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Acne Causes: Heredity, Hormones, and Your Boss?

Let's not sugarcoat it. Acne is a nightmare. For any long-term sufferer of chronic acne, frequent breakouts can impact your appearance, social, and professional life. Acne can also cause the self-esteem to take a nosedive. Acne causes are as individual as acne sufferers themselves and, though acne is the most common skin disorder, there is no cure. This fact is a gloomy reality for those with ongoing, resistant acne. What are common acne causes? Are there any consistently effective treatments? And is there a cure on the horizon? All these questions will be briefly answered in this article.

Managing Acne

Acne vulgaris is a skin disorder caused by overactive oil glands which trap bacteria and result in clogged pores. These clogged pores may become pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, lesions, or nodules. All acne is different though there are at least four recognized acne causes. These are: heredity, hormonal changes, diet, and stress.

Some acne causes can be managed. Heredity is the only cause that simply exists and cannot be changed. Hormones, particularly in women, can be regulated by birth control pills. In teenagers and young adults, avoiding foods that contain white flour or sugar can help reduce insulin levels which can affect hormones.

Other dietary changes include, avoiding caffeine, processed foods, carbonated beverages, pasta, and fatty foods. Adding plenty of water, fresh fruits and vegetables, and natural, unprocessed foods to your diet can dramatically impact the skin.

Stress can be managed too. Rather than allow your boss, work, relationships, time commitments, or health worries to cause stress, it is beneficial to add relaxation techniques and exercise to manage life stressors. Yoga, exercise, visualization, aromatherapy, and even hypnotherapy can all reduce stress and incidence of acne breakouts.

If natural treatments like maintaining a healthy diet, managing stress, getting plenty of rest, avoiding the sun, and maintaining a strict skin care regimen all fail to clear up acne, other avenues may need to be tried. A dermatologist can recommend prescription medications in oral or topical form. Antibiotics and retinoids are the most successful treatments for acne.

Cosmetic treatments such as facials, dermabrasion, and laser treatments are also effective for reducing acne and minimizing acne. Acne causes can change over time, so a treatment that works for teen- hormone-related acne may not work for stress-related adult acne. Unfortunately, acne treatment can be a study in trial and error to find what works for you.

If all else fails, Accutane can be prescribed. Accutane is currently the only quasi-"cure" for acne. This much coveted (and despised) medication has potentially life-threatening side effects but it clears up acne for good in over 60% of acne cases. Accutane's side effects are severe depression and birth defects. Ask your doctor if you are eligible for this controversial prescription medicine.