Friday, December 19, 2008

Acne Care Best Prevention Against Breakouts

By Nathan James

Instead of trying to deal with an acne breakout after it happens, people who have to deal with regular acne breakouts would be better off if they worked to prevent breakouts from ever happening in the first place. There are lots of reasons why a person may experience an acne breakout. For example, excessively tight clothing or clothes that trap sweat and oil can cause the skin to breakout with acne. Hormonal imbalances can also be responsible for acne.

Proper acne care requires that a person prevents dead skin cells from mixing with the sebum that is secreted from the sebaceous glands. It is this mixture that clogs pores and appears on the skin as acne.

Some people remain convinced that acne can be caused by eating certain foods, but there is no scientific proof that links eating food to the outbreak of acne. It is also important to keep in mind that adolescents going through puberty are not the only people who should practice good acne care. Any person of any age, male or female, can potentially be susceptible to acne.

A person has an especially high risk of experiencing an acne breakout after they have done strenuous exercise; that risk is even greater if they were wearing tight clothes. To prevent acne, you should always shower right away after you exercise. Exfoliating is another important part of acne care, since dead skin cells need to be removed from the surface of the skin. After exfoliating, you need to use a moisturizer so that dry skin does not begin to flake off.

Proper Skin Cleansing: Not Just Soap and Water

Some people imagine that they are taking the necessary steps to prevent acne breakouts, yet they still experience skin problems. Sometimes the soap that people imagine is helping to prevent acne is actually the source of the problem. Some drier sheets used in laundry and some deodorant soaps can be responsible for acne breakouts. Certain types of make-up contain high amounts of oil and thus can make the skin prone to a breakout of acne as well.

Using a five percent solution of benzoyl peroxide on sensitive areas of the skin, 10 percent on areas where the skin is thicker is usually recommended for acne care. However, this solution can dry out the skin and cause irritation so following its use with an oil-free moisturizer can help keep the skin looking and feeling better.

For persons with persistent acne problems, who find that normal acne care products have no affect on their skin, may have to visit a dermatologist for professional help with their acne care. Stronger topical medications are available and in some rare cases, prescription antibiotics may be prescribed. - 16650

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