Causes of Pimples

Acne is a general term for pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or cysts and is a condition of the skin that appears in different parts of the face. Pimples are the most common type of skin condition on the face that are reddish bumps caused by hormonal changes that accompany the puberty stage. One thing that causes pimples is genes; meaning, if your parents had them when they were young, you will most likely get them too. The type of acne most teens get is called acne vulgaris – vulgaris which means “of the common type.” This type of acne usually shows on the neck, face, back, chest and shoulders.

The pores in your skin contain oil glands or sebaceous glands that make sebum. Sebum is an oil that lubricates your skin and hair. Sebaceous glands make the right amount of sebum but hormones during the teenage years may cause these glands to be overactive, thus creating more sebum than usual. The pores in your skin become clogged if there are too many dead skin cells and sebum. Bacteria can multiply in your pores when they are trapped, causing redness and swelling – the beginning of a pimple. Sometimes, pimples are filled with pus and this is your body’s reaction to the bacterial infection.

Some people notice that their skin breakouts are more severe when they eat too much oily foods. If you are one of them, try cutting back on that type of food and see what happens. Others notice that when they are too stressed out with school or other problems, more pimples appear on their face. This is because stress increases sebum production. Another cause is staying under the sun for too long, since this can cause more oils to produce, thus worsening skin breakouts.

Pimples and other signs of acne most often begin appearing at age 13 for boys and 11 for girls. Studies have shown that women are more prone to getting pimples or see them worsen the week before they have their periods. This is caused by hormonal changes during this time. There is no scientific evidence that hair and oily skin can cause pimples to grow on certain parts of your face, but if you notice more pimples under your bangs (if you have) then it would be a good idea to change hair styles.

Getting Rid of Pimples

If you see blemishes starting to appear on your face, then the best thing to do is to use some home treatment. Two things that can help you with that can be taken from your fridge: cucumbers and papaya. Creating a face mask with these two ingredients can control the development of pimples and unclog your pores. Cucumbers cool the skin and applying cucumber juice or paste and leaving it on your face for 15 to 20 minutes can make you feel refreshed. Rinsing your face with lukewarm water and followed with cold water afterwards can help heal pimple scars and soothe inflammation. Raw papaya juice can make a good face pack or you can choose to add a drop of honey on the scar and leave it for a few hours to make your skin glow.

Avoid touching your face too much since your hands have lots of bacteria, dirt and germs and this can transfer to your face and cause pimples to appear. Always remember to wash your hands before touching your face and cleanse your face using facial wash or mild soap. Instead of wiping your face with a towel profusely, just pat your face dry; rubbing can irritate your blemishes. Wash your face three to four times a day and constantly change your pillowcases, cloths and towels to keep germs and bacteria from transferring to your body.

To reduce the pimple’s swelling, keep an ice cube over the blemish for a few minutes then put toothpaste on the pimple after patting it dry. Leave the toothpaste overnight. When you wake up in the morning, you will notice that the blemish has dried up and become less noticeable. Girls should be more careful when using makeup since this can clog pores and make pimples swell and multiply.

Drinking plenty of fruit juices and water together with having a well-balanced diet is a healthy way to get rid of pimples. Fruits and vegetables plus water can hydrate your skin, making it smoother in appearance. In addition to that, your pores get cleansed the natural way. Eight to ten glasses is the ideal number you should consume every single day to protect your from pimples and acne and to maintain your skin’s healthy glow. Water helps remove excess sodium and toxins and cleanses the body as well as your skin.

Using lemon juice as an astringent can reduce acne because it acts as a natural cleanser. Lemon contains citric acid and mixing freshly squeezed lemon juice to water can do the trick as fast as overnight. Lemon juice can be applied directly on the pimple with a cotton ball and you can do this on your scars as this can lighten its dark appearance. Combining lemon juice with equal quantity of rose water can result to a glowing and blemish free face that is bereft of scars. Simply apply this solution on your face and wash it with warm water after half an hour or so.

There is a rainbow after the rain, though. For most people, pimples and acne go away as soon as they are out of their teenage years. If problems with blemishes persist in early adulthood, it would be best to consult a dermatologist.

These are a series of options to try just when that sneeze starts to build up. They work differently with every person, so it’s best to find what bests suits you. As a precaution, never hold a sneeze in, it may damage internal blood vessels or hurt your ear drums.

