ACNE BREAKOUTS
CONTROLLING PROBLEM PIMPLES
Zits. Pimples. Spots. Whatever
you call it, acne can cause discomfort
and embarrassment.
This skin condition affects most
people at some point during
their lives. About 4 out of every
5 people experience acne
outbreaks between the ages of
11 and 30.
Acne starts in the skin’s oil
glands. The hair on our bodies
comes out through canals from
these glands called follicles. Oil
glands make oils that emerge to
the skin’s surface through the
follicles’ openings, or pores,
along with the hairs.
So m e t i m e s
hair, oil, and
dead skin cells
come together
to plug a follicle.
The plugged
pore provides the
right conditions
for bacteria that
normally live on
the skin to thrive.
When the body’s immune system
attacks the bacteria, pain
and swelling can result. That’s
how a pimple forms.
Doctors don’t know why
only some people get acne.
They do know what raises the
risk for acne. Increases in certain
hormones can cause oil
glands to get bigger and make
more oil. These hormone levels
go up during puberty. Because
Healthy Living | Summer Issue | 2018 29