There is always the so-called generation gap between a mother and a daughter. This is because the time and socio-economic realities are, of course, not exactly alike between them. In this day and age, parenting has become as challenging as ever. For one thing, how would a mother who didn’t grow up tweeting her every action respond to her daughter’s antics via the social network sites? How would a mother be able to guide the skin care regimen of a teenage daughter that belongs to the “selfie” (standard translation: vain) generation?
Indeed, inculcating the value of skin care from mother to teenage daughter is one of the clear challenges of modern parenting. The mother has to tread carefully so as not to damage the feelings and sensibilities of a teenage girl and at the same time provide her daughter with useful care and regimen information that may affect the daughter’s sense of beauty for the rest of her life. There is also the issue of giving wrong advices that may instead damage the daughter’s sensitive and tender skin. At this stage, skin care should really be just about cleaning the dirt off the top layer of skin – no strong astringents or moisturizer yet. No need to go the extra mile until a few more years later on, unless acne is a major concern or the dermatologist sees a major skin concern.
Rancho Mirage Dermatologist Dr. Wendy Roberts joins this interesting conversation, as chronicled in an article written by Jacqueline Rupp for DisneyFamily.com.
Share What You Know
Topnotch Dermatologist Dr. Roberts says a mother should only share skin care tips and treatments that she has a personal experience of or if the mother is sure of sharing such specific skin information. All other “unsure” information should be put on hold in the meantime until the mother or daughter gets to talk with a dermatologist. This is one of the things that a mother should emphasize to daughter: final word on the matter of skincare is on the professional with years of experience and proven capability as a skincare specialist. If the daughter experiences a potentially serious skin problem (meaning: it may lead to more trouble later on) such as the first acne breakouts, scheduling a session with a dermatologist should be in order.
Nonetheless, the mother should be able to manifest clearly to teen daughter the fundamental reason why she should practice proper skincare early on: the value of looking and feeling clean and beautiful for oneself, instead of satisfying the standards of any other people. It is thus a challenge for the mother to make her daughter discern the difference between too much vanity and genuine care for her well-being and confidence. Needless to say, the mother would have serious competitors on this area – especially as to what constitutes “proper” makeup – from the daughter’s confused friends and over-the-top magazines.
Evaluate Skin Type
Dr. Roberts says mothers should be able to communicate well – while not as fun as picking out lip gloss and trendy nail polish – that daughters should make it the main beauty priority to keep the skin healthy, especially on the face. Most importantly, the underlying health of the skin should be evaluated and the skin type be determined. For the double board certified dermatologist, determining the daughter’s skin type is important to assess the proper skin care to provide, as well as the accurate treatment to undertake if problems already persist. Dr. Roberts says that a teen’s skin condition may be normal, oily, dry, acne prone or sensitive – an example of sensitive skin is a teen with eczema.
Furthermore, it is also essential to consider the ethnic lineage in coming up with correct skincare regimen for a growing daughter. Popularly known as “The Roberts Skin Type Classification System”, Dr. Roberts herself has come up with a classification system for different skin types with the underlying principle that knowing one’s skin features and characteristics, she will know her skin’s strengths and vulnerabilities, basic skin care, and common problems to avoid.
Well-Rounded Concept
The mother should attempt to share to her daughter a well-rounded concept of beauty and skin care – instead of just all “makeups and being pretty”. True enough, there are other aspects of beauty beyond makeup, such as the right attitude, eye contact, posture and confidence. If it cannot be helped, a simple cosmetics kit for teens needs to consist of only a few items: lip liner, concealer and a subtle eyeliner. Moreover, the daughter has to be taught that achieving good skin complexion entails comprehensive lifestyle adjustments, including proper and nutritious diet, good sun safety routine, sufficient exercise and rest. And to keep that kind of healthy glowing skin, the daughter must know that it entails constant self care – including the removal of makeup before going to bed.
To know more about proper skin care for all ages and skin types, talk now with the topnotch dermatologist Dr. Roberts! Please schedule a consultation by calling us at (760) 346-4262 or via this Schedule Reservation Form.
