Must know about acne
Have you experienced having an acne? How did you feel about it? Are you the one who feels uneasy and problematic about how you look? The one who is very eager to find ways on how to let it go away? Or the one who is not bothered at all? It depends on how a person handle the situation, for some it may lower their self-esteem or self-confidence due to body image disturbance. This is very common to teenagers and young adults wherein they feel uncomfortable about it, they find ways on how to solve it immediately because it bothers not just their physical well-being but also their social and emotional well-being.
Before knowing what you can do to solve the problem, learn first what is acne all about. What are the causes, risk factors and the signs and symptoms. Acne is a chronic skin disease of the face, chest, neck, back and shoulders. It causes blackheads, pimples, and scars. The tiny pores of our skin can trap dirt, dead skin cells, oils, germs/bacteria. These obstructions on the skin may lead to acne.
According to our health source: Here are the symptoms, causes, risk factors and management of the disease.
Causes:
- A large amount of oil by hair follicles.
- Dead cells are accumulating in the pores.
- The pores in the skin have bacteria.
The signs and symptoms may vary depending on the severity of your condition. It may include:
- Whiteheads
- Blackheads
- Small red, tender bumps
- Pimples (pustules)
- Large, solid, painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin (nodules)
- Painful, pus-filled lumps beneath the surface of the skin (cystic lesions)
Risk factors for acne includes:
- Family history- Genetics plays a role in acne. If both parents experienced acne, there’s a chance that you will develop it as well.
- Hormonal changes- These changes are common in teenagers, women, girls, and people using certain medications, including those containing corticosteroids, androgens, or lithium.
- Greasy or oily substances around your working environment- You may develop acne where your skin comes into contact with oily lotions and creams or with grease in a working area, such as a kitchen.
- Friction or pressure on your skin- This can be caused by the things we used like tight collars or clothing, cellphones, helmets, backpacks etc.
- Stress- This doesn’t cause acne, but if you have acne already, stress may make it worse and may even lead you to mood disorders.
Here are the self-care tips and remedies you can do at home:
- Shower after doing your daily activities. Oil and sweat on your skin can lead to breakouts. Just take a rest first before taking a shower.
- Wash the area where the acne is, if possible wash it twice a day. Washing will remove excess oil and dead skin cells. Limit to twice a day only because too much washing can irritate the skin and will result in further problems. Use gentle cleanser and use oil-free, water-based skin care products for the affected areas.
- Over the counter acne cream or gel. It can help dry excess oil. Ask the pharmacist for the most effective over the counter product you can use for your acne. The Food and Drug Administration always warns the people that some popular acne lotions, cleansers, and other skin products that aren’t prescribed can cause a serious reaction. If you experienced adverse reactions such as faintness, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, swelling of the eyes, face, lips or tongue, tightness of the throat you better consult your doctor immediately.
- Use non-oily makeup. Choose to use those oil-free cosmetics that won’t clog pores and those won’t irritate the skin.
- At night, before going to bed make sure to remove your makeup. Going to sleep with cosmetics on your skin can clog your pores. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to throw out old makeup and regularly clean the cosmetic products that you are using. Make sure to store them in a non-dusty area. Always check the expiration before using.
- Wear comfortable clothing. Uncomfortable clothing like tight-fitting (or body fit) traps heat and moisture and can irritate your skin. If possible, avoid also tight-fitting straps, backpacks, helmets, hats, sports equipment and any other accessories to prevent friction against your skin.
- Avoid touching or picking your acne. Doing so can worsen the problem and may result in a more acne production.
- Drinking water prevents acne because it promotes proper skin hydration. Dry skin can trigger excess oil production which could lead to acne.
Does diet or food can cause acne?
According to studies certain dietary factors may trigger acne, it may include dairy products and carbohydrate-rich foods such as breads, chips, chocolates etc. We need more research to examine why this happens or whether acne patients need to follow specific food restrictions. Eating greasy food has little or no effect on acne, but working in a greasy area, will lead to developing an acne because the oil can stick to the skin and block the hair follicles.
Note:
If you have a worse acne problem, you may want to visit your Dermatologist or Skin specialist for further treatment. They will do an assessment and treatment for your skin concern and prescribe appropriate medications for your condition. When your acne improves, you may need to continue the prescribed medication and treatment to prevent new skin breakouts. Such as topical medications, oral medications, light therapy sessions etc.
These are really stressful but keep in mind that you are not just the one experiencing this. Help yourself, share how you feel and how you want to solve the problem with your family, social support groups, or you may want to talk with a health counselor. You can do this to avoid so much stress, which may result in depression.
Thank you for reading this post! If you have any comments or something to share regarding this topic, please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comment section…
You are welcome to visit:
Health and Life Matters_Momsotherside
Your online friendly corner where you can find topics, ideas, information, and inspiration which are essential in living.
You can subscribe here to receive our latest post directly to your Email!