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What Is Acne:

Acne is a skin condition that involves blockage of pores causing pimples and deeper lumps such as cysts. Acne is mainly the effect of a hormone called testosterone. Testosterone production begins at puberty. The hormone causes the pores in our skin to produce oil, this oil may block the skin from shedding its dead cells and therefore they gather and stick together in the pores.
In a person who suffers from acne, their skin cells usually multiply at a faster rate then normal resulting in the skin not being able to shed them properly. This in turn results in the pores being blocked with not only oil and dead skin cells but also dirt and bacteria. Eventually this build up will result in the formation of acne blemishes and lesions. People of all ages can suffer from this condition.

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There are many factors that contribute to the terrible skin condition:

These factors include:

1. Stress- Stess has been identified as being the number one contributor to Acne. When we are stressed our bodies release hormones from the adrenalin glands. One of these hormones in particular (testosterone), causes our pores to produce more oil.

2. Sunlight- On exposure to the sun, damage to the skin is caused and increased levels of oil is produced. Initially sun exposure may help people who suffer from acne, however in the long run the damage caused to the skin by the sun will far outway any improvement to the acne.

3. Seasons- In Autumn/fall it is thought that there is more cases of acne recorded, as it is thought that testosterone rises in these months.

4. Climate- There is a large number of cases of acne in countries that are hot and humid. The reason behind this is that this type of climate causes the outer layer of the skin to expand which causes pressure on the skin, pressure that may cause the breakdown of the pore wall and therefore increase pimple formation. This is why saunas and steam rooms aren't always a good idea if your likely to suffer from acne.

5. Picking- One of the worst things you can do is pick your acne. Picking or bursting a white head causes the wall of the pore to break and therefore usually results in an inflammed lesion.

6. Chemicals and Oils- Some chemicals and oils have been proven to cause acne in people. Some of these substances include paraffin oil, petroleum oil, coal tars and grease from chip pans etc.

7. Diet- Certain food substances have been proven to irritate the skin, some of which include: sugar, caffeine, alcohol and iodine, which is found in salt and turkey etc. Other food such as zinc is said to reduce inflamation, this substance can be found in food such as beef, pork and chicken.

8. Drugs- Drugs that may cause or aggravate acne are: steroids, testosterone pills or injections, danocrine, lithium, dilantin and marijuana.

9. Menstrual Cycle- Any woman suffering from acne knows that their acne flares up just before their period or a certain time within their cycle. This is again due to hormonal changes within the body around this time.

10. Pregnancy- An acne breakout during pregnancy is linked to the increased levels of hormone within the body particularly during the first trimester. After the first trimester it may ease off due to the high amount of estrogen in the body but then again after birth acne may flare up again due to the drastic decrease of estrogen in the body. But should clear up eventually.

11. Birth control pills- Well there are two kinds of birth control pills. Male hormone birth control pills and female hormone birth control pills. The male hormone birth control pills cause an increase in oil production which may cause or aggravate acne and the female hormone birth control pills decreses testosterone in the body and therefore reduces oil production which in turn improves acne.

12. Cosmetics- Many cosmetic on the market today contain a substance called comedogenic which blocks pores. It is hard to distinguish if your cosmetics contain this substance as it may take 6 months to cause breakouts. Some comedogenic ingredience to look for on your cosmetics include: cocoa butter, coconut oil, wheat germ oil, soya bean oil, corn oil, sodium chloride, myristic acid, lauric acid, isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl isostearate, oleth-3, acetyleated lanolin and algae extract.

13. Exercise- Is beneficial to acne as it helps to keep stress at bay. It may help to wash your face with warm soapy water before and after exercising as make-up or other products you may have on your face may cause your pore to clog with the sweat and heat.

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The Negative Effect Acne Can Have On Our Life:

Many negative emotions can be experienced by someone suffering form acne, it can effect both their social and emotional health.


Some traits that may be found in a person suffering from acne include:

1. Lack of confidence
2. Lack of self esteem
3. Insecurity
4. Lack of friends
5. Serious under achiever or over achiever
6. Aggresive behaviour
7. Anxious
8. Prone to feeling guilty
9. Suspicious of others
10. And can be very sensitive

Acne is a terrible skin condition that can often be debilitating depending on the sufferer themselves. Many, many people suffer from it throughout the world. Acne usually develops at the start of puberty and stays with a person right throughout their teenage years and even beyond if proper treatment is not sought. Finding an effective and proven holistic treatment system for acne is 'key' to getting rid of acne permanently!


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This Video Provides More Information On What Acne Is


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