Teen Breakout Freakout

Here is a great IDI article from Dr. Claudia Aguirre about end of school year stress for teens and how it translates to the skin.

"Ah summer. The home stretch, the ninth inning, a time for preparation and relaxation and… final exams! This may stir up terrifying memories, or if you’re in the midst of it, elicit a reminder of what’s to come. This crunch time is key to passing exams with flying colors or not passing at all, and it can feel like a literal squeeze or crunch, with your mind racing at 100mph. What you may not even realize during this hectic time is how it can also affect your body and even your skin.

Psychological stress is not just “in your mind,” although it does begin there. When we experience stress, a region in the brain called the hypothalamus releases signals to specific glands to produce even more signals, or hormones, which then circulate around the body and elicit the “stress response.” The stress hormones released by the glands sitting atop the kidneys are epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that can also impact skin health. When cortisol is released, it can trigger the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum as well as increase inflammation. In the skin, this increased inflammation and sebum is the perfect environment for P. acnes to thrive inside the follicle. The result? A breakout.

We may not be able to avoid those finals, but we can try to avoid that stress-induced pimple by practicing relaxation techniques. Or at the very least, treat it with efficacious ingredients to help the skin heal. If you have teenage clients in the treatment room, remember this is a high-stress time so combine stress-relieving techniques with these ingredients:

• Benzoyl Peroxide: Stops breakout-causing bacteria in the follicle and helps clear skin.
• Salicylic Acid: A hydroxy acid that exfoliates surface skin cells and reduces inflammation.
• Bentonite and Kaolin Clays: Purifying clays pull oil from skin, deep cleaning and helping to control shine.
• Niacinamide: Assists in regulating sebaceous gland secretions while scavenging free radicals.
• Meadowsweet: protects against the production and secretion of excess sebum.
• African Whitewood: The bark extract of this tree has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and sebum-regulating properties."

View the full article here.