Acne, the dreaded pimple, the red, white, and sometimes black bumps that teenagers, and some adults, loathe. What exactly is acne? What causes acne? Is there a cure for it? And if so, what is the best way of getting rid of those pesky little bumps? How can a person maintain the healthiest skin possible and hopefully maintain a healthy wallet at the same time?
What is Acne?
The human skin naturally produces oil to stay lubricated, but it can sometimes overproduce this oil and it can become embedded within the oil duct, creating what people know as pimples.
Pimples are the red bumps, while blackheads are oil and cells blocked in pores. Whiteheads are flesh or white color bumps due to skin pore blockage. In some cases cysts can form, which are deeper, semi-solid sacs of fluid below the skin.
In some cases, acne scarring can occur when a pustule or a papule bursts far below the skin's surface. If it were to have happened near the surface, the skin would be able to repair itself; however, when it occurs in a deeper layer of the skin, damage to the skin occurs.
The areas most prone to breaking out with acne are ones with the most oil glands. One of those particular areas is the forehead where it is estimated that, per square inch, there are 2,000 oil glands. Other susceptible areas are the face, back, and chest because they also harbor a large amount of oil glands.
What Causes Acne?
There are several factors involved in the formation of acne. I puberty, hereditary, stress, dirt, food, hormones, cosmetics, drugs, and several other factors that contribute to the appearance of acne. When puberty occurs, the oil glands on a person's body become active initiating the processes discussed previously where the oil becomes blocked in the pores to create pimples.
Acne Treatment
There is no 100% foolproof method for ridding a person of acne for life; however, there are many treatments available, from the low budget to the expensive. Not every suggestion will work for everyone, but each one is worth trying until the right one is found for each particular skin type.
Here are a few examples of low budget acne treatments, some of which might be found at home:
- Lemon oil has been used for several generations as a natural astringent and, when added with rose water for a little fragrance and healing properties, it rejuvenates and brightens up dull skin.
- This one might seem strange, but toothpaste applied to a burgeoning pimple works as an anti-inflammatory agent.
- Lastly, water consumption helps flush out impurities and hydrate the skin.
Opposite of the low budget acne treatments are the high end treatments such as ProActiv, which begins at $29.95, Neutrogena's SkinID that begins at $19.95, and Accutane (10mg dose), which can cost anywhere between $88 to $235, depending on one's insurance and pharmacy that is chosen. “Another treatment for acne is actually a trio of medications taken together, a pill and two topicals, either creams or gels. The pill is doxycycline and the topicals are clindamycin and Retin-A cream,” said Mary Rachuy, a dermatology nurse.
While getting acne isn't fun, it doesn't have to be the bane of one's existence anymore. There are too many home and store-bought remedies for a person to try before all hope is lost. Even if those items fail, there is always the option of going to a dermatologist to ask for a professional opinion. Besides, a pimple only lasts for a few days and will eventually go away, so set vanity aside, allow nature to take its course and move on with life.
Sources:
www.ehealthmd.com, "What is Acne," (accessed on June 20, 2010)
www.medicinenet.com, "What Causes Acne," (accessed on June 20, 2010)
www.skinsosilky.com, "Acne Treatment, Natural And Inexpensive," (accessed on June 2010)
www.proactiv.com, "Proactiv," (accessed on June 20, 2010)
www.skinid.com, "SkinID: The Personalized Acne Treatment Made Just For You," (accessed on June 20, 2010)
www.pharmacychecker.com, "Find the Best Drug Prices From Verified Online Pharmacies," (accessed on June 2010)
Christine Rachuy - My name is Christine Rachuy and I enjoy writing on all different subjects. I tend to write mostly about Christianity, music, photography, ...
