We have thousands of very fine hairs on our faces, chests and upper backs. Under our skin, and attached to each of these hair follicles, are sebaceous glands, which produce an oily substance called sebum. Normally, sebum is a good thing as it prevents our skin from drying out, makes our skin glow, and keeps it soft and supple as well.

But acne is caused by the overactivity of these glands which then produce too much sebum and secrete the oily substances onto our skin.

The level of hormones in our bodies is mostly responsible for causing the glands to produce an excess of oil. Eventually, this combines with the uneven shedding of dead skin cells and ends up clogging our pores.

When our pores get clogged, this causes blackheads and whiteheads, which can stay clogged up in our pores for years and years. More serious acne problems, like pimples, nodules and cysts form when bacteria becomes part of the mix.

A bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes normally lives harmlessly on your skin but when excess oil begins clogging up the pores, it feeds off the sebum and produces chemicals and enzymes which cause a response from the body's immune system. The skin becomes inflamed and can then lead to an outbreak of pimples, painful nodules (under the skin), or cysts. Acne nodules and cysts can rupture, spreading infection into skin tissue which can then result in deep and permanent scarring.

Some factors known to trigger outbreaks of acne include:

Hormonal changes during adolescence.
Hormonal changes as an adult. The menstrual cycle is one of the most common acne triggers. An outbreak may occur a few days before the cycle begins and go away after the cycle is finished. Other hormone changes, such as pregnancy and menopause, also affect acne – improving the condition for some women and worsening it for others.
Use of oral contraceptives.
Make-up. Women with moderate or severe acne should use oil-free cosmetics and moisturizers. Oily hair products also can eventually spread over the forehead, causing blocked pores.
Pressure or friction on the skin. Friction caused by caps, bike helmets or backpacks can make acne worse.
Genetics. If other people in your family have acne, there is a greater chance you will have it.
Stress can make acne worse as this creates hormonal imbalances
Picking and squeezing at spots may cause further inflammation and scarring
Hard scrubbing of the skin
Pollution and other environmental irritants
Stress or emotional tension
Hormonal Changes or Imbalances
Squeezing or picking at pimples
Working in a damp environment with oil, grease or chemicals
Drugs or Medications
Pressure from caps, hats or backpacks
Failure to wash or shower after perspiring heavily

There is no single element that is responsible for causing acne, which is why you need to be aware of all the factors which contribute to outbreaks.

How are you going to get the clear, smooth skin you’ve always wanted? It seems that everywhere we look – television, magazines, movies – everyone has perfect skin and it just makes us feel worse because we can’t fix our acne problem even though we’re diligent about our personal hygiene.
But it takes more than a willingness to follow good hygienic habits to get a radiant complexion that is clean and clear. You need to use every advantage that science can offer such as the Healthy Pores™ system. The Healthy Pores™ System is a complete 3-step solution which not only takes care of the skin problems you now have, but also addresses the fundamental root causes of acne so you don’t get future outbreaks!

Page 1 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next