
Understanding your acne
Why do only teenagers get acne?
At puberty your body undergoes many hormonal changes, in particular, an increase in testosterone, (in girls as well as in boys). It is this sex hormone that causes your pimples: it is carried in your blood and spreads throughout your body, in particular, to your hair follicles (small "sacs" containing hair and sebaceous glands).
The testosterone stimulates your sebaceous glands a little too much and they begin to produce large amounts of sebum. This fatty substance is useful for your skin: it serves to protect and moisturise it. But when there is too much of it there is a problem! Your skin becomes oily and shiny and pimples begin to appear.
This phenomenon is very common among teenagers: 80% of teenagers between the ages of 11 and 18 years are affected by it. But do not despair: in most cases the acne disappears spontaneously when the hormones settle down between the ages of 18 and 20 years. In the meantime, go and see a dermatologist to get your acne treated!