What Causes Pimples

Pimples can make you feel awful about yourself.  Sometimes all it takes is one to make you feel self-conscious and unhappy; most often, you will end up with several pimples at a time, making things even more difficult and unpleasant.  All you can think about is finding a way to get rid of the pimples and go back to having clean, clear, smooth skin.

Before you can get rid of pimples, though, you need to clearly understand what causes pimples in the first place. 

What causes pimples?

First, let’s take a look at how your skin normally works.Millions of very difficult to see pores cover the surface of your skin.  Some pores also have very small hairs growing up through them and onto the surface.Your skin’s natural oils are produced by tiny glands found deep inside these pores.These glands are known as the sebaceous glands and the oil they produce is called sebum.

Sebum is produced by your body as a natural moisturizer for your skin.Another function of sebum is to carry impurities like dirt and dead skin cells up to the surface of the skin, allowing them to be removed, thus keeping the actual pore clean.Getting rid of dirt and dead skin cells is a natural process your body performs in order to keep your skin healthy and supple.

The arrival of puberty is a difficult time, with your body starting to produce a variety of different hormones and other chemicals.It will take time for your hormone levels to balance, until then they can fluctuate quite dramatically.Your skin has trouble dealing with such extreme fluctuations which provide an ideal environment for acne and pimples to flourish. 

An unfortunate consequence of extra hormones in your body, is it seems to trigger the sebaceous glands to produce much more sebum than is normal or required.Your skins pores ability to get rid of dead skin cells can be adversely affected by hormonal changes.This combination of extra sebum and lots of dead skin cells with nowhere to go, will mean a clogged pore which could soon become infected and inflamed.   This is what we know as a pimple.

How you can help your acne pimples

Whilst your bodies natural hormonal changes will happen anyway, the amount of pimples you get, to a large extent, are down to decisions you make

1.Keep your skin clean – Using a mild cleanser each morning and evening will help to keep your skin clean.  Choose one that is made for the face, and never scrub your skin harshly; the irritation this causes can also cause more pimples to form.
2.Use medication – The function of anti-acne medication is to help reduce the amount of sebum produced and also make it easier for your skin to get rid of dead skin cells.Two very good over the counter medications are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
3.    Keep your skin moist – Dry skin leads to more pimples, so use a very light moisturizer on your face.  Choose one that is oil-free to get the best results.

The more you understand about the causes of pimples the easier it should be to find an effective way to treat existing pimples and prevent the occurrence of new ones.Congratulations on having found the right information to help yourself. Your skin will soon be reaping the benefits!