Every client, including teenagers, has unique skin care needs. Adolescence is a transformative time defined by various internal and external changes, making it crucial to grasp the intricacies of teenage skin. This article explores teen skin, common challenges that come with it, and how skin care professionals can empower and support their young clients in achieving healthy, radiant skin. 

Teenage skin is marked by a whirlwind of changes, primarily driven by hormonal fluctuations. These hormonal shifts, particularly increased androgens like testosterone, lead to heightened sebum production which contributes to various skin concerns. Estrogen levels may also fluctuate, influencing skin’s hydration levels and overall appearance.

Apart from hormones, teenagers often experiment with skin care and makeup products, have subpar hygiene practices, and may consume a diet high in carbohydrates, sugar, and caffeine, all of which impact skin health. As skin care professionals, it is essential to consider these factors when working with teenage clients to educate on alternative options to help garner the best results.

CLASS IN SESSION

Teenagers commonly grapple with the skin concerns outlined below. 

Samantha Nelson holds licenses as a master cosmetologist and cosmetology instructor. With ten years of experience in the beauty industry, her expertise shines through in her ability to customize skin care regimens, provide comprehensive education, and collaborate with industry professionals. Her passion lies in professional education, which was evident during her six-year tenure at a prominent beauty school. Her detailed knowledge of skin care products and firsthand experience equips her to offer well-rounded insights into industry practices. A North Dakota native, Nelson is a dedicated advocate for healthy skin and a natural conversationalist who enjoys yoga, reading, and family time.

Despite anyone’s best efforts to beat the chronological clock, aging is inevitable. In the United Stated, people are legally classified as elderly at 65 years old. 65 may be the chronological marker for elderly skin; however, there are dramatic differences associated with clients between chronological aging influences and extrinsic aging signs, including photoaging. The rate at which people age is, to some extent, within their control. 

 Skin care professionals have many ingredients and technologies at their disposal to help clients battle the signs of aging skin and treat prematurely aged skin. Finding a balance between preventative measures and over treatment is key to providing clients with the best advice and treatment to achieve their personal skin goals. The antiaging landscape provides options from topical measures to fillers and varying modalities. 

References

1. Chaudhary, M., Khan, A., & Gupta, M. (2020). Skin Ageing: Pathophysiology and Current Market Treatment Approaches. Current Aging Science, 13(1), 22-30. https://doi.org/10.2174/1567205016666190809161115
2. Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E., & Zouboulis, C. C. (2012). Skin anti-aging strategies. Dermato-Endocrinology, 4(3), 308-319. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.228043. 
3. “Skin Ageing.” DermNet. Accessed December 16, 2023. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/ageing-skin#:~:text=What%20is%20skin%20ageing%3F,%2C%20including%20sun%2Dprotected%20sites. 
4. Ganceviciene, Ruta, Aikaterini I Liakou, Athanasios Theodoridis, Evgenia Makrantonaki, and Christos C Zouboulis. “Skin Anti-Aging Strategies.” Dermato-endocrinology, July 1, 2012. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583892/. 
5. Witmanowski, H., & Błochowiak, K. (2020). The whole truth about botulinum toxin – a review. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postȩpy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 37(6), 853-861. https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2019.82795
6.  Gkogkolou, P., & Böhm, M. (2012). Advanced glycation end products: Key players in skin aging? Dermato-Endocrinology, 4(3), 259-270. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.22028
7. Kim, S., Park, S., & Kim, J. (2017). The role of glycation in the pathogenesis of aging and its prevention through herbal products and physical exercise. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, 21(3), 55-61. https://doi.org/10.20463/jenb.2017.0027
8. Kim, S., Park, S., & Kim, J. (2017). The role of glycation in the pathogenesis of aging and its prevention through herbal products and physical exercise. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, 21(3), 55-61. https://doi.org/10.20463/jenb.2017.0027
9. Fitzmaurice, Rosie. “Most Dermatologists Agree This Is the One Thing That Can Reverse Signs of Aging - but One Doctor Says We’re Being Led into the Unknown.” Insider, April 17, 2023. https://www.insider.com/retinol-risks-according-to-a-doctor-2018-6. 
10. Jeong, S., Yoon, S., Kim, S., Jung, J., Kor, M., Shin, K., Lim, C., Han, H. S., Lee, H., Park, Y., Kim, J., Chung, H. J., & Kim, H. J. (2020). Anti-Wrinkle Benefits of Peptides Complex Stimulating Skin Basement Membrane Proteins Expression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21010073
11. “The Anti-Aging Effects of Niacinamide.” Dermatology Times, November 13, 2020. https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/anti-aging-effects-niacinamide. 
12. 12. Hansen, Inga. “Cutting Edge Ingredients.” MedEsthetics, August 24, 2017. https://www.medestheticsmag.com/treatments/article/21147696/cutting-edge-ingredients.
13. “Antioxidants for Skin: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Sources.” Medical News Today. Accessed December 16, 2023. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/antioxidants-for-skin#choosing-products. 
14. 14. Salvioni, L., Morelli, L., Ochoa, E., Labra, M., Fiandra, L., Palugan, L., Prosperi, D., & Colombo, M. (2021). The emerging role of nanotechnology in skincare. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 293, 102437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2021.102437
15. Fifty Years of Skin Aging - Journal of investigative dermatology ... Accessed December 16, 2023. https://www.jidsponline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)52924-2/fulltext. 
16. 16. Addor, Flavia Alvim Sant’anna. “Antioxidants in Dermatology.” Anais brasileiros de dermatologia, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5514576/. 

