14 DAY TRIAL // Unsightly acne was, until not long, something that one usually forgot about once no longer a teenager but, according to experts in the UK, the number of adult women complaining about suffering from it has been on the rise these past few years. As it turns out, even a hectic lifestyle, which means a lot of stress, a poor diet and even exercise, can create a hormonal imbalance that triggers acne, the Daily Mail informs.
For years, says the British publication, researchers have been struggling to determine which are the exact consequences of stress in terms of what happens to the skin. A breakout of acne is a possibility when women are placed under a lot of stress, they have concluded. The same happens in the case of a poor diet that includes too much sugar and too many fatty foods, as well as in case of exercise, because an over-sensitive skin can break out in acne when in contact with sweat and clothes.
“According to the British Association of Dermatology, around 14 per cent of women aged 26 to 44 seek help for adult acne every year, with many more suffering in silence. What is compounding this eruption in skin problems, say experts, is raised levels of stress, poor diets and even too much exercise. At any age, the underlying cause of acne is an over-sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone. ‘In response, skin glands produce excessive amounts of oil that, along with dead skin cells, clog up in hair follicles, trapping bacteria and triggering superficial pimples and blackheads, as well as bumps beneath the skin’s surface,’ says Susan Mayou, a consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic and Cromwell Hospital,” the Mail writes.
“When someone is stressed, the adrenal glands secrete more androgens (male hormones) that stimulate the production of oil, which can result in pimples. But psychological stress has also been shown to lower the body's wound-healing capacity by up to 40 per cent, meaning that stress-induced acne is also likely to be more stubborn. Researchers have shown that unhealthy Western diets can also make spots worse,” the same publication further indicates. Adding all these numbers up leads us to the none too pleasing conclusion that an estimative 80% of 11 to 30-year-olds suffer from some degree of acne.
Workout or exercise acne is also a common occurrence though it is more easily preventable. Experts point out that, as a rule, exercise is very beneficial for the skin, except when it comes to someone who has a higher degree of skin sensitivity. Those who notice a breakout of acne shortly after a workout session must make sure their gear is made of the appropriate material, and also to shower immediately after and change clothes.