Until recently, medical science didn’t really understand the cause for
acne. This led people to develop their own theories on causes and
various treatments. Myths abounded: greasy foods, chocolate, bad
hygiene, and a host of other innocent victims were blamed for breakouts.
Today, dermatologists better understand what leads to pimples,
blackheads, and other unsightly things that pop up just in time to ruin
your life — or at least sour your Friday night plans. Here are the true
causes of acne, and how you can end breakouts for good.
Genetics
In addition to blaming mom and dad for your inability to work algebra
problems and your tendency to trip over your own feet, you can also lay
your acne on their doorstep. According to the latest research, a
significant percentage of sufferers have parents who fought acne in the
past or continue to experience breakouts. You might not be able to do
much about your ancestors, but there are new products that can stop
breakouts, even if mom and dad gave you faulty DNA.
Hormonal Fluctuations
Acne has also been linked in studies to male hormones, called
androgens, including testosterone. Unfortunately, this does not make
acne a male-only problem. During adolescence, boys suffer from acne at a
higher rate than girls, but adult women have a higher instance than
men. This is due to fluctuations in those hormones, which is highest in
males during puberty and highest among females during menstruation,
pregnancy, and menopause. Hormonal acne, like genetic, is treatable.
Medications
A number of prescription drugs can cause acne, particularly
corticosteroids, androgens (hormone treatments that include male
hormones), and lithium. Like androgens, corticosteroids are hormone
treatments (including prednisone and hydrocortisone) used for a variety
of conditions from rashes to immune disorders. Lithium is an
antipsychotic drug used to treat conditions like bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, and severe depression.
Foods
Though you can’t blame fried chicken or candy bars anymore, some foods
can cause breakouts. Research suggests that many of the foods that raise
blood sugar levels also trigger acne attacks, including carbohydrates
and dairy products. It’s helpful to keep a food journal, so that you can
identify when your breakouts might be caused by these foods.
Carbohydrates to watch include bread, potatoes, potato chips, bagels,
and buns.
How Acne Happens
Whether your
acne is hereditary or caused by what you eat, the root cause is
hormonal. As the body manufactures testosterone, which both males and
females produce, a byproduct called dihydrotestosterone is also
produced.
Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT for short, in excess
causes pores to over-produce oils. These excess oils clog the pores,
creating the ideal environment for bacteria to grow. The bacteria fill
the pore, sometimes making a whitehead or blackhead. When the pore
becomes infected and inflamed due to the bacteria, a pimple forms. Thus,
the key to treating acne is preventing it, and the key to preventing it
is to block the offender DHT before it leads to problems.
Preventing Acne Breakouts
An over the counter DHT blocker preferably one that contains a cleanser
to reduce bacteria and an agent to reduce the size of pores, is the
ideal treatment for acne. Not only will this treatment cut short a
current outbreak, it can work to prevent future outbreaks before the DHT
has a chance to cause those oils to clog pores in the first place.
With a form of acne control that works even before the first stages of a
pimple can appear, you can schedule that date or sign up for that
special trip without worrying about a breakout ruining your plans.