Acne is a common problem faced by almost all teen-agers and youth. What is acne and why do we get them. Acne is actually caused because of hormone imbalance. Your skin breaks out because of a hormone called testosterone. Both men and women have testosterone in their systems. In fact, did you know that in order to make testosterone, boys bodies have to make female hormones first? If you have acne, you haven’t got abnormal levels of testosterone. You’ve got skin that reacts abnormally to this hormone. You start producing testosterone around the time you start sprouting body hair. Testosterone tells glands in your skin, called sebaceous glands, to produce oily stuff called sebum. To add to the problem the inside of the tubes that hold each hair become gummy and get partially blocked – giving you blackheads. Put together if sebum blocks the tubes — you have big acne.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the formation of acne, but in terms of its real
cause, no one is actually certain as to what exactly causes acne to develop or why it starts
in adolescence. However, factor like hereditary top the list. It has long been deemed as
the most important factor that plays a large role in the acne’s development. As what most
people believe, if a member of your family had acne, there is a great possibility that you
will have acne too.
Although acne is very prevalent among teenagers, acne should not control your life.
There are a lot of ways to fight acne, and one of those is maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Lifestyle Changes
Experts have said that when treating a person for acne, the only way to obtain results
from effective treatments is through various healthy lifestyle changes. When I say
“healthy lifestyle changes”, it includes the way you eat, sleep, work, play, etc. As much
as possible, you should try to focus on all areas that need changing. This is very
important in order for a sustained effort to be completed. If your goal is to treat your
bothering acne, then try to treat your whole self as many ways as possible.
Overcoming Stress
One of the most common dilemmas that face people is stress. Stress that is not normal.
So what happens when the body gets too stressed out? Experts have found out that in this
case, the adrenal cortex converts adrenal androgens to the hormone testosterone in both
men and women, which in turn results in overactive sebaceous glands. As found out, the
ovaries of women are capable of producing 25 percent of the testosterone, while 75
percent of the hormone comes from the adrenal androgens.
When the body of both male and female is stressed, more adrenal androgen is released,
causing a double amount of testosterone. It is this doubling effect that causes the T zone
of the face to be oily, while other areas are still dry from dehydration. Also note that
adult acne is sometimes the by-product of stress and dehydration. And, water and
estrogen are the factors that calm the body’s stress alarm system.
Some Other Tips for Controlling Acne
Here are some other tips that have helped hundreds of people suffering from acne.
Water is Best
Water is by far the most effective treatment for acne. The main support for this claim is
the fact that water is alkaline (pH 7.3) and can be considered as a natural treatment or an
almost free acne treatment. Thus, it is best that you drink at least eight glasses of water
per day (10 to 12 is better). This will help your body in getting rid of oil, waste and
toxins, and water even helps to moisten your skin as it keeps your pores from clogging.
Perhaps what is most important is that, water helps to relieve stress and relax your body
in the end, so you can have a better sleep. Note that water and sleep are factors that help
reduce stress. Along with this, try to lessen your coffees, sodas, teas and alcohols intake
as much as possible. The reason behind this is that they are partial diuretics that they
drive more water out of the cells of the body than they put in.
Avoid Astringents
If your goal is to have a beautiful skin, then you should try to avoid astringent natural
soaps and any astringent agents that shrink your skin’s pores, such as oatmeal, witch
hazel, very cold water and rubbing alcohol. It was found out actually that when your skin
pores shrink, more oils are clogged in the pores of the skin, causing the onset of acne.
Avoid Stimulants
Coffee, tea, cigarettes, as well as excessive sugar from sweets and soda should be
avoided. It is often said that anything potential for affecting the entire body, brain and
nervous system can easily stimulate the sebaceous glands to release more oil. This oil
has to leave the body through the pores, worsening your acne in the end. Stimulants
even trigger stress.
Watch Your Diet
Note that diet affects acne. So be careful with what you eat. As much as possible, try to
eat foods that are low in fat, as fats produce more oils in the body that are capable of
producing acne.
Avoid Alcohol
A number of people think that alcohol is one of the best ways to relax and relieve stress.
Well, alcohol may do this, but studies have found out that alcohol causes the formation of
acne. It is considered capable for producing acne knowing that it is an astringent, thus it
shrinks the skin pores, making them more prone to clogging. Aside from that, alcohol
inhibits sleep, therefore causing more fatigue and stress, leading to worse acne.
Hot and Very Cold Count
When considering baths, you should avoid hot and very cold water on areas of the skin
affected by acne. Use warm water instead; perhaps well below 98.5 degrees on your
skin.
Avoid Scrubbing and Abrasives
Scrubbing and abrasives should be avoided. Experts have said that they irritate the skin,
which should be left intact as a natural barrier against the acne-causing bacteria.
Sun for Beautiful Skin
As you may know, sun does kill bacteria, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t harm the skin.
Note that the sun also acts as an astringent that dries, tightens and clogs the skin pores.
Thus, you should just spend limited time under the sun. At least 15 minutes to the face
and arms daily is enough.
Avoid Extremely Cold Weather
If extreme heat causes clogging of the pores, extremely cold weather causes it as well.
So, avoid extremely cold weather so you don’t freeze and clog pores. It is ideal that you
moisturize your face and body, and stay in temperatures ranging from 70 to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Swimming Does Help
Exercise for stress reduction by swimming in a properly treated indoor swimming pool.
But, use the Ozone purified pool if possible. It is interesting to know that the swimming
pool water is typically 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which is well below the normal
temperature of 98.6 degrees of your body. Therefore, the swimming water cools your
whole body, including the acne affected areas, while providing excellent exercise to the
rest of you. This even reduces stress as well as physical attention.
Think Clean
It is also necessary that you change linens, wash cloths and body towels after each use. It
is for the fact that they are great places for acne-causing bacteria to grow and be reapplied
to the skin later. Also, wash white facial cloths, pillow covers, as well as personal
undergarments daily with Vinegar, tea tree oil or essential oils of Lime, lemon or orange
so to lessen the acne-related bacterial development. It is also often suggested that you
apply a natural detergent for washing.
Indeed, there are a lot of ways to control and fight acne, but maintaining a healthy
lifestyle is so far the best one to consider. It is important to note that healthy lifestyles
will lead you to attaining a healthier skin and a healthier body. Changing your
unfavorable habits will reward you with better general health, more energy, and clearer
skin to show the world. If you were once afraid to make changes, please don’t be. Of
course, the initial affects may be hard to grasp at first, but as you go on, you will find out
that you can quickly learn to adapt with them.