"Hi. I'm only 12 and I already am dealing with breakouts. There are few of my friends dealing with this problem and I'm terrified that I'm going to have acne all through my teen years. Is there something that I can start doing now to my skin to help get rid of this acne and keep it from being a problem as I get older? " - Terrified in Tulsa

Dear Terrified,

First of all, take a deep breath. There's no need to be terrified, especially with all the great acne treatment options that are available today. Although you may be the only one of your friends dealing with acne right now, more than likely their day will come, since many teens experience this skin problem. However, it's not the end of the world and there are things that you can do to take care of your skin to avoid having further acne problems.

Washing your face is imperative if you want to get rid of the acne. If you haven't been washing your face, you need to start. However, don't think you need to scrub, since scrubbing can cause more problems for your skin. Skin should be gently washed with warm water and a cleanser that is gentle twice each day, and if you exercise then you should wash again.

Washing your hair is important too. If you're not washing your hair every day, then it's time to change your shower habits. Your hair often has a lot of oil and it can end up getting on your face, clogging the pores and causing more acne breakouts. Just shampooing every day can be a huge help for you.

Keep your hands off your skin. Your hands are usually covered in bacteria and you don't want that on your face, so avoid touching your face as much as possible. Also, don't try popping those pimples. You could end up damaging the skin so much that it leaves a scar or you could spread the bacteria and oil, causing more pimples to form - and I'm sure that's not something you want.

I'm not sure if you're wearing makeup or not, but if you are, you need to be careful about the makeup you are wearing. Always make sure that you wash it off at night, even though you may not feel like taking the time. Make sure that you look carefully when you're buying makeup too to make sure that it is water based makeup without oil that will clog your skin.

These simple things can really help you to clear up your skin; however, they may not totally be the answer to curing the problem. You may need a good treatment product, like Exposed Skin Care, to really help you get rid of the acne and keep it from coming back again.