Causes of acne break outs
Many of us have had it, hated it and tried to beat it. It always seems to flare up at the worst of times. Acne – the bane of teenage skin that, for some of us, persists into adulthood. What can you do to prevent it from starting in the first place? The cause of acne is complicated since many factors play a role in a break out including hormones, lifestyle, age and skin care regimens.
What causes acne?
The first thing that happens when a new pimple starts is the clogging of a pore in our skin. Normally, dead skin cells are shed and don’t stick to our pores. But unfortunately, when our oil glands produce sebum (oil), the dead skin cells stick to the pore like glue. When the pore is clogged, the bacteria have the perfect little house to multiply in. This, of course, causes inflammation and the formation of a pimple.
There is a type of acne called "acne cosmetica." This is a result of pore-clogging substances in your cosmetics such as oils and silicons. It’s important to use products that specifically say they are “non-comedogenic.” And also make sure you wash your makeup brushes on a regular basis.
We all have Male hormones called “ androgens". These hormones overstimulate the oil glands which causes dead skin to get stuck into our pores. During a woman’s menstrual cycle, testosterone is relatively higher in proportion to other female hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This accounts for why women’s acne tends to flare up before and during their menstrual cycle. Of course, there’s not a lot you can do to prevent this from happening. However, it’s sometimes helpful for women to understand that taking extra special care of their skin right before and during their menstrual cycles can make a difference.
There have been many studies on what foods cause acne. Recent studies suggest that there are some foods that make acne worse. One of these types of foods have a high “glycemic index,” meaning they spike your blood sugar. So, sugary foods could make acne worse. Dairy-based foods also seem to make acne worse as do bad fats like those found in junk foods. The key is to eat foods that keep your blood sugar at a steady state and that are not full of dairy and bad fats.