Acne brings huge problems to teenagers. Teenagers
who have acne feel
isolated, ugly, and insecure. Who wouldn't when everywhere you look,
only clear skinned people are put on the pedestal.
You tried every acne product out in the market but
nothing
seems to work. At this point, you feel that your social life is doomed
but fret not because acne won't stay forever if you take the proper
actions early.
First step to take is to understand what acne
really is and
from there you can take the necessary actions in curing or at least
reducing your acne problem.
Acne is the term for plugged pores (whiteheads and
blackheads),
pimples, and deeper lumps (nodules) that happens in the face, neck,
chest, back and upper arms. Acne is caused by build up of excess oil
and dead skin in a pore. The causes of this are natural hormones,
clogged skin and bacteria.
The onset of acne happens between the ages of
twelve to
seventeen. Almost all teenagers had acne. Many of them used
non-prescription treatments to alleviate acne but more than 40% of
teenagers in their mid-teens have severe acne cases. Normally, it goes
away in the early twenties. Then again, there are many cases wherein
acne starts or continues into adulthood.
It is interesting to note though that young men
who are more
likely to have severe acne, don't consult dermatologists as much as
young women do. But then again, young women are more likely to have
irregular acne due to hormonal changes during menstrual cycle or due to
the cosmetic products they use. This kind of acne may afflict women
even into adulthood.
The ultimate question now is how do you reduce
acne?
Knowing the facts that debunk the myths and
misconceptions about acne may help you alleviate your acne problem.
Myth 1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene.
This may be true if you don't wash your face at
all. But if you
resort to frequent and vigorous washing, it will definitely cause
scarring which will worsen acne. The best approach is to gently wash
face twice a day with mild soap and use appropriate acne treatment
after.
Myth 2: Acne is caused by diet.
Scientific studies debunked this having found that
there is no connection between food and acne.
Myth 3: Acne is caused by stress.
Stressors are not important factors in acne. Only
severe stress that needs medication can cause acne as side effects.
Myth 4: Acne is just a cosmetic disease.
Acne does affect how people look but there's no
serious threat
to physical health. However, acne can result to serious scarring which
can affect how these people live their lives.
Myth 5: You just have to let acne run its course.
The truth is, acne can be cleared up using acne
products
available in the market today. If they don't work for you, then try
seeing a dermatologist.
According to Thiboutot (2000), cure of acne lies
in knowing three things:
* That resolution to cure acne takes time;
* That what works for one may not work for another;
* and that a dermatologist's help may be needed if all actions you take
to cure your acne fail.
Remember that acne responds well to early
treatment. So to
prevent scarring have your acne treated as soon as acne starts showing
up on your face.
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Note: This article may be freely
reproduced as long as the AUTHOR'S resource box at the bottom of this
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©Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and
information about acne, please go to: http://acne.besthealthlink.net/
or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go
to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/ | 
