Acne is a skin condition that shows up as bumps and lumps
anywhere on the body. These bumps include blackheads, whiteheads,
pimples and cysts.

Teenagers get acne because of their raging hormonal changes that
come with puberty, and unfortunately if your parents had acne as
teenagers it's possible you will be more prone to developing acne
as well. The good news is that, for many people acne disappears
almost completely by the time they hit their twenties.

The type of acne most teenagers get is called acne vulgaris, and
it usually shows up on the face, neck, shoulders, upper back, and
chest.

The hair follicles, or pores, in human skin contains sebaceous
glands (also called oil glands). They make sebum which is an oil
that lubricates hair and skin. Most of the time, sebaceous glands
make the right amount of sebum, but as a teenagers body begins to
mature and develop, hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to
make more and more sebum, and the glands become overactive.

The pores of the skin become clogged if there is too much sebum
and too many dead skin cells and bacteria (especially a bacteria
called Propionibacterium acnes) get's trapped inside the pores
and multiply, thus causing swelling and redness - the start of
acne.

Reports show over 90 percent of all adolescents and almost 25
percent of all adults are acne sufferers. And though acne affects
about 50 percent of all adult women, acne affects males and
females worldwide, regardless of nationality.

Acne has a significant impact on a person's outlook on life, and
recent studies have detected the following as common among people
with acne:

. Social withdrawal

. Decreased self-esteem

. Reduced self-confidence

. Poor body image

. Embarrassment

. Feelings of depression

. Anger

. Preoccupation

. Frustration

. Higher rate of unemployment

Most acne medications only mask the symptoms of acne and does nothing to stop the real cause of acne. This is why people buy acne products month after month (year after year). And every time they stop using the product acne would come back again and again.

What you need to do is find out what the real cause of acne is and stop it.

So what's the real cause of acne?

Acne occurs when your body contains more toxics than your kidneys and bowels can remove. (Your kidneys and bowels are the two primary channels of elimination that your body expel toxics and waste products through.)
These toxics can be the accumulation of fat stored chemicals the liver can not wash out or there may be a problem with fat digestion, fat accumulation, food allergy, or even the accumulation of hormones that your body produces.

Once these toxics build up, your kidneys and bowels can get overloaded and clogged up, causing it to not function properly.

When that happens some of the load will be dumped onto your liver. One of your liver's main roles is to metabolize pile up fat into usable energy for your body.

This means, your liver will be doing some of your kidney's work. So now, your liver gets overloaded and it too will not work at full capacity.

What happens when your bowels, kidneys, and liver gets overloaded?

When that happen your body will expel toxins through your lungs and skin (your secondary channels of elimination). And this is when acne occurs. This is when your skin starts to breakout.

But whatever the toxic source is that's causing this problem, acne is a sign that your bowels and kidneys are overloaded with toxins, waste products, or hormones.

It is a sign that your liver is growing weaker in its detoxification abilities (and it will continue to grow weaker if you do not do what it takes to get rid of the toxics in your body).

So if you think that acne is your only problem, think again, your liver, kidneys, and bowels are getting weaker every time you breakout.

About the Author
Houa Yang is the author of "The Definite Guide To Acne Free Skin." It reveals how you can get rid of acne in 3 days & stop it from ever coming back! For more information visit: http://www.howtogetridofacne.com 

Like a good many people I have been the victim of acne vulgaris (what an appropriate name) the medical term for pimples. It has made me aggravated, made me cry, and made me angry. Thousands of people each year are afflicted by it, and it makes recluses out of a good many teenagers.


It is caused when your pores get clogged and the fatty material made by the sebaceous gland accumulates, and a "bump" appears under the skin-or perhaps a whitehead or a blackhead (a comedone). Blackheads are not caused by dirt but by the discoloring effect of air on the fatty material in the clogged pore. If this substance becomes infected a pimple results.


As anyone can tell you the worst thing to do is to push or "pop" a pimple. Because this will not only cause more, but can result in life long scars. No matter what you see on TV or a friend tells you, don't pop a pimple. I know, I made the mistake and I'm still regretting it.

But not too long ago I discovered a way to lessen the intensity of my outbreaks, although it stops short of completely curing them.


I totally avoid grain products, most especially bread, corn, cereal, and other pastries, (also potatoes) and to still get all my vitamins I add wheat germ and brewer's yeast to yogurt or milk and fruit. Brewer's yeast does take time to acquire a taste to however, and can be found at most if not all Health food stores.

This method may appeal to you or it may not. Use your own judgment and see what is right for you.

If you are on your teenage years, pretty good chances that you have some acne. About 8 to 10 preteens and teens have acne along with many adults. It is but a common skin problem that is considered to be a normal part of puberty. Apparently, it does make teen or any individual uncomfortable and it doesn't make it easier when you look in the mirror and see the big pimple on your face or chin. However, there is good news such as simple steps that will help you feel better about your face.

