Since chemicals take control, our bodies start to get more of an adult-like form, and they react with pimples. This can really make people feel uncomfortable and distressed, but it is normal and nothing to worry about unless it has the influence on your life in general. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to prevent them if it is part of growing, but the effects can be diminished and you can possibly eliminate them in total.

Apart from puberty, the other reason for getting pimples is stress. School and fashion impose the pressure to be “beautiful” or “handsome”, which can be overwhelming for teens and their efforts to make some balance in their lives. Moreover, this reaction to stress is normal and may happen to older people, too.

It is really hard for young girls or boys to have acne. As the consequence, they can feel insecure, less confident, ugly, and unhappy. Most of them feel as if they are the only ones that have acne and cannot eliminate them. Therefore, it is very important to explain to the teens how pimples appear, and also that it is natural for their age. It is not unusual that most of their friends suffer from the same problem, but they may feel too ashamed to talk about it with anybody.

In fact, almost every person goes through this phase in life and sooner or later gets over it. The most important thing is that pimples can be treated, or they would just go away on their own.

How does acne appear?

They appear as the mixture of dead skin and oils in your skin that clog your pores. Nevertheless, it may arise due to the hormonal imbalances and toxic substances in your body. Therefore, one of the effective ways of treating acne is to carry out the complete detoxification of your body. At the end of this article you will be shown the product which can help you get rid of your acne effectively and what’s more important, naturally.

Still, it is most essential to acquire proper hormonal balance, as it is the best  way to treat your acne. On the other hand, there are some herbs offered to you in acne treatment both for adults and teenagers alike. Some of them are made exclusively for male or female hormone imbalances. So, you can make your own ginger drink by buying ginger from the shop and blending it with water. Then, you can add a little honey to sweeten it up. Ginger is very helpful in cleaning your kidneys and bowels. This consequently makes your body get rid of excess toxins and increase blood circulation. Blood circulation will aid in removing toxins from your body and prevent further acne growth.

Apart from these herbs, it is necessary to wash your face, neck and chest zones at least twice a day with mild soap and then to rinse well. You can also use an acne cleanser. Don’t use cosmetics with oil. Instead, use those based on water. Ask a sales person to give you an advice, if you are not sure which product to choose.

In general, you can be sure that any cleansing and detoxifying product will be of great help in restoring hormonal balance and eliminating one of the major causes of acne.

Associated With Certain Foods

First of all, in order to understand acne you have to distinguish facts from myths. The most common myth about acne is that they appear because we eat too much chocolate and greasy food. Yet, there is no evidence that this is completely true. However, it has been noticed that in some people the acne breakout worsens after eating, so if you are one of these people, you should better avoid it. As you can see, there is no any general rule about eating this or avoiding that kind of food in order to get rid of acne.

Squeezing The Pimples Will Make Them Go Away

A great number of people think that popping the pimples will make them disappear. Yes, it is true that in the beginning you will see fewer pimples, but there is something that you must be aware of. When you pop pimples you are actually pushing the bacteria, dead skin cells and oil deeper into the skin, in this manner causing more swelling and redness. Besides, popping pimples also contributes to getting scars.

Frequent Washing Clears Up Acne

Another common myth about acne is that if you wash your face regularly, you will reduce them, which is not true at all. Namely, frequent washing causes irritation and makes your skin dry, which in turn can cause acne breakouts. It will be absolutely enough to wash your face twice a day with a mild soap.

No Makeup Is Clear Skin

You have already heard that putting makeup leads to acne breakouts. It implies that if you would like to have a clear skin you should avoid makeup. However, choosing non-acnegenic or noncomedogenic makeup does not have any bad effects on your acne. If you already have this problem, you should better consult a dermatologist who will best advise what makeup to use.

Take More Medication For Continuous Breakouts

Another common myth about acne is that you are required to use more acne medication if you constantly get breakouts. As a matter of fact, most of the acne medicines contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which can dry skin and cause more blemishes. If your acne medication is not helping, you should visit a dermatologist.

Tanning Clears Up The Skin

And the last of the most popular myths about acne is that tanning helps clear up the skin. However, the truth is that exposing your skin to sun can lead to premature aging, skin cancer and skin irritation. It will never help clear up the acne. While you get out in the sun, always take a sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful influence of the sunrays.

Giving concrete details on common myths about acne will certainly be of great help to understand this condition.

