What Causes Acne

Acne is one of the commonest skin complaint as most of us have had some experience of it during adolescence. Acne usually appear on a background of inflamed red skin. This is most commonly on the face, or the back or the shoulders. There are 3 common types of spots that make up the acne: the redheads, the yellowheads and the blackheads. These spots are manifestations of the inflammatio, infection and resolution that occur in this condition.

Testosterone, which is present in men and women, stimulates the production of grease or sebum. The ducts that carry the grease to the surface become blocked, or get inflamed, then infected, will either discharge themselves or resolve, leaving a blackhead.

Many adolescents get acne. Many women in their twenties and thirties are also affected by acnes as there are may be minor hormonal changes or increased hormonal sensitivity that leads to the persistence of acne. Acnes can also be caused by a some drugs like steroids, phenothiazines and phenytoin.

Treatments For Acne

Therapy is aimed at reducing the bacteria on the skin surface, reducing the production of sebum, or altering the hormonal stimulus to acne. Your doctor may give prescribe an antibiotic skin application or antibiotics by mouth. When the bacteria become resistant to one particular type of antiobiotic, then a change is required.

Hormonal-based treatment is useful for more resistant cases. A powerful drug derived from vitamin A, 13-cis-retinoic acid, is highly effective as it inhibits the excessive production of sebum. This will only be used by medical specialists in those patients who have failed to respond to other treatments.

You can do the following to treat and keep acne at bay:

• Keep your skin clean, and thoroughly clean your skin after using make-up.

• Squeeze the blackheads but be careful not to push inward into the deeper layers of the skin.
• Alter your diet, avoiding chocolate seems to help. It is possible that a low-fat diet with high intakes of fruit and vegetables and a reduce intake of wheat might help.