The Real Facts on Dirt and Acne
Many false conceptions about acne had been going around for
years masquerading as truths. However majority of these are
utterly refuted through the latest researches and studies done
on the real causes of this skin disorder.
In many instances, these misconceptions result in the aggravation
of this skin condition. Take for example the issue on over consumption
of chocolates and other dairy products. It has been thought
for years that chocolates trigger the outbreaks of acne because
of its extra oil contents not including the nuts incorporated
in the ingredients or other derivatives of dairy products. Researches
have disproved this notion and established that the food items
do not directly affect the production of acne.
In a sense, acne has some relationship with your body's hormonal
imbalance and the its reaction to foods taken into the digestive
system. This affects the release of androgens which are known
to trigger the over production of sebum, the oily substance
found in the skin. But above all these, chocolates still do
not affect in any way, either by worsening the case or decreasing
the intensity of the acne outbreaks.
Another good example is the “dirt-related acne”. To stress
the point, acne is never a product of improper hygiene, in other
words dirt. Fundamentally, it is again the result of over-induced
sebaceous glands.
Dirt is not the cause of acne. Washing the face or keeping
the skin clean of any condition is not to expel the dirt from
the skin, it is only to prepare the skin for further treatment.
Actually, it is unhealthy to wash the skin more than twice a
day because this may further aggravate the condition by spreading
the infection into other sections of the skin tissues.
Moreover, it is not dirt that clogs the skin pores but the
accumulation of dead cells, bacteria and white blood cells which
plugged the pilosebaceous canals embedded deep within the skin
layers. This mixture, when trapped in the hair follicles may
infect or inflame the skin.
Blackheads are not black because of dirt. This name is given
to blackheads because of the presence of the melanin in the
sebum, which when exposed to air, turns black. Actually, blackheads
and whiteheads have almost the same characteristics and are
formed in the same manner, only differing on the layer of skin
where they can be found. Whiteheads are typically found in closed
pores which are situated deeper in the skin. On the contrary,
blackheads are situated in open clogs near the surface of the
skin.
Though dirt does not actually cause acne growth, this does
not negate the fact that one must always maintain healthy and
clean skin. It is recommended that an acne-inflicted person
take at least two showers a day.
If this cannot be done, then a better alternative is
to wash the face twice. But in doing so, one must not use harsh
soaps because this can not only aggravate the condition but
also wash away the amount of skin oil needed by the skin. It
is not true that sebum has no substantial value for the skin,
it helps in lubricating the skin tissues so it would not become
extremely dry.
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