Skin Nutrition and Acne
Part One - Acne Defined
When most of us think of acne we think of adolescence. Teenagers do make up the largest percent of acne sufferers, acne can also be an adult problem. More than half of all women and a quarter of all men have had acne problems. These figures seem to be climbing.
Acne Defined
Acne is composed of skin blemishes which are associated with the accumulation of sebum in hair follicles, the tiny holes we commonly call pores. Sebum is produced by sebaceous glands deep within each pore and it can take two or three weeks before it reaches the skins surface. Sebum is the oil that keeps your skin moist and supple. As the skin regenerates itself, old cells die, mix with your skins natural oils and slough off.
Sometimes dead cells become sticky, clumping together and can plug the exits of pores. This traps oil and bacteria inside the pore which then swells as your skin continues its normal oil production and skin sloughing which can not escape. A bacteria infection can ensue and results in a skin blemish.
Types of Acne
There are basically two different categories of acne, non inflammatory and inflammatory.
Non Inflammatory Acne
A closed white head occurs when the plug in the pore remains unseen below the surface of the skin. These lesions commonly appear on the skin as small, whitish bumps.
An open whitehead or blackhead occurs when the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin. The plugs dark appearance is due to a buildup of melanin, the skin’s dark pigment, not dirt as commonly thought.
Inflammatory Acne
A papule is the mildest form of inflationary acne. It appears on the skin as firm, small pink bumps. These are usually tender to the touch, and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflationary and inflationary acne.
Pustules are small lesions that are clearly inflamed and contain visible pus. They appear with a yellowish or whitish center and red around the base. The inflation is generally caused by chemical irritation from sebum components
Such as free fatty acids and infection is almost always present.
Nodules or cysts are large, pus-filled, inflamed lesions lodged deep in the lower layers of the skin. They develop when a comedon has ruptured and its contents have leaked into the surrounding tissue below the surface of the skin (often the results of an unsuccessful squeeze). The most severe form of acne may persist for weeks or months with their contents hardening into a deep cyst. Both cysts and nodules can leave deep scares.
Acne conglobata is rare, but a serious form of inflammatory acne that primarily develops on the chest buttocks and back. In addition to nodules and pustules, there may be severe bacterial infection which can track latteraly through the layers of the skin and cause boils or furuncles.
Who Gets Acne?
More than 90% of all adolescents are affected by acne, and nearly 50% of adults. It is one of the most wide spread medical conditions in the world.
Something To Help
Fortunately you do not have to live with acne. There is always something you can do to help with the health of your skin. And now there is a new skin nutrition product based on the mangosteen, with its natural anti bacterial properties it has been reported by many sufferers to provide a toxic-free natural solution guaranteed not to make the problem worse. Click here for more info.
Fortunately you do not have to live with acne. There is always something you can do to help with the health of your skin. Of course your doctor’s advice can be invaluable, but don’t forget to discuss the possible side effects that normally accompany the long term use of drugs. A naturalpathic doctor will give you other alternatives. There are many plants with anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties. And a third way to find solutions is to do a search on the internet. There are several direct sales companies with quality products promising to help acne problems.
Part Two – Causes, Prevention and Treatment
Who Gets Acne?
More than 90% of all adolescents are affected by acne, and nearly 50% of adults. It is one of the most wide spread medical conditions in the world.
Causes of Acne
The condition – Acne – is influenced by a variety of factors, many of them are simplely out of your control. There is no one cause of acne.
Acne usually begins at puberty, in both males and females, when the body begins to produce male hormones called androgens. These hormones cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge – a natural part of the body’s development. With acne sufferers, the sebaceous glands are over stimulated by androgens – sometimes continuing into adulthood.
When the sebaceous glands are stimulated by androgens, it produces extra sebum. During the journey up the hair follicle pore to the skin’s surface, sebum mixes with natural skin bacteria and dead skin cells that have been shed from the lining of the hair follicle. This process is normal, but the presence of the extra sebum in the pore increases the chances of clogging and can cause acnr.
On your face there can be as many as 500,000 bacteria per square centimeter. This bacteria is present in all skin types and is part of the skin’s natural environment. Once the pore is plugged however, the bacteria can multiply quickly in a closed space which fosters the development of acne.
When the body senses the presence of unwanted bacteria, it sends white blood cells to attack the intruders. This process is called chemotaxis. It results in pimples that become red, swollen, and painful.
Pollution has been proven to be one of the major causes of acne. This is because particles become trapped in pores and result in infections.
Prevention
There are lots of ways to control acne. Cleanse your skin up to three times a day with products containing the mangosteen fruit that will not strip your skin of all its natural oils but will stimulate skin turnover and exfoliation. Change your pillow cases and bed sheets often. The buildup of dirt on your face after a long day adds to the toxins on your face. Also the moisture from sweaty or wet cloths can irritate your skin and cause blemishes. Many don’t realize that some of the worst acne is not on your face.
The sun is not a cure for acne as believed by many people. Small amounts of UV light are essential for skin health, but getting a tan can cause unbalanced skin cell shedding which causes even more acne to appear and it can easily out weigh the benefits of UV light. Cosmetics are another common cause of acne. A lot of the products not only contain dangerous toxins but they plug the pores and most cleaning products are unable to remove the pore plugging debris of the makeup. Smoking is also harmful because it reduces collagen in your skin, this makes acne wore and scaring more likely.
Treatment
The first step is to cleanse the skin with natural plant compounds which stimulate skin growth and help exfoliate old cells. If you have particularly oily skin you may need to cleanse three times a day (morning, afternoon and bedtime).
Using liquid compounds capable of penetrating deep into the pores of the skin to dissolve sebum and dislodge debris is the next step. A product having the mangosteen fruit as a main ingredient will have remarkable natural antibiotic compounds which have been laboratory tested and proven to control p-acne and staphylococcus aureus, - the two bacterial strains known to be involved with acne.
Also products with the mangosteen fruit contain large quantities of anti inflammatory phytochemicals which reduce the severity of acne skin lesions. If these phytochemicals can remain on the face over night in the form of a moisturizer it can be a further benefit.
If possible acne sufferers should use a gel moisturizer and not a creamy moisturizer since the high secretion of sebum which is a natural moisturizer may be sufficient.
Conclusion
Acne can be very emotionally and socially damaging whether it is confined to adolescence or continues through adulthood. Studies have shown acne can leave people to feel ugly, dirty, angry and depressed.
Fortunately you do not have to live with acne. There is always something you can do to help the health of your skin. One of the newest plants to be incorporated into skin care products is the mangosteen. The mangosteen fruit has been shown to exhibit anti inflammatory properties, anti bacterial properties and is a potent anti oxidant which are ideal properties to have in the prevention of acne.
