While it may seem frivolous to a lot of people, teenage acne can be one or the worst things to affect a young life. It is especially hard for those that already have feelings of awkwardness and a difficult time feeling comfortable in new and unfamiliar social settings.

We need to remember, today teens live in a world where they are under constant bombardment of images of perfection and unattainable standards that are only possible in airbrushed images and computer generated films. The MTV teen idol idea of what is hip and cool does not have room for realities like pimples and zits. Unless of course it the perfect silky complexion girl that has a teeny tiny speck of an imperfection that is selling you a bottle of the latest pimple cure perfection. Is it any wonder the added stress of acne can have a devastating effect on teen and pre teens?

So what to do?

First, lets bring a little acne reality into the discussion. Today, research shows that acne is not a result of the foods you eat or dirty skin per se. It appears that acne is caused primarily by a hormonal imbalance that causes our sebaceous glands to go into production overload. The excessive oil production results in pore blockage and if the oil is not allowed to properly drain through the skin pimple, zits, cysts etc. are the result. This hormonal activity has a natural tendency to increase during puberty as well as have some heredity components that may come into play.

The medical community has classified acne according to degrees of severity, those being light , moderate and severe. While acne suffers may term all acne as severe. In actuality pimples, blackheads and whiteheads are considered light to moderate, with an acne treatment consisting of over the counter potions and lotions that contain low levels of salicylic acid and Benzyl peroxide. Both are antibacterial and can be found in many spot treatments and cleansers. The downside is they have a tendency to dry out the skin causing additional irritation.

Should you wish to avoid harsh chemicals there are any number of natural products that can successfully be applied. One of the most basic tenets when dealing with treating acne, is to wash your face twice a day and never pop or squeeze your pimples.

More severe forms of acne such as cysts and nodules do not usually respond well to such natural or over the counter treatments. They are best left to the professional advice from your dermatologist. They can offer excellent evaluation and treatments. They should be consulted for all your skin problems.

Getting the proper acne treatment is vital to a successful outcome and the sooner you start on you treatment plan the sooner you will get the beautiful complexion you deserve.