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What Are The Causes Of The Undesireable Acne? |
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Acne is not fully understood, but we do know some of
the biology behind it. The main culprit is the excess production of an
oily substance called sebum whose function is to keep skin and hair
lubricated and supple. During adolescence, the body often produces
excess amounts of sebum. The sebum combines with naturally occurring
dead skin cells to block hair follicles which prevents the sebum from
escaping.
The resulting block up of oil beneath the surface of
the skin provides an ideal environment for bacteria. The bacteria
multiply and the skin area becomes red and inflamed resulting in what is
commonly called a pimple.
The excess production
of sebum is caused by the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone is
present in both males and females, but during puberty, the body changes
the way it reacts to the presence of testosterone. It is this abnormal
reaction, characteristically appearing during adolescence, that causes
the skin (especially on the face and upper torso) to become excessively
oily. By the early 20s, the body usually normalizes its reaction to
testosterone and acne clears up.
Acne seems to be partly
hereditary, but we don't know exactly why some people are affected by it
and others are not. Some of the factors which seem to aggravate acne
conditions include stress, diet, skin irritation, certain medications,
and hormonal activities such as menstrual cycles.
Medications
that are associated with acne include anabolic steroids used for
bodybuilding, lithium, barbiturates, halogens, and androgens. Dietary
links seem to be mostly related to skim milk products. Many people
associate food like chocolate and fast food with pimples, but there is
no statistical evidence that this type of food causes or aggravates acne.
Recently,
scientific attention has been focusing on the possibility that narrowing
hair follicles could be at least partially to blame for acne. The hair
follicles may become restricted due to several possible causes including
excessive shedding of cells within the follicle, abnormal cell binding,
or water retention which causes the skin to swell. The narrower hair
follicles prevent dead cells from being expelled from the body, causing
an excessive buildup underneath the skin, which combined with sebum
creates the conditions for acne.
Many people are tempted to pop
or squeeze their pimples, but this may only serve to spread the bacteria
to the surrounding skin area making the condition even worse than
before. Popping pimples may also lead to scarring which in severe cases
can be permanent.
Simply touching the face can also make acne
become worse. It is a difficult habit to overcome -- most of us touch
our faces repeatedly throughout the day. The problem for acne sufferers
is that the hands also contain oils and bacteria which will exacerbate
acne symptoms. In fact, all objects that come into contact with the face
must be clean. This includes eyeglasses and telephone handsets.
Hair
(especially long hair) also comes into contact with our faces so it is
important to keep hair clean and oil free. Clothing accessories like
headbands or hats should be avoided or used as little as possible.
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