Acne, afflicting most people!
Acne is a common skin condition that afflicts most people, to a varying degree, during the teen years. However, the disease is by no means restricted to this age group; adults in their 20's or 30's may have acne. Don't think that because acne is common, treatment is unnecessary. Waiting to "outgrow" acne can be a serious mistake. Medical treatment can improve your appearance and self esteem, and prevent the development of lifelong scars.
The Cause of Acne
Acne is actually caused by a combination of several factors:
- Rising hormone levels during adolescence cause enlargement and over activity of the oil glands i n the skin.
- The canals that bring this oil to the surface become blocked with keratin (a protein that is part o f the skin).
- When these oil glands are overactive and the canals are blocked, the bacteria that normally l ive on the skin and in the oil multiply, and inflame the skin.
Cleansing and Cosmetics
Even though you may be told to wash frequently, acne is not a disease caused by dirt. For example, the blackness of a blackhead is not dirt, but is due to the accumulation of the normal skin pigment in the oil gland ducts. Wash your face with a mild antibacterial soap recommended by your dermatologist twice a day. If one's skin is very oily, it may be washed more often. Over washing or scrubbing tends to irritate the skin and will make acne worse. Therefore, do not use any abrasive cleaners or cleansing pads. Shampooing is also important in acne therapy. The oilier your hair is, the more often you should shampoo it. Also, it is best to keep hair off the face as much as possible to avoid hair oils. For covering blemishes, many preparations have been formulated to match skin color. These cosmetics should be water based (i.e. the first ingredient on the label should be water). Greasy applications such as Vaseline, cocoa butter, cold cream, and vitamin E oil should be avoided. If the face is dry, your dermatologist can recommend a moisturizer for your type skin.
Diet
A generation ago, it was widely believed that greasy type foods aggravated acne. Since then, well-controlled studies have shown that in the great majority of people there is no relationship between diet and acne. So in addition to a well balanced diet, pizza, fried foods, chocolate, potato chips, and soft drinks may be eaten. If you are allergic to any of these, or they do not agree with you, don't eat them.
Treatment of Acne
Acne need not be feared as something untreatable. In recent years many effective forms of therapy have been developed. Dermatologists want to prevent scars that acne can leave. Years of untreated acne can leave a lifelong imprint on a person's face and can have an effect on his or her self-image. While acne may not be curable, it is usually controllable. Since acne has many forms, your dermatologist designs an individual approach to care for successful control. Thus, the course of therapy will vary according to such factors as type of acne, it's severity and extent, and the patient's day-to-day activities.
Mild acne is treated with one or a combination of creams and solutions. The purpose of these topical medicines is to prevent new blemishes from forming. Therefore, apply these all over your affected areas, not just directly on the present pimples. In addition, in some people these creams may cause the face to become a little dry, pink read more