Acne is a disease which skin oil glands make. It may leave skin scars, but it isn’t dangerous. Our skin has a lot of pores (tiny holes) which are connected to oil glands located under it. Also, the glands are connected to the pores via follicles, small canals. These glands produce an oily liquid, sebum, which carries dead skin cells through the follicles to the surface of the skin. Then, a small hair grows through the follicle blocking it and making pimples grow. Most often pimples appear on people’s face, back, chest, shoulders and neck. Acne comes out when follicles are blocked and infected. Skin cells, sebum and hair being clump together form a clogg which turns into a swelling if it is infected with bacteria. A pimple starts to develop after the plug begins to break down.

There are various types of pimples:

- Blackheads – appear on the surface of the skin, clearly visible, black in colour. Remember that dirt doesn’t make blackheads, so scrubbing your face vigorously in order to remove them will not help.

- Whiteheads – are very small and remain under the skin

- Nobules – large, solid pimples which are clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They can be very painful and are rooted deep in the skin.

- Papules – small bumps, visible on the surface of the skin, usually pink.

- Pustules – clearly viewable on the surface of the skin, red at their base and have pus at the top.

- Cysts – very painful, and are filled with pus. They are clearly visible on the surface of the skin and they can easily cause scars.

How often does acne appear?

Specialists for skin, dermatologists, say that approximately three-quarters of  people aged between 11 and 30 get acne at some moment in their life. However, there is no rule, as they can affect people of all races and all ages. Most commonly, adolescents and young adults are affected. But, it is found out that some people even in their fifties can get acne. Despite the fact that acne affects both men and women, men suffer from acne more often. This is because they have more of testosterone, which can aggravate the problem.

What causes acne?

Nobody can definitely say what causes acne. Experts think that this primarily happens in the adolescence period when the level of the hormone androgen rises. As it rises, the oil glands under your skin grow producing more oil. Excessive sebum can break down cellular walls in the pores causing the growth of bacteria. According to some researches, the susceptibility to acne could also be genetic. Thus,  hormone changes during pregnancy, greasy cosmetics or medications which contain androgen and lithium may be the reasons why acne appear.

Acne treatment

The way you treat acne depends on how severe and persistent the condition is.

Treating mild acne

Most people usually suffer from mild acne. They are commonly treated with OTC (over-the-counter) medicines which can be bought at a drugstore without the doctor’s prescription. They are usually applied to the skin and are known as topical medicines.

Most OTC products for treating acne may contain the following active ingredients:

- Benzoyl Peroxide – a white crystalline peroxide used in bleaching (flour or oils or fats) and as a catalyst for free radical reactions. It destroys bacteria and slows down your glands’ production of oil. It works as a peeling factor, which clears pores and speeds up skin turnover thus reducing the amount of bacteria in the affected area.

- Resorcinol - helps in breaking down blackheads and whiteheads. It is a crystalline phenol and comes from various resins. Resorcinol is also used against dandruff, eczema and psoriasis.

- Sulfur – Sulfur has been used over centuries for acne treatment, psoriasis and eczema although scientists are not sure how sulfur helps in healing skin diseases. We do know that elemental sulfur does oxidize slowly to sulfurous acid which is a mild reducing and antibacterial agent.

- Salicylic Acid –  Salicylic acid is a white crystalline substance very effective in treating inflammation and swelling. It  breaks down blackheads and whiteheads, preventing pores from becoming blocked, while at the same time making space for new cells to grow. Besides, it is also used as a fungicide, for making aspirin, dyes or perfumes and can be added to shampoos for the treatment of  dandruff.

- Azelaic Acid – It is a saturated dicarboxylic acid found naturally in wheat, rye, and barley which helps reducing bacteria growth, strengthening cells that line the follicles, and stopping oil eruptions.. Azelaic acid also wipes up free radicals thus reducing inflammation. It is recommended to patients with darker skin who have dark patches on their face (melasma), or whose acne spots make brown marks.

- Retin-A – helps unplugging blocked pores. It contains Tretinoin, an acid form of vitamin A, also known as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Also, it is used in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia. Retin-A has been mostly used as a substance against skin aging, and as a chemical peeling.

Acne medications could appear in forms of gels, pads, soaps, lotions and creams. If you have a sensitive skin, perhaps you would rather use a cream or lotion. Gels, mostly containing some percents of alcohol may dry the skin, so it is better for people with oily skin type to use it. OTC medicines have these ingredients in different concentrations. Having that in mind you are recommended to start with the lowest quantity. In the beginning you may experience skin irritation, redness, and/or burning which gradually disappear. However, if this does not happen,  go and visit your  doctor.

