Oily skin and acne. How to get out of a vicious circle?

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The content of the article

Problem areas:

• upper back;
• facial part, especially the chin, forehead and cheeks;
• cervical and thoracic parts of the body;
• genitals in both sexes;
• peripapillary zone.

These are the most common and most common, but there may be others. The only places on the body where acne cannot appear are the palms and feet. Due to the too thick and rough layer of the epidermis, incapable of this kind of inflammation.

How to deal with oily skin

All processes in the body are interconnected; an excess of some hormones leads to an excess or suppression of others. Therefore, the first priority in treatment is to find the root cause. Without properly targeted treatment there will be no long-term results.

If oily skin type has been passed on from birth, then you should not abuse bad habits and not monitor your general health, so as not to aggravate the situation. Proper nutrition, moderate physical activity, healthy, full sleep, positive emotions and a limited amount of stress are the key to a long and happy life without serious diseases. If problems arise, then you shouldn’t solve them yourself; for this, there are experienced specialists who will save money, time and improve the rhythm of life.

Causes

• Dry skin;
• Hormonal changes in the whole body;
• Infection;
• Too much sebum production.

In addition to these reasons, there is another factor that was recently established by scientists - heredity.

Let's look at each reason in more detail.

Dry skin

One of the most common reasons. Due to dryness, the skin exfoliates and its particles clog the pores, which causes inflammation. It is very important to consider several points that cause excessive dry skin:

• Age. Over the years, the skin gradually loses many of its important properties, which include moisture retention.
• Environment. Dry and cold air, low humidity, and so on.
• Shower with hot water. Leads to the destruction of the protective layer of the skin.
• Allergic diseases.
• Hygiene products. Using regular soap on sensitive areas of the skin: facial skin, intimate areas, can cause dryness and cause acne.

Hormonal background

The reason lies in the incorrect proportion of sex hormones in the blood. Androgens (male hormones) play a very important role here. If their level is exceeded, then excess secretion begins from the sebaceous and sweat glands, which is the reason for the appearance of acne. You can also isolate progesterone, a hormone secreted in pregnant women. Leads to clogging of pores and, as a result, sebaceous inflammation appears.

Lack of estrogen can also cause excessive oily skin.

What does the work of the sebaceous glands depend on?

The amount of secretion produced by the sebaceous glands is not the same in all people. With dry skin, the production of sebocytes is reduced, and oily skin is characterized by their increased reproduction. Contrary to popular belief, only 10 percent of acne cases in adults are associated with hormonal changes in the body. For example, they appear with ovarian cysts and disappear after treatment of the underlying disease. A similar effect can be observed in adolescents during puberty - with an increase in the production of sex hormones in the body. True, experts often attribute the appearance of teenage acne to increased emotionality and psychological instability characteristic of this age. The main reason
for the appearance of acne is the increased sensitivity of the sebaceous glands themselves.
On their surface there are receptors sensitive to male sex hormones - androgens. Androgens are released not only in the male body, but also in the female body. If the number of these receptors or their sensitivity to hormones increases, the activity of sebocyte division in the sebaceous gland increases. The sensitivity of the receptors is determined genetically
. That is why contacting an endocrinologist with acne problems and attempting hormonal treatment often does not bring results.

Sebum production

There are 3 factors that can affect the amount of sebum production. Androgen, or rather its excess in the blood, is one of the reasons. Rarely, but still there is a special disease called “seborrhea”. And of course, a very common cause in the 21st century is poor nutrition.

Here is a list of products that promote the active secretion of sebum:

• carbonated drinks;
• alcoholic drinks;
• products in the production of which dyes were used;
• caffeinated drinks (black tea, coffee;
• sweet and flour;
• spicy, smoked food.

Let's sum it up

There can be many reasons for the occurrence of increased oiliness in the dermis, but the solutions to all problems are basically the same. Therefore, it is very important to figure out how to reduce or remove, get rid of excess oily skin on the face, what to do when the chosen gentle products no longer help, and what you can count on. Modern cosmetology offers many different options for influencing the dermis, but not all of them are equally safe and effective, and many problems can be completely solved with high-quality home care.

Treatment and prevention

It would be best and safest to contact a competent doctor - an endocrinologist, so that further treatment takes place under his strict supervision. You will have to start with a healthy diet that limits the consumption of foods that are harmful to good skin condition. And it won’t hurt to start special cosmetic skin care.

