How To Stop Acne Breakouts - Deal With The Underlying Causes
Acne is a skin disorder resulting from the production of excess oil in the skin due to over-reaction of sebaceous glands.
As acne really affects a person's social life and self-esteem, many acne sufferers would want to know how to stop acne breakouts.
In order to stop acne breakouts effectively, one would need to understand the underlying causes of acne.
Listed below are the main causes of acne breakouts.
Hormones: Androgenic hormone plays a great role in causing acne as it promotes the production and deposition of oil on the face.
Oily face traps dirt and dust and this leads to blocked pores and acne breakouts.
Acne caused by androgenic hormones can be stopped through the use of antiandrogens for acne such as spironolactone, cyproterone acetate and flutamide.
These block the body's androgenic hormone receptors and slow down the production of oil as well as production of excess androgens.
Excess sebum (oil): When excess sebum is deposited under the skin surface in the hair follicles, it gets mixed up with the dead skin from the follicle lining.
Acne caused by excess sebum levels can be stopped through cleansing of the skin at least twice a day using anti-sebum medications such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid peel which help in gentle exfoliation and elimination of blocked pores.
Stress: Stress and depression can promote the production of a hormone known as cortisol that causes the secretion of excess pore-clogging oil by the skin hence worsening the acne breakout.
In this case, acne can be dealt with through proper stress management.
Make-up: One of the least recognized process by which skin pores are blocked arises from daily application of make-ups.
Various types of make-ups, especially heavy and oily make-ups, clog the skin pores within a short duration after continuous application.
Therefore it is highly recommended to use non-comedogenic type of make-up which is the best for skin as it does not clog the pores.
Diets: Certain type of food encourages the development of acne especially if one is allergic to them.
Keeping an eye on the foods consumed is the best solution for avoiding acne.
Alternatively certain acne causing foods such as: excessive protein, sugars and sweeteners, dairy products and wheat should be avoided.
Abrasive cleansing: Abrasive cleansing of the skin can cause acne to develop hence it is recommended to carefully cleanse the skin especially if acne already exists.
Scratching of the pimples or acne exacerbates the situation and possibly results in scarring.
This as well as use of harsh skin scrubbers should be avoided.
Picking and squeezing acne: Picking, squeezing and popping of the acne worsen the condition by causing scarring, skin infection and development of more acne.
Picking and squeezing of acne should therefore be avoided.
Since acne is a complex problem resulting from a number of underlying factors, the only effective way to stop acne breakouts permanently is to deal with all of the acne-contributing factors holistically.
As acne really affects a person's social life and self-esteem, many acne sufferers would want to know how to stop acne breakouts.
In order to stop acne breakouts effectively, one would need to understand the underlying causes of acne.
Listed below are the main causes of acne breakouts.
Hormones: Androgenic hormone plays a great role in causing acne as it promotes the production and deposition of oil on the face.
Oily face traps dirt and dust and this leads to blocked pores and acne breakouts.
Acne caused by androgenic hormones can be stopped through the use of antiandrogens for acne such as spironolactone, cyproterone acetate and flutamide.
These block the body's androgenic hormone receptors and slow down the production of oil as well as production of excess androgens.
Excess sebum (oil): When excess sebum is deposited under the skin surface in the hair follicles, it gets mixed up with the dead skin from the follicle lining.
Acne caused by excess sebum levels can be stopped through cleansing of the skin at least twice a day using anti-sebum medications such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid peel which help in gentle exfoliation and elimination of blocked pores.
Stress: Stress and depression can promote the production of a hormone known as cortisol that causes the secretion of excess pore-clogging oil by the skin hence worsening the acne breakout.
In this case, acne can be dealt with through proper stress management.
Make-up: One of the least recognized process by which skin pores are blocked arises from daily application of make-ups.
Various types of make-ups, especially heavy and oily make-ups, clog the skin pores within a short duration after continuous application.
Therefore it is highly recommended to use non-comedogenic type of make-up which is the best for skin as it does not clog the pores.
Diets: Certain type of food encourages the development of acne especially if one is allergic to them.
Keeping an eye on the foods consumed is the best solution for avoiding acne.
Alternatively certain acne causing foods such as: excessive protein, sugars and sweeteners, dairy products and wheat should be avoided.
Abrasive cleansing: Abrasive cleansing of the skin can cause acne to develop hence it is recommended to carefully cleanse the skin especially if acne already exists.
Scratching of the pimples or acne exacerbates the situation and possibly results in scarring.
This as well as use of harsh skin scrubbers should be avoided.
Picking and squeezing acne: Picking, squeezing and popping of the acne worsen the condition by causing scarring, skin infection and development of more acne.
Picking and squeezing of acne should therefore be avoided.
Since acne is a complex problem resulting from a number of underlying factors, the only effective way to stop acne breakouts permanently is to deal with all of the acne-contributing factors holistically.