Acne Free

Archive for the ‘Causes of Acne’ Category

Acne is a problem that plagues many people, both male and female. Acne is primarily a problem during the teenage years, but it is common in many adults as well. Individuals who never had an acne problem in their teens can have acne flare ups in their thirties or even later. There are many different treatments for acne, but before treating it, it is important to learn what some of the main causes of acne are. Otherwise, treating it will only be a temporary fix.

Oil glands are found all over the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin and is also the body’s largest organ. Deep in the skin, these oil glands conatin a single hair follicle. The oils in these glands travel up the hair follicle and lubricates the hair and the skin around it.

At the end of the follicle, there will be a pore in the skin. when the oils are being aggressive, the pore is likely to become clogged, which wil cause a pimple to form over the top of the pore. Certain different changes in hormone levels, like menstruation and puberty, are likely causes to increase the oil production and there will be many more acne flareups during these times.

Acne is basically the result of clogged skin pores. Skin pores can become blocked by dirt, oil and makeup. When skin cells die, they are usually shed off of the body, but can sometimes become lodged in a pore, causing a pimple to form. When this happens, and these dead skin cells combine with the other pore clogging substances, there is a great chance of bacteria growing. This may cause the skin to form a cyst that is filled with pus.

The biggest problem with bacteria is that it can take something small and unproblematic and create a more serious problem. When the body is trying to get rid of the bacteria, there will be inflamation. This can cause swelling and pain and some definite irritations.

The best thing a person can do is to keep their skin clean, so as to not allow bacteria to form. For someone with an acne problem, it is important to cleanse the affected area twice a day with a mild detergent that is formulated for oily skin. It is also important to moisturize after cleaning with an oil-free moisturizer, so as to not dry out the skin and cause it to flake.

What Happened To My Perfect Angel? 

When we become parents, the first thing we do is to make sure that all of the fingers and toes are present and accounted for. After that, we bask in the beauty of their perfect little pink faces, knowing that, undoubtedly, it is the most beautiful baby to have ever been born. Sadly, though, many babies have infant acne, the symptoms usually showing up around three weeks after birth. Some babies even have infant acne right at birth.

Should I Be Alarmed? 

The rash that develops on the face of your baby will likely be very upsetting for new time parents. It is very common and in most cases, it will disappear within a few days or weeks. In some cases, though, there can be scarring and this does not go away so easily. The infant acne is something that can be recurring until they are around six months of age.

Though it is probably not a big deal or cause for concern, it is still a good idea to talk with the baby’s doctor about the acne problem. Since it is caused from the transfer of hormones form the mother to baby through the placenta at birth, it is best to keep it monitored to ensure there are no other effects of the mother’s hormones in the baby’s body.

It is not a good idea to clean the baby’s skin too frequently to try and rid the acne problem. As it is caused from hormones and not from dirt and oils, all the over cleaning will do is to dry out the skin. In fact, the acne is likely baby’s way of ridding the skin from unwanted hormones, which is probably a really good thing.

Okay, So What Can I Do?

One thing that can help is to clean up any spills of milk or spit-up from the baby’s skin as soon as they occur. These can both worsen the infant acne. The clean up should be done with a mild baby-formulated detergent. The baby’s clothing and bedding can irritate the acne rash if they are cleaned in too strong a detergent. Therefore, it is a good idea to wash the baby’s things in a mild detergent that is made for infants.

The best thing to do about the situation is to relax and be calm. The acne may look unsightly, causing heartaches in new parents, but if treated properly, rest assured, baby’s face will return to it’s normal angelic state in no time at all. Relax and know that even the sight of an acne all over your precious child’s face will not dampen the mood when you see her smile for the first time.

One of the best ways to cure a condition is to be aware of the causes of the condition and ensure that you are minimizing the potential causes to reduce the chances of it occurring.  In the case of acne, in some cases, by avoiding the causes, you can avoid an acne outbreak.  Here are some of the most common causes of acne:

Oil Glands

Deep below your skin there are oil glands (otherwise known as sebaceous glands) that produce oil to lubricate the hair follicle that they are connected to as well as the surrounding tissue.  Providing there is no problem with the skin pore that the hair is connected to, there is no problems, but that can change if the pore becomes clogged.

If the pore is clogged and your body starts to produce more oil than normal (which can happen during puberty and menstrual cycles) then the clogged pore can result in an acne outbreak.

Blocked Pores

There are many ways that skin pores can get blocked such as by dirt, oil and makeup.  These blocked pores combined with dead skin cells can turn into acne fairly easily.  Though in this case the result is whiteheads and blackheads, if bacteria gets into these blocked pores, you can certainly end up with a bigger problem.

Bacteria Infections

A clogged pore can become a larger problem when bacteria comes into play.  When the bacteria that lives on your skin gets trapped in a blocked pore, it can result in a more serious outbreak of acne including swelling and irritation.

Though acne can be caused by various means, it can also be reduced provided good skin care hygiene practices are in place.  By taking care of your skin properly, keeping it clean, and watching out for some of the common causes, you can reduce your chance of having an acne outbreak.