It is a doctor’s visit that every teenager has nightmares about. Next to teen pregnancy, no other diagnosis can be more damaging, more agitating and more devastating than a doctor telling your teen boy or girl that they have acne. But just because you’ve gotten this diagnosis doesn’t mean that your life is over. There are a series of important questions you need to ask your doctor so that you can take care of your condition the right way.
1. Do I need prescription creams? – This is the biggest question you’ll ask. For many cases of severe acne, the over the counter products such as Oxy and Stridex will do nothing, and since no teen wants to go to school with a full blown case of acne that has remained completely untreated, getting a prescription treatment is absolutely vital. It will be hard enough living with a teenager who has acne, it will be even harder if they are terrified to leave the house.
2. How often should I clean my face and how? – We already know the answer to this one, but if it doesn’t come out of the mouth of a doctor, your teen will probably not believe it. The most severe cases of acne have ALMOST NOTHING to do with being unclean or having a greasy face. If you overscrub, as almost all acne sufferers do, you will likely make your condition significantly worse. Your doctor may have a special cleaning method he wants you to use that is especially for your skin type.
3. How can I pinpoint your triggers? – Having a newly diagnosed case of acne means that you now get too play Sherlock Holmes. You can have three children, all with acne simultaneously, and have a grand total of zero triggers in common. Have your teen keep a diary that tracks when outbreaks happen so you can look for patterns in behavior.
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