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Please Note: This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. If you have any health concern, see a licensed healthcare professional in person.
What is acne?
Acne is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that causes pimples and spots on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest. It is the most popular skin condition in the U.S., affecting 50 million Americans every year. It is common during puberty when the sebaceous glands activate. However, there is no specific age when acne occurs. It is worth noting that acne is not dangerous, but it can leave your skin with scars.
Is acne genetics?
One of the common questions you will hear people ask about acne “is acne genetic?” Well, acne is mainly caused by genetics. Acne is more genetic than environmental. Acne genetics establish how the immune system responds to P. acnes bacteria: one person may develop just mild blackheads, while the other person develops severe gentle and red nodules.
Genetics is also responsible for clogging your pores. For example, a certain family may have a genetic tendency of overproducing dead skin cells, leading to more clogged pores, hence causing acne. Or some family line may have a genetic tendency to overproduce sebum, making the oily skin to trap bacteria in pores, leading to more frequent acne. Additionally, since some types of acne are hormonal, a person may be genetically predisposed to produce more androgen.
What makes acne genetics so devastating is that they are unpredictable. For example, in identical twins, one may get little pimples that disappear after a few days, while the other twin may develop cysts that can scar the skin. Fortunately, you can still clear up your genetic acne.
According to the experts, if your father or mother had significant acne, you have a high possibility of developing genetic acne. Remember that there are also other environmental factors that may influence acne.
How to reduce genetic acne
Fortunately, there are ways that can help you reduce the effects of genetics and keep acne at bay. Even if you are genetically predisposed to breakouts, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about them, you can still make informed and healthy lifestyle choices to clear up the acne. These are some of the ways you can prevent acne
- Follow an anti-acne diet: the food you eat has a significant effect on the breakouts. Junk food and milk have been linked to causing acne so you should avoid them. You should eat antioxidant-rich foods, including fish, flaxseed, and probiotics.
- Avoid keeping your hands on your face: to prevent your acne from worsening, you should avoid touching it. When you touch your face or squeeze a pimple, you can transfer bacteria into the pores and end up affecting it.
- Manage stress: stress has also been linked to acne, but further research is still ongoing to prove this. Stress can wreck your health, so it can probably cause you to breakout or worsen your acne. You should establish a way of managing stress. For example, you can hit the gym or meditate.
- Visit a dermatologist: if your acne is severe and persistent, you can visit a dermatologist who will prescribe a pill or topical
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This content is brought to you by Asim Nadeem.
Inset photo provided by the author.
Featured photo: Shutterstock