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Additional care

• It is better to leave ordinary creams, cream or milk in the past, as they are little compatible with the original data. It is optimal to select special gels, micellar water, tonics.
• It is recommended to use soft exfoliants if there are no inflammatory processes on the surface. It is advisable to choose options that have the specification “non-comedogenic” in the instructions.
• It is advisable to select all basic activities with a focus on regulating the functioning of the sebaceous glands. Moreover, preference should be given not to those procedures that are vaguely “intended for this type of skin,” but specifically those that narrow pores.

Oily skin and acne. How to get out of a vicious circle?

Science seems to know everything about acne.

Known genetic predispositions:

- increased sensitivity of the sebaceous glands to androgens provokes the production of sebum;

- thin, long and winding ducts of the sebaceous glands prevent sebum from splashing to the surface;

- the presence in the skin of a larger number of sensitive nerve cell endings surrounded by mast cells capable of releasing inflammatory mediators.

Development process:

— the level of sebum production increases, and its composition changes towards increasing viscosity;

- in order to process the glycerin contained in sebum, the P.acne bacterium begins to multiply intensively, which is a permanent resident of the stratum corneum of the skin and feeds on glycerin;

— as bacteria work, they leave behind waste products. They trigger an immune response in the skin, provoking an inflammatory response;

- at the same time, viscous fat glues the horny scales of the skin, they do not peel off from the surface of the skin in a timely manner, clogging the ducts of the sebaceous glands;

— also, excess sebum penetrates into the stratum corneum, changing its composition to non-physiological, increasing skin permeability and worsening its barrier properties.

— since all processes in the skin are interconnected, over time it becomes dehydrated, pigmentation increases, the condition of blood vessels worsens, and tone decreases.

There are also known reasons for increasing the level of sebum production:

- an increase in the amount of male hormones androgens in the body stimulates the production of sebum in the sebaceous glands;

- substances that irritate the skin also provoke sebum secretion;

- under stress, the level of adrenacorticotropic hormone increases, which also increases sebum production.

As we see, science knows, if not everything, then a lot. Why, in most cases, cannot help people solve their acne problem?

If you analyze the market for anti-acne drugs and treatments offered in salons, it becomes obvious that the entire industry is focused on solving the problem of reducing sebum production by suppressing androgen production and destroying acne bacteria: in pharmacies you can find many drugs with antiseptics and antibiotics, dermatologists and Gynecologists prescribe hormones and retinoids, and beauty salons offer cleansing and peeling.

Unfortunately, all these products and procedures quickly dry out and injure already damaged skin, leading the patient to new problems: acne treatment is followed by skin treatment for the consequences of acne treatment in the form of peeling, irritation, pigmentation, vascular problems, decreased skin tone etc.

Fortunately, science has already officially recognized acne as one of the forms of dermatoses, which means it has classified this type of skin as sensitive and requiring delicate handling. This did not bring a fundamental change in the market situation, but advanced companies began to include corneotherapeutic components (ceramides, omega acids, etc.) in their care lines. However, we don’t have to wait for the market to finally turn around to face the client and take into account his needs. Knowledge is power, and saving drowning people has always been the work of the drowning people themselves.

I propose to use scientific knowledge and approach solving the problem comprehensively.

We work with the reasons for increased sebum production:

1) As we can see, one of the three reasons for increased sebum production is skin irritation. If possible, avoid soaps, scrubs, peelings, cleansing and other causes of skin sensitivity.

2) Another reason for increased sebum synthesis in the skin is stress. Sometimes stress cannot be avoided, but often we create it for ourselves. And it is entirely within our power to go to bed on time, eat normally, engage in meditation or some other practice that reduces the level of stress in the body.

3) The third reason is the increased level of male hormones in the body. But it is not necessary to take hormonal medications to help the body regulate hormonal levels. There are effective natural remedies. There is the herb vitex sacred, there is evening primrose oil.

Of course, it is impossible to give everyone one universal recommendation, and I must say that it is better to take any means after consultation with a specialist. But in order for you to believe that these remedies work, I will refer to my experience. I took courses of evening primrose oil and rose moschetta oil, rich in omega acids. The condition of my skin has really improved significantly. My good friend, cosmetologist Marina Astakhova, also prescribes chaste vitex to her patients. Also with very good results (I sincerely recommend Marina to those who are in Moscow and always gladly share her contacts by mail).

