Eating a healthy, balanced diet is recommended because it's good for your heart and your health in general. Most of the biological reactions that trigger acne occur beneath the skin, not on the surface, so the cleanliness of your skin has no effect on your acne.
Washing your face more than twice a day could just aggravate your skin. This could actually make symptoms worse and may leave you with scarring. There's no conclusive evidence that prolonged exposure to sunlight or using sunbeds or sunlamps can improve acne.
Many medicines used to treat acne can make your skin more sensitive to light, so exposure could cause painful damage to your skin, and also increase your risk of skin cancer.
Page last reviewed: 12 July Next review due: 12 July Testosterone Teenage acne is thought to be triggered by increased levels of a hormone called testosterone, which occurs during puberty.
Acne in families Acne can run in families. If your parents had acne, it's likely that you'll also develop it. Acne in women Women are more likely to have adult acne than men.
Spots are actually the bodies way of healing itself. The sebaceous gland is located next to small hair follicles in the skin and secretes an oil known as sebum , which is used to prevent the skin and hair from drying out.
Spots develop when these pores become clogged and inflamed. The body then tries to repair itself by sending extra blood and chemicals to the area, this causes inflammation. What's the difference between a blackhead and a whitehead? When a pore is clogged but not completely closed, the bacteria inside is exposed and becomes oxidised forming a grey colour; known as a blackhead.
Whiteheads are formed when the pore is completely sealed up and becomes inflamed. Teenagers are more susceptible to spots because the sebaceous glands are enlarged during puberty and the hormones that are produced trigger changes, increasing their production of sebum. This means there is a higher chance of the pores becoming blocked.
For more information read our guide on teenage skincare. Dairy, saturated and trans fats can also increase your chances of getting spots. The sebaceous glands are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes. In women, if the androgen receptors are sensitive they can produce more sebum causing pores to get clogged. Certain medications can affect the hormones in your body which can then cause spots. If you think that your medication is causing you to breakout, go and see your doctor.
Using harsh products especially those with fragrances and dyes can irritate the skin and dry it out. Sometimes when our skin is dry it will over compensate and produce more oil, which in turn can clog up our pores creating spots. If you are susceptible to spots make sure to use gentle products like NIVEA Caring Micellar water to cleanse your face and keep your skin moisturised with an oil-free moisturiser like the NIVEA Daily Essentials Oil-Free Moisturising Day Cream, it even has a high performing formula to effectively fight existing spots and helps to prevent blemishes.
Whether we get acne or spots can sometimes be connected to genetics, some specific genetic mutations can lead to us being more likely to get acne or spots. Spots can be caused by multiple different things from the way your immune system works to specific bacteria in the gut to hormones and all of these things can be affected by genetics. Read here for acne treatment advice. These are easily transferred when you touch your face, which can encourage pimples to form.
Make sure to wash your hair regularly in your routine. It can be a carrier of additional impurities like oils. Other hair tips for avoiding the transfer of oils is ensuring long hair is pulled back away from the face. As previously mentioned eating the wrong things can increase your chances of getting spots and conversely eating the right things can help prevent spots. Things which contain probiotics such as kombucha and pickles promote healthy bacteria in your gut which can decrease inflammation.
Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans and veg can also reduce your chances of developing spots. Simple blockages of the follicle cause one of two spot types, depending on the depth of the blockage:. Contrary to common belief, spots are rarely caused by dirty skin, and in fact, washing too often or too vigorously can actually make matters worse. Nor are spots a result of poor diet or an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.
In most cases, spots are caused by hormonal changes, which stimulate the sebaceous glands to become overactive, producing excess sebum that blocks the follicles. Spots may also be hereditary, since the children of parents who had bad spots or acne are more likely to suffer themselves. However tempting, the last thing you should do with spots is squeeze them, as this may make things worse and harm your skin by spreading any infection across a wider area.
If it is vital that you have a spot removed, for example before an important occasion, then you should seek professional help from your dermatologist. What is a spot?
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