What is Acne? Why do you have it, while other people never get a single pimple?

We know it’s not fair to lose the “skin lottery”.

Thousands of people walk around never even considering their skin, eat pizza twice per week with ice cream for dessert, and regularly forget to wash their face before bed. And yet. Those people have perfectly clear skin, without a blemish in sight, no zits anywhere, no patchy redness, no blackheads, no inflammation, no cysts, no nodules or buried whiteheads. No skin challenges at all. How come?

Turns out that is sort of really IS a lottery, but it’s a lottery you can change – in your favour.

What is Acne?
Acne is an inflammatory, chronic skin condition that effects almost 85% of people during their lifetime, causing pimples, redness and irritation, especially on the face, neck, chest and shoulders, as well as the rest of the body. It’s most prevalent in teenagers and youth between the ages of 11-18, yet also effects nearly 35% of adults, both men and women, sometimes for long periods of time, even occasionally damaging skin tissue and causing scars.

Acne is created when the sebacuious glands are activated by the hormones in the body to produce too much sebum (naturally occurring oils in the skin) which then accumulates to clog pores and cause inflammation under the skin.

What causes Acne?
The causes or risks factors of acne can include your genes (having a genetic disposition towards acne if your family had it), environmental factors such as hot or humid climates, using creams or makeup that dry out the skin or clog the pores, touching the face with dirty hands, experiencing lots of anxiety or emotional stress, hormonal changes, menstruation, and other combining factors.

The good news is that you can impact your acne skin challenge with some time, effort and dedication. Read more about what you can do, eat and choose on a daily basis to help your acne in our post on how to Teach your body to have better skin – how to gamify your skin for clarity and success; to find out more about European Skincare Clinic’s services in Toronto click here, and we would be happy to add clarity to your skin journey.