This is the stage know as puberty, which is closely followed by the adolescence stage. There are a lot of physical changes that occur during both of these stages, with one of the least popular ones being the development of acne. Some youngsters seem to get it worse than others, and some don’t even get it at all. (Perhaps the odd pimple every month or so)

It is a well known myth that it is only teenagers that have to put up with acne problems, but the truth is acne affects people of all ages. However, the young adolescent stages mentioned definitely make the younger ones much more prone to developing acne. The physical changes these youngsters go through are of course brought about by internal processes, raging and fluctuating hormone levels, and a few other changes as well.

What actually causes acne?

Acne is caused in part by bacteria. It happens when our pores get clogged up with too much sebum (a waxy oily substance) produced by our skin glands. As we are aware, young people are not that particular about being hygienic, and often the skincare for the face is one that is usually neglected. Teenagers undergo a lot of hormonal change, one of these being that they produce much more sebum from their face, and when this is neglected, or not washed and cleansed regularly, it creates the ideal growth for acne..

Acne is a very common skin problem, which does have a range of potential remedies, such as herbal solutions, and treatments through to over the counter chemical treatments. It does need to be remembered that acne is the symptom of the problem, some suggest the extent of the acne problem may be caused by hereditary factors. Nevertheless, it is caused by the body itself, and is often the result of certain things being completely out of balance, so often by buying certain remedies to fix the problem, you are only ever going to treat the symptom, not cure the problem

For teenagers to work their way through the few years they will typically experience acne problems, it is useful for parents, and/or guardians to help out by being supportive, and encouraging the teen to keep their personal hygiene up to standard, and also ensuring they eat a good wholesome well balanced diet.

Firstly, the glands surrounding the hair follicles, called sebaceous glands, begin to produce excessive amounts of sebum, an oily waxy substance which is meant to lubricate the skin, and the hair and help with moisture retention.

The second stage is when the dead skin cells in and around the area become trapped in the sebum in the follicle . The nearby cells that produce keratin, a key component of hair, nails and skin, can also become stimulated into excessive production, which along with the dead skin cells can exacerbate the potential blockage of the hair follicle canal. A blackhead as an open hair follicle canal with such a blockage that is visible in the pore. When the follicle canal is closed, a white head becomes the visible result, and occurs when the blockage is complete. In both instances, the follicle canal swells without rupturing.

And thirdly, if certain bacteria are also present inside the blocked follicle canal, its’ multiplication and growth will be encouraged as it begins to break down sebum, causing the consequent inflammation, and the resultant ‘pimple’ or ‘zit’.

At puberty, and particularly in the male population, the sebum and keratin production are particularly active, hence the generally accepted mind picture one usually has of the pimply faced male youth. Often this is all blamed on the elevated testosterone levels in the blood, however this may not be the only cause of the facial and upper body skin eruptions. There have been some studies undertaken which suggest that acne sufferers also may have an elevated activity of an enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, which can lead to a higher conversion of testosterone into the concentrated form of dihydrotestosterone, thereby raising the suggestion that how an individual processes testosterone may be another factor to consider in adult acne.

Acne in adults however is often also caused by many other factors, such as cosmetics, stress, obesity, poor diet as well as steroids and some other medications, such oral contraceptives. Rosacea is also another form of adult acne, which shows as a blotchiness and flushing usually of the facial skin

Most people only think of acne as affecting the younger teenage generations, and for 80% of the population, that is often a fact, you finish your teenage years, and then acne is an issue you no longer need to concern yourself about. However if you’re one of the 20% who continues to be afflicted with adult acne, (and this is more likely if you’re a woman) it can become not only socially unacceptable to have a face full of zits as an adult, but it can also leave severe scarring as well. The need and desperation of the sufferer to find a workable solution to the acne lies not in a lotion, or a potion, or some form of zit cream, but rather in addressing the whole person, from a more holistic view point. This type of attention (whilst it does require some effort) is usually the process that has shown to be the most successful method of finding a natural adult acne cure, and whilst hormonal activity is certainly an important contributor to the cause of adult acne, there are other contributing factors that require addressing as part of the overall treatment process.

The most common types of acne vulgaris, are;

Whiteheads: These occur when a pore is completely blocked. The sebum (a waxy oily substance produced by the skin follicles) gets trapped along with bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a raised  white appearance on the surface of the skin. Most sufferers tend to try pooping white heads, which can invariably result in damage to the surrounding skin cels, or spreading of the infection to nearly pores. Whiteheads usually clear up naturally much quicker than blackheads.

Blackheads:These occur when a skin pore is only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to slowly drain to the surface. The black color of the blackhead isn’t caused by dirt as if often the thought, but rather a reaction of the skin’s melanin pigment with oxygen in the air. Blackheads are of a more stable nature, and often take a long time to clear up naturally

Papules:These are inflamed, reddened bumps without a head. Many people try squeezing these, but only end up exacerbating scarring of the skin.

Pustules: Like whiteheads only these are inflamed, and appear as a round red ‘pimple’ with a white or yellow center. These are the more common type often referred to as zits.

Treating these types of acne with potions or lotions may provide temporary relief of the problem, and may help show signs of improvement, but the reality is, the acne often returns, and sometimes even worse than before. The best treatment for adult acne conditions is a natural one. One that helps balance the internal issues going on in your body that causes the acne in the first place.  You can spend a fortune on treating acne superficially and on the surface, but this is only ever treating the symptom, not the cause. You need to get to the real root of the problem before you will ever make any headway oin curing the problem permanently, and that is to bring your body back int0 true balance.

It does take effort, and some work to achieve this, although the results are usually permanent. Thousands of people around the world have tried and succeeded in treating adult acne naturally, and you can certainly be another one of them, if you are prepared to do what it take.