Acne

Acne happens when the oil glands and hair follicles in your skin becomes clogged and inflammed.

These oil glands, also called sebaceous glands product an oily substance called sebum that protects the hair and skin from becoming too dry. Sometimes, too much sebum can harden into a plug which blocks your skin's pores. This blockage allows a bacteria called P. acnes which normally live on the skin grow inside the trapped sebum and cause inflammation and lesion that called acne or more commonly pimple or zit.

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Acne Causes

Although the exact cause is not known, the following are known to be factors in acne:

• Heredity
  You are more likely to suffer from acne if your parents also had them.
  
  
• Hormones
  During puberty, increased hormone levels can cause the sebacous glands to produce excess sebum that lead to plugged pores and acne. For adult women, pregnancy and menstruation can also cause acne breakouts.
  
  
• Stress
  Does your acne worsen during school finals? That's because stress can aggravate acne. Severe stress and prolonged emotional tension can also make acne worse.
  
  
• Medicines
  Prescribed medicine, such as lithium for psychological conditions and barbiturates for seizures can also lead to acne.
  
  
• Cosmetics
  In some people, makeups can cause the follicles to stick together and plug pores. This is why it's important to use non-comedogenic (non-acne forming) cosmetics.

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Acne Lesions

There are two common forms of acne lesions, whitehead and blackhead. Whitehead, which is white in color, is an acne lesion that stays below the skin surface. Blackhead, on the other hand, is an open lesion that reaches the skin surface. The black color does not come from dirt, rather from the sebum plug.

Less common, but more serious forms of acne lesions include papula, pustule, nodule, and cyst (or cystic acne). These lesions often painful, persistent (they last a long time), and lead to deep pits and severe scars.

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Acne Treatments

In addition to over-the-counter creams, acne treatments often include prescribed medicines, such as benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics such as erythromicin and clindamycin, oral antibiotics such as tetracycline, tretinoin gel and isotretinoin.

Natural acne treatments include using natural antiseptics, such as tea tree oil, and supplementing the diet with vitamins and nutrients or delivering them directly to the skin by use of a cream.

ActivClear MAX acne treatment uses nature's own amazing antiseptic tea tree oil, zinc, and skin nourishment (multi-vitamin complex of vitamins A, vitamin E, and provitamin B5). With ActivClear MAX, you can get great results fast without the side effects associated with chemical drugs.

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