The definition of acne is: a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Acne is characterized by black heads, pimple outbreaks, cysts, infected abscesses, and (sometimes) scarring.

So what’s the real truth about what causes acne ? For reasons no one completely understands, follicles, often called pores, sometimes get blocked. Sebum (oil) which normally drains to the surface gets blocked and bacteria begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a “microcomedone”. Microcomedones become skin blemishes called comedones, either a whitehead or a blackhead.

Microcomedone
When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. A blackhead oc curs when the trapped sebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to melanin, the skin’s pigment. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface. Either way, blackheads and whiteheads are filled with trapped sebum and bacteria. The acne treatment in both cases is the same. Other causes of both adult acne and teehage acne include hormone inbalance, incorrect diet, vitamine deficiency and stress.

Once you suffer from an acne breakout it can get worse due to poor hygiene. This is however, not an acne cause and can be remedied by improving personal hygiene.

Many people, myself included, choose to ponder over the effects of the acne in the comfort of their homes before they do the obvious thing. They go down to the nearest pharmacy to purchase one of the several acne treatment products available. To be honest, the shelves are full of them! American and global pharmaceutical companies are well aware of the desire of all acne sufferers to get rig of their acne. They have left no stone unturned to provide us with as many acne remedies and acne treatments as possible. But turning to these products without determining the acne causes could result in more harm than good. After all, what is the benefit in spending a lot of money on acne treatments if you don’t know what causes acne in the first place. As discussed, the acne causes are many. They are different from one individual to another. So what works for a friend or an acquaintance might not necessarily work for you. Unless you are able to consult a dermatologist to ascertain the acne causes, there is no sure way of finding the solution. And the best thing is that when the dermatologist is able to identify what the acne causes are, he can prescribe the best acne treatment that will cure you of all acne just like that. So consulting a dermatologist to determine what causes acne in your case and the best acne treatment is the sensible step to take. Not sure where to find a dermatologist, consult your doctor.

The one thing I have learned about acne skin care is that your skin can be treated by ways other than topical products. Skin is a part of your body, and contrary to popular belief is very much alive, only the outermost layers of skin are ‘dead’. Taking good care of your health and yourself in general can therefore be a good method of skin care. This includes a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and frequent exercise, but most important I’ve found that keeping stress levels down makes a huge difference for me.

My acne is like a stressometer, if I’ve got a lot on my plate I’m pretty much guaranteed to wake up in the morning with two or three new little friends.

So learning different techniques to keep stress levels down has proven to be the best acne skin care I’ve come up with, in that it prevents it from happening at all. What you decide to do to keep stress down is up to you, just make sure it’s not alcohol! Alcohol may help you relax, but its one of those culprits that can cause a lot of acne outbreaks for people. Limit the amount of caffeine that you consume as well. Stress isn’t just feeling pressured or tense, but also includes stress to your body that you don’t otherwise notice. Alcohol puts your body under stress, even if it makes you feel mentally at ease.

Be Acne Free In 3 Days

Of course, some acne just appears whether I’m stressed or not, so there’s always a need for some skin care beyond just healthy low stress living. As far as topical acne skin care treatments, I prefer using soaps that have either salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide in them. For years I was using benzyl peroxide soaps every day with some success, but I’ve recently discovered salicylic acid is just as effective in acne skin care for me.

I use one or the other every day whether I’m having outbreaks or not, and follow up washing my face and applying an skin care moisturizer that suits me and causes no side affects to my skin. This last part is key, as I’ve found that not using a moisturizer will often lead to outbreaks. Acne skin care soaps are often quite harsh, and can in themselves cause acne for me if I don’t follow up with something to sooth the cleaned skin.

So how can you combat this problem? There are various acne treatments available both over-the-counter and prescribed by a physician, but perhaps, the best way to begin treating your acne is to take steps to prevent it. Here are tips to guide you with your acne prevention.

Cleansing your skin properly is the most essential acne prevention measure you can take. Not only does this clean off dirt, bacteria, and other unwanted materials, but it also removes excess oils that can cause breakouts. It is important that you do not over wash your skin, as this will remove oils that actually help your skin. This will result in dry, irritated skin, and can further aggravate your condition.

Use a gentle soap or acne cleanser. Cleansers have been developed to specifically help with acne, and are available both over-the-counter or through a prescription.

Zip popping is a bad habit to get in to, and perhaps, a hard one to break. They are bothersome and sometimes painful, and it would seem that you would receive relief from popping them and getting rid of infectious pus. This is not so. In reality popping pimples pushes the bacteria further into the skin and can cause further irritation to the problem area and the skin surrounding it by spreading the pus. Use a skin toner or acne skin care product in addition to and after washing your face.

Stress is also an aggravating factor to acne sufferers. When you are stressed, chemicals in your body are working against you and can cause your skin to react and breakouts to occur. Get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced diet, and try to remove yourself from stressful situations. Easier said than done but it is worth making an effort to aleviate your stress.

If you have acne on parts of your body such as chest acne or back acne, wear lose clothing. This is recommended especially when indulging in activities such as working out which produce sweat. Tight clothing can irritate your skin, and will aggravate your acne. It can also be uncomfortable to acne sufferers as well. This is also relevant because when you work out, you sweat, which can add unwanted materials to your skin and help influence breakouts. Tight clothing can trap these materials on the surface of your skin, or may even cause you to sweat more. Loose clothing will prove more comfortable all around.

There is no sure cure for acne, and many factors affect its causes. Depending on your skin type, certain tips may be more important than others. Follow these tips, and stay on an acne prevention regime that works. Don’t deviate from your acne treatment routine, as this will cause it to not be effective. Remember, too, that it often takes time to see the results of prevention and treatment. Consult a physician if nothing seems to work, or if you are unsure about what you should or shouldn’t use to treat your condition.