Acne is most common among teenagers, but the truth is that it affects people of all ages. Developed when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells, spots can have a massive effect on confidence, and may even sometimes scar the skin. So what causes it and how can you prevent it?
Established in 2014 and created by the award-winning Dr. Harry Singh, A successfully published author, Dr. Singh uses his knowledge and understanding of facial aesthetics to provide an award-winning service. The Botulinum Toxin Club is the UK’s leading facial aesthetics training workshop for dentists, doctors, medics, specialists and nurses. This knowledge and understanding of the profession saw the business be awarded the ‘Most Outstanding business of the year’ at the 2018 Dental Industry Awards Today, they’re sharing 5 different causes of spots.
1. Diet – research has shown that certain dietary factors may worsen the effects of acne. Dairy products and high glycaemic foods are particular offenders. Most people assume that junk and greasy foods are the biggest causes of acne, but this isn’t the case.
2. Stress – stress can’t cause breakouts on its own, but it can certainly exacerbate them. Releases of inflammatory chemicals called neuropeptides, as well as hormonal changes, may lead to spots. Even ‘good’ stress like excitement can do this!
3. Hormones – a primary cause of acne is the male ‘androgenic’ hormones which typically become active during the teenage years. Sensitivity to these hormones, combined with bacteria on the skin, causes pimples – which always seem to pop up at the worst possible time.
4. Bacteria – oil, skin cells and hair can cause some serious skin blockage. This then gets infected with bacteria, leading to swelling. Propionibacterium acnes is the name of the bacteria that live on the skin and contributes to the infection of pimples. The severity and frequency of acne depends on the strain of bacteria, since not all trigger pimples.
5. Excess oil – acne typically appears on your face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders because these areas of skin have the most sebaceous (oil) glands. Hair follicles are connected to oil glands which contributes to pimples in these areas, too.
