PREETEEN ACNE: YOUNGER AND YOUNGER CLIENTS? By: Laura Fields
Posted: November 2, 2014, from the November 2014 issue of Skin Inc. magazine.
“Skin on young children is so beautiful,
youthful and vibrant and, as an advanced esthetics educator, I hope to
instill in my own children good skin care habits. So, as I sit here and
ramble on about the beauty of youthful skin, I glance up and notice a
lovely whitehead on my son’s adorable chin. But wait a minute—that can’t
be! He’s only 10 years old; he shouldn’t be getting pimples until he’s a
teenager, right?! Wrong.
Recent studies have documented and
confirmed what many skin care professionals have long suspected: Puberty
is beginning earlier and earlier in today’s children. Puberty brings
about many changes in children and primary among them is acne. Preteen
acne is on the rise in children ages 10–12, and sometimes in those even
younger than that.
The jury is still out on why puberty is
happening earlier in today’s society. Puberty depends on many things,
including gender, nutrition and ethnicity. Girls usually begin puberty
between the ages of 10–14; boys will begin between the ages of 12–16.
However, it is no longer uncommon to see girls begin puberty as early as
8 years old, and boys as early as 10 years old.
Acne 101
Acne is a disorder of the sebaceous
glands. These glands are regulated by the endocrine system and, more
specifically, the androgens. During changes or spikes in hormones, such
as during puberty, the sebaceous glands produce more oil. More oil
production leads to a series of events that can result in open and
closed comedones—blackheads and whiteheads—and possibly papules and
pustules—red, raised bumps and pus-filled pimples.
There are four grades of acne, ranging
from mild to severe. Grades 1 and 2 are generally noninflammatory and
consist of smaller lesions, mostly open and closed comedones. Grades 3
and 4 are inflammatory with larger lesions, papules and pustules, which
have a higher chance of scarring and tissue damage.
The good news for preteens with acne is that it generally falls into
the milder grades of acne with open and closed comedones mainly in the
t-zone area of the face. Milder grades of acne can usually be controlled
with proper skin care treatments and topical ingredients, such as
benzoyl peroxide. However, if acne in a preteen is inflammatory and does
not respond to treatment, a dermatologist will have to monitor it. The
physician might perform a blood test to rule out any hormonal
imbalances, and might prescribe an oral antibiotic or topical therapy.Treatment of preteen acne. When working with younger clients, be sure to check with your state board and stay within your scope of practice. And yes, sometimes getting a clear answer from your state agency can be a challenge. I reached out to Alex Thiersch of Thiersch & Associates (www.thierschlaw.com) in Chicago, which specializes in legalities involving medical spas. He informed me that when estheticians perform facials, they may work only with the superficial layers of the skin and, because of this, facials are not considered medical procedures. Therefore, there would be no minimum age requirement for a client. With this being said, a facial would be an appropriate treatment for preteen clients. However, it is still imperative to always have the parent or legal guardian of the preteen complete a client questionnaire and sign a consent form for the minor.
A main component of preteen facials is education, and children will be curious. Remember to explain what you are doing and why. This will not only make them more comfortable, but it will also educate them on a sound home-care regimen. Stick with the basics: cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, massage (optional) and a mask. (See Treatment How-to: Preteen Acne Facial.) Don’t forget, when dealing with acne due to hormones, balancing the skin should be the main goal, along with keeping it free from impurities and buildup of dead skin cells.
Extractions and exfoliation
Human skin is so amazing. It is in constant renewal. For adults, this cell turnover process takes approximately 28 days; however, for younger children, it can be faster than that. One goal in the treatment of acne is to always keep the skin fresh at the top. In order to keep it fresh, a mild exfoliation is recommended. For the treatment room, a mild scrub, facial brush or light enzymatic mask is beneficial.
e spent on them and only extract what is ready to come out. Stay within your scope of practice and remember: Gentle pressure is all that is needed!
Make sure you emphasize to your young clients the importance of keeping their hands away from their face, and that picking at acne can lead to tissue damage and scarring. Remind them that you are a professional who uses professional products, and extractions should be left up to professionals!
Home-care routine
Facials are excellent for preteens; however, the right home-care routine is essential to help balance their skin. Remember: These are children, so be sure to keep home-care regimens simple, yet effective. Try to recommend the basics, and avoid using too many aggressive ingredients that can be overdrying and dehydrating, which can lead to another set of problems.”
Use a gentle cleanser two times a day, in the morning and at night after their shower. A great cleanser for preteens is Apriori Beauty’s ProDermalin Cleanser and ProDermalin Calming Moisture.
ProDermalin Gentle Cleanser is a non-irritating, daily cleanser also calms skin while gently cleansing, soothing and protecting with its silky lather. ProDermalin ProDermalin Calming Moisture is a non-irritating, daily moisturizer that calms the skin. Both products contain a patent-pending blend of botanicals designed and optimized to reduce skin reactivity and inflammation. Botanicals also soothe and provide antioxidant protection to proactively building stronger, healthier skin.
Ingredients like aloe leaf juice- skin protectant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing; chamomilla recutita – anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant and skin soother; cordyeps sinensis – anti-inflammatory, skin irritancy reducer, skin soother; also known as Don Chon Xia Cao Tochuka, a health tonic in china; comfrey leaf – anti-inflammatory, wound healing, skin soother; coffee seed oil – anti-inflammatory, antioxidant; horse chestnut seed – anti-inflammatory, dermal health booster, purifier; licorice root – anti-irritant, antioxidant, skin soother; murumuru seed butter – moisturizer, skin nourishers; and trametes versicolor – anti-inflammaatory, skin irritancy reducer, skin soother; also known as Yun Zhi, a mushroom widely used in Japan and in traditional Chinese Medicine.
If you have inflammatory lesions, physical exfoliants, such as a brush, pads or scrubbing beads are not recommends. Any time there is the presence of pus, if the lesion is opened, the infection can spread!
Purchase these two products for your preteen and teenager with acne aat http://www.aprioribeauty.com/bydana
Qeustions? Email me at danaface12@yahoo.com or text me at (805) 630-5805
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