To understand what causes Acne, we need to talk about androgen. To start, androgen can enlarge the sebaceous glands in hair follicles, leading to greater amounts of oily sebum being produced and resulting in acne. Androgen is a hormone which promotes male characteristics such as facial hair growth and deepening of the voice. At puberty there is an increase of this hormone in both men and women causing a thickening of the outer layer of skin which may result in hair follicles becoming clogged with dead skin cells (keratin). Androgen hormones are present in females as well as males. A sudden increase in these hormones takes place at puberty.
Androgens do two things: First, they enlarge the sebaceous glands in the skin. Second, they cause these glands to increase sebum (oil) production. Androgens cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge (hormonal acne may result). This process is part of normal development.
Skin damaging rays can get through an overcast sky and effect the causes of adult acne directly. Why not add a pretty wide rimmed hat, for even more protection before you go outdoors. Skin cells rapidly divide and sometimes block the opening of hair follicles. Skin is covered with tiny hair follicles each with a gland that produces an oily substance called sebum. In some people the gland becomes over-active producing more oil which mixes with dead skin cells and blocks the follicle.
Treatment will typically have to continue until the patient reaches their 20s. Treatments are simple - you simply sit with your face close to the light for a short time each treatment session. Treatments are usually scheduled every week for a six week period. Treatment may include drug therapy to treat acne. Depending upon the severity of acne, topical medications (medications applied directly to the skin) or systemic medications (medications taken orally) may be prescribed by a physician.
Factors that may cause occlusion include certain cosmetics, oils, greases, and hairsprays. Hats, helmets and pads used in sports may also contribute to this problem as can humidity, sweating and the prolonged effect of contact with damp clothing. Factors such as stress, the state of one's internal health, diet and lifestyle changes may contribute to excessive body production of sebum, which the skin is unable to eliminate effectively. This will clog pores more and promote the exacerbation of pimples, leading to cystic acne. Factors that may cause occlusion include certain cosmetics, oils, greases, and hairsprays. Hats, helmets and pads used in sports may also contribute to this problem as can humidity, sweating and the prolonged effect of contact with damp clothing.
Sebum is made in much larger amounts during and right after puberty than at other times in a woman's life. Sebum then blocks pores to form whiteheads, which form under the skin, and blackheads, which are open to the air. Sebum gets accumulated in follicles. Bacterial infection thus comes in to light.
Hormone levels control the amount of sebum produced by the body. This is especially common in female acne patients. Hormonal changes that occur during your period or when you start or stop taking birth control pills can also cause an acne flare-up. In some cases, however, certain birth control pills are prescribed as a treatment for acne. Hormonal and chemical imbalances in your body are the major causes of the acne condition that you currently experience. Such imbalances in your body cause your sebaceous glands to secrete more oil (sebum) than usual, which in most situations results in pimples breakouts.
Hormones, on the other hand, cause the sebaceous glands to overact, causing enlargement and over activity of the oil glands in skin. Hormones are responsible for the maturing of oil glands in our skins, and when those are blocked a pimple is born. Hormones are more active when we grow up and in our adult life, so this is why acne is experienced by teenagers and adults and not by children.
Cures For Adult Acne
There are many different approaches to treating acne available today. What works for one individual may produce little or no results for another, and finding a good acne treatment is usually a process of guessing and checking. The most common forms of acne treatment involve skin cleansers. Most acne cleansers are available over the counter, and use a variety of different ingredients, benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid being two common ones.
Personally, I preferred cleansers that use benzyl peroxide, as they have worked better for me. Find whatever works best for you and stick with it, as it can sometimes take days or even weeks to show progress. Since the actual physical cause of acne lesions are sebaceous follicles plugged with the skin oil sebum, anything that effectively removes the oil will probably at least help control acne and should be included as a part of an acne treatment regime.
For most mild to moderate forms of acne, daily use of a good skin cleanser is enough to control the outbreaks. However, there are many forms of the disease that will require a more serious acne treatment for effective results. Acne on the back, sometimes called ‘bacne’, is often resistant to normal cleansers for instance. Bacne often requires additional cleansers that are too harsh to be used on facial areas, but work well on the back because the skin is much tougher there. Glycolic acid is one such cleanser that can be effective for acne on the back, upper arms, or legs, but is not recommended for the neck or face.
Some of the more severe and persistent forms of acne may require a prescription from a doctor. Depending on the form of acne you suffer from, you may be prescribed any of a variety of acne treatments, including forms of antibiotics, drugs designed to reduce sebum production in the skin, and more serious topical cleansers.
Although acne may seem like an incurable condition to some, acne treatments are very often effective. If you are suffering from acne, there are a wide variety of resources available to help you combat your condition. Since acne can last for many years and can leave permanent scars, I highly recommend looking into treatments as soon as possible.
Both Joaquin Costa & Tyler J Stevenson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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