Nearly everybody has had an experience with acne at some time in their lives, especially during adolescence. It is a very embarrassing and sometimes painful condition and below is some advice on how to get rid of acne.

Acne is caused because of hormone imbalance. The hormone testosterone causes the skin glands, called sebaceous glands, to produce sebum. If this sebum blocks the hair follicles then acne results. Other things can also block the hair follicles, such as external contaminants (i. E., dust), oil, or dead skin cells and cause a sebum build up which will cause this inflammation.

So, how can a person get rid of acne? It is not a completely curable condition but here are some tips to help you reduce your acne.

Firstly, do not touch your acne. Do not squeeze or pinch your pimples. Peoples fingers are covered with unnatural oils and lots of bacteria. Touching your acne can cause more damage to the sebaceous glands or create more sebum build up which is likely to cause an infected pimple.

Excessive oiliness of the skin is one of the main causes of acne. This includes oil-based make-up, hair sprays, mousses and gels, mechanical oils and greases, and also oils used for cooking. Young people often use oil based make-up and lotions, and eat foods high in oil content. Changing your diet and lifestyle may be required in order to get rid of acne.

It is important to wash your face and neck twice a day. Do this gently and use mild, preferably natural, soaps, not harsh products when washing yourself. Harsh soaps and exfoliators may claim to help reduce acne but in fact can irritate and dry out your skin, damage your sebaceous glands, and cause even worse acne. Sebaceous glands produce oils to protect your skin from becoming dry and cracked so it is not wise to harm them by using products such as facial scrubs.

Another thing to do is to try out over-the-counter acne medications. These are often effective. Products containing benzoyl peroxide eradicate the dead skin cells, bacteria, dirt and oil that clog the pores and cause acne. It also fights the bacteria. The downside is that these strong ingredients in the products very often irritate the skin so start with the lower concentrations or get advice from a dermatologist. Other products that help get rid of acne contain either resorcinol, sulphur, or salicylic acid.

A doctor or dermatologist can also prescribe oral antibiotics such as tetracycline, doxycycline and monocycline for extreme acne. These often have undesirable side-effects so should be taken with care and the use monitored by the medical specialist. Changing your oral contraceptive pills if you are female can also be beneficial as the hormones present can cause acne. Alternatively your doctor may advise you to try out a different type of birth control.

Finally, living healthily and ensuring you have a sufficient vitamin intake will be giving your body what it needs to fight off infection which is essentially what acne is.