“Quit playing with your face!” It’s true, popping or pricking pimples is only going to make it worse. So don’t do it!

According to Skin Disorders by Lynne Lamberg about 90 percent of teens in the U.S. go through occasional acne breakouts.

“I use St. Ives exfoliating apricot scrub because it makes my skin smooth,” said Nawrin Chowdhury ’13, “using warm water is better than cold water because then it won’t close your pores.”

The American Academy of Dermatology finds 40 percent of people will not do anything for their acne, but 30 percent will purchase over the counter products. In fact, Americans spend 2.2 billion dollars a year on skin treatment.

“I use the Neutrogena grapefruit face wash every morning, but it doesn’t really reduce my acne, I just like the smell of it,” said Naima Ashraf ’13.

The good news is pizza, french fries, and other greasy foods doesn’t cause acne or make it worse according to dummies.com. It is the oil in the skin that does the damage, not the oil in the food.

What does cause acne? Two main factors are heredity and hormones.

The website states that acne is inflammation of the skin due to oil glands. The face is full of dead skin cells, bacteria, and dirt. (That’s normal.) The body releases oil from glands to help coat and protect skin and hair through pores.

According to Skin Disorders, the problem occurs when the oil can’t get through the pores because the dead skin cells and bacteria block it. The oil keeps pushing through and you’re left with a bump, which we call a pimple.

“If you never had acne and all of the sudden start to breakout you should see a dermatologist,” said Marva Brown, school nurse.

The likelihood of getting acne is inherited from parents according to aad.org. Since your genes tell your body how much oil to produce, how much skin cells to replace, and how easily your pores get clogged. Hormones increase the release of oils.

As stated in the Canadian Dermatology Association website, it is important to gently wash your face daily with soap.

This does not mean to wash your face five times a day, but just wash it once or twice at the most because over cleaning could get your skin irritated.

Lana Pushkar ’13 said, “Using plain water and soap suits my skin the most. I tried other products like Neutrogena but it irritated my skin even more so I stopped using it.”

Herbert P. Goodheart, MD is a dermatologist, he suggested using lukewarm water and gently applying the soap/cleanser in circular motions, then rinsing off and patting dry instead of rubbing in Acne for Dummies.

The skin you’re in matters when applying different products.

According to the book, oily skin means trying cleansers with alcohol based solutions, using ivory soap, cream or foam based products. Dry skin means water based/ alcohol-free solutions, dove soap, or lotion. It is best to stick with one cleanser at a time.

A lot of cleansers have an active ingredient in them, which is a chemical that does the work the product was designed for. It is the main “worker”.

Even though scrubbing can get rid of dirt and skin cells, it can physically cause irritation due to the active ingredient. It is better to stop using that product and maybe switch to a new active ingredient.

Irritations are redness, peeling of skin, and dryness. The side effect depends on the skin and how much the cleanser suits it.

Madina Khidoyatova ’13 said, “I would use aloe twice a week to help prevent breakouts. I prefer a herbal alternative because it works for me.”

Stress is another factor. Students always have a lot on their plates and tests, SATs, projects, and college applications are just the beginning, especially in Midwood.

As stated in the American Academy of Dermatology stress can worsen acne. It is best to do reduce- stress activities by exercising, relaxing, and getting enough sleep.

“In a perfect world we wouldn’t care about our appearances,” said Liza Yanovskaya ’13, “but we do care since society enforces images of people with perfect skin, hair, and body.”

“You should treat your acne so it doesn’t get worse, but it is normal for teens to get it.” Atika Shafiq ’13 said, “I don’t think people should be very concerned about their look just because they have pimples.”

According to aad.org acne is a common problem that affects 40 to 50 million people in the U.S. and Canada. So you can consider it a pretty normal thing, just don’t go pricking pimples!