Attention Moms and Dads
Don’t Forget to Bring up Skin Health at Your Teen’s Next Visit
to the Pediatrician or Health Care Provider
Skin Basics
Skin is essential to our survival. It forms a barrier that prevents harmful substances and microorganisms from entering the body. It protects body tissues from injury, controls loss of life-sustaining fluids like blood and water, helps regulate body temperature though perspiration, and protects us from sun’s damaging ultra violet rays. Without the nerve cells in our skin, we couldn’t feel warmth, cold or other sensations. Our skin can also respond to our situations and emotions.
Our skin is made up of layers that contain thousands of cells and hundreds of sweat glands, oil glands, nerve endings, and blood vessels. You lose about 9 pounds of skin cells each year and it is the body’s largest organ. The National Association of School Nurses gives us a reminder that whether your teen’s next visit to the Pediatrician or Health Care Provider is for a sports physical, pre-camp checkup or just a routine well-visit, it’s important to remember that maintaining healthy skin is a key part of your teen’s emotional and physical well being.
1 Following are three tips from Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and author of
The Smart Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Kids Through Checkups, Illnesses, and Accidents, for making the most of you teen’s next doctor’s visit.
Talk Acne to Help Avoid Potential Physical and Emotional Scarring
Acne is a medical condition, and whether your teen experiences spontaneous breakouts or more significant acne, acne can damage teens’ self-image and impact how others perceive them. In a recent survey, teens with acne were more likely than teens without acne to be perceived as shy, nerdy and lonely, In fact, the survey found that nearly 60% of teens admit they would stay off of Facebook for one year if they could get rid of their acne.
2 Ask your doctor about prescribing an acne treatment that can become a part of your teen’s daily routine, and check out
www.smarterthanapimple.com for more information on how to outsmart breakouts.
It’s Never too Early to Use Sunscreen
Many teens believe that they only need sunscreen at the beach, but the doctor can explain otherwise. It’s important that teens start using sunscreen daily, to protect their sensitive skin now and help them to get in the habit for their adult years. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that, regardless of skin type, a broad-spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB rays), water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 should be used year-round. Sunscreen isn’t just for sunny days, either – 80% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can pass through the clouds.
3 Exposure is incidental – the type you get from waking your dog or eating lunch outside. If you don’t want to wear a pure sunscreen, ask your doctor about a moisturizer with sunscreen.
Wearing hats with brims and sunglasses provide almost 100% protection against ultraviolet radiation. Water is a major reflector of UV radiation and so is snow. Snow skiing and other winter activities carry significant risk of sunburn. Certain medication can increase your sun sensitivity. Have this conversation with your pediatrician or health care provider at your next visit.
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Create a Routine that Works for Your Teen
With such busy schedules for today’s teens, it’s important to help them create a daily skincare regimen that they can stick to. In fact, your teen’s skin regimen should become as regular as showering or brushing their teeth. Not sure what should be included in their morning and night time routines? At your teens’ next appointment, ask the doctor to suggest a gentle cleanser and SPF moisturizer that works for their skin type, and fits into their daily routine.
1 Hanna, s., Sharma, J., & Klotz, J. (2010, August 12). Acne vulgaris: More than skin deep. Retrieved from http://dermatology.cdlib.org/93/commentary/acne/hanna.htm
2 Kelton Research. (n.d.).Ritvo/AARSPerception Study( Issue brief). NewsWorthyAnalysis. Retrieved May, 2009.
3 American Academy of Dermatology, (n.d.). Facts About Sunscreens ( Issue brief). Retrieved 2010, from http://www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_sunscreen.htm
4 http://kidshealth.org