What Really Does and Doesn’t Lead to Acne?
October 7, 2008
The unfortunate truth is that many people around the world suffer from acne on a day to day basis. This skin condition is often times viewed as an annoyance and can even lead to severe self-esteem issues among some acne sufferers. To better understand how to treat acne, it's a good idea to first understand where acne comes from. This article covers the truth about what does (and does not) causes acne.
Outbreaks Causes by Hormones
An excess of hormones in the body is one factor that lead to acne outbreaks. In fact, often times, women see acne outbreaks that are more severe during certain points in their menstrual cycle. This is also why teens are more vulnerable to acne outbreaks - because of the extra hormones produced by the body during puberty. In addition, an increased level of stress can sometimes cause acne outbreaks. Stress fires up your adrenal glands, causing them to produce more hormones.
Dirt Isn't a Cause
Blackheads are a common occurrence with people who have acne. And because of the way blackheads look, many people simply assume that it's dirt that's causing the acne outbreaks. But in reality, it's not a lack of personal hygeine that causes acne. Those blackheads are usually made up of keratin, which is a substance found in skin and hair cells. They're not made of dirt. But because acne is caused by unshed skill cells that end up blocking your pores, blackheads often show up. This is really another symptom of acne, not a cause and not a reason to think someone with acne is somehow an unclean person.
Bacteria and It's Link to Acne
As mentioned before, acne forms when your pores are clogged. But the other half of that story is that when your pores are clogged, bacteria infects your pores. Like all bacteria, they breed and multiply, causing the unsightly inflammations we'd all like to get rid of. Whiteheads that form are actually a defensve response from your immune system and most of the liquid they contain is actually white blood cells. Whiteheads might be unsightly, but they're a sure sign that your body is doing its part to fight the invading bacteria.
Foods That Can Cause Acne?
There's still a lot of debate as to whether or not foods can really cause acne. We're all familiar with age-old advice like avoiding chocolate and fried foods. And while there might be other benefits for doing so, there's no solid connection between either of these foods and acne. Some studies have shown that milk might be a cause for acne though, likely due to the hormones found in milk. However, for the most part, any legitimate connection between food and causes for acne is up in the air.
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