What is acne?
Acne refers to skin bumps or lesions on the skin resulting from clogged and irritated pores.
Where does acne come from?
Basically acne has one root cause. Clogged and irritated pores. A buildup of bacteria in the skin caused by overproduction of oil – sebum which is secreted from hair follicles moves to the skin pores and lubricates the skin. But sometimes the oil glands produce an excess sebum which gets trapped in the hair follicles and clog the pores. These clogged pores permit bacteria to grow and sometimes results in acne.
What causes pores to become clogged and irritated?
There are many reasons for this. Here are some:
Heredity factors that simply cause the overproduction of oil on the skin. So, if your family members had acne, there is a good chance that you will develop it too.
Hormonal imbalances – this is common in teenagers, females just a couple days before their periods and women who are pregnant.
Improper Hygiene – sometimes people don’t wash well or fail to wash off the soap properly from their face or body. Keeping sweat on the body for long periods of time can cause acne.
Poor beauty products – some products with a lot of petroleum don’t allow the skin to breathe and this results in clogged pores when the oil can’t escape easily to the surface. These are sometimes called comedogens. These can be shampoos, conditioners and other hair products that trickle down the face and body as you use them.
Ingrown hair – hair pushes out and loops back into the skin and causes infection.
Food and Drugs – can cause the oil glands to overproduce oil that the skin cannot deal with. Some common kind of these foods and drugs are called halogens. The offending halogens are in 4 groups. Bromides, Chlorides, Fluorides and Iodides. Common things that contain these halogens are cough syrups, asthma medications, mouth washes, toothpaste, salt, seafood, chocolate, processed foods, and vitamin B12. Acne caused by halogens occurs mostly around the mouth.
How Can I rid myself of Acne?
Try to determine what kind of acne you have. For example if the acne is around your mouth area, some food or drug may be causing it. Try to determine what the food or drug is by eliminating it for a period and seeing what happens.
If you know that you are guilt of improper hygiene, make a pact with yourself to improve and find products to support you in your new cleansing routine. If the cause is clearly hormonal, you can try to manage the outbreak as soon as it starts. Find an appropriate acne treatment product that will assist.
Once you are able to establish what’s causing your acne, find some effective products that will support your treatment and develop a regimen that you can stick with and implement it. If you suffer from aggressive, large cystic acne, find a dermatologist for proper diagnosis and care.
Whatever you do, don’t allow acne to ruin your moods and your life. Many people including myself have sought treatment and successfully found an effective acne treatment.
