Acne: Physiology And Causes

Acne is the most common of all the skin problems. Eighty percent of the population, men and women suffer from this problem. In many cases the acne might break out and then disappear on its own but in other cases it may need some special treatments. Acne affects the social, economic as well as psychological condition of the sufferer. One may shy away from socializing with others when they havea break out, or other times some people try to maintain distance from the sufferer to avoid infections.

Physiology:
There are number of pores on the human skin ( with the most number on face, chest, neck and back) theses pores have hair follicles at their root (inside skin) and also have a sebaceous gland attached to it. These sebaceous glands in their normal functioning have a role to secrete some amount of sebum but when due to some factors the secretion of these glands is increased the bacteria around our body get attracted and trapped in theses oily pores. These bacteria then react and result in a zit or acne. There are not one but many reasons which have been said to be contributing to increased sebum secretion.

Causes of acne:
There is no specific reason and no specific age for the occurrence of this skin problem but the young adults during their puberty phase are said to get affected the most. During this phase the secretion of androgen increases which enhances the secretion of sebum and thus leads to frequent breakouts. Where one reason for acne could be the onset of puberty in youngsters. Others who have crossed this age might also complaint of this problem at time. Acne results from some kind of imbalance in the normal skin physiology. This imbalance might result from lifestyle changes, improper eating habits, stress, unhygienic surroundings, etc. thus there is no one single reason for theses break outs. Despite of the cause these acne need to be treated on time and in a proper manner or else they would result into scars which might be difficult to cure.

Some tips to keep avoid the break outs:

• Maintain good hygiene – washing the prone or affected area several times a day is suggested.

• Some people are said to have acne with the consumption of certain kinds of food. Such food items must be avoided.

• Apart from the daily routine of cleaning your skin properly one must also make a point to exercise daily. This helps boost the body’s immunity and self cleansing system.

• Special attention must be paid to avoid infections in rainy seasons and in summers when bacteria are maximum in number in the atmosphere and their chances of clinging on to the skin are also maximum due to sweat and humidity.

• Take care to include loads of water and fresh fruit juices in your diet as they help flush out toxins from the body.

• Emotional stress has been found to be a major cause of acne. Thus one must always try to live a stress free life. Enjoy and make the most of your life.

• Once a break out has occurred never scratch the area with nails or scrub. It must be washed with some anti-acneic gel or soap, and the area must be kept dry and clean. The acne will subside on its own within 2 or 3 days.