We work with the causes of acne from the inside

If you have been struggling with the manifestations of acne for years and have read a lot of information on this topic, then you are probably already convinced that until the cause is eliminated, the consequences will not disappear anywhere. And cosmetics can only work with consequences; the causes are located inside the body.

For some, these are problems with the thyroid gland, for others with the genitals, for others with the gastrointestinal tract. Someone received a predisposition by inheritance or shifted the fragile balance of health with stress.

Accordingly, treatment should be individualized. For those who live in Moscow, I sincerely recommend making an appointment with Marina Astakhova. She is not only a cosmetologist, but also a physician and psychologist. It works with problems from all sides, approaches the body holistically, and treats only with natural drugs. No hormones or retinoids. After the appointment, Marina will tell you what tests need to be taken and, based on the test results, a program for taking herbs, oils, vitamins, etc. will be drawn up. I have already referred more than thirty people to Marina and I can say with confidence that the results are excellent. Not as fast as with retinoids, but without side effects, which often cancel out all the positive results of treatment.

If you cannot get to Marina, then I will give several universal recommendations that will help everyone to one degree or another and will not harm anyone. Their effectiveness has been tested in my experience: if I take supplements regularly, my face remains clean even during pregnancy, when the skin situation tends to worsen.

1) The main thing is compliance with the drinking regime. Without it, all other points are meaningless, since all processes in the body can only proceed normally in water. You need to drink about two liters of water a day. Instead of water, it can be decoctions of your favorite herbs, dried fruit compote with spices, or rose hips. Coffee and tea do not count. They, on the contrary, dehydrate the body, force it to work in emergency mode, increasing stress, as they contain stimulants (actually, soft drugs).

2) Taking vegetable oils with omega acids. Rose moschetta works best (can be substituted with rose hips). Pharmacy won't do. There you will most likely be offered rosehip macerate in soybean oil. Apply oil from iherb or buy oil in capsules at the pharmacy. Since the capsule consists mainly of gelatin, and we need oil, in the first two to three weeks feel free to exceed the indicated dosages two to three times. The first effect should be visible within a couple of weeks. This point is more important than the subsequent ones, and if you take supplements not immediately, but in courses, then start with oil.

3) Taking amino acids. For example, “Complex of basic amino acids”. Like omega acids, amino acids are building materials for every cell of our body, and therefore affect the functioning of every organ. For those who do not want to take pharmaceutical supplements, there is a natural way to nourish the body with all 18 essential amino acids: fast for 3-5 days on kichadi (other names are kitchari, khichri). This is an Ayurvedic dish of rice and mung bean (an easily digestible variety of legumes) in ghee. The combination of rice and mung bean provides the body with all the necessary amino acids. I won't post the recipe. There are many of them on the Internet. They differ in spices and you can choose the option that you find most delicious. The main ingredients - rice, mung bean and ghee - will remain unchanged. If it is very difficult to eat only kichadi for several days, then simply prepare this dish for lunch or dinner as often as possible. Mung bean is sold in Ayurvedic stores and health food stores.

4) Taking lecithin. As with oils, it is best to choose the purest form. I drink Lecigran.

5) Natural vitamin complex with B complex vitamins and Floradix Ironvital antioxidants. These are the most natural vitamins that could be found in pharmacies. For the most part they consist of various juice extracts and concentrates. Very well absorbed.

I cannot give you a recommendation online about the duration of the admission courses, since everything depends on the specific situation. But if you know that you have genetic defects or chronic diseases, then you will have to maintain the functioning of your body almost constantly. If the cause of the failure was stress and it passed, then at a young age three months is enough to eliminate the consequences.

Listen to yourself and monitor the condition of your skin. This is your main indicator.

We work with the consequences of acne externally

Over 10 years of working in my laboratory to create cosmetics and communicating with those who use them, as well as taking into account my own experience, I came to the following scheme:

1) Creams and serums should not contain sulfur, acids or any other drying components, since these products remain on the skin for several hours after application, which means that the actives have time to penetrate deeply and work for a long time. If you use drying agents, then, undoubtedly, the result will come faster, but after one to a month and a half, the skin will begin to peel, dehydrate, and sensitivity will increase. It will no longer be possible to use such a remedy, and at the same time the consequences of its use will have to be treated.

