There are thousands of people worldwide who live and suffer with acne on a daily basis. Chances are that when someone hears the word acne they automatically think of a teen with a few spots on his or her face. This is one of the most common misconceptions associated with acne. Acne can affect any person at any age and may have different causes for each individual that suffers through it.

When thinking about where exactly acne comes from it is best to understand all origins of the word as well. The word acne itself is derived from a word in ancient Greek that means, “The highest point.” Acne is a condition that mostly involves the oil that is found within the oil glands of your skin.

On thewhole acne is not a dangerous or a deadly thing, but is often quite embarrassing for the person who suffers due to the fact that if acne is bad enough it will leave behind scars. Inside of your skin there are pores which look like tiny holes if you are standing closely to a mirror that connect to the oil glands that are located under your skin.

The oily substance that is produced from these glands is known as sebum. The purpose of sebum in your skin is to carry dead skin from the follicles of your skin and bring them to the surface. It is when there is some form of blockage inside of these follicles that a pimple will form.

The majority of the time when a pimple forms on human skin they are usually found in the same areas of the body for everyone. These areas of the body will often include a person’s face, chest, back, neck, and sometimes shoulders.

Bacteria are the leading cause of acne to form due to the fact that the blockage that occurs in the skin follicle is a result of sebum and hair clumping together. The clumping of the sebum and the hair will often get infected with bacteria that will cause swelling. A pimple will then start to develop after the clumping of the hair and sebum breaks down.

Keep in mind that there are different kinds of acne and is best that you know which kind you are dealing with so you know the best way to treat it. One form of acne that affects many people is what is known as a whitehead.

A whitehead is a pimple that will remain under the skin and are usually very small in size. Blackheads are also another common form of acne that will appear on the skin’s surface and appear black in color. Unlike other kinds of acne blackheads are not in any way caused by dirt, so you do not want to try and wash your face a lot if you have one because it will not get rid of it.

If you notice that the bumps that appear on your face are relatively small and are pink in color chances are that this type of bump is a papule. Another form of acne that is very visible on the surface of the skin is pustules. These types of bumps will appear red in color at their base and will be puss filled at the top. Large pimples that often have a solid feel to them will more than likely be nobules.

Nobules are generally very painful for the person that is unfortunate enough to develop one because of the fact that they are embed very deep into the skin. Cysts are without a doubt the most common acne type that will lead to scars. Cysts are often very painful and filled with puss and are very unpleasant for those that suffer with them.

You should never attempt to “pop” or “burst” any type of acne that appears on your skin. The act of rupturing a bump on the skin can always have a chance of scarring or to make the condition worse than what it is. It is estimated that around 3/4^th of the world population will suffer from some form of acne between the ages of eleven and thirty.

What is interesting about acne is that it can affect both men and women but males will suffer from acne a lot longer than women will. This is often due to the fact that the hormone known as testosterone will sometimes make acne worse.

There are also things in women that can make their acne worse as well such as their menstrual cycle. The changes in hormones that women go through before their cycle begins will usually cause acne to worsen during those time periods. Stress is another factor that may dictate a person’s chance of acne or severity as well.

If a person is mentally stressed it will in turn affect certain hormones by the names of adrenaline and cortisol. Sweating can also make acne worse if you live in a hot and humid climate because the sweat can block your pores. It is best to stay away from oil based products for your face because they can actually speed of the blockage of pores. This same concept will also apply for greasy hair products because they can have the same effect if any gets onto your face.

If you are unfortunate enough to develop any form of acne there are a few things that you can do to help treat it. You will want to try and wash your face twice a day, and never wash your face more than twice a day. When washing your face it is best to use a very mild form of soap that has been created for people that suffer from acne, along with warm water.

Do not ever scrub your skin because it can sometimes lead to your skin having irritations. Most doctors will advise you to use any form of acne treatment that contains benzoyl peroxide. If you form acne in places that are not normally seen by other such as your back it is best to wear loose clothing as much as possible. You will want to try to always keep your hands clean before touching your face because of the oils that could pass from your fingers to your face.

If you notice that you have problem acne that will not go away with any treatments that you can find in a local store it may be best to seek medical advice from a licensed dermatologist. Often the medications that a dermatologist will prescribe for you will be a lot stronger than what is available over the counter for purchasing.