About Acne
Learn about Acne and what to do about it. Whether you think you have it or you're not sure, check with a dermatologist or read the information below to keep your skin in good health.
Acne or acne vulgaris (common acne) is a problem for people from ages 10 through 40. Many women especially, get acne in the mid to late twenties even if they’ve never had a breakout or haven’t had one for years. The good news is that acne can be treated or outgrown by anyone in most cases.
Acne can appears on the face as:
congested
pores ("comedones")
whiteheads
blackheads
pimples (or "zits")
pustules
cysts (deep pimples, or boils). The pus in the pustules and cysts are sterile and do not actually contain infectious bacteria.
The blemishes above occur wherever there are many oil (sebaceous) glands, mostly located on the face, chest, and back.
You can treat acne yourself with products available at a drugstore or cosmetic counter that do not require a prescription. However, for tougher cases of acne, you should consult a physician for treatment options.
About Acne Causes
No one factor causes acne. Acne occurs when oil (sebaceous) glands come alive around the time of puberty. They are stimulated by male hormones from the adrenal glands in both boys and girls.
The natural substance, Sebum (oil) lubricates and protects the skin, and under certain circumstances, cells that are close to the surface block the openings of sebaceous glands and cause a buildup of the oil underneath. This oil then stimulates bacteria (which live on everyone's skin and generally cause no problems) to multiply and cause surrounding tissues to become inflamed.
Inflammation near the skin's surface produces a pustule, which is a deeper inflammation that results in a papule (pimple). If the inflammation goes deeper still, it becomes a cyst. If the oil breaks though to the surface, the result is a whitehead and if the oil accumulates melanin pigment or becomes oxidized, the oil changes from white to black, and the result is a blackhead. Blackheads are therefore not dirt, and do not reflect poor hygiene as some people might think.
Here
are some factors
about acne that are attributed to acne breakouts. However
alone, they are not normally a cause:
- Heredity: Although
most people have had some form of acne in their lives, it's not true
that people inherit the same type of acne their parents had, except
mayfor for very sever cases of acne.
- Food:
Avoiding pizza, chocolate, greasy and fried foods, and junk
food will not prevent acne. While these foods may not be good for
general health, they will not cause acne or make it worse. Although
some recent studies have implicated milk and dairy products in
aggravating acne, these findings are not yet established as fact.
- Dirt: As mentioned above, "blackheads" are oxidized oil, not dirt. Sweat doesn't cause acne, therefore, it is not necessary to shower excessively or right after sweating to prevent the sweat from clogging pores. However, excessive washing can dry and irritate the skin.
- Stress: Some people
get so upset by their pimples that they pick at them and make them last
longer. Stress, however, does not play much of a direct
role in causing acne.
- Hormones: Some women
break out cyclically, but most women (and men) don't. Oral
contraceptives may help relieve acne, but unless a woman has
abnormal menstrual periods and excessive hair growth, it's unlikely
that hormones play much of a role in causing acne. Pregnancy
can have an effect on acne. It just depends
upon the individual.
- Cosmetics: Most cosmetic and skin-care products are not pore-clogging ("comedogenic"). Of the many available brands, those which are listed as "water-based" or "oil-free" are generally a better choice.
Areas
of aggravation to acne in some people who have it:
- Pressure: Acne can be
aggravated by certain restrictions on the skin caused by
collars, scarves, chinstraps, etc.
- Drugs: If you are
taking certain medications they may worsen acne if you have it.
Watch out for those containing iodides, bromides, or
oral or injected steroids (either the medically prescribed prednisone
or the steroids that bodybuilders or athletes take). Also
anticonvulsant medications and lithium used to treat bipolar disorder.
Be assured that most cases of acne are not drug-related.
- Occupations: In some
jobs, exposure to industrial products like cutting oils may produce
acne.
Basically for an acne cure the focus should remain upon the following three steps steps for home treatment or prescription therapy. You will need to:
(1) unclog pores, (2) kill bacteria, and (3) minimize oil.
-In Conclusion of About
Acne:
Your Everyday Lifestyle: Be moderate in all things. Get at least eight to six hours sleep, three well balanced meals or six small healthy meals and six to eight glasses of water a day.
If your schedule is difficult and irregular, do your best to take your general health seriously. You can also apply hot compresses to pustules and cysts, Never pick or squeeze pimples. Playing with or popping pimples, no matter how careful and clean you are, nearly always makes bumps stay redder and bumpier longer. People often refer to redness as "scarring," but it is usually temporary, taking months to face away if left alone.
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About Acne Related Links
-Organic
Skin Care
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Preventative Care
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On Acne Care
-Emotional
Acne Scarring
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