Teenagers and skin problems

To a teenager, having lots of pimples or acne all over their faces, chests and backs can be extremely stressful.

Confidence in themselves can be badly affected as they feel that everyone is looking at their terrible skin.

By the time I see these teenage girls or boys they have usually tried most of the topical Acne skin preparations on the market without much success.  A lot of the girls have been taken to beauticians for facials and some of them, both boys and girls,  have been prescribed medications such as Roaccutane or Minamycin. Another medication often prescribed for girls is the oral contraceptive pill in an attempt to minimize hormonal ups and downs. These drugs may help with their acne for a while, but, unfortunately these drugs can have quite serious side effects.  Often, when these medications are stopped the Acne comes back.

The cause of of the skin problem needs to be treated in a much deeper way. Acne and pimples are generally caused by hormonal imbalances, particularly in teenagers when all of the hormones are suddenly surging.  Of course eating lots of chocolate, drinking sugary drinks and deep fried foods doesn’t help!  Still, the basic skin problem is a hormonal one.

As a practitioner my approach is to investigate all of the symptoms of the skin complaint and the patient. The cause of the acne occurs due to an increase in  Androgen activity which causes an increase in the levels of the hormone Testosterone, regardless of gender.  The whole condition of the skin complaint is investigated along with any other symptoms that may be an issue.

Any emotional issues are very important as is the particular temperament of your teenager.  Is your teenager shy, outgoing, irritable or constantly worrying?  All of these things are taken into consideration before prescribing a Homoeopathic medicine.