Aug 5, 20203 min read

Mr. Acne, I Never Meant To Have You In My Life

Pimples and their heavier form- Acne is most common in puberty/teenage and often continues into adulthood. Acne is an inflammatory condition affecting the skin’s hair follicles and oil glands. Appearance is important in our society and influences the way in which we are perceived by others. Although acne is a skin disease, it can lead to emotional and psychological issues.

Do you believe, acne ranked as the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide and according to the Global Acne Market report, more than 90% (681.2 million in 2016) of the world population is affected by acne at some point in their life. Yes! you read it right. Acne is more common, at times the more you try to control it, the worse it can get.

Causes:

For most people, the changes in hormonal levels and clogged pores cause breakouts. Both men and women suffer from acne. Men whose fathers had severe acne are more likely to have it too. However, in women, the causes are much more complicated.

It may be due to fluctuating hormones, the rise in androgen levels can trigger bodily changes like weight gain, facial hair, and breakouts.
Stress is also a factor that causes acne when you experience stress, the acne-causing hormone increases.
Not taking care of your skin is also another cause for acne; neglecting to wash face even after sweating can flare up acne.
Not all skin & hair products are healthy for your skin; some may cause irritation, itching, and even lead to new flare-ups.
In some cases, acne could be caused by undiagnosed medical conditions like, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which isn’t that easy to diagnose, underlies chronic or difficult to control acne.
Another thing you can blame on is genetics. If any of your close family members have had acne, your acne may be genetically predisposed.
Even some medications have acne as side-effects; Steroids, for instance, can flare up the acne even worse.

Psychological issues:

Several studies confirmed that acne can lead to prominent psychological issues. Obviously acne can lead to stress, which is also a cause; when you are under stress, you will start reacting differently to the situations. As acne commonly involves the face; facial appearance represents an important aspect of one’s perception of body image.

It can also trigger depressive tendencies, like low mood and reduced ability to enjoy life; sometimes you might feel like nothing, as acne is chronic you need to be patient. Acne can also impact many aspects of social life.
It leads to low self-esteem, you may start comparing with others and feel that you aren’t attractive you might also feel like people will notice and comment on you, even general glance would be difficult which will eventually end up with social isolation.

It can be defined as the absence of social interactions, contacts, and relationships with family and friends; where you will stop going out with others and you always wanted to be alone.

As part of emotional impact, increased levels of anger and frustration are also included. I know even advice from outsiders and physical discomfort of redness and pain of acne can inculcate the feelings of anger and frustration. Acne though a physical ailment can cause emotional trauma for a long time even after the breakouts has been treated.

Effective ways to clear up acne for good

Before wasting money on expensive treatment, I would recommend, book an appointment with the best dermatologist.
Gentle washing will be helpful.
Avoid sugar, dairy products, and high-inflammation foods.
Avoid scrubbing, picking, and touching your face.
Avoid comedogenic cosmetic products.
A balanced diet, regular exercise greatly helps to combat acne.
Hydrate, and then hydrate more.

When you have acne, you may feel like being by yourself. But it is a much better idea to be around or talking to someone. MANAS is a wonderful platform that also provides online services to talk if you don't want to talk in person. I believe Manas will help you with how to cope with psychological issues.