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What Effects The Acne Environment Where Acne Bacteria Thrives
Almost everyone went through a phase where their skin broke out in acne, a skin condition whose redness, swelling and pustules can be unsightly and cause social anxieties for the sufferer. Some sufferers left this indignity behind with their teenage years. For the vast majority, acne decreases during the twenties, and disappears almost completely during the later twenties. But for a few unfortunates, the acne battle is lifelong. And before you can attempt to treat acne, you must understand the acne environment where acne bacteria thrives.
Bacteria on the skin are, surprisingly, normal. Acne bacteria live with other skin bacteria on the healthy skin of children and adults as well as pimply teenagers, but do not cause the same problems. This is because acne is caused by a hormonally derived increase in the oil of the skin, especially on the face. Acne tends to level off in adults because the body's hormones become more stable as puberty ends.
Normally, sweat and the natural oils of the skin would wash away the bacteria in the pores, but in an acne sufferer they get trapped. Androgens, the hormones responsible for certain aspects of puberty and adult sexual function, cause the skin cells in hair follicles to shed more frequently, and more oil to be produced. The combination means that many skin cells stick together in the oil and clog the pores.
Using the oil and dead skin cells as food, the bacteria can multiply rapidly. The immune system responds to this growth by creating inflammation and sending white blood cells to the area to destroy the bacteria. By breaking down the oils into free fatty acids that trigger even more inflammation, the bacteria bring the immune system down on themselves.
The pus that often appears in an acne sore is a mixture of dead bacteria and dead immune cells and molecules that are created in the fight with the bacteria. Though this is unsightly and many people are tempted to pop the sores and squeeze out the pus, that's actually a very bad idea. The pus will eventually be reabsorbed by the body, but opening the sore to the outside world could cause infection with a bacteria more virulent than the acne bacteria.
To reduce the number of acne bacteria on the skin of an acne sufferer, the use of benzoyl peroxide might be considered. This gentle anti-bacterial agent, available in creams, rinses, washes and gels, kills some of the acne bacteria that might otherwise case acne spots. But acne bacteria are only one component of the situation that cases acne, and it is impossible to kill all of them.
In general, the best long-term treatment for acne is time. In the adult, hormones stabilize and do not cause the same problems as in teenagers, at least for most people. But acne bacteria live on everyone's skin, regardless of whether they suffer from acne or not, and the wrong situation can precipitate a breakout. These situations include moist and hot weather, as well as certain other scenarios.
Since there is no cure for acne, the best option is to treat it carefully and make sure you take care of your skin. In people with mild acne or the occasional break out, the best treatment is to wash the face regularly with a gentle soap. This helps remove excess oil and bacteria and reduce problems. Understand the acne environment where acne bacteria thrives will help you understand what to do to decrease your chances of being pimply.
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