The Cause of Zits
Wondering why that zit keeps coming back? Have a never-ending supply of whiteheads and blackheads? Wishing you could find a good way to reduce acne redness? I can’t help you with all that, but would you like to know why acne forms in the first place?
Acne is not caused by having a dirty face, as is commonly believed. In fact, acne sufferers often wash their faces more often than people who do not have acne! (Not that I’m telling you not to wash your face, just saying). Acne happens when hair follicles on the skin get clogged up, leading to assorted nasty things.
In the normal course of events, a hair follicle will fill up with something called sebum, which is produced by the sebaceous gland. When it’s full, it leaks onto the skin, moisturizing and protecting it. Unfortunately, the follicle sometimes becomes clogged. When this happens, it can fill up with a type of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes, which feeds off of sebum. The follicle wall then ruptures, sending all this stuff into the dermis and causing inflammation. Depending on how deep the blockage was, you get different types of acne. Blockage close to the surface of the skin leads to blackheads, while a blockage lower down leads to whiteheads, pimples, and zits.
What clogs up the hair follicles? We don’t always know, but it can happen as a result of having too much oil on your skin. In other words: avoid oil-based cleaning products and makeup, and keep your hands (which are covered in assorted oils, as well as all kinds of bacteria) away from your face! Dermatologist-recommended lotions are designed to remove oils and increase the shedding of dead skin cells, which helps to prevent blockage. You may not be able to prevent pimples altogether, but by altering the environment in which you don’t want them to form (your face), you can decrease the likelihood that they will and clear up your complexion.
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