Kirsten Sheridan has a higher national diploma in beauty therapy from the United Kingdom and is a licensed aesthetician. She has 20 years of experience as an aesthetician and educator, holds a teaching qualification through City and Guilds London, and is a CIDESCO diplomat. Sheridan’s other qualifications include massage therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, and electrology. She has a personal training qualification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), although not in active practice. In addition, she is the owner and founder of knowskin.com, an online learning hub for aestheticians. Sheridan has taught for Dermalogica, International Dermal Institute, San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, San Jose City College, and The Dermal Sciences Institute. 

A noticeable shift has occurred in health and wellness messaging. The antiaging trend has been replaced with new terminology. Healthy aging is now the goal, and really, why would it not be? Clients come to their aesthetics provider to look and feel their best and the first step to helping them achieve that feeling of confidence and wellness might just be to change their mindset.  

GROWING PAINS 

Aging can be described as the degradation of the body’s metabolic process. For generations, people have looked for ways to minimize the effects of aging to increase longevity. Look at the billion-dollar antiaging industry offering serums, creams, and mild-to-moderately invasive treatments. This industry thrives because people tend to want to hang on to their youth for as long as possible. People want to feel great, spend more time with their family and friends, travel the world, and generally enjoy life with as few aches, pains, and wrinkles as possible. 

Many clinics, spas, and wellness centers now offer specific treatments to combat a wide variety of side effects related to the aging process. While the hands of time cannot be turned back literally, there are steps that can be taken now to improve and maintain one’s best appearance, slow down the signs of aging, and give a bit more longevity. This is where the healthy aging concept comes in. It is a whole-body concept that takes into account one’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. 

According to the World Health Organization, healthy aging is a “continuous process of optimizing opportunities and improving physical and mental health, independence, and quality of life.” How can professionals help their clients safely and effectively reduce, reverse the effects of aging, and treat several of the common issues that come with aging? There are some key steps to get started on the healthy aging journey, but first it is important to make note of a few contributing factors.  

Denise Ryan has more than 30 years’ sales, marketing, and product management experience in dental and medical device manufacturing. Ryan’s secret weapon is her unique ability to uncover what is truly special about a product or service and then passionately enroll others in that belief. She has been with BioPhotas since January 2012 as Celluma product manager, director of sales, and currently serves as the global vice president of brand management. Ryan reguarly writes and speaks internationally on the science and benefits of low-level light therapy. 

Every client who enters an aesthetics practice is concerned with their appearance and aging is a large component of their internal motivation. Aging is an inevitable part of life that everyone experiences, yet it often comes with negative connotations and societal pressures to appear perpetually youthful.

Luckily, aesthetics providers are highly equipped in warding off the signs of aging with a plethora of treatment options. Yet, it is vital to be aware of the role the media, brand advertising, and the rise of social media all play in shaping the general public’s perception of aging. In many cases, the key message communicated through these outlets is that visible aging is socially unacceptable. 

THE TWO FACES OF AGING

“Instagram face” is quickly becoming a standard for youthful beauty, making the antiaging industry continually thrive, but to truly address how practitioners can navigate and retain positive aging, one must first dive into the two types of aging: chronologic and biologic. Chronologic aging is nonwavering. Day after day and year after year, age is always growing. In this respect, age is truly just a number. Counter this with biologic aging, which is a much more fluid blend of unique characteristics that truly portray age from the inside out. Biologic aging is not the number of candles on the birthday cake; it is the culmination of ancestry, lifestyle, and health status. Biologic aging is largely impacted by environment and lifestyle choices and individuals hold the power in their hands to make positive life choices that impact overall biologic aging. 

