THE
MONSTER ON MY FACE: SYMPTOMS AND CURE FOR ACNE
First and foremost, acne is an incredibly common skin
condition caused by the coagulation of hair follicles by dead skin cells and
excessive oil in the skin. Little wonder it’s called a monster because it not
only causes blackheads or pimples, whiteheads, pustules
and cysts around the face, chest, thoracic region and shoulders, it is also
very persistent despite the effective treatments available for and against it. Very
obnoxious, we know.
For some reason, acne somehow manages to affect
mostly teenagers going through puberty. One thing you can actually count on
when approaching teenage-hood is acne, as a result of the exudation of a lot of
hormones in the body especially testosterone which leads to an increase in
production of sebum. Isn’t Mother Nature just awesome? Nonetheless, adults are
totally not safe from its terror as acne could be elicited from other hormonal fluctuations
during pregnancy, menstruation and menopause, certain drugs and products
applied to the skin, picking and prodding of affected areas, air pollution
especially high humidity and tight clothing.
Acne could be triggered by the interactions between
bacteria, hormones and skin oils leading to skin inflammation around hair
follicles or pores. This happens
when an oily substance released from the sebaceous glands
(sebum) dries up and is coupled with dead skin cells and bacteria ending up trapped
within the hair follicles, obstructing the sebum from leaving through the
pores.
A few of the top symptoms of acne include;
Painful to touch and sometimes hard pimples
Deep, painful and pus-filled lumps on the face,
chest or back
Blackheads (comedo) that transcend to looking like
dark spots on the face
Pesky whiteheads which mostly occur around the
T-zone of the face
Papules which look like small and tender reddish
bumps, etc.
The
Cure for Acne
Take
your D*rty hands off
For one thing, picking and popping your face will
definitely do more harm than good because it invites more dirt, oil, and
bacteria that will definitely clog your pores as well as lead to irritation
rings and permanent scars. So put your hands by your sides, please and thank
you.
DIYs
and Home remedies
For those who don’t know, DIYs mean
do-it-yourself-s. While some home remedies are often effective and affordable
treatments for acne, some make terrible mistakes with their choice of products
which cause more skin irritations rather than relieve them. For example, the
use of apple cider vinegar or lemons which are too acidic for the skin, baking
soda and sugar crystals which are too harsh and may even cut through the skin.
Natural therapies could be sought like honey and cinnamon mix, vitamin A
antidote, tea tree oil and aloe vera, amongst others.
Regular
skin exfoliation
Just as you guessed it, this involves washing skin
regularly, keeping away from oily make up and lotions and making use of skin
exfoliation scrubs and masks to remove dead cells.
Know
when to see a doctor
Sometimes not all self-remedies could cure acne,
especially chronic cases like pustules and abscesses which require severe
medications and treatments. So visit your dermatologist for medical advice.
