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Zits Are the Pits
Face Care for Preteens and Teens
By Gina Roberts-Grey LCSW
In an effort to clear up the acne and its secondary effects, Theresa and her daughter spent a lot of time talking about how Tiffani was feeling about herself and how all teens feel awkward and embarrassed about acne. "When I finally talked to my best friend, I was relieved that she felt self conscious about her breakouts too," says Tiffani.
Acne does not discriminate between genders. It dares to cross the lines of popularity and strikes regardless of a child's grade point average. Marcos Avella of Houston, Texas, experienced intense anxiety pondering how his acne would impact the invitation to his school's homecoming dance he extended to a classmate. "I was scared to ask someone to go with me," he says. "I was afraid she'd say no because I had just broken out."
Mary Schneider, LCSW, of Spring Grove, Ill., draws a poignant similarity to the insecurities experienced by teens such as Avella: "Peer pressure and the fight to blend in is epic to a teen," she says. "For a teen, drawing attention to yourself – especially your appearance – is like showing up to the office in your underwear." Schneider suggests parents tap into how painful and turbulent it was to be a teen with or without acne, and lend a supportive shoulder to help a child's self-esteem overcome the negative effects of acne. "If we can instill that everyone worries about their appearance or fitting in, teens with acne will understand that everyone is the same on the inside, regardless of a few spots on the outside," says Schneider.