Acne scar treatment in Singapore- A Guide to Parenting teens with acne and acne scars

Adolescence is one of the most critical and stressful stages in your child’s life. During this stage, a circus of emotions is tunneling in and out and a railroad of physical changes is undermining your child’s physical and mental health. Series of changes are happening within their bodies and minds. Some changes are obvious and some are not, but with all the chemistry changes that are going on in their bodies, teens are usually left estranged, bothered, exhausted and often irritated with their appearance. 

Some of these body changes can be concealed with clothes. But if it’s right on their faces, then there’s nothing that they can do to hide it especially when visible marks are left behind.

Of course, I’m talking about acne and acne scars. 

Having acne breakouts in your teenage years is like a double punishment. Not only you have to deal with the unflattering acne, but you also have to deal with the marks they leave as a reminder. Even though most pimples go away as one grows older, acne and acne scars have been damaging the confidence of most youths and even until they become adults. 

As a parent who has already experienced these physical changes in the past, it is part of your job to guide your teens in dealing with acne and acne scar treatments.

Get to know what’s causing acne and acne scars

As rapid body chemistry changes are happening during puberty, there is also a significant increase in the production of a hormone called androgen that stimulates the production of an oily substance called sebum. This sebum when mixed with the dead skin cells and hair follicles creates a bump that blocks the pores of your skin resulting in bacterial build-up and inflammation we call as acne. 

With acne, the blocked pore swells creating an intense pressure inside it causing the follicle wall to be broken. The lesion is normally mild and heals easily when the breakage happens close to the surface of the skin. However, severe skin damage happens when the follicle wall is badly damaged deep within the skin allowing the infected material to penetrate the dermis that kills the healthy skin tissue. If the inflammation is right near the surface, you’ll get a pustule; if it’s deeper, a papule (pimple); deeper still and it’s a cyst. 

Acne scars on the other hand are caused by acne, you may call it a by-product of acne as the scars are synonymous with the skin’s normal healing process after it has been damaged by a wound or injury. Most often acne scars are caused by an inflamed lesion, such as a papule, pustule, or cyst. 

Prevention is better than cure

As we already know prevention is always better than cure. And in terms of acne scars, if we can prevent acne from developing, we wouldn’t have to deal with acne scars. There are steps at home that you can encourage your teen to do to minimize his or her chances of developing acne. These steps include:

• Washing their face twice a day with an oil-free cleanser
• Using an over-the-counter acne cream to remove excess oil
• Showering after exercising
• Eating a healthy diet with minimal refined sugars
• As much as possible avoid activities that stress them

However, when the acne is already present, acne there’s no guarantee that acne scars won’t develop. The only thing he or she could do is to minimize further scarring. These practices can help your teen prevent severe acne scarring:

• Reduce inflammation – large, inflamed acne are much more likely to leave scars behind than non-inflamed breakouts and blackheads

• Don’t squeeze, pop, or pick at pimples – pass up the temptation to pick or squeeze a pimple. Doing so can force debris deeper into the dermis, spreading an infection to other tissue and worsening inflammation.

• Don’t pick at scabs – picking at scabs should also be avoided. A scab is the skin’s natural “bandage” which protects the wound as it heals. Picking a scab off a wound before it is ready prolongs the healing process and increases the chances of scarring.

Early consultation with a trusted aesthetic doctor

When home remedies and over-the-counter acne products don’t provide any relief, then you know it’s time to make an appointment with an aesthetic doctor or a dermatologist. An early appointment with a trusted doctor can help both of you and your child understand what is going on physiologically, and can offer more effective acne and acne scar treatments. Acne and acne scars may be a natural part of puberty but it does not mean that your teen has to go through it. 

If you find yourself looking for a well-experienced and trusted aesthetic doctor for acne and acne scar treatment in Singapore, you may contact Dr. Chua Cheng Yu at +65 8858 6689 or [email protected] You may also visit his clinic at 13 Stamford Road #B2-36/37, Capitol Piazza Singapore 178905. Dr. Chua Cheng Yu is passionate about aesthetic medicine and aims to help patients have a better understanding of aesthetic treatments so they can have informed decisions. 

Offer moral support

A reassurance coming from a parent is a valuable thing that a child could have and it could give them the confidence that they need to get through the challenge of puberty. Along with guidance with skincare and medical attention that you could provide for them, supporting them emotionally and psychologically can also go a long way when it comes to helping your teenage son or daughter deal with their acne and acne scar problems.

By providing moral support and being involved in your child’s care, you will help them conquer the anxiety and embarrassment caused by acne and acne scars. You can help them find areas they can excel in, such as sports, clubs or volunteer work, where they could grow their self-esteem through their natural talents and abilities, and suddenly they would realize that this is just a phase in life that won’t last forever and there are aesthetic treatments and trusted doctors that can help them overcome it.