What causes Acne?

Probably you never hear the end of the teasing about the pimples on your face. You have tried everything to make them go away. You may even have opted to stay home when your peers are going for a swimming outing because you are not confident enough of your face looks.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Probably you never hear the end of the teasing about the pimples on your face. You have tried everything to make them go away.

You may even have opted to stay home when your peers are going for a swimming outing because you are not confident enough of your face looks.

This condition is commonly known as Acne. Acne is a skin disease often found in adolescents. The common type is usually characterized by pimples that appear in areas such as the face, the upper part of the chest, the back and the shoulders.

This is because these are areas of the skin that have the densest population of sebaceous follicles.

This condition affects more than 89 percent of teenagers, and frequently continues into adulthood.

Causes of acne

During puberty, there is an increase in production of the male sex hormone called androgenwhich both genders accumulate.This hormone causes the sebaceous glands to grow larger and produce lots of sebum, a naturally occurring oil by the sebaceous glands.

This oil then blocks the follicles thus causing a swelling.
Thereafter, a naturally occurring bacteria infects the pimple which results in its redness and may also result in disfiguring scars.

Aside from scarring, its effects are also psychological, such as reduced self-esteem and depression. Acne usually appears during adolescence, a time when people tend to be most socially insecure.

Treatment

Some foods such as those that are high in glycemic content are said to increase the occurrence of acne. Examples are simple carbohydrates such soft drinks, sweets and white bread.

Also, an association has been found between acne and consumption of partially skimmed milk, and cream cheese.
Acne, however, tends to diminish over time after one reaches their early twenties.

Nonetheless, some individuals carry this condition well into their thirties and beyond.

However there are available remedies. Washing your face will get rid of  old oil, unblock pores and clean off bacteria. Also, some easily available bactericidal creams are used to deal with this condition.

Ends