| By :
Bill Wynne
One of the important questions when it comes to people with acne besides, "Why me?", "What is Acne?", "Does chocolate cause this? Potato chips? Salt, sugar, what does this???" is the question, "What makes acne worse?" We feel that if we knew at least what makes acne worse we can suffer through the "teen blues" with some blemishes. The good news is there are studies done and being done daily to help us better understand acne. It is something that needs to be considered important since in severe cases young people can spiral into low self-esteem, depression and thoughts of suicide. The following items are known triggers that worsen the incidence and/or severity of acne. Do Cosmetics Make Acne Worse?
Perhaps some of you are wondering if cosmetics could play a key roll in the aggravation of acne. Up to this point there is no substantiated answer for this question. However, it is known that some cosmetics do make acne worse, whereas other cosmetics are formulated with an oil free compound that is less likely to contribute to clogging the pores. Yet again, both the oil-free and the original compounds for cosmetics could still contribute not only to the aggravation of acne, but even the spreading of acne as well. There is a lot of contemplation on whether cosmetics effect acne or not. Some women I have talked with that had mild acne said "some cosmetics showed signs of temporary inflammation as well as irritation of their skin" In all instances, no cosmetic caused long term side affects. Does Poor Hygiene Affect the Inflammation of Acne?
Bad hygiene does pose a number of potential health hazards there is no research that validates hygiene having a direct correlation with making acne worse. Your skin should kept clean by lightly washing with a mild soap twice a day. Because the infection and inflammation is not superficial washing your skin will not be effective. As a matter of fact many people will scrub the skin harder in desperation to make it go away. This is a mistake, Do Not attempt to scrub hard because that will worsen the acne condition and cause the acne to spread. In order to remove the bacteria from the surface of your skin you should gently wash your face twice a day using your hands with warm water and no soap. It is common for people to rub their skin to dry it but the best way to dry your skin especially if you have acne is to pat it dry with a soft towel until the skin is completely dry. Should I use an Acne Scrub?
Since some people with mild to severe acne tend to over wash their faces in hopes of ridding themselves of the excess oil seepage, the damaging effects of excessive scrubbing and over washing have been researched. It is important that we remember that the production and secretion of sebum takes place deep in our skin's hair follicles and not close to the surface of the skin. You want to avoid scrubbing and washing excessively since this can cause acne to spread because of the bacteria. This is because excessive washing of the skin will dry out because we have washed away "sebum", the skin's natural moisturizer. Not enough oil can be just as bad as having too much oil. Wash only two or three times a day with warm water and an acne soap. Do not scrub the skin as that will damage the skin and ultimately result in aggravating and then encouraging the acne to spread. What is the Truth about Perspiration and Acne?
In approximately 15% of all acne cases, perspiration did contribute to the aggravation of acne and pimples. As the sweat glands suddenly open up allowing the skin to become extremely moist it causes flair ups. Sweat on the skin will cause dust to adhere to the skin causing the clogged pore to darken and form a blackhead. Stay away from wearing tight fitting clothes. Tight clothing does not allow the skin to breathe causing moisture to be retained next to the skin. How About Hormones and Pimples?
The high levels of Androgens, hormones like testosterone that both boys and girls have when they are entering puberty create conditions for acne flare ups. Even though estrogen is administered to help control these high levels of Androgens like testosterone, the presence of progesterone could more than likely make the acne worse. Does Menstruation Make Acne Worse?
The hormonal changes that are taking place during a woman's menstruation can precipitate a bout with acne. Should You Squeeze Pimples?
Do not squeeze pimples! You must avoid it all costs. Pimples should never be squeezed whether they are whiteheads or blackheads. This will most likely cause scarring of the skin and can also spread acne to other parts of the skin as the bacteria from inside the pimple is spread. Everyone knows how tempting it is but you must not do it. How does Pregnancy Relate to Acne Flare Ups?
Pregnancy is like menstruation, creating numerous changes in the typical hormonal level cycle. When the hormone levels change acne can flare up. Which Medications, if any, can Make Acne Worse?
There are a number of medications that are linked to an increased likeliness of an acne flare up or breakout. 1. Birth Control - Birth control pills are specifically designed to to mimic the body's hormone levels so conception is not likely to take place. This manipulation of hormone levels can cause acne breakouts. 2. Corticosteroids 3. Lithium 4. Barbituates Does Stress Affect Acne Breakouts?
Because acne is influenced substantially by hormones stress will cause acne flare ups. It is due to the fact that stress does change our hormonal levels. In conclusion the main items that we addressed in response to the question, "What Makes Acne Worse?" are the improper use of the wrong cosmetics, poor hygiene, improper washing of acne skin (scrubbing too hard), sweating, Androgen (testosterone) and picking at and "popping" or squeezing pimples.
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