Acne has to be the one skin concern that plagues people of all ages and all backgrounds. It is challenging to deal with acne, especially if you don’t know how or why you have acne. From my own personal experience having acne; I know how frustrating it can be to deal with as well as the toll it can take on the self-confidence.
Let’s start from the beginning – What is Acne?
According to the Mayo Clinic – Acne is defined as the following: “Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It often causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples, and usually appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages.”
While this is one definition of Acne it is not the only ‘way’ people get Acne though it is the most common. Acne appears in different ways as well as degrees is severity. There are several factors that can trigger Acne and Acne type breakouts. Let’s break them down.
Environment – Our work environments play a huge role in how our skin reacts. If we work in a dry environment, we need to keep the skin hydrated so it does not go on the defense and breakout. If we work in a restaurant, surrounded by oils and heat can take a toll on the skin. It’s important to cleanse the skin properly to avoid acne breakouts.
Important Point – When our skin feels ‘under attack’ it usually manifests itself into acne like breakouts.
Diet – There is some truth that certain foods can cause Acne. The biggest one being chocolate (high sugar content). Other foods that causes acne like breakouts is dairy, foods with high dairy content can cause acne. It’s always a go to for aestheticians to ask their clients to reduce dairy intake to see if it is cause of the acne breakouts. It’s important to note that certain foods can also cause inflammation in the skin such as spicy foods.
Improper Use of Products / Cleansing – Understanding your skin type is crucial in skin care. Using products not intended for your skin can cause your skin to breakout due too much oils or too much water. The skin needs to be balanced at all times to maintain healthy skin. For example, using products that have an excess amount of oil in them when you have oily skin can cause breakouts. It is also important to cleanse the skin properly in order to remove any excess oils, dirt and makeup. Cleansing is key to have clear and healthy skin, with the proper cleanser of course.
Dirty Pillow Cases / Phone / Hands – It’s sometimes the simplest things that can make the biggest difference. This is true of keeping our surroundings as clean and neat as possible. This is true of our pillow cases and phones. Dirty pillow cases can cause breakouts as pillow cases can hold on to excess oils and sweat from our skin. Even using a certain detergent can cause breakouts and inflammation. We are glued to our phones, that’s a fact, so it’s important to keep our phones clean as much as we possibly can. Some of us do have a habit of constantly touching our faces which can cause breakouts because of what can be on our hands, dirt and oil and things that can clog our pores and mess with our skin. The best thing we can do is limit the face touching as much as possible.
Stress – It’s a fact that when our bodies are under stress that our systems get a weaker and we are more susceptible to getting sick or being run down. This is true of our skin. When we are stressed it manifests itself on our skin. It’s important to take care of our skin during stressful times to maintain healthy fit skin.
It is so important to consult with a skin care specialist, especially when it comes to concerns of the skin like Acne. Grabbing products that have key words that promise to kill bacteria is simply not helpful for healthy skin. Speaking with a skin care specialist will help you determine you skin type, identify skin concerns, walk you through proper product use, and guide you on the path of healthy glowing skin.
I have been very fortunate that I have been a part of great skin journeys with some of my clients. My own journey has been a long one and I have had my fair share of mishaps and stresses that caused my skin to react poorly but now that I understand skin much better I can say with confidence that my skin is the best that its ever been.
If you have any skin concerns, want to know more, please drop me a comment or hit me up on social. I offer virtual consultations and we can work together to get you on the path of healthy clear looking skin.