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The cause of acne is quite simple, as is its prevention and cure for the great majority of people. The skin is made up of two layers (see diagram at end of document). The deep layer, known as the dermis, is the foundation of the skin. It is made up of mostly fibrous tissue and contains the blood vessels, nerves endings, hair follicles, sweat glands, oil (sebaceous) glands and other support structures of the skin. Think of the dermis as being like the foundations of a house , made of concrete, lies under the walls of the house and contains all the plumbing services! The outer layer of the skin is called the epidermis and consists of layer upon layer of skin cells held together by a type of glue.
The Cells
The cells move from the bottom to the top. As they move they progressively flatten and become more hair or fingernail like in quality (they are said to become cornified) and eventually fall off as dead skin cells. Think of the outer layer of skin as being like the bricks in the wall of a house except that the bricks are created at the bottom of the wall, gradually rise to the top, getting thinner as they move and eventually falling off. A hair follicle does not necessarily have a hair growing out of it. The greatest numbers of hair follicles per square centimeter of anywhere on your body are on your face. Every hair follicle has an oil gland associated with it that produces oil to lubricate the skin and the hair. People with acne do not necessarily produce more oil than those without acne. The principal cause of acne is obstruction of the opening (called a pore) of a hair follicle by dead skin cells and oil from the oil gland. The oil gland continues to produce oil causing either the hair follicle to swell resulting in small cysts (closed or open comedo's) or the oil gland to swell and rupture which releases oil and dead skin cells into the dermis.
The Dermis
The dermis does not like oil and dead skin cells and sets up an inflammatory reaction (inflammation = redness and swelling) and then bacteria in the hair follicle create infection which causes the white top of the acne pustule. If dead skin cells held together by a type of glue obstructing the outlet of the oil gland are the cause of acne, it follows that softening that glue and removing the dead skin cells should cure acne and prevent new lesions from forming. The Acne program developed by Australian Skin Clinics centers around doing just that. Using a combination of skin care products which soften the glue and then remove the dead skin cells plus deep cleaning of the skin and further removal of dead skin cells with Microdermabrasion, we have been able to achieve very rapid and dramatic improvement in acne - usually clearing up the majority of lesions within three months. |
Creams & Oils
It is important to understand that several things can aggravate acne. Firstly, creams and oils applied to the skin only increase the amount of oil in the skin and aggravate the blockage of the pores. If you donít believe this try putting a thick cream like Sorbolene on the face of a person with acne for a few days and see what happens to their skin. People with acne in general terms should not use creams or oils on their skin, other than as directed by staff at Australian Skin Clinics. Use Gel based sun blocks not creams, lotions or milks. Most cosmetic foundations consist of particles suspended in a cream base. The cream is bad for acne but the particles are also bad as they enter the open pores and add to the dead skin cell plug obstructing the pore. If you want to get rid of your acne you have to stop covering it with make up. Once your skin has cleared of acne you can use a light powder which is brushed on but in general terms people with acne prone skin should avoid makeup unless absolutely necessary.
Never ever go to sleep with makeup on. Remember, with the program developed by Australian Skin Clinics most acne will clear within ninety days so you wonít need to wear camouflaging makeup anyway. Acne is a condition caused by obstruction of hair follicles. The way to treat and prevent acne is to remove the obstruction and remove the dead skin cells that cause the obstruction. This involves a very simple skin care program and avoidance of creams and makeup that aggravate the problem. It also requires consistency and persistency. It will not get better in one week or two weeks but it will get dramatically better within ninety days provided you follow the program as directed without forgetting or leaving out any of the steps involved.
It's up to you - all you have to lose is your acne. |
