Acne is a common and distressing skin complaint. It predictably starts during puberty, affecting approximately three quarters of all 13-18 year olds, and can sometimes continue to affect people well into their adult lives.
While research remains to be done on the exact cause of acne and there is no one definitive cure yet available, there are a number of treatments which can help to greatly reduce the symptoms.
So, what exactly is acne? Basically acne is a disease which causes spots and redness on the skin, most often on the face, neck, chest and back.
These spots can be either whiteheads, blackheads, red or yellow spots or hard red swellings just below the surface of the skin.
It occurs when the little glands below the surface of the skin produce too much sebum. This is an oily substance, used to keep the skin soft and supple.
However if too much sebum is produced it tends to clog up the tiny pores through which hairs grow out of the skin and this causes blackheads and whiteheads.
To make matters worse, this build up of oil creates a perfect environment for a bacterium (Propionibacterium acnes) to grow.
Your bodies immune system tries to fight this growth in bacteria causing the redness and inflammation which often comes with spots.
There are some factors which are known to contribute to acne. Hormones, for example testosterone, known to be high in both boys and girls during their teenage years seems to aggravate acne.
Stress is also a contributing factor, one theory being that stressed people touch their face frequently and so help to spread bacteria.
Acne also seems to have a genetic cause, since if your parents had acne, you are more likely to suffer from it too.
There are however a lot of misconceptions about acne - that it is caused by poor hygiene, or eating chocolate, for example, these are not true.
There are many effective treatments for acne and your doctor will be able to prescribe the most appropriate one for you.
There are also a number of self-help treatments which you can try.
Basic hygiene is important to get rid of bacteria on the skin, so you should wash twice a day with a gentle cleanser and try to wash your hands before you touch your face, for example when applying make up.
Steaming the face or other affected parts can be a useful addition to your acne treatment program.
Although people with very severe acne are advised not to use steam treatment, for the vast majority of suffers, steaming can really help clear the complexion since it opens up the pores and at the same time increases sweating and so helps to flush impurities out of the skin.
Since sweat is salty, it can also act as an antimicrobial agent, killing some of the bacteria found on the skin.
Steaming also increases blood circulation, bringing greater amounts of oxygen and nutrients to the skin.
Adding herbs and essential oils to your steamer just before use, can bring many additional benefits for your complexion.
Lavender helps to aid relaxation and can be a very effective way of reducing stress, which is a known contributor to acne outbreaks.
Mint too can be used to dissolve the grime clogged in facial pores and make it easier for it to be flushed away.
Other herbs and oils provide more general benefits, like rose hips which is great for skin regeneration.
There are a variety of ways to steam your face. Perhaps the most basic is to do it yourself at home over a very hot bowl of water!
However, there are a selection of fantastic facial steamers available to buy, which can make the job a whole lot simpler and safer too, no wandering about with kettles of boiling water.
Perhaps the cheapest model available is the portable steamer. This is lightweight and very easy to use, just fill up the reservoir with water and turn it on.
You can safely add essential oils to the water reservoirs of commercial steamers and one great advantage is that you can control the steam volume, having either a fine mist or a strong steam spray delivered.
Some facial steamers are designed to be used with ozone which is antibacterial and dries the skin, giving even greater benefits to users.
Once you have finished your steam treatment, you must always wash your skin immediately afterwards to remove all the impurities which have been drawn out by the steaming process, otherwise you will make the condition worse.
The results of steaming your skin in this way will not be seen for a few weeks, in common with all other acne treatments.
But if you continue to regularly cleanse your skin in this way, you should be rewarded by a much improved complexion.
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Beauty