For the Parents of Teens with Acne

Acne has affected all of us at one time or another.  If you are 

a parent with teenage children you will be reminded of what a 

toll dealing with acne can have on their lives. Acne can affect 

your child’s self image as well as overall social life and in 

severe cases can lead to depression and withdrawal. You 

should let your teenager know that you are available and that 

you are willing to help him or her with their acne. Talking 

about your own experiences may help them relate and quite 

possibly, give them a broader perspective on the condition. 

Even if they don't want to talk about it, dealing with acne is 

one of their major concerns. Consequently, your teenager is 

trying everything he or she can to control the acne.   

As adults, we know that acne will not last forever, that it will 

usually clear up in time if given attention and treated 

appropriately. Yet this is only a small comfort to teenagers 

who are currently suffering from embarrassment and 

discomfort from breakouts of acne. Talking with your 

teenager about acne can be difficult because they might be 

embarrassed by their appearance and would sooner just 

pretend it wasn’t an issue. The key is to be supportive and 

understanding. At the same time, parents must be more than 

moral support to their children. They need to be a source of 

information and advice about how to treat acne as well. 

One of the most effective ways is to learn as much as 

possible about the various types of acne and how it can be 

treated. Simply doing this can go a long way in providing 

more effective guidance for your children when confronted 

with decisions related to their acne treatment.  You will be 

able to help them in the selection of acne medications and 

perhaps determine whether or not it is an appropriate time to 

consult with a dermatologist.   

Do not assume that just because you happened to have acne 

as a teen that you know everything about it. Things have 

changed since then. Advances in scientific research on acne 

related matters continually unearth new information. Also, 

new medications as well as new methods of acne treatment 

have been developed so that the most common acne 

conditions can be remedied quickly.  Because there are such 

a variety of approaches, knowing what is available will aid 

you in deciding what the best option may be for your child.