Acne Causes and Facial Mask Treatments

What Is Acne?

Blackheads

There’s a reason it’s called “common acne” — nearly everyone suffers from outbreaks of pimples at some point in life.

It starts when greasy secretions from the skin’s sebaceous glands plug the tiny openings for hair follicles (plugged pores). If the openings are large, the clogs take the form of blackheads: small, flat spots with centers darkened by exposure to air. If the openings stay small, the clogs take the form of whiteheads: small, closed, flesh-colored bumps. Both types of plugged pores can develop into swollen, tender inflammations or pimples or deeper lumps or nodules. Cysts associated with severe cases of acne (cystic acne) are firm swellings below the skin’s surface that become inflamed and sometimes infected.

Although acne remains largely a curse of adolescence, about 20% of all cases occur in adults. Acne commonly starts during puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 and tends to be worse in people with oily skin. Teenage acne usually
lasts for five to 10 years, normally going away during the early 20s. It occurs in both sexes, although teenage boys tend to have the most severe cases.

Women are more likely than men to have mild to moderate forms into their 30s and beyond.  Acne lesions are most common on the face, but they can also occur on the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms.  Acne isn’t caused by a harmful diet, poor hygiene, or an uncontrolled sex drive. The simple truth is that heredity and hormones are behind most forms of acne. Swearing off chocolate or scrubbing your face 10 times a day won’t change your predisposition to this unsightly, sometimes painful, and often embarrassing skin problem.

What Causes Acne?

The cause of acne is not fully understood. Though stress can aggravate acne,  it clearly does not cause it.  Hormones. Common acne in teenagers starts with an increase in hormone production. During puberty, both boys and girls produce high levels of  androgens, the male sex hormones that include testosterone. Testosterone signals the body to make more sebum, a waxy substance that helps the skin retain moisture.

Bacteria. Excess sebum clogs the openings to hair follicles — especially those on the face, neck, chest, and back. Bacteria grow in these clogged follicles. This makes blackheads or whiteheads form on the skin’s surface — a condition called non-inflammatory acne. Sometimes the follicle wall breaks under the pressure of this buildup. When this happens, sebum leaks into nearby tissues and forms a pustule — this is called inflammatory acne. This can create cysts.

Ruptured cysts can leave temporary or permanent scars.  Depending on the type of pill, oral contraceptives may trigger acne in some women but suppress it in others. Steroids taken by some bodybuilders and other athletes can also lead to severe outbreaks.

Acne has many subtypes. Acne neonatorum and acne infantum occasionally affect newborns and infants, usually boys. A pimply rash appears on the face but usually clears within weeks with no lasting effect. People who escaped their teen years almost pimple free may develop persistent adult-onset acne as they get older. Despite the normal increase in androgen levels during puberty, some doctors believe that flare-ups of acne have less to do with androgen levels than with how a person’s skin responds to an increase in sebum production. The bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis occur naturally in healthy hair follicles. If too many of them accumulate in plugged follicles, they may secrete enzymes that break down sebum and cause inflammation. Some people are simply more sensitive than others to this reaction. Sebum levels that might cause a pimple or two in one person may result in widespread outbreaks — or even acute cystic acne — in another person.

What causes acne?

No one factor causes acne. Acne happens when oil (sebaceous) glands come to life around puberty stimulated by male hormones from the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. Oil is a natural substance which lubricates and protects the skin, and under certain circumstances, cells that are close to the surface block the openings of sebaceous glands and cause a buildup of oil underneath. This oil stimulates bacteria, (which live in everyone’s skin and generally cause no problems), to multiply and cause surrounding tissues to become inflamed.

If the inflammation is right near the surface, you get a pustule; if it’s deeper, a papule (pimple); deeper still and it’s a cyst. If the oil breaks though to the surface, the result is a “whitehead.” If the oil becomes oxidized (that is, acted on by oxygen in the air), the oil changes from white to black, and the result is a “blackhead.”

Some factors that don’t usually cause acne, at least by themselves are:

* Heredity: With the exception of very severe acne, most people do not have the problem exactly as their parents did. Almost everyone has some acne at some point in their life.
* Food: All over the world, parents tell teens to avoid pizza, chocolate, greasy and fried foods, and junk food. While these foods may not be good for overall health, they don’t cause acne or make it worse.
* Dirt: Some individuals have more “oily” skin than others (as mentioned above, “Blackheads” are oxidized oil, not dirt). Sweat does not cause acne, therefore, it is not necessary to shower instantly after exercise for fear that sweat will clog pores. On the other hand, excessive washing can dry and irritate the skin.
* Stress: Some people get so upset by their pimples that they pick at them and make them last longer. Stress, however, does not play much of a direct role in causing acne.
* Hormones: Some women break out cyclically, but most women (and men) don’t. Some oral contraceptive pills may help relieve acne, but unless a woman has abnormal menstrual periods and excessive hair growth, it’s unlikely that hormones play much of a role in causing acne.
* Cosmetics: Most cosmetic and skin care products are not pore-clogging (“comedogenic.”) Of the many available brands, those which are listed as “water-based” or “oil-free” are generally a better choice.

In occasional patients, contributing factors may be:

* Pressure: In some patients, pressure from helmets, chinstraps, collars, and the like can aggravate acne.
* Drugs: Some medications may cause or worsen acne, such as those containing iodides, bromides, or oral or injected steroids (either the medically prescribed prednisone or the steroids bodybuilders or athletes take.) Most cases of acne, however, are not drug-related.
* Occupations: In some jobs, exposure to industrial products like cutting oils may produce acne.

Facial Skin Care

Natural anti-acne treatments can include topical tropical treatments, such as cleansers, creams and facial masks. Facial masks can be used once or twice a week. Anti-acne masks will contain natural ingredients with astringent properties like rosemary, tea tree or lavender and can control excess sebum and inflammation. Look for a product that is close to natural or herbal as possible.

Anti-acne masks will reduce the amount of inflammation and pimples and help prevent future outbreaks. Simply find the mask that is best for your skin type, apply it in a thin layer to cover the face and neck area - wait the allotted amount of time - 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water.

Dispelling Acne Myths

Acne. It can be controlled. With a combination of a daily skin care routine and regular consultation with your physician, you can be on your way to clean and healthy skin.

Simply put, acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that can occur on the face, neck, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. It can affect girls and boys during adolescence and can even affect men and women in adulthood.

It’s time to sort out acne myth versus fact once and for all.

Myth #1: The more you wash your face the fewer breakouts you’ll have.
Fact: It’s important to maintain a consistent skin care regimen, but over-washing can cause dryness and exacerbate the condition.

Myth #2: Acne is caused by eating candy and greasy food.

Fact: This is a common belief, but there is no concrete evidence to back it up.

Myth #3: Popping pimples will make them go away faster.

Fact: Actually, popping pimples could potentially spread the problem deeper into your skin and may cause permanent scarring.

Myth #4: Don’t wear make-up if you want clear skin.

Fact: In fact, wearing make-up is fine, providing it’s oil-free and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and it is removed in the evening before bedtime.

Myth #5: If breakouts persist, it helps to use more acne medication until the breakouts stop.

Fact: Like over-washing, over-use of acne medication will only irritate your skin by causing more breakouts and drying out the skin. It is important to follow a consistent daily skin care routine that cleanses, treats and moisturizes skin. While there is no quick fix to treat acne, consulting with your physician to determine your best treatment options is the first step.

- News Canada

Skincare Ingredients to Avoid

Chemical skin care ingredients you should avoid if you are acne-prone or have oily skin in combination with acne:

Read more