Acne and Lifestyle
Acne vulgaris is an apt name for the skin disorder characterized by pimples, both large and small, that proliferate in the most obvious – vulgar, if you will – places in the face and body. From the forehead to the neck and from the arms to the upper back, even the thighs, acne can be the scourge of almost every individual.
Yes, indeed, acne can affect all types of people regardless of age, race and gender. Even the baby in your family can suffer from acne although it is more common in adolescents and young adults 12 to 24 years of age. But don’t be too complacent either as you may also develop acne in your adulthood well into your sixties even though you were spared of its woes in prior years.
Acne and Lifestyle
Acne and Lifestyle
But why consider acne and lifestyle? You must be aware of the risk factors associated with acne so that you are better equipped to prevent and deal with it if and when it does happen. These risk factors include having fair skin, oily skin and one or both biological parents with acne as well as living an unhealthy lifestyle with exposure to extreme stress, pollutants and toxins. If you want to avoid acne, your best weapon is taking appropriate action on the controllable risk factors especially on the lifestyle aspect – acne and lifestyle.
The next matter that must be dealt with then is: What causes acne to appear even in people with seemingly zero chance of suffering from it? Before you can understand the causes, you must first have the basic idea of the skin’s structure as it applies to the formation of acne.
Your skin consists of many parts and layers including oil glands, hair follicles and sweat glands. The oil glands number by the thousands on your chest, face and back, which are the areas of skin most commonly affected by acne, with their main function being to produce sebum. In turn, sebum flows through the hair follicles, which are tiny ducts visible to the naked eyes as pores, and then into the skin to serve as its natural moisturizer, among other functions.
Your skin also sheds its old cells to give way to the new cells being produced by the body. In normal skin, the shedding process proceeds gradually such that it is unnoticeable except for the dirt sloughed off when scrubbing your skin. But something goes wrong in the processes of sebum production and skin shedding that lead to acne.
On one hand, your skin produces excess levels of sebum that make it difficult to eliminate by normal means like air evaporation. Such overproduction can be attributed to changing levels of hormones during puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
On the other hand, your skin appears to slough off its dead cells in a slower rate than necessary for acne-free skin. Although you may not see it, your skin experiences uneven shedding of the old cells that results to dead cells becoming sticky, clumpy and clogged – the beginnings of a skin plug. The skin plugs then trap oil, dirt and bacteria inside the hair follicle, thus, starting the process of acne development.
Is Acne Influenced By Lifestyle?
If you want a more visual idea of the process, think of the skin plug as the cork in a wine bottle. The cork on the bottle’s opening traps in the contents. In a bottle of wine, this is good because the wine’s flavors can be preserved, even enhanced, for as long as the cork stays on the opening.
Unfortunately, the skin in relation to acne does not work this way. The trapped oil and bacteria forms a lump under the skin, which is then attacked by the body’s white blood cells. In 2 to 3 weeks, the result is a pimple.
Fortunately, you can prevent the appearance of acne as well as lessen its severity if it does manifest on your skin. These are the most effective home remedies that most people can adopt in their daily lives:
• Drink more water and other healthy fluids
• Eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains to nourish your skin from the inside and to strengthen your immune system
• Wash your face with a hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and oil-free facial wash but limit it to just 2 times a day. Too much washing and scrubbing of skin can actually result to acne becoming worse than it already is, sadly.
• Always use sunscreen especially when you have to be exposed to the sun.
• Get sufficient hours of sleep, engage in regular exercise and manage your stress
Indeed, you will observe that acne prevention is often a simple matter of changing your unhealthy lifestyle habits to healthier ones. Take care of your skin inside and out for soon acne will just be a thing of the past. Consider your acne and lifestyle.
More Information on Acne and Lifestyle
* Top Ten Acne Treatment Solutions
* Vitamins and Acne Prevention
* Skin Care for Acne Prevention