Stop Acne Breakouts – What Causes Acne and How To Prevent Pimples

April 7, 2010 by  
Filed under Skin Care

Can’t stop acne breakouts? Is it hard for you to understand why everyone around you has clear skin? You are not alone, because there are about 60 million other people wondering the same thing.

After doing some research, this is what I found to be the most common causes of acne:

1. Hormones: When you reach the age to go through puberty, you produce sex hormones known as androgen. This is one of the main reasons that acne is mostly seen on the faces of adolescents and teens. Hormones are also responsible for the acne breakouts during menstruation and pregnancy.

2. Extra Sebum: The sebaceous glands in your skin get stimulated by androgens, it produces extra sebum. The sebum then goes up your hair follicle toward the surface and mixes itself with bacteria and other dead skin cells that’s been shed from the lining of that follicle. This promotes clogging and causes what you would see on your face as acne.

3. Stress: Hormones are triggered during stress. Cortisol is one of those triggered hormones as well as others. The rise in these hormones makes the skin react by secreting more oil. Excess oil from the face will normally cause you to breakout.

4. Oily and/or Heavy Make up: Using make up is a great way to quickly clog your pores. Try to use make up that is non-comedogenic that is safe to use on your face. Be careful not to use any oily face products.

5. Diets: Different foods can effect different people in different ways. Understand which foods disagree with your system and cause acne so you can stay away from them.

6. Over Abrasive Cleansing: Do not wash your face in a rough manner. Be careful not to scratch or pop the pimples you already have on your face. Avoid harsh exfoliators and use other exfoliators that arent too rough.

7. Picking and Squeezing: Keep yourself from popping and picking at the acne on your face. This only makes your problem worse and promotes scarring. It can also possibly lead to infections.

8. Genetics: Acne is known to be passed down from generation to generation.

Now that you know what causes acne, how will youstop acne breakouts? Click to see the solution to your problem here…PreventingAcneOnline.com

What Really Causes Acne? 5 Common Myths

December 15, 2009 by  
Filed under Skin Care

Many myths persist today about what causes acne despite a lack of scientific evidence to support those myths.

By understanding what is causing your acne, you can take effective measures to treat it and keep it under control. Even though doctors are still not exactly sure what causes acne and why some people are not affected, there is more knowlegde and treatment options available today than in the past.

Here are 5 common myths about what causes acne:

Myth #1: Poor hygiene or dirty skin causes acne.

While bacteria in the skin is involved in the creation of acne, and antibiotics can help improve acne, lack of cleanliness is not the actual cause for the acne breakouts. Acne is caused by excess oil and dead skin cells that clog the pores and build up under the skin. Cleansing your skin of oil and debris with a gentle cleanser that kills the acne bacteria is important for preventing breakouts, but it’s not necessary to use harsh cleansers or abrasives. Scrubbing too hard or washing your face too often can irritate and dry out your skin, and can actually make your acne worse.

Myth #2: Breakouts are caused by fried foods or chocolate.

The myth that fast food and chocolate cause acne still persists today; yet there are no studies that have proven any food actually causes acne. Although no particular food has been proven to cause breakouts, some people can be sensitive to certain foods and may find their skin clears up when that food is avoided.

While your acne will most likely not simply disappear with a healthy diet, it is important to eat healthy foods that contain nutrients that support healthy skin. Some find improvement by avoiding meat and dairy products that contain hormones and switching to organic products.

Myth #3: Everyone outgrows bad skin and you don’t need to treat it.

There are a variety of acne treatment options available both over-the-counter and prescription medicines from a dermatologist. While many will find their acne improves or goes away completely with time, there is no reason to not treat it and prevent permanent scarring. Many will need to treat their skin continually well into adulthood because it will not simply go away with time.

Many unfortunate people find their skin gets worse or acne shows up for the first time in their twenties. This is called “adult acne” and can be difficult to treat. If severe, it needs to be treated aggressively to prevent scars because this skin condition cannot be cured but can be managed.

Myth #4: Makeup causes acne.

The first cosmetics were oil based and could definitely make acne worse, but today there are many makeup products that are created for acne prone skin. As long as you use make up that is oil-free and does not contain any other ingredients that can clog pores you can use makeup to help improve the appearance of your skin. Hiding blemishes and the redness of active acne can go a long ways towards improving your self-esteem as you work to control your acne. Be sure to read the labels and look for the term “noncomedogenic” which means the product does not cause comedones or acne from clogged pores. Another term you may see is “nonacnegenic” which is also safe for acne prone skin. Today there are even some makeup brands which include acne fighting ingredients that actually improve your skin!

Myth #5: Popping pimples will clear them up faster.

While its tempting to pop pimples in an attempt to get rid of them quickly, it can actually worsen acne by spreading the bacteria that is causing it. Popping acne cysts can cause the infection to spread in the deeper layers of the skin, damaging the skin which leads to scarring. In cases of severe acne, this scarring can be permanent. Acne cysts or painful nodules should be treated by a dermatologist who knows how to treat them safely.

By eliminating the common myths and learning what really is causing your acne, allows you to prevent future breakouts by treating your skin appropriately.

Looking for some anwers to Stubborn Acne? Visit Joy Byers’ skin care website Healthy Skin Resources and finally discover some Real Solutions for Acne.