Benzoyl Peroxide Zaps Teen Acne
If you’re looking to help your teen with his or her acne problems, you have no doubt been steered towards benzoyl peroxide. But is benzoyl peroxide really the miracle drug it is made out to be? The fact is that while every person is different and may respond differently to medication, benzoyl peroxide can be highly effective for teens. Here’s why:
How Do Teens Get Acne?
Before exploring the idea of how benzoyl peroxide helps clear up teen acne, it may be useful to understand why teens struggle with acne in the first place. It’s not because teens have poor hygiene or eat greasy food. In fact, it is largely because of the sebaceous glands. As you are no doubt aware, the onset of puberty tends to send hormones into overdrive. One byproduct of this in many teens is the overproduction of sebum, which is oil created by the sebaceous glands in the skin to help hair move smoothly through the pores. Unfortunately, this oil makes a great “glue” to pull together various skin products like dead skin cells and dirt, which, when acted upon by certain types of bacteria, become acne.
Why Does Benzoyl Peroxide Work so Well for Teens?
Benzoyl peroxide works so well for teens because it unclogs those pores that have been sealed by the sebum, dirt and dead skin and exposes them to air. When oxygen gets into the pores, it kills the acne causing bacteria. In this way, current acne is reduced faster and new acne is less likely to form.
What’s the Best Way to Use Benzoyl Peroxide for Teens?
As you might guess, although a topical, over the counter benzoyl peroxide solution may help get rid of those one or two nasty zits that are giving your teen breakouts. However, it may not be a good long term solution for teen acne. Benzoyl peroxide does not stop the actual production of sebum; it simply helps prevent it from clogging pores. Therefore, once the benzoyl peroxide is removed, sebum buildup will resume and more acne will result. To really fight acne, your teen should use a complete acne care system, with multiple solutions regularly applied twice a day to maximize the power of benzoyl peroxide, allowing it to work day after day to keep acne at bay. A system such as this, used as directed, will often result in significant acne reduction a few weeks to a few months after treatment begins. Of course, your teen will have to continue the treatment for as long as he or she wants to stay free of acne.
Other Acne Fighting Advice for Teens
In addition to an acne care system containing benzoyl peroxide, regular good hygiene practices can be extremely helpful. Also, those using an acne care system with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid should make sure the treatment also includes some form of moisturizing ingredient, as these medicines have a tendency to dry out skin.