PIMPLES: Causes, Types And Solutions

jajdgenius (47)in #steemstem • 7 years ago (edited)

My friend of 15 years named John has been having low self esteem in public as a result of the pimples on his face and this has affected him in many areas of his life. He has endured abuse and stigmatization from friends and people around him. John is a semi literate who doesn’t really do well when it comes to making research and I took it upon myself to help him look for some of the causes, it's types and possible solutions.

What is Pimples?

A pimple is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles plug with oil and dead skin cells which mostly occurs around puberty. It is a very common and popular face follicles which appears as a zit and occurs as a result of excess oil getting trapped in the pores. It is also known as acne. The part of the body where you can find pimples are the face, back, chest and shoulder as there are many sebaceous gland present here. According to medicinenewstoday.com, at teenage age, over 80% of them are affected while after the age of 25, it only affects 3% of men and 12% of women. Pimple is one skin condition that makes people have low self esteem and feel miserable in public.

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The Sebaceous Gland

The sebaceous glands are the tiny glands on the skin that appears as oily substances on the hair and skin. They are present all over the body except the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. As the glands produce sebum inside the pores, new skin cells are constantly growing. Sometimes, pores get stuck together by the sticky sebum causing a blockage in the pore. Pore blockage is likely to occur during puberty as the sebaceous glands produce more sebum at this time.

Did you know that the white substance in a pimple which is formed by dead skin cells and oil sebum is called pus?.

How the sebum becomes pimples

When the sebum and dead skin cells accumulate and block a pore, it encourages growth of undesirable bacteria which includes propionibacterium acnes. It exists harmlessly on our skin but when the right time comes, it reproduces rapidly and becomes a problem. These bacterium feeds on the blocked sebum and produces a substance that causes immune response and leads to spots on the skin. It is worthy of note that pimples are not contagious, as a person can not catch pimples from another.

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Causes of pimples

The major cause of pimples is puberty as the sebaceous gland which is located at the base of hair follicles to become interactive. Puberty is the stage at which reproductive organs mature for reproduction to take place. Male and female grow rapidly in the first half of puberty and they stop growing when puberty is completed.

Another cause of pimples is the generic factor. This is a hereditary predisposition which means that, if your father had pimples while growing up, there is a very high tendency that you will also inherit it from him.

Dietary factor is another cause. Though it has not been ultimately proven that oily and greasy foods like meat, chocolate and sweet can cause pimples, but some schools of thought believe that oily food causes pimples.

Role of oily foods in preventing pimples

Though, the role of quality food in preventing pimples is still unclear but since good, healthy and balanced diet is generally accepted to promote healthy living, some diets that may prevent pimples includes;

Vitamins A, D and E like milk and abstain from chocolate and sugar.
Avoiding all fat in the diet is not advisable because a fat free diet can cause the skin to dry out and increase sebum production.
Taking fats from nuts, seeds and olive oil can actually be good for the body by helping to keep inflammation in check, main blood sugar level and maintain good skin.

Types of pimple

Blackheads: This is a type of pimple that is also called open comedo. It is very visible on the skin and they come in different colors like brown and brown. It is advised not to scrub it as it could lead to other problems.
Whiteheads: This is also referred to as closed comedo which is small and remain under the skin. They come in small and fresh-colored.
Cysts: This is the last type of pimple of pimple which is clearly visible on the skin, usually painful and commonly causes scars.

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Remedies to getting rid of pimples

It is worthy of note that pimples generally do not require medical treatment because they disappear with the passing of the years, unless they become infected. However, the treatment involves the use of natural resources and some of them are highlighted below;

Ice: This can be used to reduce the redness, swelling and inflammation of pimples and helps to improve blood circulation in affected areas. Wrap the ice in a piece of cloth and place it on the affected area for some seconds and repeat the process.
Lemon: Another remedy is the use of lemon juice which is rich in vitamin C as it helps to dry up pimples faster. Dip a clean wool in a fresh lemon and apply on the spot before going to bed.
Tea Tree oil: this is another excellent treatment for the pimples as it contains antibacterial properties and also helps to reduce inflammation of pimples. Dip your cotton ball in the tea tree oil on the affected area and rinse after 15 to 20 minutes.
Toothpaste: did you know that the same toothpaste used in cleaning your teeth can also treat pimples? Make sure to use a white toothpaste and apply to the affected area before sleeping.
Garlic: it also works effectively because it contains antiviral, antifungal and antiseptic agents that can help to treat pimples. Get a clove of garlic, rob on the pimples and leave for 5 minutes before washing with warm water.

Conclusion

Having made my research and being able to update myself on the pimples topic, I can’t wait to meet my friend after the holidays and explain to him in details how he can possibly cure it. I will also advice all my readers to read and understand this article as it will help you or a person beside you to clear their pimples.