Acne is most common skin problem during adolescence, affecting more than 85% of teenagers, and frequently continues into adulthood. For most people, they have had to deal with acne at some point. There is, however, no way to predict how long it will take to cure it entirely, and some individuals will continue to suffer well into their thirties, forties and beyond. Below, are some questions and answers about acne. Our goal is that you will gain a better understanding of why people get acne and what they can do for treatment and prevention.
Who is most likely to get acne? This question is one that you have probably heard before, and it is usually asked out of fear more than anything else. Due to the negative reaction to acne, people of all ages are concerned that they may end up with the skin problem, or, if they have had acne in the past, that the problem will return. The truth is that while acne can happen to people of nearly all ages, it common in those who are going through puberty. Most teenagers experience some form of acne. It can begin as early as age eleven or as late as age sixteen. The extremely volatile and changing hormone levels of prepubescent life and the body’s response to those changes are the main reasons why teens experience acne more often than people of different ages. People who have had acne at an earlier stage in their life are also susceptible to a return.
Why is acne often red, bumpy, and filled with pus? This may be the question to which you most want an answer. Most people do not mind an occasional blemish on the skin. Some, though, wonder why acne has to be so drastic. Why does it come in the color of red? Why does acne have to be so obvious? Well, there is a reason for the overly bright nature of acne. After the oil secretions under your skin build up, they must go somewhere. Much like a volcano that cannot hold lava any longer, pores with the most blockages cannot hold the strong bacteria found in acne. It manages to seep through the pores and make its way to the surface of the skin, thus allowing bacteria to infect the skin. Unfortunately, the skin’s reaction to this infection is to turn red and swell.
What are the mental effects of acne? Acne may show a body’s failure to properly deal with hormonal changes. Acne can indicate that a person is not dealing with stress effectively. It may be evidence of a potentially serious allergic reaction to a medication or other element. It is not these effects of acne that tend to do the most damage, though. More than a health issue, acne is known causing people (mainly teens) a sense of shame and embarrassment. Acne is falsely associated with being unclean. Clear, healthy skin is associated with cleanliness, while severe forms of acne are often believed to be the result of sanitary neglect. Not only that, acne can be ugly and turn people away. Most people who experience severe acne are emotionally scarred by the social rejection, leading to adolescent emotional insecurity and a sense of self-doubt. Because of this, acne should be treated as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.
Isn’t it true that staying clean helps prevent acne? It is always better to rid your skin of toxins and dirt that accumulate during your normal routine. So yes, to some extent, it is true that washing skin can help prevent or decrease acne. Acne is a chemical matter, and it is something that occurs beneath the surface of the skin more so than on the skin itself. Both daily cleansing and care of one’s skin will help reduce the bacteria that rests on the skin, but they cannot lessen the testosterone levels beneath the surface of the skin that help produce acne. Understanding this basic fact should help reduce some of the stigma attached to acne. It should also allow people who suffer from acne to take some comfort in knowing that they are not necessarily less clean than others. The truth is that they have very little control over what is going on beneath their skin.
What are some of the other factors that increase the likelihood of getting acne? That is a good question, and one that is probably on everyone’s mind. The tough part about acne is that there is not one single thing that can cause it. Several factors help cause acne. Some of them can be avoided, while others cannot. For example, one cannot change family history, but this is one very important factor in determining the development of some form of acne. Hormonal activity is another. Women who are pregnant or who are menstruating have been known to suddenly develop bad cases of acne. Other factors, such as stress and certain medications, can also bring about acne. Remember: acne is based on the hormonal changes that take place within the body. Any life-changing or stress-inducing event is likely to alter a person’s chemical makeup. Finally, the accumulation of dead skin cells often contributes to increased acne.