How Chronic Stress Alters Skin Function
How Chronic Stress Alters Skin Function Your skin takes the hit when stress drags on for weeks or months. It starts with your body pumping out cortisol, a hormone that flips switches in your skin cells, leading to problems like breakouts, dryness, and early wrinkles. When stress hits, your brain signals the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a […]
Why Skin Can Become Inflamed Without Infection
Skin can become inflamed without any infection because of issues like a weakened skin barrier, immune system overreactions, environmental damage, and lifestyle habits that trigger the body’s own inflammatory responses.[1][2] Your skin acts as a protective shield, but when that shield breaks down, it lets in irritants and loses moisture, leading to redness, swelling, and […]
What Causes Breakouts That Do Not Respond to Retinoids
What Causes Breakouts That Do Not Respond to Retinoids Retinoids are popular topical treatments that work by unclogging pores and reducing inflammation in acne-prone skin. But sometimes breakouts keep coming back or get worse despite using them. This happens when other factors drive the acne that retinoids alone cannot fix. One main reason is hormonal […]
Why Acne Is More Than a Surface Condition
Why Acne Is More Than a Surface Condition Most people see acne as just pimples on the face, but it runs much deeper than that. It starts inside the skin where oil, dead cells, and bacteria clog hair follicles, leading to inflammation that can harm tissues far below the surface.[1][6] Take cystic acne, for example. […]
How Hormones Signal Oil Glands
How Hormones Signal Oil Glands Your skin has tiny oil glands called sebaceous glands. These glands make sebum, an oily substance that keeps your skin and hair moisturized. Hormones act like messengers that tell these glands how much sebum to produce. Androgens are a main group of hormones that control sebum. These include testosterone and […]
Why Skin Reacts to Internal Changes First
# Why Skin Reacts to Internal Changes First Your skin is often the first place you notice something is wrong inside your body. A sudden rash, persistent redness, or unexplained irritation can signal that your internal systems are struggling. This happens because your skin is directly connected to your nervous system, immune system, and gut […]
What Causes Persistent Acne Into Adulthood
What Causes Persistent Acne Into Adulthood Many people think acne is just a teenage problem, but it often sticks around into adulthood for reasons that go beyond puberty. The main culprit is hormones, especially androgens, which are male hormones present in everyone that ramp up oil production in the skin[1][2][3]. These hormones make sebaceous glands […]
Why Acne Often Returns After Treatment Stops
Why Acne Often Returns After Treatment Stops Acne treatments like creams, pills, or strong medications such as Accutane can clear up your skin for a while. But for many people, pimples come back once they stop using them. This happens because the root problems behind acne do not always go away with short-term fixes. One […]
How Skin Barrier Dysfunction Leads to Breakouts
How Skin Barrier Dysfunction Leads to Breakouts Your skin acts like a protective shield, keeping out germs, locking in moisture, and balancing what comes in and out. This shield is called the skin barrier, and it sits in the outermost layer known as the stratum corneum. When this barrier weakens, it sets off a chain […]
Why Skin Can Be Dehydrated Yet Acne Prone
Why Skin Can Be Dehydrated Yet Acne Prone You might think dry skin and acne cannot happen together. Dry skin feels tight and flaky while acne comes from too much oil. But skin can lack water yet still break out. This happens because dehydration and oil overproduction are different issues.[1][4] Skin needs water and natural […]