Features of peeling in children and adolescents

Pros and cons of peeling

2023-06-23

Today, teenagers, voluntarily or under the influence of their parents, often become patients of dermatocosmetologists and, of course, do not bypass such a popular procedure as peeling. Nevertheless, the specialist must remember that the indications for the use of peeling in adolescents are significantly less than in people of mature age, so before prescribing such a procedure, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Sergey Ostapchuk, dermatocosmetologist, certified trainer at Toskanicosmetics (Spain), head of the "Peeling, contouring" department at Karse (Kyiv)

Teenage acne and peels

The most important indications for peeling in children and adolescents are: seborrhea, acne, post-acne, xerosis, ichthyosis, post-traumatic skin defects. However, the leading position among the indications for the use of peels in adolescents is occupied by seborrhea, acne and post-acne. Exfoliation allows you to quickly reduce hyperkeratosis, reduce enlarged pores, even out the texture of the epidermis. By reducing the density of horny plugs at the mouth of the follicles, extraction is facilitated comedones, which makes the cleaning procedure less painful and traumatic. In addition, by facilitating the secretion of fat (not to be confused with fat production!) Prevention of the formation of large comedones and cysts is carried out.

During puberty, the sebaceous and sweat glands work very intensively. With the release of sweat, the pores of the skin open, and sebum freely comes out. At the same time, it neutralizes the acidic environment of the skin and creates favorable conditions for the vital activity of various microorganisms that cause acne, pustules and acne.

Acne is one of the most common dermatoses occurring in adolescence. At the same time, it is in young people that acne is the cause of the development of psycho-emotional disorders due to the occurrence of serious cosmetic skin defects.

The prevalence of juvenile acne, according to current data, ranges from 20-30% in the age group of 10-12 years to 75-90% in the age group of 16-18 years. The highest incidence of acne in girls is observed at the age of 14-16 years, and in boys - at 16-17 years. At the same time, in 25% of these patients, after the resolution of acne, cicatricial changes in the skin are found.

The occurrence of acne in puberty occurs due to an increase in androgenic and enzymatic activity of the skin, which causes stimulation of previously inactive sebaceous glands. Excess sebum with a disturbed qualitative composition leads to the development of seborrhea, which, along with other factors, contributes to acne. However, in patients with acne, there is a slowdown in the rejection of keratinocytes at the mouth of the sebaceous hair follicle. This leads to blockage of the duct by horny masses and the formation of comedones. In conditions of violation of the outflow of sebum, anaerobic flora - Propionibacterium acnes - begins to actively multiply.

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