Preventing Acne With Diet

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Acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S. About 85% of people in the Western world experience acne during their teenage years, but it can occur at any age. Acne is more than just pimples and it can leave permanent scars. In many people, acne can seriously affect quality of life, causing low self-esteem, withdrawal from social situations, anxiety, and depression.

There are four major components of acne:

1. Excessive production of oil by the skin
2. Skin cells dividing excessively or “hyperproliferation”
3. Bacteria
4. Inflammation

A pimple or lesion forms when a pore in the skin begins to clog with old, dead skin cells. Usually these cells are simply shed from the surface of the skin, but if too much oil is being produced, the dead cells can stick together and become trapped inside the pore. Bacteria also play a role, they can grow and multiply inside the pore, resulting in an inflammatory response.