HOW ACNE STARTS AND HOW YOU CAN STOP
Acne affects almost everyone, more than 90% of all adolescents, nearly 50% of all adult women and 25% of all adults. Crossing gender lines as well as national borders, it's one of the most widespread medical conditions in the world. While acne is not curable, it is preventable and treatable. We now know more about controlling this condition than ever before. The secret to managing acne is prevention — that is to cleanse and nourish your skin and body internally which stops this condition before it exhibits visual symptoms. We have found that to prevent acne it does not only work through using an acne skin care or acne drug treatment but to start from cleansing and nourishing the skin and body from internally. Once you have started practising cleansing and nourishing your skin and body from inside and out, it's important to use a chemical-free natural skin care. Even after pimples disappear, you need to continue cleansing and nourishing with a good skin care to keep new blemishes at bay. It's also crucial to begin cleansing and nourishing as soon as the first signs appear; the sooner you address your acne, the less likely you are to experience permanent damage to your skin. Of course, in order to stop acne, we must first find out how it starts.
What caused acne? One of the most important things you can learn about acne is this:
It's not your fault. Contrary to popular belief, acne is not caused by anything you're doing for example what you eat, how often you wash your face or work out but by a combination of factors at work far beneath the surface of your skin.
A Healthy Follicle
A blemish begins approximately 2-3 weeks before it appears on your skin's surface. It starts in your sebaceous hair follicles - the tiny holes commonly called pores. Deep within each follicle, your sebaceous glands are working to produce sebum, the oil that keeps your skin moist and pliable. As your skin renews itself, the old cells die, mix with your skin's natural oils, and are sloughed off. Under normal circumstances, these cells are shed gradually, making room for fresh new skin. But sloughing is different for everyone. Some people shed cells evenly; some don't. Uneven shedding causes dead cells to become sticky, clumping together to form a plug — much like a cork in a bottle. This plug, or comedo, traps oil and bacteria inside the follicle.
A Plugged Follicle
The plug traps oil and bacteria within the follicle, which begins to swell as your skin continues its normal oil production. Your body then attacks the bacteria with a busy swarm of white blood cells. The whole process takes 2–3 weeks, culminating in a pimple.
An Inflamed Acne Lesion
Why me? There is no one simple "cause" of acne — the condition is influenced by many factors, many which are out of your control. The regularity with which you shed skin cells can change throughout your life. The rate at which you produce sebum is affected by your hormone balance, which is often in flux — especially for women. Research has also shown that genetics play a big part in the development and persistence of acne, so your family history is a valuable prediction tool as well when considering the various causes of acne. One of the best weapons in the fight against acne, however, is knowledge; if you know what causes acne, it's easier to formulate a good plan of attack. There are five primary culprits contributing to this process. Each of these factors may vary dramatically between individuals. While you don't have control over these factors, understanding them can help you in your search for the proper acne prevention and skin care.
Acne Causes
Culprit #1: Hormones. For the majority of acne sufferers, the trouble begins at puberty, when the body begins to produce hormones called androgens. These hormones cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge, which is a natural part of the body's development. In acne sufferers, however, the sebaceous glands are overstimulated by androgens, sometimes well into adulthood. Androgens are also responsible for acne flare-ups associated with the menstrual cycle and, on occasion, pregnancy.
Culprit #2: Extra sebum. When the sebaceous gland is stimulated by androgens, it produces extra sebum. In its journey up the follicle toward the surface, the sebum mixes with common skin bacteria and dead skin cells that have been shed from the lining of the follicle. While this process is normal, the presence of extra sebum in the follicle increases the chances of clogging — and can cause acne.
Culprit #3: Follicle fallout. Normally, dead cells within the follicle shed gradually and are expelled onto the skin’s surface. But in patients with overactive sebaceous glands — and in nearly everyone during puberty — these cells are shed more rapidly. Mixed with a surplus of sebum, the dead skin cells form a plug in the follicle, preventing the skin from finishing its natural process of renewal.
Culprit #4: Bacteria. The bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, (P. acnes for short) is a regular resident of all skin types; it’s part of the skin’s natural sebum maintenance system. Once a follicle is plugged, however, P. acnes bacteria multiply rapidly, creating the chemical reaction we know as inflammation in the follicle and surrounding skin.
Culprit #5: Inflammation. When your body encounters unwanted bacteria, it sends an army of white blood cells to attack the intruders. This process is called chemotaxis; or, simply put, the inflammatory response. This is what causes pimples to become red, swollen and painful. The inflammatory response is different for everyone, but studies have shown that it is especially strong in adult women.
What can I do? Fortunately, you can do something about it! There are many kinds of acne treatments available today. Everyday millions of new skin care products are introduced and marketed to target acne problems. If you go to see a skin specialist or doctor, you will be prescribed with drugs like Accutane and Roaccutane but how safe are they? Before you jump into taking these drugs or using skin care that contains chemicals, read the ingredients and find out about their side effects. Any product or ingredient that has side effects only can cure you in the short term but will give side effects in the long run. Understand the basics of your body and try not use strong chemicals or drugs that gives side effects.
Here is how you can do a prevention for your acne with a proper system of cleansing, nourishing and using a natural skin care.
Actions Steps
Step 1 - Cleanse
1. Cleansing Pack (RM263) - Clearstart
Complete 30 day cleansing program that combines 3 key steps in a complete cleansing solution. A solution that is very simple and efficient solution to the problems and health risks I have just mentioned when we are not aware of the importance of cleansing.
- Paraway® Plus (120 capsules) : Herbal ingredients to remove parasites and harmful bacteria.
- Red Clover Plus® (100 capsules) : A combination of 14 herbs to detox your blood and liver and strengthen your liver.
- Nature's Tea® (30 sachets) : Works as a flushing tea to remove waste.
2. Acid Alkaline Balance Set (RM300)
- Super Chlorophyll Powder™ (2 bottles X 92g) : Derived from nutrition-rich alfalfa to cool down the body, promotes bowel movements and strengthen cells and the immune system.
- Lif Aloe™ (5 bottles X 592ml) : Featuring pure aloe vera blended with licorice root, ginseng, and ginger root, this delicious drink helps cleanse your digestive tract.
Step 2 - Nourish/ Build
1. Your Daily Basic Nutrition
- Daily Produce ( 2 bottles X 60 capsules) - Antioxidant and high nutrition, imagine 12 fruits and 12 vegetables all encapsulated into 2 capsules.
- Chlorospirulina (60 tablets) -
- 4 different high potency natural forms of Vitamin C
- Provides beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids giving you good skin,
supports normal heart and rain function - Calcium-Magnesium Complex -
