Know Your Acne

All of us have glands that produce oil to keep our skin from becoming dry and flaky. However, sometimes, our oil glands overproduce! This is what commonly causes acne.

Oil is a natural lubricant that protects the skin. Acne is caused when changes in one's hormonal levels cause the oil glands to produce excess amount of oil. The opening of the hair follicles gets blocked when dead skin cells mix with the extra oil, thus inciting the multiplication of bacteria that resides in the skin. The skin gets irritated by these bacteria and ends up inflaming the surrounding tissues. This gives rise to bumps on the surface of the skin in the form of whiteheads, blackheads and pimples.

Quite obviously, more the number of oil glands, more the chances of overproduction and more acne! Therefore, acne is usually found in areas such as the forehead, the face, the chest and the back. Your forehead itself consists of more than 20,000 oil glands, so you can well imagine the number in the rest of the acne-prone areas!

The common belief is that only teenagers get acne! If you are one of the common believers, hold on! Acne can appear in adults and children alike, so a proper skin care regimen is always helpful.

Acne is treated by a dermatologist, a doctor who treats diseases of the skin, hair and nails.

The exact cause of acne is unknown, but experts believe it results from several factors. One of the major causes is the rise in the levels of a hormone called androgen, higher levels of which are usually found in adolescents.

There are certain other factors that may not directly cause acne but may worsen it:

An integral component of the prevention and treatment of acne is discussion of the facts and expulsion of the myths.

Fact: Just like beauty is not skin-deep, acne, though a cosmetic condition, affects the individual's personality and the way he/she interacts with their environment. Many a times, it is known to be a cause of severe depression, which can leave permanent emotional scars along with the physical ones. Therefore, the sooner one stops saying "Oh! It's just acne, it'll pass", the better it is. Get the proper treatment and maintain a disciplined skin care regimen, irrespective of the varied viewpoints from family and friends.

Fact: People often believe that acne is a common phenomenon during the teenage years and eventually the sufferer will grow out of it! Wrong Prediction! Waiting for the acne to automatically disappear will only worsen the condition and result in scarring. The effects are not only physical but also emotional - mainly, the loss of self-esteem and confidence due to extreme peer pressure to look good.

Moreover, adults with acne issues often feel embarrassed to seek medical advice due to the above myth. They feel that there's something wrong with them to be suffering from acne at their age. The fact is that this kind of a skin predicament can arise at any age and the wise thing to do is to seek professional advice on the right kind of treatment for one's condition.

As long as the products used are labelled non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic they won't cause breakouts. If you've had moderate-to-severe acne, talk to your doctor or dermatologist about the best cosmetics to use – he or she may recommend avoiding cosmetics altogether or only using certain brands so that your acne isn't aggravated.

Fact: Good quality cosmetics are most often non-comedogenic, meaning; they don't clog your pores. Always remember to shop for make-up that is non-comedogenic, oil-free (water-based) and hypoallergenic (no added fragrance). However, aggressive exercising may lead to the makeup migrating from across the outer layers of your skin into the deep pores; so, avoid heavy cosmetics even if they are of good quality while working out.

Fact: While regular exercising and keeping fit is a vital part of having a healthy lifestyle, a vigorous or heavy work-out regimen could lead to break-outs for some people. This is because exercising leads to increased oil production, which, when combined with heat, perspiration and friction, tends to aggravate acne on the forehead, chest and back.

To minimize this irritation, try and wear loose cotton clothing during the workout. Try and shower immediately after your workout. Better still, instead of sweating out in the gym, get the required exercise in the swimming pool! Not only is swimming equally strenuous but also gives you the necessary workout without the friction, heat and perspiration.

Fact: For more than 30 years, over-the-counter products have been making the claim that a dab of medicine directly on the pimple will clear up acne. Even if this were true, since pimples take 2 to 3 weeks to develop, you're treating an old symptom of the problem rather than the problem itself. The best way to treat acne is to stop the blemishes from developing in the first place - which means treating the whole face or area every day, even when you don't have pimples.