How and why acne flares up? This might be the most disturbing question bubbling up in an acne victim's mind. Although there is no scientifically established or accepted reason that causes acne; nevertheless, according to the physicians there are some internal and external factors. Among them, hormonal imbalance is thought to be the first and foremost reason and one should be aware of these issues about acne and hormones. Androgen or male sex hormone found within human body regardless of any particular gender is responsible for augmenting the level of secretion of body oil or sebum. And it is a well-accepted fact that a surplus of body oil plays the key role behind acne formation. The oil glands are embedded in the epidermal layer of the skin, connected with the hair follicles by pilosebaceous units.
Sometimes the dead skin cells around the hair follicle lining enter the follicles or skin pores and block it completely or partially. This leads to entrapping of the sebum within the clogged pores, thereby promoting comedonal formation. The other facts about acne formation include improper water intake, insufficient sleep, stressful situations, irregular bowel movement, and habit of junk food consumption.
Although none of them is directly related to acne condition, however they often influence or generate favorable physiological condition for the development and multiplication of skin eruptions. For instance, too much of junk food intake might aggravate the toxic level in blood which in turn gives rise to this menacing skin ailment. There are several external bodily factors which also often instigate acne pimples.
More often than not, it is found that lack of awareness about proper habit of cleanliness prevail among many people. A skin that contains unwashed cosmetics, surplus sebum, dead skin cells, and malicious bacterial buildup tend to grow acne faster. "Prevention is better than cure" is the perfectly suitable maxim for acne condition, even more so because acne is not completely curable.
The first essential thing you could do about acne is to wash your face twice daily with warm water and mild soap. This helps you get rid of accumulated malicious ingredients from your skin surface. A complete and methodical cleansing process is possible if this is coupled with regular washing of your hands and hairs. Also your pillowslip needs to be washed every alternate day because these are the perfect realm of the skin dwelling bacteria, body oil, and dead cells. Avoid touching your face frequently to stop transmitting these harmful contents to your facial skin. Before buying any skin care product or cosmetics never forget to check the label to verify whether it is "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic" and "water-based.
" Both prescription and nonprescription medicines have attained their triumph over the persistent acne problem in last few decades. Over-the-counter medications like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are just a few names among many successful topical OTC acne remedies. Antibiotics and retinoids, both in topical and oral forms, are widely prescribed by doctors in order to control moderate to severe acne lesions. Latest surgical inventions like laser treatment, chemical peeling, and microdermabrasion have gained immense approval for their effective and quick healing measures in dealing with acne and acne scars.
It is often found that relatively milder symptoms often diminish with the administration of OTC medications, while rather severe cases about acne need rigorous medical attention.
Juliet Cohen writes articles for Acne Treatment. She also writes articles for Blackheads and Acne Home Remedies.