Acne and Female connection

Acne and Female connection! Why pimples love women when they don’t love to have them?

Did you know that most young women and men will have at least a few pimples over the course of their lives?

However, interestingly enough, acne seems to affect men and women in different ways. Young men are more likely to have a more serious form of acne. Acne in young women tends to be more random and linked to hormone changes, such as the menstrual cycle. As women get older, acne often gets better. But some women have acne for many years. Some women even get acne for the first time at age 30 or 40. For many women, acne can be an upsetting illness. Women may have feelings of depression, poor body image, or low self-esteem. But you don’t have to wait to outgrow acne or to let it run its course. Today, almost every case of acne can be resolved. Acne also can, sometimes, be prevented. Talk with your doctor or dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin diseases).

Factors that trigger acne in women –

Several factors, alone or combined, can trigger acne attacks in women such as:

Hormonal changes (puberty): –

Remember, during puberty, girls have an increase in male sex hormones called androgens. This increase causes the skin glands to get larger and make more sebum (oily secretion of your skin). Menstrual cycle: – The menstrual cycle is one of the most common acne triggers. Acne lesions tend to form a few days before the cycle begins and go away after the cycle is completed. Other hormone changes, such as pregnancy and menopause, improve acne in some women. But some women have worse acne during these times.

Medications: –

Certain medicines, such as those used to treat epilepsy and types of depression can aggravate acne in women. Stopping use of birth control pills can play a role as well.

Make-up: –

While not a real “cause” of the acne itself, wearing oil-based make up on frequent basis can trigger acne flare ups in women.

Skin pressure or friction:

Friction caused by bike helmets or backpacks can make acne worse.

Family history: –

Those women who have / had other people in their families with a history of acne, there is a greater chance they will have it too.

Does poor hygiene of women cause acne?

It is a myth that women get acne because they do not wash enough. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Too much washing or scrubbing the skin harshly can make acne worse. And washing away surface oils does not do much to prevent or cure acne, because it forms under the skin. The best way to clean the face is to gently wash it, just twice a day with a mild soap or cleanser. Be careful to remove make-up without harsh scrubbing.

Can eating chocolate or greasy foods cause acne in women?

While many women feel that eating chocolate or greasy foods can cause acne, experts have not found a link between the diet and acne.

Simple hints & tips to prevent & treat acne and acne scars Take care:

You can help prevent acne flare-ups and scars by taking good care of your skin.

Clean gently:

Clean your skin gently with a mild soap or cleanser twice a day once in the morning and once at night. You should also gently clean the skin after heavy exercise.

Avoid friction:

Avoid strong soaps and rough scrub pads Wash thoroughly but not frequently: – Wash your entire face from under the jaw to the hairline and rinse thoroughly.

Make up removal:

Remove make-up gently with a mild soap and water.

5 myths on what causes acne – Fact versus fiction…

When it comes to explaining acne to adolescents and some adults, it is necessary to separate fact from fiction, because having acne can tax a person’s nerves and send him off to an emotional roller-coaster. The teenage years are a great time to meet new friends and start dating and be accepted by one’s peers; being misinformed about acne is due to certain myths.

Following are some of the most common myths of “causes of acne”:

First myth: Eating too much chocolate will cause acne Reality:

Chocolate does not cause acne or make it worse. Even the most renowned doctors will insist, and can prove, that there is no direct link between chocolate and acne. However, even if there is no direct link between the two, you must still adhere to a healthy lifestyle that decreases the amount of sweets, salts and fat from your diet. Ensure you consume foods that are rich in nutrients, especially vitamin A.

Second myth: Dirt will cause acne Reality: –

This is a myth that is widely held but while it is certainly important to keep the skin always clean because oil and dirt can block pores, dirt does NOT bring about the clumping together of skin cells against the follicle wall. This phenomenon occurs very deep in the skin where cleaning won’t reach it.

Third myth: Acne has something to do with sex Reality: –

Some adolescents actually believe that once they’re married or give birth to their first child, their acne will disappear. A variation of this myth is the other side of the argument: that an active sex life causes acne. This link was made only because adolescence is that period in a person’s life when sex is of great concern. This particular myth became less popular in the 1940’s when the medical community finally declared that sexual activity and acne are not related.

Fourth myth: Hot climate causes acne Reality: –

Some people think that people who live in cold climates are less likely to get acne, while those who live in the tropics are more prone to it. There is no link between where one lives and the incidence of acne. Nor is the color of one’s skin a precursor of acne, although it has been observed that dark-skinned people tend to have less severe acne compared to light-skinned individuals. Larger glands and more defined pores are common characteristics of dark skin, and these two attributes are known to protect against acne. Note though that hyper-pigmentation tends to occur more frequently with dark skin after acne is cured, so care must be taken to not irritate dark skin after a bout with acne.

Fifth myth: First time shavers will get acne Reality:

When a boy reaches the age of puberty, one of the first signs is hair on the face, especially above the lip and on the chin. The hairs are at first sparse but over time, a beard and a moustache appear, making boys want to shave them. After the initial shave, the hair grows back, this time thicker. As the hair grows back after each shave, it grows thicker and is denser resulting in repetitive shaving. Frequent shaving can cause the skin to dry out, because as more hair grows, the shaving becomes more frequent and more forceful. Some of these hairs could turn inward and grow internally which can cause acne. The inside growth, combined with the production of oil in the sebaceous glands can result in frequent skin breakouts. The myth that shaving causes acne is indeed a myth, but it is true that shaving too often and too close to the hair follicles may contribute to the growth of acne.