Breakouts are normal. Period.
While we can’t argue with such a factual statement, there’s still so much factors we have to consider about this ever so natural skin phenomenon.
It’s never a happy day when you start seeing a small zit suddenly come out of your face. But what’s worse than this is the idea that soon enough, your acne will just multiply and cover more than half of your face.
Typical horror story.
Teenager or not--be it caused by puberty or other reasons dependent on your lifestyle--breakouts are a pesky issue to deal with. They happen so fast yet linger for so long. They ruin your confidence and effectively dampens your day and even week.
They’re a real nuisance, if you prefer to call them that.
However, if you think time is the solution and patience is cure, then you must reconsider your whole belief system. Of course we need you to be patient but that should be a given. But aside from waiting for everything to subside, you must also fully understand the reasons (and yes, usually it’s more than one) why you encounter such dilemma.
Our thorough discussion will effectively brief you on the common reasons why you experience breakouts.
Of course, to fully help you get through such phase, we will also lay out simple steps you can do to counter your problems once and for all. Some may be preventive measures while others may help you big time in knowing what to do and what not to do during massive acne attacks.
Breakouts in a nutshell
Technically speaking, acne occurs when the sebaceous glands found in the follicles of the skin become overactive.
These glands produce an oily substance called sebum which helps provide moisture and prevent the skin from drying out. However, if someone produces more sebum than what is normally needed, a plug with the dead skin cells is formed. In turn, this plug effectively blocks the follicle.
Now here’s what happens next. If the blocked follicle is close to the skin surface, it will then balloon outwards and form what we know as whitehead. But if the plug is on the opening on to the skin surface, it will protrude as a blackhead.
And if bacteria infect such plugged follicles, it will result to a reddened, sore and even pus filled surrounding skin. Seems pretty easy, right?
It’s not exactly clear why others have it worse when it comes to acne.
But as we’ve said, almost everyone does break out, at least occasionally. That’s because hormone levels rise and cause breakouts no matter what kind of skin you have.
Teenagers are evidently more prone to acne because of androgens or the increase in levels of hormones during puberty. These hormones cause an increase in the size of the sebaceous glands which in turn affects the amount of oil they produce. Hormonal changes also occurs during pregnancy, or on starting or stopping birth control pills.
Acne is also dependent on genetics. So if it runs in your family, chances are, you’ll develop and experience breakouts frequently too.
While certain medicines, including androgen hormones, and lithium, can also cause acne.
What exactly causes acne to get worse?
Even if acne is normal, some people have it worse than others.
So while a small and lucky part of the population rarely get acne, most people struggle in this department. Here are some of the factors you have to consider:
Stress
When you are stressed, your body experiences a hormonal fluctuation which causes an increase in the the among of oil secretion in your skin. This causes acne to develop and easily worsen.
So maybe, the next time you’re having a bad day, consider taking a breather before you allow your body to get stressed. Chances are, your breakouts will soon clear out before your very own eyes.
Hormonal imbalance or changes
As we’ve already mentioned, hormonal changes is the real direct cause of breakouts due to the overactive sebaceous glands. But for women, acne is more prominently formed two to seven days before they get their monthly period.
Pollution
Same with hormones, toxins from the air can get into our skin through the bloodstream. Of course, our body wants to get rid of these toxins as quickly as possible. The skin serves as an an auxiliary filtration and elimination system of the body. So when the toxins make it to the capillary beds, the skin’s mighty immuno-cells swallow them up and take them out. That’s when acne is formed.
Thanks to the skin, your body is getting full protection from all the toxins permeating the air you breathe and environment you live in.
Squeezing, scrubbing and other skin irritating habits
Get your hands off your acne.
Scrubbing the skin will definitely worsen acne as it can easily irritate the skin and compromise its protective barrier. Keep in mind that acne is not really caused by dirt so there’s no use over scrubbing as you would do with your feet.
And while it feels a little irresistible to pick and pop your pimples, such habits can just increase the redness around the skin area and even cause scarring.
So we beg you, keep your hands off your acne. And find more suitable ways to treat them than removing than with your own hands in a very manual manner.
How to treat acne?
So the question remains: how do you get rid of breakouts and prevent it from happening again?
Start by safe and natural solutions to ensure that your skin will not get irritated as much as possible. Consider using home remedies like apple cider face wash or egg mask. 
However, if you’re unsure about experimenting, we highly recommend you to use homemade products like the Detox Goat Milk Soap which is especially formulated for people who needs aid in removing harmful substances from the skin. And throw away your favorite commercial face wash.
Again, less stress, no picking at the zit, and proper detoxification process after overexposure to pollutants can help prevent breakouts and keep them at bay.
But if your acne starts taking toll on your self-esteem, becomes painful, and if natural remedies or OTC medications don’t take effect anymore, maybe it’s time to make an appointment with your dermatologists.
Keep in mind that if you feel the need to seek professional help, you have do it as soon as possible.