Acne affects over 50 million people in the United States alone and 20 million have permanent acne scars. That’s a impressive number. While everybody gets acne at some point in their life, some get it worse than others. If untreated, acne can cause scars. So, acne can be serious business. Most people think only teenagers get this skin condition, but adult acne is popular too. Nearly fifty percent of women have adult acne. Let’s discuss more about this annoying skin condition.
What is acne?
Believe it or not, dirt does not cause acne. Many people believe if you have poor hygiene that you have a better chance of developing pimples. That’s not true. Acne forms under the skin in hair follicle pores. An oily substance called sebum is produced by the skin to keep the skin moist and soft. But sometimes the sebum will get clogged by dead skin cells and other debris and this is the beginning of a pimple. Not only does acne affect the face, it affects the chest, shoulders, groin, and buttocks.
Acne Tips
TIP #1: Drink Water: Try to consume at least eight glasses of water each day to keep your body and skin hydrated.
TIP #2: Exfoliate
TIP #3: Cleansing: When cleansing the face, wash the your face with warm to hot water to remove the excess oil and makeup. This opens up the pores. When rinsing, rinse with cool water which shrinks pores and stimulates circulation.
TIP #4: Get enough sleep: Sleeping is your body’s natural healing process, so if you interrupt that, then you body doesn’t have time to heal. Try to get 7 to 8 hours of rest.
TIP #5: Stress: Try to maintain a healthy stress level. When stressed, you body goes through changes to protect yourself and this can trigger outbreaks.
Acne Treatments
- There are over-the-counter products that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid that helps treat acne. While these can work, if you have moderate to severe acne you will probably have to go see a dermatologist for a more intensive treatment. They may prescribe a medication.
- A dermatologist will have certain treatments to treat acne pimples. They may use laser and intense pulsed light treatments that may have success with your acne. Your dermatologist will tell you what is the best treatment for you.
Acne is a serious condition and needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. It’s easier to treat mild acne than severe.