What Are The Causes Of Acne?
Most people will experience the reality of acne at some time in their life.It seems to be an inevitable part of adolescence, almost a rite of passage.Acne is widely considered as one of the most troublesome parts of the entire growing up process.If you understand what causes acne, you have taken the first, vital step to learning how to minimize it’s effect.
What causes acne?
The physical structure of your facial skin offers an insight into the causes of acne.The surface of your skin can have millions of tiny hairs growing up through millions of tiny openings called pores.These pores are structured in such a way that they provide the escape route for oil produced by the sebaceous glands. This oil is known as sebum.
Sebum helps to keep normal, non-acne skin healthy by keeping it smooth and moisturized.It does this by working it’s way up through the pore until it reaches the skin surface.Sebum performs a vital cleansing role by helping sweep away bacteria and dead skin cells, whilst also keeping your skin moist. It is sort of like nature’s way of getting rid of the “garbage” that inevitably gathers on your skin.
The result of any interruption to this natural process is acne.The body starts to produce increasing quantities of hormones and other substances during adolescence and it will take time for it to learn how to appropriately process them.Developing acne during this learning process is very common, hormone imbalances are rarely good news for your skin.
How acne actually forms
When your body produces extra hormones, it causes the sebaceous glands under the skin to produce much more sebum than before. Additionally, these hormones can cause the pores of your skin to have a much more difficult time getting rid of the dead skin cells that naturally occur.A clogged pore is the end result, an ideal environment for bacteria to flourish, leaving you with swelling, inflammation, infection, and skin tenderness.
After this a variety of different acne lesions start to form on your skin, whiteheads, blackheads and pimples being particularly common.Together all these lesions are affectionately known as acne, something only the lucky few will avoid.
Living and dealing with acne
While there is no way to 100% get rid of acne problems, there are a number of things you can do to make living with it and dealing with it easier. These include:
• Cleanse your skin – Use a gentle facial cleanser twice per day to help get rid of excess oils, dead skin cells, and bacteria.Be careful not to irritate your skin by rubbing or scrubbing your skin. This can lead to more acne.
• Apply anti-acne medication – Not all medications require a prescription. There are excellent options available over the counter.Inhibiting the production of sebum, the amount of bacteria on your skin and improving the dead skin removal process are the main benefits of these medications.
• Moisturize your skin – Avoid letting your skin get too dry and you will find your acne problems diminishing. Choose an oil-free moisturizer that is very light in texture.
Now that you know the causes of acne you are in a position to make informed choices.You now have the correct information to deal with your acne problems, make sure you apply it!