Pinching the Upper Lip

This works by directing the brains stimuli to another action. Just pinch your upper lip slightly with your thumb and index finger in a motion directed at the nostrils. Massage the upper lip while at it, by moving your thumbs towards one nostril, and the index finger to the other. This stops the sneeze instantly until it dies down, but be mindful of those watching at the office while at it.

Stop the Sneeze with a Tickle

This is a more discrete option that still does the trick. With the tip of your tongue, tickle the upper roof of your mouth the moment you feel that sneeze attack. Your mouth is quite ticklish in that region and this will fool the brain to direct stimuli elsewhere. Keep ticking with your tongue until the urge to sneeze dies down; 10 seconds would do the trick.

Pinching the Nose Bridge

A gentle pinch of the nose cartilage below your eyes can also stop that sneeze before it’s out. Hold your hands horizontally underneath your eyes, then with your two forefingers target the nose bridge. Rub that area gently and the sneeze attack will begin to subside. What this does is disrupt a nerve around the bridge that often triggers the urge to sneeze.

Random Distractions

Besides pinching the upper lip or Nose Bridge, there are plenty other ways to disrupt that stimulus till it dies down. Use your hands for instance, pull at the flap of skin between your thumb, and the index finger. It provides the much needed distraction as your attention is diverted elsewhere. Alternatively, with two fingers grab the skin between your eyes and directly below your eye brow. It’s a common area people rub when having a headache; it can also work on stopping that nuisance sneeze.

Instead of struggling to stifle that sneeze in public, just gently pull at your ear lobe and play with it. It’s another discrete way of diverting attention then excuse yourself to go blow your nose. By the way, blowing one’s nose can also get rid of the sneeze attach, especially when an allergen or impurity is dislodged in the nose and the body is frantic to dispel it.

When Sneeze Attacks are Recurrent

If the urge to sneeze is recurrent and doesn’t seem to go away, perhaps you need to move away from the environment you are in. If it’s a room full of mold or a field clustered with pollen, consider moving to a mild zone that will help the problem subside. On the other hand, your sneeze attacks could be as a result of ailment like influenza or common cold. There are simple home remedies to bring relief by alleviating the strong sneezing urges.

a)  Take Some Nestle Tea

A cup of nestle tea in the morning before you leave to work works wonders. Nestle has flue relieving properties that help unclog congested nostrils and tone down that itchy feeling to sneeze. Nestle tea supplement is readily available in health stores and can be ordered online as well.

b) Black Cumin Seed

Cumin tastes good in delicacies but is also a remarkable relief to congested noses. Take a pinch of black cumin and roll it on a handkerchief. Inhale this through the day and it instantly clears blocked noses and takes away the sneeze itch. Black cumin is available in online and physical health stores as well. In case it’s hard to find this ingredient, eucalyptus oil does a commendable job of unclogging blocked noses as well; carry a bottle and rub some eucalyptus on a handkerchief and inhale the soothing vapor.

c) Peppermint Oil

It comes highly recommended due to its anti-bacterial properties which fight sneeze causing allergens. Boil some water then pour it into a basin, adding about 6 drops of peppermint oil into the water. Bring yourself to inhale the steam while covering your head and the rim of the basin to get most of it. Within a few minutes your nose is cleared up and the sneeze urge subsides. Alternatively, boil water in a kettle and drop the peppermint into the water; inhale the vapor as the kettle continues boiling.

d) Fennel Seeds

Just like peppermint, fennel seeds also fight bacteria and contain antibiotic properties as a bonus. Boiling some water (one cup is enough) and add about two teaspoons of fresh fennel seeds. Let the seeds soak for about 15 minutes before draining the liquid; take this twice a day and it reduces sneezing urges while unclogging your nostrils as well.

e) Ginger and Garlic

If all the above remedies are not readily available, one can also find solace in ginger and garlic. Boil a cup of water and cut some fresh ginger root into it. Mix this with honey and take before bedtime to prevent excessive sneezing through the night. Garlic on the other hand has antiviral and anti-bacterial properties that fight both flu and common cold. Crush the fresh garlic cloves into a fine paste and inhale the aroma. Later you can add the garlic paste to your food.

While sneezing is a totally involuntary reflex, it’s possible to stop its onset. Any of the above mentioned remedies will help stop the urge temporarily or help fight the sneeze causing allergen while bringing relief to a stuffy nose.