Have you ever gone to sleep with a completely clear face and woken up to find yourself looking in the mirror that hits you back in the face: the wicked breakout! A common disorder affecting teens and young adults is acne. The issue may often continue or even begin well into adulthood. It is predominantly a male or ‘androgenic’ hormone-driven hormonal disease, which usually becomes active during the adolescent years. Acne is caused by exposure to certain hormones combined with bacteria on the skin and fatty
acids within the oil glands. The face, chest, shoulders, neck, and back are popular locations for acne—the sites of oil glands. Acne that occurs on your face can affect your self-esteem and cause permanent physical scarring if not properly taken care of. Whiteheads, blackheads, tiny bumps, and nodules, and cysts include acne lesions. Often inflammatory lesions, such as small red, raised bumps that may have pus at their tips, or large lumps found under the skin that have pus also grow due to prolonged neglect, are typically painful and may leave deep wounds, if not properly handled.
So let’s get to know what causes acne?
Most women experience acne in this part when they have fluctuating levels of hormones around the time of menstruation. Manipulating acne lesions by picking on them makes them worse and spreads them. Acne on your checks can mean that anything like the surface of your frames, a mobile phone, or a bedsheet/pillowcase is rubbing against your face.
The accumulation of oil in the hair and skin will cause acne in the hairline to appear. Oily hair products and makeup may also accumulate in the hairline, causing breakouts of acne in that region. In this region, the root cause of acne is dandruff.
Acne in this region is triggered by hormonal variations that occur around the period of a woman, her pregnancy, and as she approaches menopause.
It isn’t easy to defeat acne and acne scars but it certainly is not impossible. As a human being, battling acne from the age of puberty into adulthood is possibly one of life’s most common and complicated problems. Whether acne is caused by genetics or lifestyle, healthy skin is the secret to avoiding acne. Vitamin E hydrates the skin. When it is dry, the skin can easily get irritated and swollen. It is essential to keep it humidified and a protective oil barrier is formed with vitamin E, locking in moisture. Another great feature is that blood flow can also be increased. Vitamin E oil is easily absorbed into the skin as it is fat-soluble. This helps in the recovery of acne and acne wounds quicker. It regulates the development in the skin of collagen and elastin.
Just four types of drugs — antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, and retinoids — have been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne. Benzoyl peroxide targets surface bacteria that sometimes intensify acne. Irritation (dryness) is a common side effect. Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) help in treating blackheads and whiteheads which are the first lesions of acne. Antibiotics (clindamycin, erythromycin) control surface bacteria and reduce inflammation in the skin, and are more effective when combined with benzoyl peroxide or retinoids.
