This weekend, a story in USA Today connected the spots between two growing trends - the number of pre-teens with acne, and the number of kids who experience early puberty. From the article:
"It is common for 9- to 11-year-olds to have early acne, and sometimes this can be quite significant," says Lawrence Eichenfield, chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. The earlier onset of acne has been linked to the start of puberty at younger ages, he says.
Boys are experiencing puberty six months to two years earlier, according to a study last year in the journal Pediatrics, and a 2010 study found that the percentage of girls who had breast development at ages 7 and 8 is greater than for girls born 10 to 30 years earlier.
Holly MacCormick is a writing intern in the medical school’s Office of Communication & Public Affairs. She is a graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California-Santa Cruz.
Previously: Will eating candy or fatty foods cause acne?, Natural product found in coconut oil, human milk could help fight acne and Can telemedicine work for dermatology patients?
Photo by rachel a. k.
