Acne Skin Care

Acne will affect nearly 80 percent of us during some period of our lives. The effects of these breakouts may go far beyond a few occasional pimples, all the way to leaving permanent scars and blemishes. These skin texture changes will deprive the skin of its look of health and vitality. So even if you are not currently struggling with the effects of acne breakouts on your skin, you probably know people who are. There is even reason to believe that skin ages more rapidly as it fights the effects of acne.

Do you get acne from eating chocolates? Can it be caused by the weather? What about stress? If you only have a breakout now and then, do you really have acne? Well here is the truth about breakouts and acne. No, chocolate does not cause pimples, but stress can aggravate your skin. By starting the release of androgens hormones that produce sticky oil in hair follicles stress can be the beginning of a breakout weeks before it surfaces. As to the weather, breakouts are more likely to occur on hot and humid days because your skin can be aggravated by heat and friction. Yes, even one pimple is to be considered acne.

Teens are not the only ones to experience these effects. In fact a great number of adults are experiencing the same effects. Dermatologists call this late-onset acne, and some of the causes may be attributed to environmental exposure, stress, oral contraceptives, menopause, cosmetic ingredients, and improper cleaning techniques.

It takes about two weeks for acne to reach the surface of the skin, so that’s why it’s normal to see flare-ups when you first start to treat acne. It’s important to be patient with a new acne treatment program, because it usually takes three to four weeks to see results.

A blemish begins when hair follicles become plugged by sebum, an oily substance made by your skin. In those who are prone to get acne, this oil gets trapped in the narrow follicle, causing cells to clump and form a plug. Then the bacteria, which thrive on the air-tight environment created by the plug, start feeding and breeding inside the pores. The body reacts by sending in white blood cells to fight these invaders. The result is inflammation, small pinkish bumps, pimples, sometimes nodules and cysts. The inflammation is what causes scarring, discoloration, and dark spots. When do you get over acne? I don’t know, but most people see it improve as they become older.

Then there are those people who don’t even get acne until they are in their twenties, thirties, or even forties. The bad news is that some of the effects of acne can last a lifetime. The good new is breakouts and the signs of past breakouts can be treated with the help of modern science so everyone can enjoy clear, healthy skin.

You are well into your 30’s and you are expecting crow’s feet, but acne, how does that happen? Just because you are not a teen anymore does not mean you should ignore acne, even occasional breakouts. It also doesn’t mean you should treat your face to an industrial strength scouring powder.

Usually male acne tends to calm down after the teen years, but in some cases men continue to have breakouts. The reasons can be stress related, as well as hormonal (male androgens notoriously trigger acne). The stress is generally career related, which is very common these days in our highly competitive job market. Another factor for men can be the manner in which they shave, or possibly the equipment they use to shave. Some men do well with electric razors, while others should possibly use a straight razor, and only shave with a downward motion.

Women’s acne can also be triggered by stress, as well as their androgen levels. Women’s androgen levels remain quite stable throughout their lifetime, but their estrogen levels continuously fluctuate. Over time the balance slowly shifts in favor of the androgens. This means that those who had clear skin when they were teens now may be faced with acne for the first time in their lives.

These adult breakouts may be frequent, or they may be occasional, but they are often larger and more painful. They can also be harder to get under control because as we get older our cell production slows down, resulting in a buildup of oils and dead cells in the follicles or pores of aging skin.

You will want to keep your complexion healthy, vibrant, and clear now. The best way to do that with skin that is slightly more mature is to do it gently with products and ingredients that are more suited to your older skin.

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