Acne: Causes and Solutions

Posted on March 30, 2009
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That scourge of adolescence, acne, hits just about everyone at some time or another. For some people, it’s particularly severe. There are a number of things to know about acne which can help most people avoid acne and reduce how much it affects them.

The main causes of acne

Acne happens when pores become clogged with oil called sebum. Normally, Sebum lubricates skin and hair to optimal levels of that they stay soft and smooth but not greasy or oily, as long as proper hygiene is followed. However, during puberty, hormones surge and can cause the skin to produce more Sebum than it needs, which can cause acne. The most frequent place acne occurs is in the ‘T zone’ which is the forehead, nose and chin. This is where acne usually strikes first and the hardest.

Blocked pores quickly become inflamed and the Sebum starts backing up. This usually appears as a small white collection under the skin – more commonly referred to as “whiteheads.” At times, the top of the whitehead will turn darker and become whats known as a “bleackhead.” The whitehead only becomes a pimple after the whitehead becomes infected with bacteria.

Essential Tips for Acne Care

Giving your face a good scrub a few times a day will not stop acne. Washing and scrubbing regularly will clean and cleanse the pores, however this will have the side effect of stimulating more oil production from the washed regions of skin. The extra oil production, along with the irritation caused by the over-scrubbing, can actually make pimples worse.

Acne control made easy

Washing your face gently twice a day with specialized acne soap will remove cleanse the pores without increasing Sebum levels. DON’T SCRUB. Instead of scrubbing, massage the soap in circles over the affected areas taking care not to further inflame the irritated area.

Lowering oil production and killing bacteria after this is essential, so make sure you apply a lotion that contains benzoyl peroxide, which will do just that. Most of these lotions also have moisturizer, which assists in moisturizing and preventing the regrowth and spread of acne.

Things acne sufferers should avoid

Don’t use an off the shelf moisturizer unless it has been made specifically for acne treatment or recommended by your dermatologist.

Other creams will only server to make your acne worse. DO take advantage of moisturizers that are specifically designed with ance sufferes in mind.

Resist the urge to pop pimples.

Not only can this make the problem worse because it can spread the infection, but it can also cause permanent scarring.

Don’t touch your face unless your hands are clean.

Of course, you have to touch your face when you’re washing it with clean hands, for example, but don’t touch your face throughout the day with hands that are not clean. Transferring more bacteria to your face isn’t cool when you already have an acne outbreak on your hands.

Don’t wear tight clothing, and keep glasses and sunglasses clean.

Clothing that is tight or constricting (even headbands and scarves) pushes oil back into the pores and causes oil buildup. The bridge of your nose is in constant contact with glasses or sunglasses, which is why its important to keep them clean. Not doing this will cause re-infections with bacteria from previous usage.

Anyone wearing makeup should clean it off before going to bed.

Make sure your makeup is labeled as being water-based. This will indicate that it is “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic on the label.

Ensure that your hair is kept away from your face.

Having hair touching your face can aggravate and spread acne to more areas of your face.

If you have tried these techniques and are still being plagued by acne, you should book a consultation with a dermatologist. He or she will have treatments and other options available for you if you can’t seem to keep it under control with normal methods. However, for most people, they will be able to keep their acne in check by following the tips listed above.

To find out more, visit a page on acne cures.

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