Beauty Tips - Acne Control
Acne Skin Care Tips To Gain Control Over Your Acne.
Wednesday
We get a lot of questions about how to best deal with blemishes. Harsh medications, completely natural remedies and everything in between exist. The reason why there are SO many products is that it’s an extremely complicated issue and unfortunately not everything works for everybody. Take heart though! There is a solution for you; it’s just a matter of being patient and finding the right one.
Let’s start by understanding what acne is
Simply put, acne occurs when the skin produces an excess of oil which sticks to dead skin cells and forms a plug over a pore or follicle. Bacteria start to build under it and the body sends white blood cells to fight off the infection and inflammation. This results in everyone’s favorite….the “whitehead” or pustule. Blackheads are similar, only they’re open. So the oils have just collected in the oil duct (yummy…) and they start to oxidize and darken.
A pimple can be in the works for a couple of weeks before it decides to make itself known. Acne varies in degrees from mild (a few spots here and there) through to severe cystic acne (large, painful nodules that cover most of the area affected), and can occur on arms, chest, backs and shoulders.
Who gets acne?
Acne can pretty much affect anyone at any age. Women who’ve gone most of their lives with clear skin can find that pregnancy or menopause makes their skin go crazy. Or some just suffer from it during the already tempestuous teenage years and then clear right up. A large percentage of adults experience an onset in their 20’s and 30’s now.
Why do we get acne?
Isn’t that the million dollar question? There can be many factors that contribute to acne, sometimes even a combination of them. Some of them linked to acne are:
- Hereditary: There is a tendency for acne to run in families, so thank your parents!
- Hormones: Over production of the oil glands can be influenced by the hormone androgen.
- Puberty, menstrual cycles and pregnancy increase sensitivity to it, resulting in more breakouts during those times, also be aware of medications that cause an increase of hormone production.
- Build up of skin cells: If the dead skin cells don’t shed properly, they stick around and create places for bacteria and oil to buildup.
- Bacteria: Acnes is the culprit. It thrives without oxygen, so those pores filled with oil and skin cells are a perfect breeding ground.
- Makeup: Makeup can clog the skin, due to talk and fillers in every day cosmetics.
It isn’t caused by dirt or a lack of hygiene. The jury is still out on whether or not diet affects your skin. But diet affects most things about our body, so it doesn’t hurt to be responsibly and eat a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water.
