Acne or Pimple is the most common of all skin diseases. It occurs when the pores of the skin are blocked by oil, dead skin cells and bacteria. Acne usually begins in adolescence, between the ages of 14 to 25 years. But the case is not always the same; it may occur at any age and continue for whole life. Acne pops out in the form of pimples on face, chest, back and shoulders. The medical term for acne is - Acne Vulgaris. About 80% of teenagers get affected by this disease and continue till adulthood. The main effect of acne is acne scars which take time to diminish completely.
How does acne occur ?
The oil producing glands known as sebaceous glands lie just beneath the skin surface. They produce oil or sebum to moisten hair and skin. Sebum is distributed to the outer surface of the skin. Also, dead skin cells are expelled from the pores.
The oil producing glands known as sebaceous glands lie just beneath the skin surface. They produce oil or sebum to moisten hair and skin. Sebum is distributed to the outer surface of the skin. AIn case glands are producing right amount of sebum then its fine but if sebum is excreted in excess then pores may get blocked with oil as well as dead skin cells. This may occur due to the increased intake of oily food or at puberty when increased levels of the androgen hormones cause overproduction of sebum. After the pores have been blocked up, bacteria may built-up around the pore which leads to swelling of the pore called acne. Acne occurs on face, chest, back and shoulders due to the reason that oil glands in our skin are concentrated in the T-zone the face and the above mentioned parts only. lso, dead skin cells are expelled from the pores.
Also, there are different types of acne depending upon its seriousness. Whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules, cyst all are different types of acne.
Causes of Acne:-
As discussed in the last paragraph, acne occurs due to the blockage of oil and dead skin cells in the pores. But what are the reasons that some people get acne on their skin. The exact causes of acne cannot be stated but some of the factors that lead to the development of acne are as follows:
- Hereditary: People with a family history of acne have more tendencies to have acne in an early age. Acne vulgaris is a disease which may transfer from generation to generation.
- Age: Acne is more likely to occur in adolescence i.e. between 14 to 25 years than at any other age.
- Gender: Women are more likely to develop acne but men can have more severe acne. Type of acne differs for men and women.
- Hormones: One can have acne during hormonal changes such as Mensuration, puberty, Pregnancy and menopause. Hormonal disorders in girls can also lead to acne vulgaris.
- Scrubbing: Hard rubbing, scrubbing or scratching on skin can cause acne. Tight clothing is also one of the reasons.
- Diet: Excess intake of oily and fried food, may also lead to acne development, though it is not a primary cause.
- Stress: Any kind of emotional stress or tension may also worsen the situation. It is due to the increased output of hormones from stress glands.
- Medicines: Some prescribed medicines containing steroids, lithium, androgens etc. can also affect the skin in the form of acne.
- Unhygienic environment: Exposure to oils, polluted air and sweating in hot weather can also cause acne vulgaris.
- Lack of nutrition: People with lack of vitamin A and Vitamin E which are essential for skin, usually have this disease.
- Constipation: It is also a major cause of acne. The extra effort of the skin to eliminate excess waste results in acne and other forms of skin diseases.
Home remedies for acne:-
Prevention is always better than cure. But once you have acne vulgaris then there are some tips that one can follow to cure this. These are very simple and convenient home remedies to apply as a daily routine. It is not essential to follow every tip but one can use as per his need and convenience.
- Do not eat cold foods when suffering with acne.
- Do a suitable time gap between meals.
- Apply clay mask on acne for overnight and wash away in the morning. It can be applied as necessary.
- You can also apply a bit of toothpaste on your pimples for 4-5 hours.
- Make a paste with water and coarse grained sea-salt and apply it to the blemish twice a day until healed.
- Aloe Vera is very effective in healing acne damaged skin. Soaps and gels containing aloe-Vera can be used.
- Make a thick paste using natural yoghurt and crushed oatmeal. Apply till dry, rinse off and apply any antibiotic lotion as per your skin type.
- Make a paste of dried crushed orange peel and rose water and apply till dry.
- Acne skin can be daily washed with unboiled milk with gram flour.
- Mix one spoon of groundnut oil with one spoon of lime juice and apply on pimples.
- Apply a paste of turmeric powder in mint juice and apply for 30 minutes and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.
- Apply ripe tomatoes paste on pimples and rinse it off after one hour.
- Mix lime juice and rose water equally and apply on clean and washed face. After one hour wash again and pat dry.
Tips to get rid of acne:-
- Be sure to include a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seed in your food.
- Drink at least 3-4 liters of water daily as it is the best medicine for any kind of skin disease.
- Wash your face at least twice a day with antibacterial soap but gently and apply non-oil based moisturizer after each wash.
- Avoid applying cosmetics containing harmful chemicals and vegetable oil. Use only natural product.
- Keep your hair clean and away from your face.
- Don?t rub your skin harshly or go for facials too often as it will create irritation and rashes on your skin and will lead to acne.
- Never squeeze a pimple as it will lead to acne scars which will worsen the condition as these are not easy to remove.
- Don?t over dry your skin by using astringent and alcohol. Instead of removing, it will cause more pimples.
- Don?t make a habit of resting your skin on your hands.
- Take nutritional diet which is rich in Vitamin E and C which are very essential for a glowing skin.
- Avoid taking sugar, carbohydrates and oily food
- Workout daily for at least 1 hour as it will help in removal of excess salt from your body and will prevent acne.
- Avoid taking unnecessary tensions and lead an easy life.
- Manuka honey is a powerful antibiotic, an effective antiseptic and it is also antiviral. Some people swear by the effects on the skin and also in the aiding of the digestive process.
- Neem soap is sometime also used as antifungal, antibacterial, antoparasitic and antiviral. So we can use soap as a prevention and treatment for acne.