Most people are familiar with the condition that’s called acne although most people aren’t sure exactly what it is and what causes it. First of all, there are small holes in your skin called pores. These pores connect to oil glands that are located underneath your skin.
These oils glands produce an oil called sebum and the pores connect the the glands though a canal known as a follicle. It’s inside these follicles that oil brings dead skin cells up to the surface of the skin. The problem is that the skin follicles can become clogged up causes a pimple to develop.
Normally you’ll find pimples on the face, back, neck, chest and shoulders however you can find them pretty much anywhere on the body. When acne is at its worst, it can cause permanent scars however there’s nothing actually life-threatening about acne.
When your hair, skin cells and sebum clump together it creates a plug. Bacteria then grows inside the plug causing swelling to occur. When the plug begins to break down a pimple develops.
There are many different skin diseases however acne is the most common. It doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female, young or old, you can still possibly develop acne. That being said, teenagers tend to be the group that suffers from it the most.
It’s thought that about 80% of people between the ages of 11 and 30 will suffer from some form of acne. You can even get it if you’re in your 50s however the chances of this happening is slim.
There are plenty of theories when it comes to how acne starts in the first place however, ultimately, nobody is 100% sure.
It’s often thought that diet is to blame however this is actually untrue. It doesn’t matter if you eat a lot of sugary and fatty foods or have a really healthy diet – acne can still be a problem.
Instead, both dermatologists and doctors believe the problem relates to fluctuations in hormones that are brought on by puberty. These hormones cause the oil glands to produce too much oil and they then become blocked.
Adult females can also develop acne because of hormone changes whilst pregnant or because of the oral contraceptive pill. It could even be genetic if there are many people in a family that have suffered from acne.
There are also drugs such as antibiotics that can bring on pimples along with oily cosmetics. There are plenty of Over the Counter (OTC) products you can buy to help but if things are really bad you could get prescription drugs such as steroids or antibiotics. It really depends on your own circumstances.
The good news is that if you treat your acne early on you will be better equipped at preventing any scarring from occurring. Talk to your doctor for advice as this isn’t something you should ignore for long.
Related Posts: