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| Building Confidence with Clear Skin [ 9/29/2004 ] |
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Being an adolescent these days is hard enough without having to worry about the physical and psychological effects of acne. Just ask Debi Byrnes, a skin care therapist in North Hollywood, California. It was her own teenage struggle with acne that prompted her to start a non-profit organization to help educate young people on healthy skin and self-esteem. In the nearly three years since Byrnes has been instructing seventh and eight graders on treating skin problems at Madison Middle School in North Hollywood, where Byrnes attended junior high, her Clear Up Skin Care program has helped about 900 kids build confidence through education on skin health. "I've gotten some wonderful feedback from the kids," says Byrnes. "They've said things like 'You've changed my life. I've learned so much about acne. I'm going to be myself and be proud.'" Byrnes' classes consist of basic instruction about acne - what it is, how to identify it - as well as advice for treating it and how to overcome self-esteem issues resulting from skin problems. In addition to providing basic information on skin health, she offers product samples from Dermalogica, her partner in the program. Even though the kids' skin improves, Byrnes reaps the rewards. "Our intention is to help these young people because we suffered so much," she says. "If I can change the way one kid feels, it's worth it." Intrigued? Byrnes encourages skin care professionals who are interested in starting a teen acne program in their area to discuss the possibility with local schools and be ready to provide a suggested curriculum. Most important, she notes, you must be open to sharing your knowledge and expertise. "This is a program with heart. If I was trying to sell something it wouldn't work. All I'm doing is giving myself to the kids and if anyone wants to do that - the kids are open to it."
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