Treating more severe acne cases

If your problem with acne is more serious, you should think of  seeing a dermatologist. He may prescribe a medicine which has some of the active ingredients mentioned above, such as azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, as well as adabalene. Depending on your case, you will be given the right treatment. You may be prescribed an oral or topical antibiotic. Antibiotics are excellent against the growth of bacteria and inflammation. Erythromyocin and Tetracycline are most commonly prescribed.

Treating a cyst with interlesional corticosteroid injection

If it comes that an acne cyst is severely inflammed, there is a high risk of rupturing which often results in making scars. As a prevention, a dermatologist may inject a diluted corticosteroid. It will lower the inflammation and speed up healing. In just a few days the cyst will “melt” .

Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin is a strong oral retinoid, used for the treatment of severe acne cysts, as well as severe acne that has not given desirable results to other medications and treatments.

Oral contraceptives

A great number of women with acne have found out that taking certain oral contraceptives can clear it, as they suppress the overactive gland. But, if the woman smokes, has a period disorder, suffers long from migraines, or is over 35, she should consult her gynecologist  first before she starts taking this medication.

Oral antibiotics

In case a patient suffers from a severe or moderate acne, he or she is prescribed oral antibiotics. These oral antibiotics are used to lower the population of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), a kind of a  bacterium usually found on the skin which is multiplied rapidly in blocked follicles. In the beginning the dosage will be given in high amounts, and then as the acne reduces so will the dosage. Antibiotics are not taken for more than six months. However, as time passes the P. acnes can become resistant to the antibiotic in which case another antibiotic should be given.

Topical antimicrobials (topical = applied to the skin or mucus membranes)

The aim of topical antimicrobials for the treatment of acne is to reduce P. acnes populations. Some of them are clindamycin, erythromycin, and sodium sulfacetamide. They are used in treating severe and moderate acne. You may be prescribed a topical retinoid by the specialist. They prevent whiteheads and blackheads from increasing and unclog the pores. Topical retinoids are a derivative of Vitamin A and are very popular for the treatment of acne. Examples of topical retinoids prescribed in the USA are adapalene, tazarotene, and tretinoin.

Taking care of your skin if you have acne (or are prone to acne):

- Don’t burst the pimples. If you do that, it may spread the infection, causing more blocking and worse swelling and redness. Popping pimples causes scarring.

- Wash your face about two times a day. Do not wash it more than that. Use a mild soap made especially for people with acne, and warm water. Avoid scrubbing the skin. Experts recommend the use of an OTC lotion which has benzoyl peroxide.

- If you have to get rid of a pimple quickly because you have to go to some event, such as a wedding, or occasions which involve public appearance, ask a dermatologist to treat it for you.

- Keep your hands from touching the face. When you speak on the telephone do not  let the receiver touch your face – there might be sebum and skin residue on it.

- Always wash your hands before touching your face. This means wash them before you apply lotions, creams or makeup.

- Glasses may collect sebum and skin residue so make sure to keep them cleaned regularly.

- Clean the makeup from your face before you go to sleep. Use only makeup that is nonceomedogenic or nonacnegenic which does not have oil and does not clog up the pores.

- You should allow your skin to breathe. If you have acne on your back, shoulders or chest wear loose clothing. Avid wearing tight garments, such as headbands, caps and scarves, but if you have to wear them they should be cleaned regularly.

- Too much sun makes your skin produce more sebum. Several acne medications make it more likely that you will get sunburnt.

- Keep your hair clean and away from your face as it collects sebum and skin residue.

- If you shave your face, you should be very careful. Use either an electric shaver or safety razors and make sure the blade is sharp. Soften your skin or beard with warm   water and soup before applying the shaving cream.

- Anxiety and stress – due to mental stress that affects the levels of some hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, the problem with acne can become worse.

- Menstrual cycle – girls and women’s problem with acne tends to become worse one or two weeks before their menstrual period. This probably happens because of hormonal changes in the body. Some people say that during this period they eat more chocolate and think that getting more acne is connected with that. However, experts believe that is not the main reason.

- Oil based makeups – makeup containing oil, moisturizing creams, lubricating lotions, can speed up the blocking of your pores.

- Hot and humid climates – people sweat more when it is hot and this can make the acne worse.

- Greasy hair – some hair products may be very greasy and they can produce similar  effects as oil based makeup. Such are hair products with cocoa butter or coconut butter.