All things acne: Part 1 - Pimples

Ah acne, something the general person struggles within their life at some point, and no, I'm not just referring to when you're a teenager and going through a breakout due to puberty. It is common through all ages and all genders. Acne comes in different forms as well, but for the purpose of this article, the focus will be on a symptom due to acne: pimples. (Although some of the tips here will help with other forms of acne as well.)

Before completely diving in, it is important to know that one gets different types of acne and some may be more severe and unbearable compared to others. If that is the case, seeing a dermatologist would be your best bet.

1. The pimple explained

That dreaded little red rascal that loves visiting everyone ever so often is a small (and annoying) pustule or papule. It develops through oil glands becoming clogged and infected which in turn leads to that swollen red lesion filled with pus. Oil glands (or sebaceous glands) are usually most prominent on the face, followed by the back, chest, and shoulders, which explains why these are the most common breakout areas. Please keep in mind that acne is such a common skin disorder and you should not be obsessing over it too much unless it really is impacting your state of everyday life. On that note, respect others with skin disorders and visible or extremities in acne-related skin conditions, if you can't change it in 5 minutes, how should they?

2. What causes this?

Pimples are caused by clogged sebaceous glands, as mentioned, but how or why the clogging takes place has such a huge amount of factors to take into consideration. In teenagers, hormonal changes cause an over-excretion of oil, which leads to clogging (same goes to females experiencing their periods). However, it's not always oil building up, just think about all the things your face gets exposed to? Makeup, sweat, shaving, dirty pillowcases, dirty towels, sunscreen, the sun, dust, food, dirt particles, etc. All of these could lead to pores clogging. Furthermore what the skin takes in through diet also plays a role, for example, dairy and processed sugars have also been proven to contribute to acne.

3. How to prevent it

Prevention is always better than treatment, so take the steps before it's too late. Easy ways to prevent this would be:

• To ensure cleanliness: clean pillows, clean linens, clean towels

• To properly wash and exfoliate (if necessary) your face

• To avoid picking at or squeezing blemishes (you shouldn't be touching them at all, you might spread the bacteria to other parts of your face)

• Use noncomedogenic hair products, makeup, and sunscreen (always use sunscreen!!)

• Avoid touching your face (this includes with your phone and hair)

• Maintain a healthy diet

• Make sure to get any trapped dirt out through sweating (either through exercise or steaming)

• Allow your skin to breathe (go make-up free)

• Make sure to use a clean shaver and to properly clean after shaving

• Drink water, drink water, DRINK WATER

4. How to treat it & B's recommendations

Treating pimples and acne can be very easy and even fun! For more severe and larger sections of breakouts, try to get a prescription of a topical retinoid. Pills that control hormonal fluctuations also help (such as a contraceptive), as well as certain antibiotics. Other aiding means could be a chemical peel or going for light therapy.

Of course, skincare products are also a great means of managing acne and pimples. You'll want to look for ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and any other beta-hydroxy acid. My personal favourites include:

• Ponds pimple clear wash

• African Extracts Rooibos spot-control face wash

• Glamglow SuperMud mask

• Loreal Pure Clay Blemish Rescue Mask

• Skin Republic Spots + Blemish sheet mask

• Hey Gorgeous Banish & repair serum

• Glamglow superserum

• Lush tea tree water toner (B's top pick)

• The Body Shop tea tree oil

• Annique Synergy clear = control clearly even night cream

Other kits or sets that you can take a look at that work wonders include:

• African Extracts Rooibos Purifying Range

• Hey Gorgeous Banish and Repair Kit

• The Body Shop tea tree oil range

• Skoon The Basic Four Starter Kit- Oily

• Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Proofing Range

• Garnier Pure Active range

• Sorbet

• Dermalogica Active clearing range (especially for mature skin types)

• Dermalogica Clear Start skin kit

5. Myths versus facts

Myth: Only teenagers get acne. Not true (trust me, I'm not a teenager anymore and neither is my mother and we both still have the occasional spot), in fact, about 50% of adult women and 25% of adult men still get forms of acne.

Myth: Popping pimples helps get rid of acne. No, no ,no! You could risk pushing the bacteria even further into your skin and then you'll really have a problem.

Myth: Tanning can clear or prevent acne breakout. Actually, excessive tanning is harmful to the skin and will only aggravate the acne.

Myth: Acne is caused entirely by genetics. While this might have some truth to it, lifestyle changes can control the breakouts and even eliminate them

Myth: Wash your face a lot during the day to prevent and rid of breakouts. Wrong again, this could irritate the skin and cause the pores to dry out (check the article on all things face wash to learn more)

Myth: Apple Cider vinegar will take it away. Yes it might, but it will also burn your skin and leave an even bigger and more permanent problem than before

Myth: Toothpaste can take it away. Again, yes it might, but this is too harsh for the skin and could cause a different type of damage

Myth: Stress causes acne. It does not cause it, it can, however, worsen it.

Myth: Acne goes away on its own. Yes and no, it all depends on the cause, it's length, the type, and your lifestyle

I hope you all learned something new here. Before I finish off, I would just like to remind everyone to not be ashamed of any skin conditions, it's so natural, so normal and so human. Just love yourself and the skin you are in, always. You might just inspire the next person to do the same.

Keep going, keep glowing & keep growing, you're doing amazing.

• B x