Just how bad can it get?
Teenagers are a mess of hormones and still busy learning how to cope socially. It would be wonderful if we could say that they all come out of it in one piece. But, too often, their lives are made difficult by the way they interact with their peers. Any young person is vulnerable if something marks him or her out as different. Hopefully, that distinguishing characteristic will be short-lived. The group will quickly forget and move on to the next topic of interest. But acne can come and stay as an all too visible feature. If the mass reaction is unkind, this can seriously damage the victim’s self-esteem. This type of situation can rapidly pass through routine bullying and become intensely personal.
As parents, this can create several quite different headaches. The first is keeping your child safe. It can sometimes be difficult to decide whether your child is being affected. Some seem to to be almost completely oblivious to the bullying. Others fall apart when the glances they dread come their way. They have seen it happen to others and their anticipation and fear magnifies the mild reality into a crisis. Emotional support is part of the job-description of being a parent. But how far should you go on the medical front? The options are to:
• ignore the medical side and wait for the hormones to settle down;
• use over-the-counter (OTC) products;
• refer to your local healthcare provider; or
• consult a dermatologist.
The more your child’s self-esteem is under threat, the more you need to do even though the actual level of acne may be mild. Obviously, what you do will depend on whether you have health insurance or savings that can be used to fund treatment. You should also recognize that some children become anxious or depressed in the clinical sense. A very small percentage harm themselves or commit suicide.
OTC products work for mild outbreaks but, if you want access to the most powerful of all the treatments — Accutane — you should first see a dermatologist. The implications, particularly for young girls, need careful thought to balance the risks against the benefits. Acne is a treatable condition but how you maintain the relationship with your children and deal with the various medical issues can be challenging.