Acne 101 – causes, treatments and acceptance

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A bit of a different post for me but it’s been a long time due!

For years, I struggled with acne and my self confidence plummeted with it!

It started when I was 11 and started to get small bumps on my forehead. This affected my confidence even back then as it seemed no one else had them!

When I went to high school, my skin got worse and I would never leave the house without makeup. As I read more about it, I got scared it’d never leave. Everything I tried, provided no success.

Thankfully, fast forwards 9 years, my skin is pretty clear! Of course I still get the occasional spot, but I now prefer my face with no makeup!

In this post, I aim to inform you on everything to do with acne, especially the question on everyone’s mind- how do I cure acne?

What is acne?

Acne simply is a skin condition. It occurs when your hair follicles become blocked with either oil or dirt so the skin protrudes in the form of a blackhead or pimple.

Cystic acne is a more serious type of acne. The skin is usually inflamed and can be quite painful. This occurs when the infection gets deep into the skin. It’s usually more visible and there tends to be more pus-filled spots.

Acne is common amongst teens yet is also present in adults of all ages. It’s often makes those who suffer with it self conscious despite being more accepted in the recent years.

What causes acne?

There are actually many reasons as to why acne occurs. Some of it is completely out of your control. The thing to keep in mind though, is, acne is never your fault.

So many people think, but what if I washed my face more, or what if I changed my diet. Don’t think like that. Sometimes, doing things like this can make it worse.

I’ll be covering ways to treat your acne later in this post, this section is dedicated to causes.

Some very common causes of acne include:

• Not washing your face
• Hormones
• Diet
• Not washing your makeup off properly
• Not enough sleep
• The skincare products you’re using

Now, when you’re using a new product, I’d recommend using it for several weeks – even if it breaks you out.

Why, you may ask? Because, when you use a new product, your skin can experience purging.

Purging is when the product goes deep into your pores and brings the dirt to the surface. This makes you break out for a while as your skin adapts to the product.

Purging should only last a couple of weeks. If you still experience acne after this, you should consider switching products.

Also make sure to wash your pillow cases and phone regularly as these can hold quite a lot of bacteria. Exposing your skin to this regularly will over time, break you out and cause acne.

How can I get rid of my acne?

Now, this where I’ll go into the most detail as this is what many people with acne, ask.

There are so many different ways to try and reduce acne so I’m going to explain each one in a little detail so you know which is your next method to try.

Change up your skincare routine

Obviously this one is a big thing. My skincare routine used to work but I didn’t have the clear skin I desired.

I completely uprooted my routine and changed to using products from the ordinary. I have a blog post where I share all the products that make up my skincare routine.

The biggest contributor to my clear skin is definitely the Ordinary’s niacinamide serum*, this however, is usually sold out but the Revolution version* is just as good.

Personally, I also found that fragrance-free products helped. I learnt this through skincare by Hyram but never noticed the effects until I received them.

Get more sleep

A lack of sleep, will lead to the release of cortisol. This is a stress hormone and in turn, can cause inflammation of the skin.

Not only this, but your cells divide quicker while sleeping. This means your skin can heal quickly. If you don’t have enough sleep, you’re giving your skin less time to regenerate. So not only does your skin heal slower, but your acne is going to stay and possibly get worse.

Change your diet

If you eat a lot of sugar, this is unfortunately, not such good news for you.

When consuming a sugary diet, you’re also increasing your blood sugar levels. When this happens, your body releases insulin.

If you get excess insulin in your body, your oil glands are stimulated to release more oils. If you’re prone to oily skin, you know how much of a problem oils are!

These oils can lead to clogged pores and also acne.

You also may have heard that dairy triggers acne. This is because, dairy releases the hormone IGF-1. Like insulin, this stimulates your oil glands to produce more oil.

Visit a dermatologist

Obviously this is if your acne is extremely bad. These are experts in skin so will be able to offer treatment that is specific to your skin and acne type.

This is easier for those in the UK as healthcare is free so I appreciate that not everyone would have this privilege. It also doesn’t work in all cases.

I once visited the dermatologist for my acne and the gel I was given did help my acne but made my skin so dry and tight. It was too painful for me to continue.

Due to this, I stopped using the gel and thankfully I found better alternatives.

Accepting your acne

This is definitely the hardest thing to do but it’s so important when thinking of self care and self love. You need to accept your acne in order to accept yourself.

Acne is a very common thing. More people suffer with it than don’t. It’s normal and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It really can’t be helped.

Remember, it will get better. Your acne will soon go. It may not seem like it, trust me, I know, but it does die down a lot. I never thought I’d see the end of it. Now, I’ll get the occasional breakout but on the whole my skin is clear.

Look at it! You may think it makes you ugly but it doesn’t! Look past your acne to your actual face. Isn’t it gorgeous? That’s you! Your acne doesn’t define you nor your beauty. It’s simply a temporary decoration to make you even more unique! Personality outwins physical beauty any day too. Remember that.

Always know, you’re not alone. So many people have it. Don’t be ashamed to talk about it. Know that you can talk to others about it and others have the same struggle.

Teenage years can be dark times for some but acne shouldn’t play a part in this.

I hope this helps with your confidence and self-image. How is your skin right now?