Controlling Teen Acne Requires Parental Support

12/3/2008 - Wellness and Diet Parents need to insist on a daily basis that their teenager's practice good personal hygiene. They cannot assume teens are doing an adequate job of grooming. When there is a sudden outbreak of acne, the first response from teens and their parents should not be buy acne cream. The first response should be, "What are you doing to cause this?" Personal hygiene is rarely investigated by the teen or the parent as a major reason acne problems occur. I have listed 3 points to consider about parents being more involved in their teens health.

Parents took the responsibility to keep their children clean when they were younger.

When children were infants parents obsessed over their infants personal hygiene. Parents kept infants nails clean, hair washed often, bathed with a wash cloth more than once per day sometimes, and always made sure they wore clean clothes. Parents knew the importance of good personal hygiene for their children at an early age and made it their reponsibility.

Parents shift personal hygiene responsibility to children when they become teens.

As children grow up into adolesence, parents transfer the responsibility of personal hygiene onto them whether they're ready or not. A good parent shouldn't release a teen to caring for themselves until they have fully proven they are capable. Parents on the contrary stop monitoring and asking questions about their teen's grooming habits and hygiene far too soon. When the teen begins experiencing bouts with acne, parents and teens act befuddled. No one knows how this happened so the first step to fixing an acne problem is medication or seeing a dermatologist. Parents have to notice bad hygiene practices and reinforce its importance by monitoring their teens personal hygiene better.

Irresponsibility and lack of concern contributes to teen acne.

Teens aren't responsible enough at times to really be consistent with good personal hygiene. They get lazy and begin to show a lack of concern except when there is an acne breakout. Irresponsibility and lack of concern from the parents and teenagers open the door to acne problems. Parents have to institue a personal hygiene regimen for their teens once they notice acne outbreaks. Teens need help from parents in the area of disciplining themselves and breaking bad habits they've picked up. Parents can help prevent acne in more ways than not.

Teens should not be alone in their battle with acne. Parents have to monitor their teenager's hygiene. When they see bad habits that their teen has picked up they must immediately stop it. If parents would show more concern for their teenager's skin care, together the teen and the parent can prevent acne.