Acne

There are several different challenges that different people face. They can range from loss of job, loss of home, marriage challenges, children that are struggling or financial struggles. The list can go on. One thing that most people can say they have faced all the same is acne troubles. It doesn't matter on the age, gender or race. Most people face the challenge of acne in their teenage years, but acne can come at anytime in life and most people eventually have to figure out how to deal with acne.

One of the first thing to consider is what is acne? Acne is a term that is used to describe plugged pores, pimples and cysts. There are several different stages of acne. If you have a whitehead that means the pore is clogged and closes and then it bulges out. A blackhead is a pore that is clogged, but stays open and the top darkens. If the walls of a pore become damaged then the bacteria and the dead skin can work their way under the living skin. This is an infection that can become red and is called a pimple. We like to think we can narrow in on a specific cause of acne, but there are several different things that cause acne.

One way to start to understand acne better is to look at three different stages. When oil and dead skin cells get trapped in the pore this can cause a clogged pore. It forms a plug. Then the second stage is the infiltration of bacteria. Bacteria can feed and breed inside clogged hair follicles where sebum is trapped. Then the white blood cells come to fight off the bacteria. Then the third stage is inflammation. The body will fight the bacteria and your skin will become inflamed which then develops the small pink bump, pimples, nodules or cysts.

It is important to take acne serious and recognize the long lasting effects the acne can have on your skin. If acne isn't treated correctly you can end up with scarring and discoloration. Past acne can lead to future acne problems. These things are a valid concern, but if you take the proper care of the different stages of acne you will find that you can possibly conquer the acne. Let's take a look at some of the different things that can be done:

1. Past acne: You will want to use a product that will address the textural damage, hyperpigmentation and specifically the acne scars.

2. Present acne: You will want to go with products that will address the redness, irritation, breakouts, oiliness and blackheads. You will want to open up the pores and reduce the bacteria, oil production and inflammation.

3. Future acne: This is critical by keeping the pores open, preventing scarring and future acne breakouts and the possibility of discoloration.

There are several things to consider with acne, but understanding the different stages and how to address the different stages of acne can help you get a handle on acne. The best steps to dealing with acne is the step of prevention which is taking care of your skin daily.