Body acne is caused by a combination of factors that may include hormonal changes, dietary factors, infection and genetics. Stress is not recognized as a cause but is known to increase the severity of breakouts and stress can trigger a flare.
Here, you can learn more about the causes and the solutions for the problem.
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal changes that occur during puberty in young men and women, as well as hormonal changes associated with a woman's menstrual cycle can contribute to the problem. The increase in sex hormone production that occurs during puberty causes the hair-producing follicles to become larger and produce more sebum.
Sebum is oil that your body produces to lubricate hairs and for other purposes. A pimple starts out when sebum and dead skin cells combine to become trapped within a follicle or pore. Bacteria naturally present in the pores feeds on the combination and multiplies, creating a minor infection. Inflammation occurs as a result causing redness and additional swelling.
When body acne begins in adulthood, it may be related to pregnancy or a condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome or Cushing's disease that also cause hormonal changes. Steroid use affects the follicles and sebum-producing glands in a similar way and pimples are considered a side effect of steroid use.
Dietary Factors
Whether or not diet is a factor has been widely debated over the years. The current belief is that a high glycemic load in the diet is associated with worsening of body acne. Lists showing the glycemic load of individual foods have been published online.
Infection
Minor infection is obviously involved in all pimples but there is evidence that overgrowth of certain types or strains of bacteria are the underlying cause. Overgrowth of the P. acnes bacteria is widely accepted as the cause, particularly of severe cases of body acne. Strains of staph are also believed to play a role. All of these bacteria have developed a resistance to commonly used antibiotics in recent years.
Genetics
There seems to be some genetic factor as the condition tends to run in families and is typically present in twins who are raised apart. No specific genes have been identified as being related to body acne, but there are multiple candidates.
Solutions for Body Acne
There is little that can be done about hormonal changes and nothing to be done about genetics, although the use of appropriate skincare products can certainly be beneficial. Learning stress-reduction techniques can also help.
Following a diet that has a low glycemic load can be helpful and could also improve your overall health. Diets with a high glycemic load are associated with obesity, the development of type II diabetes and may be a cause of accelerated cellular aging.
There are excellent body lotions and facial care products that contain natural antibacterial compounds for addressing the issue of infection and bacterial overgrowth. Research has shown that antibiotic-resistant bacteria respond to natural antibacterial agents.
If you read my next article, you can learn about the natural antibacterial agents with proven benefits and the body lotions that contain them. Using the right body lotion could help you get rid of body acne for good.
You will learn more about the immediate and the long term solution by clicking HOW TO GET RID OF BODY ACNE link below in the resource box. Margaret Bell, Skin Care Specialist
