Why Do Pimples (Acne) Form?
Our skin contains millions of tiny glands that secrete oil, when the oil builds up, our pores become blocked and can get infected by the bacteria that naturally live on our skin.
We tend to think of acne and spots as something that ends with teenage years, but it can continue well into adulthood and cause real distress and loss of confidence.
Around 80% of those aged 11-30 are affected by acne at some point. In adults, women are more prone to acne than men, but during teenage years, boys are more susceptible mostly because of hormone imbalances.
Testosterone seems to be one of the main causes of acne in men and women. It can make glands secrete more oil which clogs up the pores and feeds skin bacteria that are already there.
Skin bacteria can explain why some people get acne really badly while others hardly get any.
Everyone's skin carries acne bacteria (Propionibacterium Acnes), but some studies suggest that it comes in good and bad strains. Some that cause spots and some that can actually protect your skin.
So if researchers can find a way to increase the body-friendly strains it could be good news for acne sufferers.
What can you do:
Squeezing the spots can be tempting, but this isn’t recommended, as it can lead to further infection. So here’s what you should do instead:
Surprisingly enough, fatty greasy foods don’t seem to make your acne worse, but sugary foods might do so. Therefore, if you had bad acne try cutting down on cakes, biscuits, and sweets.
Some people use toothpaste as it’s rumored to dry out spots. It’s not designed for your skin and can actually irritate acne.
You may have also heard that manuka honey is an effective treatment, but there aren’t enough studies to back up these claims just yet.
One study found taking 30 milligrams of zinc every day lead to an almost 50% reduction in spots.
Other tips are: reduce the amount of makeup you wear, wash your hair regularly, and take showers instead of baths as the constant flow of water opens the pores.
You could also try going full fat on your dairy. A US research has recently found that amongst a group of 225 teenagers, those who consumed low-fat dairy had far more acne than those who stuck to the full-fat options.
Other skin products may help as well, you can ask your dermatologist or check out AQUAMARINE SKIN products which are also proven to greatly reduce acne.
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