Everyone has had a taste of what having a pimple or acne (in some cases zit), is like. Carry one or a few around can be really embarrassing, (trust me, i have been there a lot of times). People are talking to you but can’t help but be distracted by that protrusion sitting on your face and wonder. Some people are lucky that a few come out at awkward times, during ovulation, some as a result of stress, anxiety. But others have been living with it for years ( even turn out to be like cyst, boils) and has lowered their confidence and self-esteem do its lowest level.
When we have an acne attack, a lot of things keep pouring into our minds. The Big question WHAT TO DO WITH THIS NONSENSE ON MY FACE?
We first loose confidence, fear of people seeing, then low self-esteem sets in. Then what happens, we result to topical treatment,drugs and all sorts of medications to get rid of this catastrophe. But the funny thing is, after all these treatment methods the body just finds a way to adapt to that treatment procedure after a while and what happens, the drug or cream isn’t working anymore as you started. You are devastated. You then change products, but the cycle goes over again. Then we have multiple routines just to get rid of this problem.
Acne (acne vulgaris, common acne)
This is a disease of the hair follicles of the face, chest, and back that affects almost all teenagers during puberty. It is not caused by bacteria, although bacteria play a role in its development. It is not unusual for some women to develop acne in their mid- to late-20s.
Acne appears on the skin as
- occluded pores (“comedones”), also known as blackheads or whiteheads,
- tender red bumps also known as pimples or zits,
- pustules (bumps containing pus), and occasionally as
- cysts (deep pimples, boils).
No one factor causes acne. Acne occurs when sebaceous (oil) glands attached to the hair follicles are stimulated at the time of puberty or due to other hormonal changes. Sebum (oil) is a natural substance that lubricates and protects the skin. Associated with increased oil production is a change in the manner in which the skin cells mature, predisposing them to plug the follicular pore.
The plug can appear as a whitehead if it is covered by a thin layer of skin, or if exposed to the air, the darker exposed portion of the plug is called a “blackhead.” The plugged hair follicle gradually enlarges, producing a bump. As the follicle enlarges, the wall may rupture, allowing irritating substances and normal skin bacteria access into the deeper layers of the skin, ultimately producing inflammation.
Inflammation near the skin’s surface produces a pustule; deeper inflammation results in a papule (pimple); if the inflammation is deeper still, it forms a cyst.
Think of a pimple as a little sack that holds oil, debris, and acne bacteria, says dermatologist Zakiya Rice, MD, an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
“What we call the pustule is actually keeping the bacteria nice and contained,” she says. When you puncture the pimple’s outer skin, the gunk oozes out. If the bacteria in that gunk splatters and lands inside other pores, it can lead to more pimples.
This maybe as a result of bad habits (hygiene and eating, bad lifestyle choices). Constant use of medication may not turn out well for you as it does for other people, then:
WHAT DO YOU DO?
We just have to resort to some specific habits and routine:
- DO NOT POP THE PIMPLE/ACNE/ZIT
- Keep your face clean. Whether or not you have acne, it’s important to wash your face twice daily to remove impurities, dead skin cells, and extra oil from your skin’s surface. …
- Moisturize. …
- Try an over-the-counter acne product. …
- Use makeup sparingly. …
- Watch what you put on your hair.
- Keep your hands off your face
- Stay our of the sun.
- Be natural with your skin, use natural remedies (lemon, tomato,turmeric etc), make face mask or scrub out of them
- RELAX. Keep it cool, some times, stress adds to it or even brings it out
With this, I hope you have a better approach towards pimples and acne and zits and how to handle them.
