Acne - Getting Rid of Skin Blemishes For Health and Beauty Reasons

Acne is one of if not the most common skin problem especially in teenagers and young adults. While people will usually "grow out" of this after their teen years it does affect some people their entire life. When I was in High School there was a male student that had a severe case and still today has scarring from it.

When we lived in Silver City NM back in around 1987 one of our friends there had a young daughter who had acne very bad, but we had found some creams that helped her. They have improved the creams and topical treatments now to far surpass what we had back then.

What is Acne?

We see whiteheads, blackheads or even red bumps but what actually happens is that the pores of the skin are being plugged. These plugs can be made up of oils, skin and even germs that get stuck in a hair follicle or pore. The blocked pore swells and reddens then becomes what we see as acne.


It is common for most people to have bouts with acne at some time during puberty usually between the age of 10 and 14, but acne can also strike adults of any age. Acne is not usually a "health" issue or problem. That is people don't usually get sick with acne. It does cause a great deal of mental stress, embarrassment and frustration. It has been known to cause depression, sometimes even severe depression that can lead to many other health problems.

What Causes Acne?

During puberty special hormones are created by the body, which cause the body to grow and change quite quickly. These hormones are called androgens. The androgens cause two things to happen in the pores of the body. First they cause the oil glands to produce more oil known as sebum. The second thing attributed to androgens is they cause the skin to grow faster and shed quicker.


Theory is that the sebum mixed with the skin flakes form a sticky plug which clogs the pores. This is what we call acne. Certain medications can also lead to acne. Young girls may find their acne worse during and prior to their menstrual period. The propensity for having acne breakouts could be worse if at least one of your parents have had acne.

Acne is not caused by dirty skin or poor hygiene as many people think. Dirt does not cause acne. Even so keeping your skin clean and dry will likely help rid you of any pimples quicker than if you do have poor hygiene. Even though I am sure you have heard it many times Acne is not considered to be caused by the oil on the skin's surface, food or stress.

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