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Acne and How It Affects You

Acne is more common than you think. This skin inflammatory disease is caused by changes in the skin around the hair follicle and the oil glands. Known as acne vulgaris, it affects people of all ages and races all around the world.

You may be surprised to see how many people actually suffer from acne. In western society, approximately 8 or 9 out of ten teenagers suffer from acne to some extent. Even at the age of 25, nearly half of the population still deals with facial acne to some degree. And even at middle age, about 12% of women and 3% of men still have acne. Many people deal with acne in varying degrees throughout their lifetimes.

There are several options for treating your acne, most dependent on the type and severity of acne that you have. You will find that when you look in the acne-prevention section of your local drug store that there is a wide selection of products. Most of these are designed to fight not the acne, but the symptoms and breakouts. There is such a variety because everyone's acne responds differently. So what works for your friend or coworker may not work for you at all.

The same is true with home remedies. You may hear of a variety of homeopathic remedies involving different fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals. Again, your results will vary and it will not work the same for everyone.

Often, a gentle approach is the best way to try and treat your acne. Using soaps that are too harsh or scrubbing fiercely at your skin will only cause further irritation and discomfort. Find a gentle acne was and use it to wash your face twice a day. This will help reduce the bacteria and excess oil that cause acne breakout. However, it can take some time for current breakouts to heal up and disappear. You may need to try a few different cleansers to find one that works best with your skin.

Most acne cleansers are designed to cleanse your face from oil, sweat, dirt, and makeup that can clog your pores. Many will also include benzoyl peroxide, a product designed to kill the bacterial responsible for acne. A gentle astringent and moisturizer will help to complete your skin care routine. While it may sound contradictory, you need to moisturize your face after cleansing to keep your skin from becoming too dry.

Remember that aside from washing your face and applying medication, you should leave acne breakouts alone. Picking or squeezing acne pimples and cysts will force the infection deeper into your skin, making the problem worse.

You may find the hundreds of options a bit overwhelming and the task of choosing the best one for you quite daunting. One way to make this process easier is to go and see a dermatologist about your skin problem. He or she can tell you which over the counter products may work best for you, or, if your acne problem is severe, prescribe a prescription-strength medication that will work better for you.