Breakouts can occur out of the blue and cause teenagers to feel as if everyone is staring at their oily complexion that shines out of control. The teenage years can be riddled with a number of skin problems. Teenagers can often feel like they are the only ones that are affected, but that is not true; skin problems are very common in teenagers.
As hormone and testosterone levels rise and their bodies change, the skin reacts accordingly. Blemishes and pimples may occur occasionally; in teenage girls, they usually occur right before the menstrual cycle. For other teenagers, these blemishes may go beyond a zit and become a chronic condition, such as acne.
Acne usually concentrates on the cheeks and the forehead and can be caused by hormonal imbalances or hypersensitivity to the robust hormonal activities going on the body. This causes the hormones to go into overdrive and signals the skin to overproduce sebum. Due to improper skin cleansing and dietary triggers, acne affects almost 85 percent of teenagers and usually starts around the age of 11 in girls and later for boys.
STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE
1. Before cleansing the client’s skin, make sure that the work station has everything needed for the treatment, including gloves. Cleanse the client’s skin with an antibacterial cleanser that contains salicylic acid. Foamy cleansers are one of the best choices because they lift any debris of bacteria in the skin. Cleanse for at least two minutes in a circular motion. Proceed to remove the cleanser with warm water and a gauze square. Removing cleansers with a gauze square prevents any type of infection or cross-contamination.
2. Analyze the skin with a magnifying lamp, holding the skin taut and looking for any blackheads or whiteheads.
3. Apply papaya enzyme over the face as a mask. Papaya enzyme accelerates the shedding of dead skin cells.
4. Activate the papaya enzyme with a small gentle massage, exfoliating at the same time.
5. After leaving the enzyme on the skin for five minutes, rinse the skin with warm water using a gauze square.
6. Turn the steamer on for five minutes and follow by spraying a soothing aloe vera toner. The steamer is used at that moment so that the aloe vera toner can penetrate the skin and soothe and prepare it for extractions.
7. Perform manual extractions using gloves and a gauze square soaked in hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria.
8. To close the pores after performing extractions, use a high frequency machine to finish killing the bacteria. Be very careful and ask the client if they have any metal or piercings in any part of their body; contraindications that may affect the health of the client include pacemakers, epilepsy, and pregnancy.
9. Apply a salicylic acid ampoule to the client’s entire face and let it set for three minutes. Salicylic acid is a safe and effective treatment for mild and moderate acne. It helps diminish breakouts and kills bacteria.
10. Continue with a turmeric powder mask. Turmeric powder for teenage skin helps by removing the excess of oil and destroying bacteria. It is also an antioxidant, which helps in treating pimples and inflammation. Mix one and a half tablespoons of turmeric powder with one tablespoon of water in a glass bowl.
11. Leave the mask on the client’s skin for 20 minutes, then proceed to remove it with warm water and a gauze square.
12. When finished, apply a soothing aloe vera toner that will help to refresh the skin and balance the pH.
13. Next, apply a vitamin B3 gel to the client’s skin with a cotton swab. This particular gel will help fight acne and bacteria.
14. Use a blue LED light, which will act as an antiseptic and eliminate the bacteria found in the oil glands in the skin.
15. Finally, finish with an oil-free moisturizer and an oil-free sunscreen. A small amount will help prevent clogging of the pores.
16. Re-schedule the client’s next appointment within 15 days for the next treatment; this service could potentially be a 10 to 12 treatment series per client.
With more than 20 years of experience in the beauty field, Anabel De La Vega is a certified licensed specialist, reflexologist, herbologist, crystal healer, instructor, and presenter. She has training and experience in Japanese and Chinese facials, Indian treatments, morpho-lymphatic drainage, and more. De La Vega has received education in China, Thailand, India, and the United States. In 2013, she received an aesthetician of the year award. De La Vega is the published author of Tao The Art of Relaxation and is also a guest speaker at the International Congress of Esthetics and Spa.
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