Health

Acne Facts and Fiction

Acne, often stereotyped as the exclusive domain of teenagers everywhere is a dehabilitating condition that can in the worst cases leave physical scars and has a seriously detrimental effect on the self-esteem of the sufferer as well. Whilst acne is commonly suffered by young people in their teens, it is entirely possible for young adults to suffer from acne as well, and no part of the body is spared, with the face, back and chest of sufferers being the worst afflicted areas. There has been a great deal of speculation as to the causes of acne, as well as to the cures for it. A prevailing myth (which is as harmful as it is unfounded) is that acne is something that will be grown out of. This is a dreadful myth because it completely trivializes the damage it causes to both the skin and self-esteem of the sufferer.

It can be rather tricky trying to pin down just what exactly has caused a flare up of acne in a victim, and it should be noted that each person will suffer acne for different reasons. Acne is a common complaint suffered by certain sports people for a very simple reason. Steroid abuse. Certain classes of steroids are directly responsible for causing serious fluctuations in hormone levels and as a result, this can manifest itself by means of a severe bout of acne. If you are using steroids in such a manner please stop, because you are placing yourself at a great risk of developing critical health complications, and believe me, a bout of acne will be the least of your worries! Steroids are banned by sporting bodies not just because they confer an unfair tactical advantage to the user, but because they also jeopardize their health.

Studies have indicated that stress is another key factor in the development of acne, and so sufferers may find that they suffer a particularly vicious flare up when they are under increased strain. Whilst the presence of acne is anything but pleasant, you may want to use this as a motivating factor to help bring your stress levels within more manageable levels.

One of the major reasons for the development of acne is excess oil in the skin and so if your skin is clogged, this means that the skin becomes steadily oilier. Please refrain from using makeup to either disguise or conceal a flare-up of acne, because this will only make the outbreak much worse.

You may want to keep a diary so that you log any and all pertinent details such as diet. Diet can have a major role in the development of the acne, certain foodstuffs can cause a severe outbreak and dairy products are the worst offenders. This is by no means a hard or fast rule so it is important to log all your food consumption so as to pinpoint the causes more effectively.

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