Did you know June is Acne Awareness Month? Acne is one of the most common skin conditions and according to a report by the American Academy of Dermatology, around 85% of young adults experience acne. But they are not the only ones affected—acne can occur at any stage of life. In recent years, acne has increased in adults, affecting up to 10-12% of women.
While most people think that they know what acne is and how to treat it, it’s a complicated skin condition. So, what actually causes acne? To break it down, acne happens when the pores of your skin become blocked with oil, dead skin cells, or bacteria, but there are multiple factors that could cause this. Acne can be caused by hormones, lack of hygiene, dry skin, sun exposure, poor diet, medication, allergies, and the list goes on. Treating it can be complicated and even frustrating. Most people think the solution is washing their face more or applying harsh active ingredients, but oftentimes this isn’t the case, which is why it’s imperative to seek professional acne treatment.
Acne Awareness Month is crucial because we live in a world dominated by beauty filters and editing apps. All you have to do is tap your screen to get rid of your acne, blemishes, and skin texture. While this may sound like an alluring option, it’s actually doing more harm than good because it’s unrealistic. The pressure to look perfect is taking a toll on our self-esteem and mental health. Research published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2018 found patients with acne had an increased risk of developing major depression. This is an endless conundrum as anxiety can make your acne worse.
Acne is normal! It does not define your self-worth, and you should not feel the need to hide it. Many celebrities and social media influencers, like Em Ford, Mindy Kaling, Selena Gomez, and Keke Palmer are breaking the taboo by openly talking about their struggle with acne. They are shifting the focus towards acceptance and acne positivity. By embracing your skin and getting professional acne treatment, you can undo the negative impact it has caused on your mental health. Now, during Acne Awareness Month, it’s finally time to start!
Did you know that your diet directly affects your skin health? Certain foods spike your blood sugar levels more quickly than others. This causes the body to release a hormone called insulin. Excess insulin in your blood can cause your oil glands to produce more oil, increasing the risks of acne.
According to a report in the Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, these kinds of foods stimulate the production of hormones that can make your oil glands secrete excess oil.Oftentimes, focusing on the healthy foods that you should eat to prevent acne is helpful at reducing it. Here is a list of foods you should eat to manage acne and work into your acne treatment plan:
According to a 2003 study by JAMA Dermatology, emotional stress can exacerbate acne. Anxiety and stress can increase the production of cortisol in your body. Cortisol causes a part of your brain known as the hypothalamus to produce a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). This leads to excessive oil production that can clog your pores and cause acne. Besides this, stress triggers the urge to pick at your acne. This can make things worse, as acne is aggravated by picking. It also carries a risk of permanent scarring. To cope with acne-induced stress, you can focus your attention on activities like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing.
We aim to guide our clients towards a better understanding of acne, its causes, and treatments, not only during Acne Awareness Month, but all year long. We address all of the concerns and anxieties our patients are facing. Here are a few steps we follow for each client to find the cause and suitable treatment for them:
Fluctuation in your hormone levels can aggravate your acne issues. Hormonal imbalance can increase inflammation, increase sebum production, clog skin cells in hair follicles, and produce acne-causing bacteria called propionibacterium acnes.This is why the first step in our acne treatment is to run tests on our clients to detect any hormonal imbalances.
We already explained how important diet is for your skin health. Recent research shows that diet can play a significant role in acne development. Conditions like lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, and sugar intolerances could be the reason behind your sudden breakouts. Therefore, a food intolerance test can be effective at narrowing down the potential cause of your acne by identifying foods you are intolerant to.
Acne can be both physically and mentally taxing. At Biolite, we understand your struggle and aim to make this journey easy for you. We have an in-house psychotherapist to help you with your acne-related mental health concerns. Our CEO herself struggled with acne and realised that there is a pressing need for holistic acne treatment. Since then, with the help of Biolite’s personalised acne treatments, she has helped countless patients to regain their self-confidence.
Once we have determined the cause of your acne, we carefully curate a skincare plan for you. This personalised plan is exclusive to Biolite and involves a number of highly effective treatments like:
After successfully treating acne, we shift our focus to acne scars. For optimum results, we recommend a series of combined treatments in order to create renewed collagen and elastin to minimize the appearance of scars:
A lot of people fall for online ‘magic solutions’ for acne treatments or attempt to treat their acne on their own with over-the-counter medications. These can do more harm than good to your skin. Keeping this in mind, we have created a clean and holistic line of cosmeceutical skincare. Our products are completely safe and gentle on the skin, so no more dry red patches or drying side effects of acne medications. Remember, this Acne Awareness Month, get a diagnosis and acne treatment plan from a professional in order to ensure a safe and effective acne treatment plan.
The Biolite Aesthetic Clinic experts are ready to consult and work with you.
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