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Getting acne....Q&A............(part 3 of 5)

I’ve started getting acne spots. How long do they last? This depends on what type of spots they are and, even then, it can be very difficult to predict what will happen. Some spots will appear and then disappear during the course of a day but others will evolve more gradually through the various stages. Comedones can be very persistent if they don’t get inflamed. Mildly inflamed spots will last 5–10 days before settling down, but can leave a flat red mark (macule) for several weeks. Nodules and cysts may last for weeks or months unless you get some treatment. What is the difference between a whitehead and a yellow- head spot? These two common terms describe quite different types of spot. A whitehead is a closed comedone where the pore is blocked and not open to the air. There is no inflammation (redness). A yellow- head suggests a spot with pus in it. The medical term is a ‘pustule’. Whiteheads may become yellowheads if the blocked pore becomes infected. My daughter is only 9 but she seems
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Understanding Stress and Acne

Modern-day living, anxiety in the workplace, too many or too few
hormones, nuclear threats, terrorism, inflation, crime, poverty,
obesity — it’s enough to give you terminal acne!
Most investigators agree that stress doesn’t cause acne; however,
most would agree that stress seems to worsen it. Just ask college
students at exam time, teenagers about to go to the prom, or some-
one going for that first job interview.
It’s well known that at times of stress, the body releases excess
amounts of glucocorticoids (the body’s natural steroids). Some
people think that the glucocorticoids, having some androgenic
properties (see the next section where I talk about glucocorti-
coids when they’re taken orally), cause sebaceous glands to
secrete more oil and thus worsen acne or even cause an acnelike
eruption.
It has been suggested that regular stress-reducing activity (like
exercise, knitting, yoga, and so forth) can help minimize the gluco-
corticoids, and reduce their effect on sebaceous glands.
Some pundits also advise getting extra sleep and meditating. Just
like with diet and acne, there is no hard evidence that these meas-
ures really do much to help reduce acne. However, they are
healthy habits that may reduce stress, so why not? See Chapter 15
where I cover some of these approaches.
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