Maybe you never struggled with acne yourself and now that your teen has it you don’t know how to react. Maybe you struggled with it as well, but your parents just let you grow out of it, and eventually it dissipated after many embarrassing years. Whatever the case may be, it is important for you to understand acne from your teens perspective so you can help them accordingly.
Junior High and High School are often hard enough to navigate for your teen without the added stress of acne. They need to be concerned with their school work, sports and their friendships – not hiding in their room because of a blemish. These are supposed to be the best years of their life, after all!
Many parents worry about the physical effects of acne, but it’s also important to notice the inward changes that take place within our teens as well. Are they avoiding extracurricular activities? Do they stay in their room more than usual? Are they suddenly okay with skipping Prom, even though finding the perfect prom date was more important than the SAT’s? Having acne as a teen can cause a lot of emotional turmoil, from others making fun of them, to having their senior pictures ruined because of a bad breakout. And when you’re a teen, those things matter!!
If your noticing changes in the way your son or daughter is acting, then you should really take that as a sign you need to step in and help take control of the situation before it gets any worse. No one wants to see their child struggle and have damaged self-esteem that could affect them for years to come.
How can you help?
As a parent, it’s important to first and foremost be supportive and understanding to your teens issues with acne. Sit down and talk with them about how they’re feeling and let them know you are willing to help. It will make them feel like they’re not alone. Let them know there are treatment options available, and together you will overcome it. It’s important they leave the conversation empowered to make a change instead of stuck in the same funk.
After that, stick to your word and help them research treatment options. Take them to your family doctor or ask around and find out what products work best for other teens. Asking another parent what they’ve tried in the past, if there are side effects, and if it had lasting results is a great place to start.
More time than not, parents put off seeking out treatment because they believe their teen will grow out of it and see it as a passing phase. Actually, the opposite is true! You should seek treatment early so that your teen doesn’t suffer when they don’t need to, and so that their acne doesn’t get any worse. If you delay seeking treatment, there is more chance for scarring down the road, which is a whole other issue.
See how other parents and teens are trusting TrueClear to clear teenage acne…