Acne is a skin condition that shows up as different types of bumps including whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and cysts. You are always wondering how those pimples have grown onto your face or the how you got those zits on your back. The simplest scientific explanation that you could know is that your skin is covered with tiny holes called hair follicles or pores. These pores contain sebaceous glands also known as oil glands that make sebum, oil that moisten your skin and hair. Glands, most of the time, make the right amount of sebum and the pores are fine. But sometimes, a pore gets clogged up with too much sebum, dead skin cells and germs called bacteria thus causing you to have acne.

Doctors believe acne results from several related factors but the exact cause is unknown. One important factor is the increase in hormones called androgens (male sex hormones). The increase in hormones during puberty causes the enlargement of sebaceous glands thus making more sebum. Also, the hormonal changes related to pregnancy or starting or stopping birth control pills can cause acne. Hereditary or genetics is another factor that acne may be related to. Others believe that the tendency to develop acne is inherited from parents. Certain drugs including lithium and androgens are known to cause acne. Likewise, greasy cosmetics may alter the cells of the follicles and make them stick together thus producing a plug.

Moreover, there are many myths about what causes acne. People often blame chocolates and greasy foods but foods seem to have little effect on the development and course of acne in most people. Dirty skin is as well believed to cause the skin disorder; however, blackheads and other acne lesions are not caused by dirt. Lastly, stress does not cause acne. Obviously, there are several factors that can make the acne worse. The changing hormone levels in the adolescent girls and adult women 2 to 7 days before their menstrual period starts affect the worsening of the acne. Leaning on or rubbing the skin, environmental irritants, squeezing or picking at blemishes and hard scrubbing of the skin are other factors that could worsen acne conditions.

Aside from the dermatologist who specializes on skin problems, there are doctors who treat all kinds of acne, particularly those of severe cases. Family practitioners, pediatricians or internists may treat individuals with milder cases of acne. It is always the goal of the treatment to heal existing lesions, stop new lesions from forming, prevent scarring as well as minimize the psychological stress and embarrassment caused by the disease. The drug treatment is to reduce several problems playing a part in causing acne; abnormal clumping of cells in the follicles, increased oil production, bacteria and inflammation. The doctor will recommend one of several over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or prescription medicines either topical (applied to the skin) or systematic (oral medication) depending on the extent of the person's acne. 

by: Dennis Becker

Isn't skin a wonderful thing to have?

An obvious benefit of skin is that it protects our bodies' internal organs from harmful elements like dirt, insects, bites, toxic chemicals, nasty weather, and the like, and it certainly is more attractive than what's underneath.

When skin is healthy it's nice to look at, but when it's diseased, it can not only affect you physically, but more painfully can cause stress and social problems.

Like the common cold, acne and similar skin diseases can be treated and covered up, but cannot really be cured. The best treatment is prevention and knowledge about what makes your skin happy, so that you can avoid skin care enemies and breakout triggers.

The real cause of acne can vary from individual to individual, but some factors can be stated with relative certainty:

1. Acne occurs when pores or hair follicles become blocked or clogged.

2. There are basically 4 types of acne manifestations: whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and nodules.

3. Acne can appear pretty much anywhere on the skin, though it causes the most concern when it shows up on the face. The worst forms of acne break out, however, on the chest and back, and most commonly on males rather than females because of hormonal differences.

4. There are many common myths and untruths about acne, rosacea, and other skin care problems.

Some acne myths include "you'll outgrow it, so leave it alone", "being out in the sun helps acne", "acne problems are directly or indirectly proportionate to sexual activity", "acne visits dirty people", "acne is contagious", and too many more to list in this short article.

The sad thing is that belief in the myths can be devasting, in that proper treatment is avoided, and lifestyle changes that don't need to be made can take away pleasure unnecessarily.

For example, at one point in my life, I truly believed that I was allergic to chocolate and that it caused my breakouts. Whenever I would succumb to the temptation and have "just a little" I would stress out waiting for the red spots, and sure enough they would appear.

After several years and much experimentation, I learned I had no allergy, the stress was a trigger for me, and a new over the counter face scrub has kept me in the clear ever since.

Knowing what triggers your breakouts can be the difference between constant battles and healthy skin. The Internet is a wonderful place to get the information you need, so stop stressing out and learn what it takes to put your best face forward.

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Dennis Becker has developed a free e-Course titled "Ultimate Acne Prevention and Treatment Guide" which debunks the myths and shows you how to look great consistently. The e-Course, along with other skin care articles can be accessed at:

http://www.skin-care-advice.com

Copyright (c) 2005 by Dennis Becker. You may publish this article, in its entirety, on your web site or in your ezine, as long as you include this full signature box including an active hyperlink to our web site.