ARE YOU DREAMING TO HAVE A CLEAR SKIN

WITHOUT PIMPLES?

Acne is condition of the skin that shows up as different types of bumps. These bumps can be blackheads, whitehead, pimples, or cysts. Teens get acne because of the hormonal changes that come with their development. If your parents had acne as teens, it's more likely that you will, too. The good news is that' for most people, acne goes away almost completely by the time they are out of their teens.

The type of acne that a lot of teens get is called acne vulgaris, which means of the common type' It usually show up on the face, neck, shoulders, upper back, and chest.

The hair follicles, or pores, in  your skin contain oil glands. These glands make sebum, which is an oil that lubricates your hair and skin' Most of the time, the sebaceous glands make the right amount of sebum. As a teen's body begins to mature and develop, though, hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum, and the glands may become overactive. Pores become clogged if there is too much sebum and too many dead skin cells. Bacteria can then get trapped inside the pores and multiply, causing swelling and redness – the start of acne' If a pore gets clogged up and closes but bulges out from the skin, you're left with a whitehead. If a pore getd clogged up but stays open, the top surface can darken and you're left with a blackhead. Sometimes the wall of the pore opens, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to make their way under the skin and you're left with a small, red bump called a pimple. Sometime pimples have a pus-filled top from the body's reaction to the bacterial infection.

Clogged pores that open up very deep in the skin can cause nodules, which are infected lumps or cysts that are bigger than pimples and can be painful. Occasionally, large cysts that seem like acne may be boils caused by a staph infection' That doesn't happen often, though

Myths about acne

There are a few myths out there about things that cause acne. Acne isn't caused by eating greasy foods like potato chips, fries or pizza, eating chocolates, or drinking sodas. Some people do find that they notice their breakouts get more severe when they eat too much of a certain food, though. If you're one of them, it's worth trying to cut back on that food to see what happens.

Stress doesn't usually cause acne although it can make existing acne worse because stress increases sebum production.

There are also myths about what helps make acne better. Acne isn't really helped by the sun. Although a tan can temporarily make acne look less severe, it won't help it go away permanently and some people find that the ols their skin produces after being in the sun make their pimples worse.

What can you do to avoid?

Wash your face twice a day with a mild soap and warm water to help prevent the oil buildup that can contribute to acne. Don't scrub your face hard with a washcloth – acne can't be scrubbed away. And scrubbing may actually make it worse by irritating the skin and pores. Try cleansing your face as gently as you can.

If you use hair sprays or gels, try to keep them away from your face, as they can also clog pores. If you have long hair that touches your face, be sure to wash it frequently enough to keep oil away. It can also help to wash your face after you've been exercising.

Many over – the-counter lotions and creams containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide are available to help prevent acne and clear it up at the same time. You can experiment with these to see which helps. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly – don't use more than you're supposed to at one time since your skin may get too dried out and feel and look worse. Follow any directions to see if you're allergic to it first.