Acne is one of the most disfiguring and embarrassing symptom that most teenagers and quite often adults go through in life. It quite often impacts how you see yourself around others as well, affects confidence and self esteem levels. I remember when i was younger and we had this one friend who had severe acne and people quite often called her all sorts of names, which really then went to affect her in later life, in terms of how confident she felt about herself when applying to all these high positions, even though she had all the school smarts.

Acne can be caused by :

Stress – Usually when you are more stressed, there is a tendency to break out more. right? The reason behind this is when you are stressed your body produces more of a precursor hormone called DHEAS – which can cause scalp hair loss, oily skin and acne. Cortisol, a stress hormone, is also produced in high amounts, and can also cause more inflammation and redness on the skin, creating a “flare up” so to speak.

Diet – You are what you eat and what you digest from it. Diet plays a huge role when it comes to acne and skin problems in general.  In general, spicy hot, greasy and sweet foods tend to worsen acne. Chocolate and caffeine also worsens acne. Having a diet that is wholesome and fresh is not only good for the skin, but also for the digestive system. Seafood and sea weed can effect acne as well. The inability of the body to process iodine, that is found in seaweed, is often the culprit when it comes to cystic acne.

Hormonal changes – Acne usually comes in puberty or later years. (New born acne is different). Hormonal changes can trigger changes in the amount of sebum produced in the body and in turn affect acne and the type of acne. Thyroid issues can effect cystic acne. Females can track their break out and see if there is a correlation between acne and their menstrual cycle and if there is, then working on balancing those hormones will also help improve the skin and acne. For males, high levels of testosterone can cause acne and hair loss.

Personal hygiene – This one goes without saying. If you keep you skin clean – it will usually stay clear. Sweat, mixed with sebum and make up, and other skin products, along with moisture will definitely clog up pores which in turn can get infected with bacterial creating pustule acne that may or may not be pus filled.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Doctor.