Risk Factors of Acne
There are hundreds of precursors and risk factors of acne. In this article, we will outline some most common risk factors and acne precursors accepted widely among dermatologists.
What are risk factors of Acne?
Factors that trigger and aggravate the development of acne are known as risk factors of acne. We can categorize them into:
- Factors that we may refrain
- Factors that we can not refrain and they continue till the life exists
Factors that we may refrain include from:
- Stress
- Too much refined foods
- Spicy foods
- Cosmetics
- Exposure to petroleum oil
- Sunlight
- Certain antibiotics
- Greasy or oily substance
- Some Medicines
Stress:
Several studies conducted on acne and its factors clearly reveal that teenagers under high level of stress were 23 % more prone to develop acne than normal teenagers that have no stress. The research was conducted by Wake Forest School of medicine. Stress enlarges the sebaceous glands and triggers the production of sebum. Meanwhile, due to enlargement, sebum is unable to pop out and ruptures the lining of hair follicle.
Conclusively, if you want to cure your acne, avoid stress as it is directly relates to acne severity.
Too much refined foods:
Eating too much refined foods also develop acne, several studies reveal. Why it happens so, is easily answered that our body can not identify too much refined substances and our immune system stimulates. It produces anti bodies against these substances resulting in a severity and development of acne. Thus, it may be referred to as allergic effect. Avoid too much refined food such as diary products, juices and cooking oil. Refined foods also produce free radicals that may accumulate in any part of our body, a major cause of cancer, according to latest studies.
Spicy Foods:
Although spicy foods trigger the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, it is unknown how it affects on sebaceous glands, except that spicy foods are unfavorable to stomach and our body produces allergic affects.
Cosmetics:
Most people do not consider cosmetics as a key factor of acne development. Several lotions and cream contains Lanoline which is a fatty acid extracted from sheep's wool and used in lotions as a skin soothing and smoothing agent. But it has reverse effects. Actually these substances clog the skin pores restricting the sebum to pop out. When sebum accumulates in hair follicles and pressure increases, hair follicle ruptures and a bump flares up, called comedo. Acne cosmetica flare up only from the topical use of cosmetics and not by the disturbance or chemical reaction inside the body.
Exposure to petroleum oil:
People working in chemical industries are more prone to develop acne. Toxic chemicals clog the skin pores as a result sebum does not come out, and produce bumps, if sebum still stays inside the skin, they are called whiteheads.
Sunlight:
Many people consider exposure to sunlight helps cure acne, but its ultra violet rays have reverse effects. Exposure to direct sunlight is a major cause of skin cancer and acne complications. Avoid direct exposure to sunlight.
Certain Antibiotics:
Not all antibiotics produce acne, but there are some antibiotics that produce and aggravate acne. Why it happens so? It is because some antibiotics use certain bacteria to kill other bacteria and viruses. When these bacteria kill them they reside in the pores of skin and feed on sebum. Avoid such antibiotics and ask your physician least the medicine should not contain such bacteria. Besides these antibiotics, certain other medicines include but not limited to:
- Androgens
- Corticosteroids
- Oral contraceptive
- Isoniazid
- Lithium
- Halogens
- Phenytoin
- Phenobarbital
Greasy Oily Substance:
These substance although does not affect at molecular and chemical level, they clog the pores in skin the sweat and sebum secretes out. Accumulation of sebum increases acne severity.
Some Medicines:
Some medicines containing:
- Androgens
- Corticosteroids
- Oral contraceptive
- Isoniazid
- Lithium
- Halogens
- Phenytoin
- Phenobarbital
may worsen acne if you already have, if you do not have yet, they may produce.Thus, if you avoid all the above factors, good chances are that you will soon cure your acne and they will not flare up again
Factors that we can not refrain from:
Puberty:
Can you avoid puberty? Umm! No. Puberty is our body's natural function that is defined as growth of sexual organs and their functions. In puberty extra discharge of androgen, a hormone responsible for male characteristics and estrogen for female characteristic secretes which stimulates sebaceous glands. Besides the growth of sexual organs and their functionality, sebaceous glands also becomes over active and functional producing more sebum. Accumulation of sebum causes comedo and if goes to severity produce acne.
Menstruation:
Most women consider they are alone with menstrual acne, while nearly every women of every age develop menstrual acne. Have you ever thought why it happens? During and before menstrual cycle, hormones such as androgen fluctuate and stimulate sebaceous glands in skin. Previous studies show that oil ducts in skin constrict from 15th to 20th day of menstrual cycle. From 21st 26th these ducts gets their previous diameter and becomes narrower again 2 days before the end of menstrual cycle. Thus, acne in women is more severe on 22nd day of menstrual cycle.
Pregnancy:
The situation is somewhat as similar as during menstrual cycle. Fluctuation in hormones production such as androgen stimulates the sebaceous glands; as a result sebaceous glands become enlarged and produce more sebum.
Family History:
Do you think family history has a profound impact on acne? Studies show that genes contain all information that our body will use. Each gene contains as much information as a book of 1000 pages contains. Every child receives genes from their parents. So, if your parents used to develop too much acne, their gene when transfer to your body act the same way as inside your parents.
So, these are the factors that you can not avoid, but what you should do now? One common suggestion, do not shy and hesitate, it will cure as time passes by and naturalize you life and habitat. That is the all you need and follow.
