Acne or Pimples, Remedy for Acne, Pimples

|What is Acne?| |Formation of Acne| |What causes Acne?|
|Acne Myths| |General Tips on Acne Skin Care|
|Acne Free In 3 Days|

What is Acne?

Acne or Pimples is an inflammatory condition of the skin that occurs when the pores get clogged. Acne lesions usually occur on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. It is characterized by the presence of blackheads, whiteheads and pimples or zits. Some other troublesome acne lesions that can develop, include the following:

• Papules--inflamed lesions that usually appear as small, pink bumps on the skin and can be tender to the touch

• Pustules (pimples)--papules topped by pus-filled lesions that may be red at the base

• Nodules--large, painful, solid lesions that are lodged deep within the skin

• Cysts--deep, painful, pus-filled lesions that can cause scarring.

Formation of Acne or Pimples

Acne is formed wherever the pores of the skin get blocked by sebum (produced by sebaceous glands).

The sebaceous glands make an oily substance called sebum that normally empties onto the skin surface through the opening of the follicle, commonly called a pore. Cells called keratinocytes line the follicle. The hair, sebum, and keratinocytes that fill the narrow follicle may produce a plug, which is an early sign of acne.The plug prevents sebum from reaching the surface of the skin through a pore. The mixture of oil and cells allows bacteria that normally live on the skin to grow in the plugged follicles. These bacteria produce chemicals and enzymes and attract white blood cells that cause inflammation.






When the wall of the plugged follicle breaks down, it spills everything into the nearby skin--sebum, shed skin cells, and bacteria--leading to lesions or pimples.

What causes Acne?

The exact cause of acne is unknown, but doctors believe it results from several related factors.

• One important factor is an increase in hormones called androgens (male sex hormones). These increase in both boys and girls during puberty and cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormonal changes related to pregnancy or starting or stopping birth control pills can also cause acne.

• Another factor is heredity or genetics. Researchers believe that the tendency to develop acne can be inherited from parents. For example, studies have shown that many school-age boys with acne have a family history of the disorder.

• Certain drugs, including androgens and lithium, are known to cause acne.

• Greasy oil-based cosmetics and moisturizers may contribute to plugging the pores.

Acne Myths

There are many myths about what causes acne.

• Chocolate and greasy foods are often blamed, but foods seem to have little effect on the development and course of acne in most people.

• Another common myth is that dirty skin causes acne; however, blackheads and other acne lesions are not caused by dirt. We should keep our skin clean anyway.

• Stress is believed to cause acne. Everyone has normal levels of stress and that does not cause acne.

General Tips on Acne Skin Care

• Clean skin gently. Most doctors recommend that people with acne gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser, once in the morning and once in the evening and after heavy exercise. Patients should ask their doctor or another health professional for advice on the best type of cleanser to use. We recommend, instead of any soap, you use the milk cleansing method described in our section on Care of Dry Skin

• Rinse thoroughly. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it.

• Avoid Astringents. If the skin is very oily and you need to use astringents, then they should be used only on oily spots and not more than once a week.

• Wash hair regularly. Particularly if you have oily hair. Do not use oily conditioners or hair gels. Oily hair products may eventually spread over the forehead, causing closed comedones. Keep your hair off the face.

• Avoid Frequent Handling of the Skin. Try to keep your hands off the face.

• Avoid rubbing, touching or squeezing lesions. People who squeeze, pinch, or pick their blemishes risk developing scars or dark blotches.

• Shave Carefully. Soften beard thoroughly with soap and water before applying shaving cream. Nicking blemishes can be avoided by shaving lightly and only when necessary.

• Avoid long exposure to sun.

• Choose oil free cosmetics. All cosmetics, such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, and moisturizers, should be oil free. Products that are labeled as noncomedogenic (do not promote the formation of closed pores) should be used.

• Remove makeup completely every night before going to bed.

Some content of the page taken with permission from: http://www.niams.nih.gov