Are you miles away from puberty and still keep discovering one or more nasty surprises in the mirror? Do you envy the clear skin of your friends while your own skin makes you despair? Is your life already a bit turbulent and now a bright red spot in the middle of to face is annoying you? Have mercy on your skin - this little pimple party isn't actually trying to annoy you. Because there are logical explanations and reasons for this skin phenomenon, most of which are not your fault. I would like to help you with this and give you a better understanding of blemishes. You won't welcome your unpleasant companions all at once, but perhaps I can help you to understand them.
- How do blackheads, spots and the like develop?
- What are the causes of spots and blackheads?
- The right skin care for blemishes
- Which ingredients and which products help with pimples and blemishes?
- Tips - do's & don'ts for the care of blemished skin
1. how blackheads, pimples and co. develop
For this chapter, I advise you to sharpen your scientific eye and put your emotions to one side. If we look at our skin from a rational perspective, we may even be able to show some understanding for its behavior.
A blackhead occurs when the glands produce an excessive amount of sebum, also known as seborrhea. At the same time, increased growth of horny cells in the duct of the sebaceous glands leads to blockage of the sebaceous follicle. A plug forms which closes the outlet of the duct. Dirt or make-up residue can also block the pores. A closed comedo, known as a whitehead, has formed. As soon as the skin tears at the closed white comedo, air reaches the accumulated sebum. The stored skin pigment melanin reacts with the oxygen in the air and stains the plug dark, creating the typical appearance of blackheads.
The dead skin lipids provide an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which colonize and lead to an infection. The body's own defense system defends itself against the foreign inhabitants and triggers inflammatory processes. The decomposition of sebum also leads to the formation of free fatty acids, which promote inflammation. If the blackheads become inflamed, this is known as a pimple. A focus of pus often forms at the top and visible redness decorates the skin.
Ordinary pimples usually only appear sporadically and subside after a while. Acne, on the other hand, is more serious and usually persists over a long period of time. The follicle wall ruptures, releasing lipids, fatty acids, horny cells, bacteria and cell fragments. These cause extensive, deep and painful inflammation in the surrounding tissue, which can end up as abscesses with lump formation.
2 What are the causes of spots and blackheads?
Good to know, but why exactly is your skin doing this? If your skin shows its stressed side with blackheads, pimples and acne, this can be due to various factors. In most cases, a combination of personal predisposition and an altered hormonal balance leads to blemished skin.
During puberty in particular, the body undergoes hormonal changes. Both boys and girls produce more testosterone - the androgenic male sex hormone. Among other things, the hormone stimulates sebum production, which leads to increased secretion of skin oils. These give the skin a greasy, oily and shiny sheen.
Hormones also influence the appearance of our skin during the female cycle. In the second half of the cycle, there is an increase in the luteal hormone progesterone, which has an androgenic partial effect. At the same time, the amount of oestrogen, which normally slows down sebum production, decreases. The diagram shows you how best to care for your skin during your cycle.
The drop in oestrogen levels during the menopause is also noticeable in the skin. The skin becomes less elastic; it tends to develop blemishes or pimples.
Twin studies have also shown that hereditary factors play a role. It has been shown that acne patients have an increased sensitivity to androgens, which promote excessive sebum production.
Diet is also said to have an influence on acne. We have already mentioned several times that your gut is very closely connected to your skin. If it is doing well, you can see this in the form of clear and radiant skin. To avoid putting unnecessary strain on your gut, you should avoid certain foods that are not good for your skin. Foods that contain a lot of preservatives and sugar can be the cause of pimples. It is better to eat fresh, unprocessed ingredients that contain vitamins and counteract possible inflammation. You can also strengthen your gut with fiber, such as linseed. Unnoticed intolerances to food or certain cosmetic products can also lead to blemishes and inflammation. These can range from small pimples to acne-like flare-ups. Omitting certain ingredients can help to identify the triggers. If you suspect a food intolerance, I recommend that you keep a food diary and have yourself tested for possible allergies by your doctor. The climate and other environmental factors are also suspected of causing blemish prone skin
Although the influence of psychological factors on the appearance of the skin has not been proven, stress in particular is often observed as a trigger for pimples. The development of pimples is then presumably due to a lack of skin care and hygiene or an unconscious diet during stressful everyday life.
However, the psyche is not entirely unimportant in the course of the disease. Like many other skin diseases, blemish prone skin causes a high level of psychological distress and can have an enormous impact on the quality of life of affected people.
Admittedly, after reading these lines, it's hard to feel quite as sympathetic to the subject of from it. And this is unlikely to change - but it doesn't have to. However, you should still deal with your blemished skin skillfully and treat it with respect. If you know your triggering factors, you can consciously avoid them. Read on to find out how to deal with pimples and blackheads if they do appear.