INTRODUCTION: Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms.
It is a skin problem that occurs due to the over producing of oil by the oil glands of the skin and is more common in teenagers, but it can occur at any age, even as an infant. It is a complex condition, but one we are learning more about it every day.
TREATMENTS: Treatments include medicines and creams. Americans spend well over a hundred million dollars a year for non-prescription acne treatments, not even taking into account special soaps and cleansers. For that reason, you should use appropriate treatments for acne.
Also, many treatments magnifies the skin’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light, making the risk of ultraviolet light exposure even worse. Your dermatologist will decide which treatments are best for your problem.
For more information about the types of treatments that are available, and for basic acne treatment guidelines, please see your doctor or dermatologist.
Most mild conditions can be treated effectively at home, with good daily skin care and OTC (0ver-the-counter) medicines, such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
If you are suffering from moderate to a severe form or home remedies are not working for you, contact your physician. There are many treatment remedies which range from covering up your symptoms using creams to attacking the basis for your pimples.
BACTERIA: Tissue injured by squeezing or picking can become infected by staphylococci, streptococci and other skin bacteria. In the process, these bacteria produce irritating substances that can cause inflammation. Now the oil and bacteria that should be coming to the surface of the skin is stuck.
These bacteria and oils that are causing you to break out are also on your hands. Squeezing your pimples does nothing more than deposit and push more of this material into your skin.
CONCLUSION: Acne is an equal opportunity destroyer, with no regard to race, culture, gender or even age. While some people feel that their acne is aggravated by certain foods, particularly chocolate, colas, peanuts, shellfish and some fatty foods, there is no scientific evidence that suggests food causes or influences it.
Stay away from any foods which seem to increase your problem and for your overall good health, eat a balanced diet–but diet shouldn’t really matter if the acne is being correctly treated. The best means for preventing the disease is to maintain a proper skin care regimen that includes routine use of masks and exfoliants.
