There is no doubt that acne is a traumatic experience for teens and adults alike.

One of the major focuses we have at Skin Essentials when dealing with acne is lessening the emotional impact of acne.

We do this by trying to clear your skin as much as possible as quickly as possible by first understanding your unique skin, it’s behaviour and history, then crafting a unique control plan just for you.

We never say the word ‘cure’ when it comes to acne, teen acne is firstly an inherited predisposition (yes, you can blame your parents), then is also hormonally triggered at puberty, and genetics and hormones are out of our hands!

What we CAN do though is to control the symptoms, keeping your skin as clear and calm as possible by eliminating all the other triggers and contributory factors such as clogged pores, excess or stagnant oil, inflammation and bad lifestyle habits.

Even given the fact that acne is different for every person, and can evolve and change as your hormones fluctuate, there are some great ingredients and treatments available that when used correctly can have fantastic effects on keeping breakouts and inflammation under control.

So, what are the reasons that you have ‘tried them all’ and they’re not working for you? Here are the most common reasons your acne treatment is not working:

  1. You’re not consistent. This is the number one reason we see why even the best programmes can fail. Acne never gives up, neither can you! To keep consistently clear you must keep consistent with your product use and treatments/check ups. No excuses.
  2. Related to No. 1 above – you thought you were finished. Many times over my career I have been frustrated to have this happen. I work with a client to get them clear of breakouts, and they do everything I ask. The acne clears and everyone’s happy. Fast forward 12 months and the acne is as bad as ever and they are back to square one. The reason? They stopped using the products because their ‘skin was good’. Do not fall into this trap! Remember, control is all we get, never cure! 
  3. You don’t keep a clean diet. I know it’s hard, but the gut and the skin are closely related and this is never so obvious as when dealing with acne. Unfortunately dairy products are a big no-no and I do get a lot of push-back from teens on this issue! Strictly restricting sugar and salt may also be necessary. Don’t blame me, I didn’t make the rules 
  4. You’re picking. Yes, I know you say you don’t. But we can tell. Always. This will cause blemishes to last longer, drive bacteria deeper, spread it around the surface of the skin and cause scarring. 
  5. It was never acne in the first place. Many people self-treat breakouts with over the counter products as a first point of action. While this is understandable I would encourage parents to bring their teen to a skin specialist  as early as possible. While most times it is teen acne you are dealing with, particularly if one or both parents suffered with it, there are some conditions that look like acne but are not. Some examples are fungal folliculitis (sometimes seen in boys who have recently started shaving), or bacterial infection. While not overly common, these conditions need to be treated in a much different manner, perhaps even medically, and you will not want to waste time and money trying to treat a non-acne issue with acne protocols.

Call us on (053) 914 5981 to book up a consultation with a therapist, or book online by clicking the link below.

Skincare treatments, skin essentials by Mariga, Wexford