Acne Prevention

I know everyone will love to see some of the ways I found out that can get rid of acne, because lets face it, the first thing people HAVE to look at is the face. When the face has even a single noticeable blemish, it can leave a certain impression on people.

There are several factors as to why acne occurs.

• Hormones- more specifically, androgens (male hormone), and when the levels of this hormone increase the sebum glands enlarge and make more oil. More oil on the skin = more clogged pores = more chances of pimples.

• hormonal changes, for women, that means your period, a pregnancy, or starting/stopping birth control pills

• Genetics- plenty of researchers and dermatologist believe that acne can be hereditary. There have been studies shown that prove this. For example, studies show that when looked into the back ground of many school kids with acne, it was shown that there was a family history of acne.
• Stress- prolonged stress is a very well known factor of causing acne. It can cause acne flare-up and WORSEN the condition. Stress cause sebum glands to overact making more oil for your skin.
• Medicine- let's face it, every medication has been bound to have some form of side effects. The ones to watch out for mostly are ones that contain androgens, lithium, and barbiturates. These have been found to cause acne.
• Cosmetics- the type of cosmetics is also a factor. If its too greasy, chances are its time for something new. If any of your make up products are oil-based and its causing acne, its time to replace it with a water-based formula, and it is advised to look for products that are meant to prevent breakouts that say: "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic"
• Environment- the most common thing, in my opinion, that causes acne is pollution. The more pollution and time one spends outside in it can cause acne.

Finally, here are some of the preventive actions that can help stop acne:

• Make sure to wash your face, it helps remove dead skin cells, bacteria, and most importantly the oil that's built up on your skin. (Do not be to rough because your risk over drying your skin!)
  
• If you use hair gel, or hair spray make sure your hair isn't touching your face. These products usually contain oils that agitate the skin.
• After exercise, or if you were in areas that make you sweat make sure to wash your face to clean up the excess oil. If this option doesn't suit you, make sure to carry oil absorbent sheets.
• Body Acne? Try wearing less tight clothes since friction may be a factor.

The Food Factor:
There are foods that have been shown that help make your skin more healthy and beautiful, but I'll leave the explanation for another time.