Causes And Cures
Contrary to popular belief, acne is not caused by eating greasy foods or not washing your skin properly. It's also not solely caused by hormonal inbalances. Acne is caused by an oily substance produced by the body called sebum. Sebum keeps the hair and skin soft and lubricated, but during puberty it is overproduced. This excess clogs the pores and will most likely leave the skin feeling oily.
Areas such as the face, scalp, neck, chest, back, and upper arms and shoulders are the areas with the most sebaceous glands. These are the areas that acne mainly developes. Unfortunately these are the areas that we don't want to have acne because these are the areas that are exposed and really can't be covered up, but as we have already discussed acne is not caused by dirt or surface skin oils, so what can we do to treat it? Are there real acne treatments out there?
Even though there is no magic cure for acne, there are numerous acne treatments for helping to prevent serious outbreaks, and getting these out breaks under control can help to restore your self-esteem and confidence.
As scientists get a better understanding of all the aspects involved in acne, science and research of the human body will progress. In other words, this will enable scientists to develop new acne treatments that will work in preventing acne break outs. As it stands right now, it is hard for some people to control their acne with over the counter produucts.
Although acne cannot be prevented or cured, there are other ways that you can lessen the severity of the acne as well as to avoid scars and infection. Since most people really don't want to apply harsh chemicals directly to their skin, there are other acne treatments and some are turning to a new trend which consists of a more natural and holistic approach to treat their acne.
Even though treatments can help, something that will not necessarily help is just changing your diet or exercise. While there are misconceptions about what causes acne, alot of people still believe that facial hygiene and exercise are still the most commonly recognized acne beliefs. A survey at Stanford University revealed that respondents believed that poor diet and exercise and decreased sleep were the culprits.
So now that we no that neither dirt nor diet directly causes acne and is actually caused by bacteria and oil on the skin and the clogging of pores, we can start to search for a product or natural solution for acne treatments that will work best for you. Since no one has the same skin type, one product or remedy may not work as well for you as it did for someone else. Your best strategy is to do a little more research as you are doing right now.