Therefore, creams can contain everything else necessary for effective work with acne - a corneotherapeutic line of assets, sebum-regulating oils, soft sebum absorbents, extracts that absorb infiltrates, etc. – but not something that will dry out the skin.

2) You can afford more in cleansers. We apply them for 1-3 minutes, which gives some of the actives a chance to work, without causing severe destruction or drying of the skin.

Unfortunately, there is a weak link in this theory. This is tap water. City water itself dries out the skin, so when washing your face with it, I rather encourage you to soften the drying and irritating effect it has. Therefore, keeping the peeling foam in stock and seeing the excellent results of its work, I still recommend using it 3-5 times a week at first, gradually reducing the number of uses. If foam peeling is not the only item in your program, and you use everything written about in this article, this approach to using it works well. On other days, use micellar gel or hydrophilic oil to cleanse the skin.

3) Masks are mandatory and indispensable means of the anti-acne program. They are applied in a thick layer for 20-30 minutes, which ensures deep delivery of assets. Masks may have a strange color and a specific smell, but they can add all those invaluable ingredients that are technologically difficult to include in other forms of the product.

Therefore, if you use my cosmetics, be sure to use the acne and post-acne mask 2-4 times a week. You can supplement it and alternate with other masks, they are all multifunctional and work great.

By following such a program, a balance of effectiveness and absence of side effects is achieved. But remember that in this case, with cosmetics we are trying to neutralize the consequences of the failures that occur inside the body. The stronger the failure, the more difficult it is to do this, since the forces are not equal. And the older we are, the worse the skin heals and the slower it renews. Therefore, do not expect cosmetics to become your panacea. Be sure to work on correcting the condition of the body from the inside.

Marina Kazarina.

Cosmetologist, expert in the field of corneotherapy.

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Solving problems with an endocrinologist

If there is an imbalance in the hormonal system, then an endocrinologist will eliminate it. I, Georgy Nikitich Romanov, am an endocrinologist with more than 20 years of experience in the specialty. If you have very oily facial skin, and conventional methods do not help to eliminate this problem, then the best solution would be to contact me for help. I will take a detailed history, prescribe tests based on what I see, evaluate the results, and determine effective treatment. Women of different ages approached me with this problem, and we always found the best solution to this problem.

I provide face-to-face consultations at a medical clinic in Gomel, as well as online consultations. You can sign up for an online consultation in one of the suggested sources: Viber, Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp, Skype, Vkontakte.

My experience and knowledge work for you to solve skin problems and eliminate existing discomfort.

How do you know if your skin is oily?

Each of us can determine our own skin type. If your skin becomes shiny from time to time, it is most likely prone to oiliness. Dermatologists consider other characteristic features of oily skin to be:

• Enlarged pores.
  Pores quickly become dirty and expand because of this. The face looks lumpy and loose, and the skin on the forehead, chin and nose begins to shine.
• Tendency to inflammation.
  Oily skin is many times more likely than dry skin to become inflamed, acne, rashes, and redness appear on it. The thing is that the glands that produce sebum work too actively. Excess fat accumulates, hardens, and plugs appear on the surface of the skin, which interfere with its self-cleaning. Blackheads and inflamed pimples appear on oily skin.
• Problems with cosmetics.
  Cosmetics don't stick well to oily skin. Due to the greasy sheen, powder, foundation and even blush “float”, and disappear 2-3 hours after application.
• Frequent greasy shine.
  The skin begins to shine about 2 hours after the morning toilet.

Surely each of you knows a rapid test for diagnosing oily skin. You need to apply a thin paper napkin to your face. If marks remain on it, it means that the skin produces too much sebum and is prone to oiliness.

First aid for face

If your skin starts to get shiny at the most inopportune moment, products such as:

• Matting napkins.
  It is enough to simply apply such a napkin to the skin. Excess fat will quickly be absorbed into it, and your face will become smooth and matte.
• Thermal water.
  This water can be bought at any pharmacy or cosmetic store; a small bottle with a sprayer can easily fit in a handbag. If the skin begins to shine, water can be used over makeup; it will perfectly refresh and moisturize the face.
• Mineral powder made from oatmeal
  perfectly disguises imperfections and mattifies the skin. If you use this powder in the morning, your face will not shine until noon.

We hope our recommendations for eliminating oily shine will be useful to you. Show a little attention to yourself, and your skin will always be velvety, smooth and soft.