At the time of puberty our hormones go into overdrive and can lead to our skin's sebaceous glands over producing oily sebum, which is used for lubricating the skin, but can quickly clog up skin pores when mixed with dead skin cells.
Once clogged up, blackheads soon form, and with this a risk of bacterial infection, which leads to pus-filled and inflamed spots. The surface of the skin covering the spots becomes very tightly stretched, and if ruptured can result in scarring if the area is constantly re-infected.
Males are more prone to acne than females, but fortunately not everyone is affected by acne, and doctors believe that there is some link between acne and the surging of hormones around puberty, and this is why adolescents are more often affected than adults, but the condition can continue into adulthood. Doctors also think there could be a genetic predisposition, so if your parents suffered with acne, chances are that you will too!
There are certain things can aggravate acne, including the contraceptive pill, poor skin hygiene and failure to completely remove old make-up, oily face creams, physical exercise, excessive sweating, and lack of fresh air and sunlight.
There is no proven acne remedy, but washing your face twice daily with mild soap and water, and applying over the counter acne lotions can go a long way to preventing acne by removing excess oils and dead skin cells. Choosing a product that contains glycolic acid will certainly help to keep you skin clean and free from old skin cells.
If you are uncomfortable with the thought of using a chemical laden over the counter acne remedy, try using a herbal preparation that contains essential oils. Look in health stores and herbal shops for skin cleansers and spot treatments that contain Pettigrain, which can help to control the amount of sebum produced by the skin, Neroli oil is good for skin tone, chamomile helps to sooth the skin and reduce inflammation, lavender oil is a good antiseptic and can help to speed up healing. On old spots that are healing, use a cream that contains comfrey extract, which is reputed to reduce the risk of scarring to the skin.
If you have a particularly stubborn spot coming up, and you want to draw it out, try rubbing a piece of raw onion over the spot. The antibiotic properties of onions can help to draw out the infection, or bring it to a head, so you can treat it more effectively. Just remember to wash your face before you go out, or all your friends will be asking if you can smell onions!
Upping your intake of Vitamin C will also help speed up the healing process of your skin, as Vitamin C is essential for effective skin repair and growth. Top up your intake by eating more vitamin C rich fruits such as oranges and kiwi fruits.
It is commonly believed that eating too much chocolate can cause an outbreak of spots, but this has never been proven to be true, and doctors believe that there could be a wide range of foodstuffs that certain people can react to, often resulting in an increase in acne spots, if they are susceptible.
These are just some tips to get you started, but there is a whole host of other helpful advice revealed by a team of experts in the management and treatment of acne in my new ebook, available for acne sufferers no matter what your age. See my Author Box for more details.
M Newbold is a prolific writer who enjoys writing about family life, health, fitness and sports. Get a free Acne mini ebook by visiting www.acne-home-remedies.weebly.com www.acne-home-remedies.weebly.com
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