Acne Advice For Teens

Teenagers still have misconceptions about the causes of acne, according to UAB dermatologist Julie Harper, M.D., who directs a new clinic to treat this disorder.

"Teenagers think they have acne because they do not wash enough, but usually they are washing too often with harsh scrubs that make their symptoms worse."
he still hears of physicians advising patients to avoid chocolate and soft drinks, even though it's proven that hormones are behind most cases. 

"Up to 90 percent of teenagers develop some level of acne; about 30 percent seek medical treatment."

Good acne treatment options are available for most cases. Resistant acne cases are offered clinical trials as well as procedures such as scar removal, punch grafting and derma-sanding therapy to correct long-term results of acne.