Nancy Miller is the director of education and research for The Vitality Institute, makers of the VI Peel. She has served the aesthetic industry for 20 years as a provider, educator, lecturer, and content creator. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at University of Southern California, holds a Master of Business Administration in health care management, and has significant experience as director of operations at various dermatology practices and medical spas during her aesthetic career. Miller is recognized for providing impeccable aesthetic service, and is known for having a refined aesthetic eye, gentle touch, and calm demeanor.

Any time that you hear the word “aging,” it seems to have such a negative connotation to it. Very few people embrace not only the term, but even the process. For those who have read any of my past articles or heard me speak, you all know that I have replaced “aging” and “mature” with sophisticated in my vocabulary. I, by far, would prefer to be classified as sophisticated over aged, and I am sure I am not alone.

In any case, the process is inevitable, but the magnitude of the process allows for a multitude of control factors. Diet, exercise, proper sleep, minimal stress, and a happy heart have an immeasurable impact on painting youthfulness. Mix proper skin care, professional skin treatments, and the blessed hands of an aesthetician into the mix and the effect will be multiplied tenfold.

Our profession is a plethora of new ingredients, innovations, and technology. We are constantly gifted with new ways to turn back the hands of the aging process and trigger the true, youthful, healthy function of skin. But rather than focus our objectives on aging, I invite readers to shift their mindset to a simple core focus of the word “healthy.” Healthy means hydrated. It means pliable, soft, smooth, and radiant. Healthy means cell renewal and collagen reformation. Healthy means youthful. Scour through these pages and fill yourself with every bit of knowledge and skill you can to offer your clients the ability to be ageless.

February is here – a month known for Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, the occasional Leap Day, and so much more. While it is the shortest month of the year, this in no way means readers will get shortchanged generic education. Welcome to the age issue, formerly referred to as antiaging, age management, and mature skin. 

This category goes by many names and evokes many associations, positive and negative. These associations are for many reasons. For one, the concept of aging has had a face-lift in the last decade. Thankfully, agism is out, and prejuvenation is all the rage. Society and the industry have come to terms and are less concerned with staying young forever, a battle no one wins. Today, aesthetics is all about achieving beauty at any age, with no end in sight. 

Embracing aging by no means translates to letting yourself go. Embracing aging means welcoming the inevitable changes and saying goodbye to what no longer serves you. It is a privilege to grow older. This is an idea I hope echoes throughout the pages of this issue. 

The next time readers find themselves looking at the mirror in anything less than awe, I encourage them to take a step back. Stop comparing and appreciate the beauty that stands before you. It is a new dawn, and you are only getting started. 

A licensed aesthetician, Laynes is also the CEO of Smooth Skin Supply LLC and the creator of the Esthetician Summit.

What is your educational background, and how do you continue your education in the industry?

I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in kinesiology and have been a licensed aesthetician for 20 years. I am a huge ingredient junkie and educate myself weekly on skin care trends, new technologies, and ingredient uses for skin, specifically with eczema-prone skin.

How long have you been practicing, and why did you choose this field?

I have been practicing for 20 years, and this field really chose me. I have acne-prone skin and

started seeing an aesthetician over 22 years ago who really helped clear my skin. I wanted to

help other people who suffer with acne-prone skin like I did, so I decided to go to beauty school at night to get my license. After getting my license, I started waxing to learn how to earn more money per client instead of one facial per hour. I self-taught myself the seven-minute Brazilian wax technique, started manufacturing wax and teaching, and the Se-Brazil Wax brand was created.

Many devices have come and gone attempting to treat skin issues using frequencies. Many may automatically think of a high-frequency machine as an obvious choice, but these devices create ozone through frequencies. I believe this is actually harmful to skin because ozone causes free radical damage. For example, instead of considering acne a bacterial infection, it should be thought of as a detoxification reaction (and a delicate wound). Therefore, adding more inflammation to acne increases scarring potential. Other devices utilizing frequencies in the form of ultrasound can help with ingredient penetration, but high-frequency ultrasound (typically a medical procedure) can be harmful to skin and provide minimal long-term benefits.