a regimen that works best for your son or daughter.
“Although acne can occur at any age, it generally coincides with the onset of puberty,” said Sanjiv K. Saini, a dermatologist at MD Dermatology of Maryland in Edgewater. “The greatest cause of acne in adolescence is an increase in hormone levels.”
Hormones cause oil production to increase by 10 times, and bacterial growth also increases, Saini said. Girls usually develop acne around the age of 12 or 13, and the condition peaks in the mid to late teens. Boys often develop acne a year or two later than girls, he said.
Every patient’s acne is different, and the severity can range from mild to severe. If over-the-counter medications haven’t worked, a dermatologist should be consulted to assess the teenager’s skin and prescribe treatments to keep the acne under control, Saini advised.
Carrie Cobb, a dermatologist at Annapolis Dermatology Associates, also recommended seeking professional medical advice if your son or daughter has scarring associated with acne.
