Acne - hit the spot!
by Lynne & Sarah Dark of Zest health & beauty
Skin is clear and blemish-free when the cells lining the sebaceous or oil-producing glands are shed regularly and removed efficiently along with the oil leaving the pores on the surface of the skin.
When the cells clump together, forming a plug, the problem begins. The excess oil produced by the sebaceous glands starts to build up behind the plug. The normal bacteria in the follicle increases, feeding on the oil and blocking the pore. When the blockage, or plug, reaches the surface it appears as blackheads or white heads. Inflammatory acne is caused by bacteria producing irritating substances that break into the skin surrounding the follicles resulting in the formation of pus, pimples and cysts.
Fluctuating hormones contribute to acne breakouts due to increased oil production and this can be a problem for all age groups not just the teens but for those in their twenties, thirties and forties.
Friction acne occurs when pressure is put on certain parts of the skin, such as around the face and chin of people who spend considerable time on the phone, cradling it with the side of the face to hold it in place. |
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Tight clothing worn often around the buttock area can have the same effect! If you have that particular problem, wear looser jeans or trousers and exfoliate the area regularly with a scrub, loofa or sea salt.
A quick tip if you want to zap a spot fast: combine half a teaspoon of table salt with one cup of warm water. Dip a piece of gauze or cotton wool into the mixture and lightly press it against the blemish for one minute. Salt solution will bring down swelling and lessen redness. Follow with an over-the-counter treatment product containing 10% benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid which are drying, exfoliating and anti-bacterial.
If your spot is more like a cyst or large red lump without the usual ‘head’, try warm compresses held to the cyst for several minutes, several times a day may make it more comfortable and less angry.
Tea tree oil is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial but the oil itself may block pores if you are trying to treat a breakout. If it’s worked for you in the past, continue. Just a warning if you are prone to the problem…..
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