Introduction
Acne scarring is one of the conditions teenagers really want to avoid. Though over 44 million teenagers will develop acne, there is action you as a teenager can take to reduce or even eliminate the chance of scarring caused by acne.
First you need to understand what can cause the scarring and then how you can take action to prevent it.
Acne Scarring
Scarring will normally not occur unless the dermis is punctured. This is the layer of skin that is below the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. Normally acne will not cause scarring unless it is inflamed or you pinch your acne.
It is easy to stop scarring caused by pinching your acne. Just do not pinch your acne. But stopping acne caused by inflammation is a little more difficult, but not impossible if you understand the mechanics of acne inflammation. Acne inflammation is caused by an over-active immune system that results in it attacking not only the unhealthy parts of the body, but also healthy parts of the body.
Acne is caused by excess amounts of sebum (oil) being excreted through the skins pores, causing blockage of the pores. This blockage is the result of the body's dead skin being clumped together by the excess sebum. This blockage allows the trapped bacteria to grow signaling the immune system to respond by isolating the affected area and attacking the bacteria.
You can see this inflammation by the redness that is developed at the blocked pore. It also causes the area to swell, the release of heat and the area is sensitive to the touch.
Now if your immune system is over-active, it will attack not only the affected area but the healthy area also, resulting in a larger than normal inflamed area. The result is the dermis of your skin being broken, resulting in scarring.
Cause Of Inflammation
The reason your immune system becomes over-active, is because your body is full of inflammation. This causes the immune system to become inflamed resulting in it over-reacting. This inflammation is a result of our diet that has an abundance of Omega-6. Omega-6 comes in the form of saturated fats, sugars and in general just plain processed foods.
To reduce the amount of inflammation we receive from Omega-6, we need to decrease the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6.
Diet For Acne
To get that proper balance, we need to limit our intake of saturated fats and processed foods and increase our intake of Omega-3. But where do you get Omega-3?
Omega-3 can be obtained from cold-water fish such as cod, wild salmon, tuna, trout and anchovies. To get the recommended amount of Omega-3, the United States government recommends eating at least 8 1/2 ounces of fish a week.
If you do not want to eat that much fish every week, you can take Omega-3 supplements. This will give you the required amount of Omega-3 you need. Plus with a reduction in Omega-6, by eating less saturated fats and processed foods and eating more whole wheat, you can obtain the proper ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6.
By eating less Omega-6 and consuming more Omega-3, you can reduce inflammation of the immune system and reduce acne scarring.
Jimmy C has been studying skin care for many years because of his skin problems in his youth and he is the Editor in Chief of a number of skin care web sites. Being a victim of acne in his younger days, he has researched this subject to help people prevent and stop acne. He has also studied many aspects of caring for the bodies skin and keeping it youthful and free of irritants.
