So what’s to blame for all of those dreaded spots?

The Acne Equation: ™

Blockage + Inflammation* = a (painful) problem

*Where Inflammation = bacteria + sebum + toxins

Culprit 1

The main culprit behind acne is over-active oil (sebaceous) glands. These glands are stimulated by male hormones (androgens; also present in females) and become most active during puberty. Occasionally, cells that are close to the surface block the opening of the sabaceous gland and cause a buildup of oil underneath.

---- Figure 1: Normal follicle ----- Figure 2: Plugged follicle -----------

Blockage explanation: As your skin renews itself, the old cells in your follicles die, mix with your skin's natural oils, and are shed off. Under normal circumstances, these cells shed gradually, making room for fresh, new skin. However, these cells will occasionally clump together and block the opening of a pore. Uneven shedding of cells is a secondary cause of pimple formation (i.e. it requires at least one of the three other factors in the Acne Equation™).

The trapped sebum mixes with bacteria (culprit 2), and causes surrounding tissue to inflame. Inflammation typically results in one (or more) of six types of acne:

• Papules—inflamed tissue that usually appear as small, pink bumps on the skin.
• Pustules (pimples)—papules topped by white or yellow pus-filled lesions that may be red at the base.
• Nodules—large, painful, solid lesions that are lodged deep within the skin.
• Cysts—deep, painful, pus-filled lesions that can cause scarring.
• Whiteheads—occur when oil breaks through to the surface.
• Blackheads—occur when the oil becomes oxidized (by the air) and changes from white to black.

Occasionally, the wall of the follicle bursts, spreading inflammation to the surrounding skin. (This is why breakouts sometimes tend to occur in one concentrated area).

 

What’s your oil level?

Take a quick minute to check your skin for greasiness. If you have acne, chances are that your skin is oilier than many of your friends.

But before you rush to the bathroom and lather on the Neutrogena, consider this: oil can be beneficial for the skin. We use sebum to help protect us from dryness and aging. In fact, if you have acne, you will likely develop fewer wrinkles than your pimple-free friends in your wiser years. (Hey, who thought that a shiny forehead could be a good thing?)

On the other hand, too much oil (under the wrong conditions) can spell trouble for acne. Once a pore clogs up, a little bacterium (and/or toxins, culprit 3) is all that is needed to start the painful process of inflammation.

One crucial key to lasting, acne-free skin is to normalize sebaceous gland activity, and ensure proper cell shedding. In the Ultimate Acne Regimen™, I provide an extremely effective set of tools to this end. I also show you some quick, easy steps to help eliminate that shiny forehead look, once and for all!

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