Acne affects people of all races and ethnic groups

Acne is the most common of all skin diseases. It affects people of all races and ethnic groups. Statistics show that eighty-five percent of all people between the ages of twelve and twenty-five have some type of acne. If you are this age and have acne, you can expect it to last for five to ten years and to disappear sometime during your early 20s. Unfortunately, acne can sometimes persist well into adulthood.

Young women tend to have acne flare-ups that coincide with their hormonal changes associated with their menstrual cycle. As well, the elevated hormone levels caused by pregnancy and birth control pills can stimulate acne symptoms. In general, adolescent boys are more likely to develop severe, long-lasting forms of acne than girls.

Some people are born with a predisposition to certain types of acne. If your parents or older siblings had severe acne, the chances are greater that you will get it too. Other factors that may influence the development of acne include:

Stress Severe or prolonged emotional tension, even insufficient sleep may aggravate acne, especially if medications are prescribed to alleviate your stress symptoms.

Diet  This is a bit controversial. Food is generally considered a non-factor by Western medical professionals for causing acne. However, many of us would suspect otherwise, from our own experience. It is safe to abstain from certain foods if you are prone to acne outbreaks. Or, you may test your own dietary tolerance by eliminating certain foods from your diet for several weeks, then add them back to see if they do have an effect on your acne. For my case, I love beef jerky, but I know by testing that beef jerky, or beef in general, has an aggravating effect on my acne flare-ups.

Cosmetics  Certain oil-based cosmetics and moisturizers that contain synthetic chemicals and vegetable oils can clog pores. If you are often attacked by acne breakouts, change to a non oil-based moisturizer and similar cosmetics. Test to see if artificial make-up is the suspect to your acne condition.

Sunlight  Perhaps because ultraviolet light in the form of moderate exposure to summer sunlight is helpful to some acne patients, some doctors in the past began using artificial ultraviolet light such as sun lamps to treat acne. I did my only sun lamp thing at the Seattle doctor's office. No other doctor I have seen recommended using this method. As I am doing the research for this site, all literature I've read on this subject said the same thing--avoid ultraviolet light and sun lamp.

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light from any source may lead to premature wrinkling and skin cancer. It could also result in sunburns. Ironically, it could actually cause acne. Ultraviolet light kills skin cells. As the dead skin cells clog pores, acne develops.

Medications  Certain drugs, including lithium, barbiturates and androgens, can cause acne.

Friction  Rubbing the skin or pressure from bike helmets, backpacks or tight collars can irritate your skin and trigger acne breakouts.

Environmental irritants  Pollution, high humidity or scrubbing with harsh soaps may provoke acne symptoms.

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