Are Pimples Starting Younger?

Adolescent acne (above) is becoming more common.

Welcome back to my general dermatology blog. Although I do not perform cosmetic dermatology procedures, I often see patients with questions about these services. One popular topic, especially among teenagers, is how to treat acne.

Acne vulgaris is a human skin disease characterized by pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and sometimes scarring. Skin areas that are most frequently affected are those with dense sebaceous follicles, including the face, back, and top half of the chest. Conventional wisdom is that acne occurs most commonly during adolescence and continues in adulthood. Acne’s prevalence during the teenage years is attributed to an increase in testosterone, with testosterone levels typically dropping by age 25. I recently read an interesting article from NBC News that suggests more and more elementary school-aged children are developing pimples.

Recent anecdotes from dermatologists indicate that cases of pediatric acne are becoming more common, even in kids as young as 7. Doctors hypothesize that earlier onset puberty is to blame, as this process causes levels of pimple-producing adrenal androgens to increase. Dr. Andrea Zaenglein estimated in the article that she now sees 10-15 new pediatric acne cases each month. She responded by authoring a new set of guidelines for treating kids of all ages, which the American Academy of Pediatrics then endorsed. Zaenglein presented this information at the summer’s American Academy of Dermatology meeting, explaining that the principles of adolescent and preadolescent acne are the same and should both be treated aggressively to get symptoms under control.

Fortunately, parents of children with acne are more likely to make sure the child sticks to the dermatologist’s prescribed treatment plan. Parents should recognize that acne in adolescents is a major problem that could require professional care. Pre-teen acne can be an indicator of more severe acne in teenage years, so it is important to recognize the problem and get children the care they need.

Thanks for reading,

Sudhir Polisetty

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