Acne Causes, Prevention and Treatment

You have most definitely heard about acne, be it from the media, friends or your personal experience. Although acne is more common in teenage years, adults are not totally immune to it either. 

Acne outbreaks happen when oil glands located under your skin get clogged. The reason it is mostly a condition that affects teens is because a body going through puberty is prone to excess secretion of oil, which results in blockage of pores, therefore pimples, blackheads, blemishes and other unsightly things. 

What causes acne? 

A more accurate question would be “what doesn’t cause acne?”, since this condition is very common due to how easily it is triggered. A cheeky midnight takeaway might result in a nasty outbreak on the morrow, as well as something as simple as trying a new cosmetic product brand you haven’t used before. Oh, not drinking enough water is a known culprit, too. But there are few more factors that are more serious than eating a slice of pizza.  

1. Hormones 

As mentioned previously, the biggest reason behind acne outbreaks is hormonal changes. Namely it’s the sex hormone androgen, the amount of which increases drastically in both boys and girls throughout puberty. Such increase forces follicular glands to enlarge, thus causing excessive oil secretion and blockage of pores. High-androgen state may occur post-puberty too, however, as it is something that comes with some medical conditions. . Hormonal changes during pregnancy as well as oral birth control medications can trigger outbreaks as well. 

2. Smoking 

There are plenty of reasons why one shouldn’t smoke, keeping in mind tobacco brings a lot of harm for the entirety of the body. Well, here’s another reason to quit – it is also bad for the skin. Inhaling tobacco leads to a decrease of oxygen supply to the face. Additionally, smoke can irritate the skin, once again causing a breakout. 

3. Drugs 

There are plenty of medications that have a side effect of causing acne. Mostly these are steroids and anticonvulsant medications, but as we have mentioned before, it can be caused by birth control medications, too. 

4. Genetics 

Unfortunately, if there is a history of acne in your family – you are more than likely to develop it. Even if you haven’t had it as a teenager, it’s too easy to relax. You can still develop it later in life. 

How to prevent and treat acne? 

With acne being as common as it is, the market is full of solutions. From topical face washes to oral medicine to surgery and laser therapy. However, despite how hopeless it may sometimes feel, acne is easier to treat than we think. 

And very often you can prevent naturally, without having to consume any medications, miraculous creams or surgery.  

We made a list of measures you should take to prevent the outbreaks at the first place. 

1. Get some anti-oxidant rich foods in your diet, or rather increase the intake of them. Such would be solid foods like carrots, fish, avocados, pomegranates, but also drinks – green tea, aloe vera juice. 
2. Say no to caffeine, sugar and refined carbohydrates. It is difficult, yes, but these are things that are very likely to trigger hormones which encourage your body to produce more oil. 
3. Stay hydrated. Eight to ten glasses a day is a must to flush the toxins out from your body. 
4. Fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables are your best friends. Pay extra attention to carrots, celery, apples and ginger – thankfully all of them put together make great salads and smoothies. 
5. Spicy, fried or fermented foods are not great to your skin. Additionally, you should avoid salt and citrus fruits. 
6. Metabolism-busting foods like deep-fried or starchy dishes, sweets, alcohol and yeast products will increase the chance of a break out. 
7. Finally, don’t stress over it. Acne can happen to anyone at literally any day or even any hour. It does not hint you have bad hygiene nor it defines your overall state of health. And, by the way, stress is one of the things that causes acne! 

Treating acne at home 

As discussed already, it is rare you will need to go as far as getting medical treatment for acne. And very often you can tackle it at home. We will go through few possible solutions. 

Aspirin 

Given how common this drug is in every household, chances are you already have it in your medicine cabinet. Aspirin contains salicylic acid which is known to be a one of the key ingredients when treating acne. Drinking the pill won’t help you – instead crush it and mix with a few drops of water to make a thick paste. Apply it directly on pimples and wash it off 15 minutes later. 

Milk and nutmeg 

The facemask of these two ingredients is quite a miracle worker. Milk is a natural moisturizer, meaning you won’t need to apply any afterwards. Nutmeg, on the other hand, is brimmed with essential oils and antiseptic properties – just what you need to fight some angry acne outbreak. A teaspoon of nutmeg and a teaspoon of milk will give you a paste to apply on your face for 15-20 minutes and the effects will be mesmerizing.  

Light therapy 

We have briefly touched on laser treatments earlier in this article and such are always attributed to pricey clinic visits. Well, we have some great news. With our blue light therapy device for drug-free acne treatment you won’t need to leave your house. It is also a long-term solution for it helps preventing further acne outbreaks. 

Egg whites 

If you have ever looked up home-made face masks, you must have noticed egg whites are often part of the recipe. That’s because they contain lysozyme, an enzyme with antiviral and antibacterial properties. Additionally, egg whites are great for cleaning pores, removing excess oil, dirt and bacteria, and can also tighten the skin of your face. All you need are two eggs – separate whites from the yolks and apply them to your face for 10-15 minutes. 

Garlic and honey 

Both garlic and honey are well known to be antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. And thus they both will help you clear your skin from acne. Mix crushed garlic with honey, then dab the paste on acne for 20 minutes. 

Steaming 

Probably the cheapest solution of them all is using steam. As easy as it is, steaming has great effects on the skin for it will open up the pores, helping to get rid of all the dirt, grime and oil underneath it. However, make sure your face is clean from makeup or dirt. All you need to do is to boil a cup of water and put it in a bowl. Having it placed on a flat surface, lean towards it. Using a towel create a tent over your face to make sure the steam stays focused on your face. Give it 10 minutes and then simply wipe your face with a clean cloth.