Acne: Causes and Solutions

Posted by acnetips

During the early years of growing up, acne affects nearly everybody. Some people manage to remain mostly acne free, for others it sets in quite badly. 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 causes behind acne

Acne occurs when pores becomes blocked by a oil known as 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. When going though the various stages of growing up, the body’s hormone levels can spike and cause it to manufacture more Sebum than it requires. The most frequent place acne occurs is in the ‘T zone’ which is the forehead, nose and chin. This is where most people get pimples.

As soon as the pores become blocked, the Sebum begins to collect behind the blockage. Most often, you see “whiteheads” appear in these areas, which is an inflamed area surrounding a small white “capsule.” “Blackheads” are a variant of whiteheads, they are simply whiteheads that turn dark after dirt gets into them. Much to people’s surprise, whiteheads only become pimples once bacteria enters and infects the whitehead.

Essential Tips for Acne Care

Giving your face a good scrub a few times a day will not stop acne. In fact, because acne is usually caused by overproduction of Sebum, over-cleansing areas by scrubbing too hard can actually make the problem worse, because you’ll stimulate more oil production. The extra oil production, along with the irritation caused by the over-scrubbing, can actually make pimples worse.

Steps you can take to control acne

Do wash your face twice a day with warm water and soap specifically designed for acne. It is critical here that you DO NOT SCRUB! Instead of scrubbing, massage the soap in circles over the affected areas taking care not to further inflame the irritated area.

After you clean your face, apply a mild over-the-counter lotion with benzoyl peroxide, which will kill bacteria and lower oil production. Many of these lotions also contain moisturizer, which is good for your face, because having a mild anti-acne lotion that nonetheless moisturizes will help keep acne at bay.

Some things to avoid

Do not use just any moisturizer, only use moisturizers that are specifically designed to treat and combat acne.

These oil-based moisturizers can make your acne worse. DO use moisturizers specifically made for oily skin and/or those that contain benzoyl peroxide.

Avoid popping pimples.

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

Avoid touching your face unless you know for a fact that your hands are clean.

While it can be tempting, you must not touch your face with dirty hands however, you will have to touch your face to undertake washing. Transferring more bacteria to your face isn’t cool when you already have an acne outbreak on your hands.

Tight clothing is a no-no and you must be vigilant to keep your glasses or sunglasses clean.

Tight clothing (including even such things as headbands or scarves) can cause acne breakouts on the skin. The bridge of your nose is in constant contact with glasses or sunglasses, which is why its important to keep them clean. If you choose not to do this, you will be re-introducing old bacteria to your most acne susceptible areas.

People wearing make up should remove it before going to sleep.

Buying water based makeup will be a step in the right direction. Keep your eyes peeled to ensure that it is labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic”.

Ensure that your hair is kept away from your face.

If you hair is in constant contact with your face, it will carry around and spread bacteria to other susceptible parts of your face.

Lastly, if you are still still having trouble with acne outbreaks, you should book an appointment with a dermatologist. Because they are a specialist in the field, they will be able to work out a good solution for your specific needs. 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 solutions for acne.

Tags: acne cure, Acne Skin Care, acne solution, acne solutions, ance care