If you find your way here, it is probably because you have acne, which includes white, black, and pimples. It is also possible that you visited several doctors, and tried many treatments, but were disappointed. I can relate because I had acne for seven years. I learned a lot along the way though, and I was able to clear my skin. In this post I will share everything I learned that helped me not to suffer like me. As you probably wonder what my skin used to look like and what it looks like now, I have attached photos. The two on the left are from 2016 (worse than the pictures) and the one on the right is from 2019.
Acne, should not be confused with fungal pimples (Mild fungus looks the same but is not the same. You can read about it here) where hair follicles - also called pores - appear on your skin and are covered with oil and dead skin cells. It starts out as micro-comedones - blockages too small to be seen. Blackheads - open comedones - and whiteheads - closed comedones - the least common type of acne. As the amount of comedone grows, it breaks down the wall of the hair follicle leading to redness and inflammation. These comedones are swollen, more commonly known as pimples. Pumps can be papules - red lumps without redness - or pustules - bumps that contain redness. When the closed holes are deep and irritated, they can turn into painful, deep lumps - solid lumps - and bumps - lumps filled with pus. Nodular and cystic acne are the most common types and often leave deep scars. Acne mainly affects young people, but it can affect people of all ages. Depending on its size, acne can cause emotional distress and scarring. When you start treatment early, you are less likely to have such problems.
How Does a Acne Start? It is thought that 4 internal factors contribute to the growth of acne:
1. High sebum production. This occurs when the sebaceous glands - which produce oil - glands in the skin become more sensitive to normal levels of circulating hormones called androgens.
2. Hyperkeratinization. This occurs when the cells in the hair follicle do not function properly and instead form clumps that close your pores.
3. Cutibacterium acnes (formerly known as Propionibacterium acnes) is a type of bacterium that lives on the skin of many healthy adults and is highly active in sebum, cellular waste, and metabolic products from surrounding tissues. Clogged holes create an ideal environment for the virus to grow and reproduce.
4. Inflammation. As C viruses. acnes grow, producing waste and enzymes. These damage the skin cells and trigger an immune response that leads to inflammation of the acne.
External Causes of Acne These include: Medicines such as lithium, steroids, and anticonvulsants. Excessive sun exposure. This can cause sebum to oxidise, making it easier to close your pores. Endocrine disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sometimes even pregnancy. Depression and lack of sleep. Genetics. Genetic factors determine how thick and sticky your sebum is. Skin care. Just as what you put on your body affects your inner health and weight, what you put on your skin affects the health of your skin. You do not need to use many products to have good skin, but you need to make sure that the products you use are well-formed and suitable for your skin type. In most cases, acne can be completely eliminated by having a good skin care program.
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