Acne

What is acne?

The world of acne is surrounded by both fact and fiction. The ability to differentiate between the truth and the many available myths will empower you to fight off acne effectively and from the very root of the problem.

Acne is a genetic disease which is passed on from generation to generation. If your parents suffered from acne when they were young then chances are that you will too. There are many types of acne. The most common type is called acne vulgaris which regularly affects teens or adolescents (both during and after puberty) and is typically referred to as pimples or zits. Acne vulgaris has been known to affect as many as 85 % of all teenagers but can also affect a lot of adults. In fact, in recent years there has been an increase of young adults -- mostly in their mid twenties -- that have begun seeking medical treatment for acne. Acne vulgaris will usually attack the upper part of the neck and the face first but it can also make its way to the back, the shoulders and the chest.

Other types of acne include:

• Acne Cosmetica: This is acne caused by certain kinds of make-up or cosmetics
• Acne medicamentosa: Certain drugs have acne as a side effect. When acne forms after beginning or after finishing a medical treatment it is called acne medicamentosa.
• Cystic acne: In severe cases acne may form as small cysts.
• etc.

How is acne formed?

This is how pimples occur. Our skin has pores. Within those pores you find a type of gland called the sebaceous gland. That gland naturally produces an oily substance called sebum which is made up of lipids (or fat). A certain amount of sebum is normal and good. Sebum helps protects our skin and makes us waterproof, otherwise our pores would absorb any water or liquids it came in contact with and this would be very harmful for us. Sebum also keeps our skin moist and prevents it from cracking or becoming excessively dry. Unfortunately our sebaceous glands sometimes go overboard and produce way too much sebum; this is especially true during puberty.

Our skin is also continuously producing new cells to replace old or dying ones. We wash away the dead cells whenever we shower or clean ourselves. However, if too much sebum is produced, dead or shedding cells will sometimes stick to the sebum and clog up our pores or hair follicles. When a pore collapses any more sebum that is produced within it won’t be able to escape. If this happens a pimple will inevitably come out.

Acne Myths

There are many myths about acne. Below we will deal with some of the most widely accepted ones.

a) If you wash your face a lot, you won’t break out as much. Wrong! A clean face will indeed help keep it free of dirt and superficial oil but the fact remains that when it comes to pimples your pores become blocked from the inside out, not from the outside in. Too much washing may even produce the opposite effect and create more pimples. Why? Because excessive washing can irritate your skin to the point where it will actually help clog up more pores rather than open them. Dermatologists recommend that when it comes to treating acne you should only wash your face two times a day and do it in a gentle circular manner using mild soap and water.

b) Poor Hygiene will cause Acne. Nope! Acne is not caused by dirt. In fact, acne first originates deep within the follicle channel where it is almost impossible to clean.

c) Getting a tan will clear up your face. Wrong again! It may seem to you that your face starts to clear up after you’ve been out in the sun for a while but this is only temporary. Too much sun will actually dry up and irritate the skin. Highly irritated skin is more likely to become clogged up at the pores. Thus in the long run, excessive sun bathing may actually contribute to more acne outbreaks instead of combating them. Taking in excessive ultraviolet rays will make you age much faster and can also put you at risk of getting skin cancer.

d) Masturbation will cause acne outbreaks. There is no evidence of this being true.

e) All make-up produces pimples. Some make-up does and some make-up doesn’t. Just make sure you’re buying the right type: look for the word nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic on the label.

f) Popping a zit will make it disappear forever. Popping a zit may actually push the bacteria deeper within the dermis and this will only aggravate the problem. Furthermore, it may potentially produce scars that may never go away.

g) Eating greasy foods or chocolate will always worsen your condition; Everyone’s body is different. Some people claim to have outbreaks after consuming fatty foods or chocolate, some people don’t. It is simply important to learn to listen to your own body. If a certain type of food worsens your condition, avoid it. If it doesn’t, then why torture yourself?

h) Doubling up on your acne medicine will make it go away faster. Taking more acne medicine than you need may produce serious side affects and it may not alleviate your condition at all. It is important to follow your doctor’s instructions thoroughly.

i) etc., etc...