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If you’re a teenager or almost a teenager, chances are pretty good that you have some acne. Almost eight in ten teenagers have acne, along with lots of adults. In fact, if you counted all the adults and teens in America who have acne, you’d come up with 17 million people!

Acne is very common - so common that it’s considered a normal part of puberty. But knowing that doesn’t always make it easier when you’re looking at a big pimple on your face in the mirror. Luckily, learning about acne and taking some simple steps can help you feel better about your face.
What is acne and what causes it?
Acne is a condition of the skin that shows up as different types of bumps. These can be blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and cysts. The type of acne that a lot of teenagers get is called “acne vulgaris.” It usually shows up on the face, neck, shoulders, upper back, and chest.

The hair follicles, or pores, in your skin contain sebaceous (say: seh-bay-shuss) glands (also called oil glands). These glands make sebum (say: see-bum), which is an oil that lubricates your hair and skin. Most of the time the glands make the right amount of sebum, and the pores are fine. But sometimes a pore gets clogged up with too much sebum and dead skin cells.

If a pore gets clogged up and stays closed but bulges out from the skin, you’re left with a whitehead. If a pore gets clogged up but stays open, the top surface can darken and you’re left with a blackhead. Sometimes the wall of the pore opens, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to make their way under the skin - and you’re left with a small, red infection called a pimple. Clogged up pores that open up very deep in the skin can cause cysts, which are infections that are bigger than pimples.

How come so many teenagers get acne?
Teenagers get acne because of all the hormones that come with puberty. As your body begins to mature and develop, these hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum, or oil, and the glands become overactive. When there is too much sebum, it clogs the pores and leads to acne. For most people, acne goes away almost completely by the time they are finished being teenagers. If your parents had acne as teenagers, it’s likely that you will, too.

What doesn’t cause acne?
There are a lot of things that don’t cause acne, but many people have the wrong idea about this. The only real cause of acne is overactive oil glands in the skin - and that’s it. Acne isn’t caused by eating greasy foods like french fries or pizza, chomping on chocolate, or drinking dark sodas. It isn’t necessarily caused by wearing makeup, especially if the makeup is labeled “oil-free,” “noncomedogenic,” or “nonacnegenic.” And stress doesn’t usually cause acne in teenagers (although it can in adults).

What can I do about acne?
To help prevent the oil build-up that can contribute to acne, wash your face twice a day with soap and warm water. Don’t scrub your face hard with a washcloth - acne can’t be scrubbed away, and scrubbing may actually make it worse by irritating the skin. Try using just your hands instead.

If you wear makeup, make sure it’s labeled “oil-free,” “noncomedogenic,” or “nonacnegenic.” This means it won’t clog your pores and contribute to acne. And when you are washing your face, be sure you take the time to remove all of your makeup. If you use hair sprays or gels, try to keep them away from your face, as they can also clog up pores. If you have long hair that touches your face, be sure to wash it frequently enough to keep oil away. And if you have an after-school job that puts you in contact with oil - like in a fast-food restaurant or gas station, for example - be sure to wash your face well when you get home. Also wash your face after you’ve been exercising hard and sweating a lot.

There are many lotions and creams available at the drugstore to help prevent acne and clear it up at the same time. You can experiment with these to see which helps. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly - don’t use more than you’re supposed to at one time (your skin may get too dried out and feel and look worse), and follow any directions for seeing if you’re allergic to it first.

What if I get pimples anyway?
Sometimes even with washing and lotions and oil-free makeup, kids get acne anyway - and it’s still totally normal. In fact, some girls who normally have a handle on their acne may find that it comes out a few days before they get their period. This is called premenstrual acne, and about seven out of ten women get it from changes in hormones in the body.

If you look in the mirror and see a pimple, don’t touch it, squeeze it, or pick at it. This might feel hard to do - it can be pretty tempting to try and get rid of it. But when you play around with pimples, you can cause even more inflammation by poking at them or opening them up. Plus, the oil from your hands can’t help! More importantly, though, picking at pimples can leave tiny, permanent scars on your face.

Acne isn’t really helped by the sun, either. Although a suntan can temporarily make acne look less severe, it won’t help it go away permanently. And too much sun isn’t a good idea, anyway, since it can cause wrinkles and skin cancer later in life. So don’t soak up those rays - either under the sun or from a tanning bed - in an effort to help your skin.

Some teenagers who have severe acne can get help from a doctor or dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin), who can treat the acne with prescription medicine. Depending on the person’s acne, this can mean using stronger creams than you can buy at the store that prevent pimples from forming, or taking antibiotics that kill the bacteria that help create pimples. Sometimes in the case of cystic acne, minor surgery can be done.

Most importantly, remember that you’re not the only one with acne. Looking around at your friends should help you see that most teenagers are in it together! And of course, keep in mind that acne doesn’t hang around forever, and that within a few years you won’t have it anymore.