Tel/Fax: 080-3207-6191

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Catherine Meunier is a family medicine physician and genetic counsellor who was trained in Montreal, Canada. Her areas of particular interest are pediatrics and women’s health. She is the mother of a 5 year old son and a 2 1/2 year old daughter and has been living in Tokyo for the last 9 months.

All Articles
Autism
Biting 101
Breastfeading: Mothers Mik
Child Support Services
Child’s Play
Chores
Cooking With Kids
F.Prac: Acne
F.Prac: Antibiotics
F.Prac: Breast Cancer Awareness
F.Prac: Flu Vaccine
F.Prac: Letter to the Expert
F.Prec: Asthma
Get Reading
Jet Lag
Kindergarten Entry
Making New Friends
Molluscum Contagiosum
Mother Knows Best: It’s My Baby
Music Therapy
Paperwork Procedures
Positive Guidance (part 3)
Positive Guidance (part 2)
Relo: Activities for teens
Relo: Did you know (p1)
Relo: Did you know (p1)
Relo: Ward Offices
Saving Breastfeeding
Sleep in Babies
Soothers (p1)
Soothers (p2)
Speech: Baby Signs
Speech: Bilingual Kids (p1)
Speech: Bilingual Kids (p2)
Speech: Creative Stupidity
Speech: Language Development
Speech: Speech & Language
Speech:...not "talking" yet?
Stanger Danger
Stress in children
Tooth Decay

Q: “My adolescent has acne”

A: “Unfortunate, but it will pass!”

Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disorder, often affecting adolescents between the ages of 11 and 20. The rapid rise of pubertal hormones causes an elevated level of oil in sebaceous glands of the skin, which when trapped, gets infected by a bacteria leading to inflammation. There are various degrees of manifestations ranging from closed pores (whiteheads), to open ones (blackheads), all the way to painful cysts. A careful history identifying aggravating factors (medications, cosmetics, stress, too much washing, “picking,” menstruation, etc) is useful. No single factor is responsible for acne and the severity and duration vary greatly from one person to the other. There are several treatment options and each must be tailored to the needs of the patient.

Acne should be considered a medical condition, warranting early consultation and care. Patient education is crucial, aiming at dissipating common myths and maintaining a positive body image. There is no validated scientific evidence that a poor diet causes acne. Poor hygiene also does not “cause” acne; however, washing gently with tepid water, twice a day does help to avoid unnecessary irritation. Stress, on the other hand, increases certain hormone levels, in turn, aggravating acne. Successful treatment decreases stress, thus positively impacting acne control.

Remember that any treatment must be followed and adjusted regularly and that it may take up to 8 weeks to see any improvements. Most importantly, acne can be improved and controlled in most patients, and early intervention may increase your child’s quality of life.