Healthy Skin Care
A skin care regimen with young children is fairly simple and basic, but as they grow, challenges may arise. However, teaching our children the importance of a good skin care regimen does not have to be difficult. Here are some tips for educating your children to deal with their acne.
Adults and teens alike should wash their faces two times a day. Just like brushing teeth, this is a learned habit, and over time, it will become part of their everyday routine. For everyone, this routine should include a cleanser, a topical serum and sunscreen. Many different cleansers and serums are on the market, depending on your goal and skin type. Choose an anti-acne or medicated cleanser for breakout-prone skin, a moisturizing and gentle cleanser for sensitive skin or an exfoliating cleanser for dull skin (WebMD). Wash in an outward, circular motion, starting at the center of the face near the nose and working outward toward the hairline.
Acne’s cause is pores’ becoming clogged with oil. This acne is very common during puberty, because hormones are overactive and overproduce this oil. In addition to washing your face twice daily, avoid touching your face or placing objects (yes, this includes your phone) against your skin, clean all items, such as glasses, that touch your face frequently, keep your hair out of your face, remove makeup at the end of the day and pay attention to the shelf life of makeup. And if/when the acne presents itself, do not pick or try to “pop” your zits (www.KidsHealth.org).
For some, over-the-counter medication may be enough to prevent or limit acne, but for others, help from your primary care doctor or dermatologist may be necessary. These doctors may give you insight about which over-the-counter medication would be best for your skin type or prescribe stronger medications. Many prescription topical cleansers and oral medications can make skin extra sensitive to the sun, making sunscreen—the final step in a good skin care regimen—extra important. Like cleansers, there are many types of sunscreen: lotions, sprays, oil-free or tinted—and every one of them should be applied first thing in the morning before you step outside. Be sure to reapply every two hours rain or shine.
The teenage years are stressful for a variety of reasons, but using a habitual skin care regimen can help relieve some of the anxiety that acne can cause. Get your kids started washing their faces at a young age, and they will be much more likely to continue to do this as they grow older.
Jessica Heine is a labor and delivery nurse. She lives with her family in Olathe. As always, please contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns.