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About Acne - What can you do to cure or alleviate acne? |
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Acne gives the combination of symptoms like greasy skin, white
heads, black heads, pimples, inflammation and scar formation.
Acne mostly affects young people in the age 14 - 25, but also
sometimes older persons, like women in their menopause. Most
teenagers experience outburst of acne, some only little, but for
others acne may develop into a serious skin ailment with great
cosmetic impact.
THE SKIN ANATOMY
To understand the acne process, some knowledge about skin
anatomy and physiology is essential:
The skin has there layers: The outer layer called epidermis
consists of epithelial cells. Under this lies the dermis
consisting of connective tissue. At the bottom there is a layer
called the hypodermis consisting mostly of fat cells.
The skin has narrow pores extending from the surface down to the
top of the sub-dermis, called hair follicles. A hair extend from
a growth zone in the bottom of each hair follicle and out at the
skin surface. Around the hair in the dermis, there are small
glands called sebaceous glands. These glands produce a fatty
substance, sebum, which empty through the follicle opening and
lubricates the hair and the skin.
THE ACNE PROCESS
Acne starts by the glands in the hair follicles increasing their
sebum production. This will in the beginning only cause greasy
skin. Eventually the sebum in the entrance of the follicles
mixes with dead epithelial cells. This mix reacts chemically to
forms hard props, comedones that close the pore entrances.
According to the color of the comedones, they are called black
heads or white heads.
Then the closed hair follicle gets filled with sebum and swell.
The swollen follicle then gets infected by bacteria. The
bacteria and the accumulated sebum cause the follicle and the
surrounding skin to get inflamed, forming a pimple. At last the
inflamed follicle burst and empties its content. Eventually the
affected area heals. Sometimes the inflammation reaches deep
into the skin surrounding the follicle and destroys skin tissue.
This will cause more or less distinct scars that may reside
permanently. Typically an affected person will have follicles in
all these stages of the process at any given time.
THE CAUSES OF ACNE
The increased hormone production in the puberty stimulates to
increased sebum production. The male hormone, testosterone, seem
to contribute most. Also girls begin to produce more
testosterone in the puberty. Also in other periods, altered
hormone production may give acne, for example by women in the
menopause.
Since not all teens get acne in any degree, the increased
hormone level cannot be the whole cause of the increased sebum
production. The follicles of affected persons must for some
reason react stronger upon the higher hormone level.
Dietary factors, like eating too much fat, too much sugar or the
wrong kind of fat may aggravate acne by some individuals. Lack
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vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids may also
contribute to development of acne.
Poor digestion, lazy colon and constipation aggravate acne in
some individuals, probably due to productions of toxins in the
intestines. Lazy colon may be caused by dietary faults, like
lack of fiber.
Very frequent washing and use of strong soaps aggravate acne,
and does not alleviate the condition as many think. Rubbing,
scrubbing or squeezing the skin may also aggravate acne.
Here are some other factors that may contribute in causing acne
or aggravating the condition.
- Stress - Some contraceptive agents - Environmental or domestic
pollution. - Humid environments. - Some antidepressants. -
Testosterone and anabolic steroids used for treatment or by
body-building. - Use of some types of greasy cosmetic products.
- Some antiperspirant products. - Exposing the skin for chlorine
or other halogens, or medicines containing halogens. - Women may
get aggravated acne 2-7 days before menstruation.
WHAT CAN YOU DO YOURSELF TO AVOID OR TO TREAT ACNE
Sometimes Acne is so severe that special medical treatment is
required, and sometimes the causes of acne necessitate medical
treatment. But you can do much yourself also. Here are listed
things you can do yourself to prevent or treat acne:
1. Some advices about diet that may help prevent and cure acne:
- Do not consume a great amount of fat. - The fat you add to the
food should be natural oils. Olive oil is ideal, but use other
types of oils too, like walnut oil, sunflower oil and soy oil.
However, do not use only soy oil as many tend to do. Using only
soy oil will give you too much of some fatty acids and too less
of others. - Eat much fish, seafood and not so much meat. - Eat
food with a high fiber content to regulate the digestion, like
vegetables, whole cereals, full corn bread and fruit.
2. Here are some things you should avoid.
- Do not use greasy or heavy cosmetics that clog your skin and
are difficult to wash away. - Do not use strong irritating
antiperspirants. - Do not wash with strong soap or cleaners that
dry up your skin and take away all the natural oily protection
in your skin. - If you perform body-building, do not use
anabolic steroids or other hormonal supplements. - Use clothes
that allow air to reach your body surface to avoid collection of
humidity and overheating of your skin.
3. Use of rinsing milk or solutions
You can rinse your skin with mild products especially made to
dissolve the plugs in your pores, and to make the environment in
your skin unfriendly to bacteria causing infection. Some of
these products are just products to wash your skin with one ore
more times a day; others should be on during night and flushed
away in the morning.
Salicylic acid is a mild ingredient often used in these products
to dissolve the comedones. The products usually also |
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