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Pimple Prevention

If there are bumps and spots all over the place, it’s not

a human dot-to-dot game—it’s probably just acne.

Zits Are the Pits

If you could look at your skin under a microscope, you’d

see a bunch of tiny holes called pores. Pores release sweat to cool down the body. However, when you start puberty, hormones also tell your skin to make more oils. Those oils can clog pores, and bacteria that normally live on your skin can get trapped. Before you know it, pimples pop up. And since you have skin all over your body, that means you can get acne just about anywhere—but usually on your face, neck, chest, scalp, and upper back.

Because the skin gets more oily during puberty, many

girls think that using products (such as soaps, cleansers,

and alcohol-based wipes) to dry out the skin will prevent

pimples. But not necessarily! When you dry your skin,

the oil glands beneath the surface sometimes become

more active and make more oils. So wash your skin with

gentle soaps or cleansers, pat dry, and then apply a light

moisturizer to help slow down your oil-forming pores.

Avoid products that contain overdrying alcohols such

as ethyl alcohol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol.

Hands Off

When it comes to keeping acne away, it’s all about what

you put on your skin—and that includes your hands!

Some people think acne is related to what you eat, but

that’s true only if you touch your face with hands that

have touched food. So eating a greasy pizza won’t create

a pimple, but if you wipe your greasy hands on your face,

a zit could follow.

If you do have pimples,

DON’T PICK. Even if you

think the bumps might

look better if they were a

little flatter, popping a zit

could create new problems.

The picked area becomes

even more irritated and can

get infected—this can

mean an obvious scab or,

worse, a permanent scar.