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my skin
Answered Wednesday 5 January 2011 |Share:
hey emma My name is Joshua. Im 18 and have somewhat bad acne which i cleanse, tone and mosturise everyday. some face washes work but it still comes back. my main problem is that over time my acne has lead to horrific acne scars. i dont know what to do. Ive tried absolutely everthing except surgery because i cant afford it. Im so deppressed because i think its going to stay there forever. ive lost my self esteem because of this. PLEASE HELP :( thanks Joshua, NSW
Answer
Hi Josh,
Don’t get yourself down, there are so many teens that are going through the exact same thing, unfortunately it is part of growing up.
What the photo looks like is a form of Acne vulgaris this is more a genetic issue and topically applied products may not be as effective because it is more internal. Approximately 42 million people are affected by acne vulgaris, of that adolescent make up 85% of this group. There many treatments for acne including oral or topical antibiotics, retinoids and hormone therapy.
My advice would be to go and see a dermatologist where he can have a look at it for you and provide the best solution. The medication he puts you on may help with the scarring, just depending on how deep it is.
The way that it could be treated is oral antibiotics for more mild acne and for more severe acne other treatment is oral isotretinoin.
In the meantime ensure that you are cleaning your face morning and night with a natural foaming cleanser and applying an oil free moisturiser with an SPF for the day and without SPF for the night. Also DO NOT pick or squeeze them as it will spread the bacteria and cause more unwanted scarring.
Kind Regards
Emma
Emma Hobson
Skin Expert
