Understanding The Psychological Effects Of Acne

Acne is one of the most prevalent physical skin conditions among both teens and adults. There are many different types, and treatments have been developed to care for each. Physical appearance isn’t the only thing acne effects. What happens when a person suffering from the condition is affected psychologically, and may shy away from attending social events with friends or colleagues because of how it makes them feel?

In today’s society, appearance has become the center point for all social decisions. How we look has become more important in the eyes of many than who we are. This is placing great pressure on teens, and continues to affect them as they grow to be adults. Many people feel it important to conform to what is considered “the norm”, or at least to their perception of it. So what happens when a person suffers from a physically altering condition such as acne?

This is a problem especially in teens because they are still developing a strong sense of who they are, and what happens to them can effect who they turn out to be.

It does not stop there. Many adults feel the same psychological effects of acne, and say it makes them feel ugly and undesirable in appearance.

Studies have shown that psychological effects of such conditions can lead to depression, eating disorders, and social anxiety. While this often starts as a teen, it can carry over as an adult, resulting in serious psychological ramifications. So what can be done to prevent this from occurring?

Many acne sufferers seek coverage that will hide their acne, usually in the form of a cream concealer or makeup. These products can be purchased over-the-counter, and do a good job covering up most mild to moderate acne. For more severe cases, a doctor can prescribe something to conceal the condition.

Die plays a small role, but there may be certain foods that influence breakouts. If you feel this may be affecting your acne, stay away from those foods that seem to be causing the problem, and see if that helps. It is believed that diet may play a larger role in adult acne than in teen acne, so it doesn’t hurt to start early.

Another factor that may play a role in self-esteem, especially in teens, is the misconception that acne is caused by having unclean skin. While this isn’t true, it could cause acne sufferers to become more anxious about how others view them, which can cause self-esteem to drop.

The first step toward feeling better about yourself is feeling better about your acne. To do this, you must treat the problem. This may be something you can do on your own, or it may require the help of a physician. Either way, find a treatment that works for you. If you are feeling anxious and depressed about your condition, or because of it, talk to a doctor about these feelings and what you can do to alleviate them. A healthier body leads to a healthier mind.

Give your skin a boost – Vitamin C in skin care

Vitamin C boosts your immune system and known for its anti-oxidant properties. On the skin, it fights off bacteria, free radicals and hastens collagen (a structural protein of the skin) synthesis. Vitamin C in skin care is not a sunscreen but it lifts the effectiveness of sunscreen making them a good combination.

Topical use of vitamin C in skin care is not as simple as it may seem, though, because vitamin C can be very unstable. It undergoes oxidation as soon as exposed to the air. The end product of oxidized vitamin C is not only ineffective, it may increase the formation of free radicals, which is potentially harmful.

Scientists, however, couldn’t take out the fact that vitamin C is essential for a healthy skin. Thus, they have been looking for matches that provide similar superior benefits. L-ascorbic acid, one of the few topical agents, has been proven to be effective in alleviating wrinkles and fine lines and boosts collagen synthesis. Plus, it stays in the skin for approximately 72 hours. L-ascorbic acid also prevents UV immunosuppression, a skin reaction that leads to skin cancer. Topical vitamin C in skin care products using more compact and stabilized vitamin C, and sold commercially, may not be sufficiently effective as well. They can be very expensive, too.

However, you can still benefit from topical vitamin C in skin care through a do-it-yourself preparation. For those who prefer commercial topical solutions of vitamin C in skin care, scientists were able to discover two compounds that release L-ascorbic acid that have been incorporated in anti-aging topical solutions: ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. These compounds were found to easily penetrate the skin and release the beneficial agent, L-ascorbic acid.

Vitamin C derivatives

Ascorbyl palmitate is a vitamin C derivative that is soluble in fat and a great alternative to vitamin C in skin care. It has likewise been found to have at least similar effectiveness as vitamin E in giving protection to the skin from lipid peroxidation (a type of free radical damage in our skin). The downside is that it doesn’t boost collagen synthesis in the same manner as vitamin C does.

Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, on the other hand, is water-soluble and provides as much benefit in collagen synthesis as vitamin C. Moreover, it is nonirritating and more stable making it less prone to oxidation. Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, nonetheless, also reacts to light and air, hence, proper storage is important to maintain freshness.

Vitamin C in skin care is effective in slowing down the aging process to maintain a youthful skin. However, if you wish to go on this route, make sure what you have contain the suitable agent, which should be helpful and not harmful to your skin.