In most cases, the teenage years are when most people experience the greatest amount of acne. This is due to hormone level fluctuations and increased sebum (oil) production. The ideal recipe for acne!

So, what is a teenager to do? Prevention is the name of the game in terms of acne and teens. Sadly, because there is no cure for acne, prevention and control are the only things a teenager can do to control acne.

The first step is to get on proven acne prevention routine like the one discussed on our acne prevention page. The next thing is to utilize products that reduce acne you may currently have and reduces the likelihood of future outbreaks. Those really are the two most important things a teenager can do to combat acne.

If these steps do not work, then a visit to the doctor or dermatologist may be in order. Stronger treatments like antibiotics and Accutane may be needed- only a doctor can know for sure.

For most young adults though, simply following the cleanse-treat-protect routine combined with using high-quality acne treatments will be successful in minimizing acne.

There sure is a lot of confusion out there regarding acne prevention. Some people say to scrub your face all day, consume the right foods, prevent sweat, exercise, and on and on. Sad to say, these have nothing to do with acne prevention.

These numbers really tell the story when it comes to adult acne, 25% of men between the ages of 25 and 44 are suffering from acne. With women the numbers are even higher- nearly 50% of all women between the ages of 25 and 44 get acne.

These numbers tell a story many adults do not want to know. It's not just teenagers who obtain acne. Many adults will get recurrences in their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

Another significant fact about adult acne is that it is more likely to leave permanent scars. This is because as skin ages it loses collagen, which is responsible for skin's elasticity. So, with less collagen, it is harder for skin to "bounce back" after the tissue damage that acne can cause.

Acne prevention is best achieved by following a skin care regimen that incorporates three basic steps. In one form or another, the skin should be cleansed, treated, and protected. As long as these steps are followed, a person's acne should improve.

Acne Prevention Step 1: Cleansing

Due to what we know about how acne is formed, it is pretty clear that it makes sense to gently cleanse your skin on a regular basis. This doesn't mean scrubbing a way at your face 5 times a day. It means use a good cleansing product to carefully wash away dead skin cells and impurities. Also, it lessens the pain if your cleanser contains proven acne fighters like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.

Acne Prevention Step 2: Treatment

For the best acne prevention, the skin should be treated with something that diminishes bacteria (like benzoyl peroxide) or holds back the shedding of skin cells (like salicylic acid). There are many good manufacturers of these products, all professing to be the best acne treatment who will provide suggestions as to how long these products should remain on the face and how often they should be used.

Acne Prevention Step Three: Protection

The last step in acne prevention is protection. By protection, we mean that the face should be properly moisturized and shielded from the sun's damaging rays. You can find a lot of quality moisturizers available that contain sunscreens in them. One more thing to keep in mind, many acne treatments tend to dry out the skin a bit making moisturizers extra important.

That's it, a simple 3 step plan for acne prevention.