As a condition that most often occurs during the teenage years due to puberty related hormones, acne is one of the most confidence affecting problems around. In fact, statistics show that many cases are sticking around long into adulthood. Here at The Healthy Living and Fitness, we recognise how difficult acne can be to deal with, especially when it develops into cystic acne, which is why have put together a brief guide on everything you need to know…
What is it?
Acne occurs when the hair follicles on your face become blocked with excess oil and dead skin cells. In fact, there are many different types of pimples including whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules and cystic lesions. Usually the condition can be managed with regular washing, however severe cases many warrant a trip to the GP.
Myths
There has been a lot of research carried out on acne in order to try and discover what causes it, however this has also lead to the development of many myths. For example, many people believe that eating greasy food can make acne worse and whilst it is true that a bad diet isn’t good for you, research has shown that a poor diet isn’t a direct cause of the skin condition itself.
Mistakes
Keeping your face clean is an important part of acne prevention, however contrary to belief the condition is not caused by dirty skin and you can actually exacerbate the problem by over cleaning your face. Experts recommend that you wash your face twice a day (morning and night) with a foaming face washing and luke-warm water, being careful not to over scrub the face. In addition to this, you should also avoid using face scrub cleanser more than once a week as the irritation can make the condition worse and lead to the development of more pimples.
Here at The Healthy Living and Fitness, we believe that it is important to understand your skin when trying to tackle acne. After all, if you have oily skin then thick lotions can block your pores and make things worse. In fact, skin experts recommend that people with acne choose cosmetics that are labelled non-comedogenic as these are formulated not to block your pores. To find out more information about treating acne, speak to your GP or get in contact with a member of The Healthy Living and Fitness team today!