How Exercise Affects Acne

Exercise and acne, is there a connection? I am sure you will agree, that is an interesting thought. It is also quite a hotly debated subject.

Well, let us try to find out and see what we come up with. On the one hand, the workout that you have chosen to go through is likely to make your skin sweaty and greasy. Now that would be a perfect setting for acne to develop!

Exercise

Acne and lifestyle in your hands. On the other hand, if you consider the option of turning into a couch potato with your attention centered on the television set, that does not look like a particularly healthy choice, does it? There has been a fair amount of research to try and establish the effect of exercise on acne. The results of one such study conducted fairly recently seemed to suggest that there could be individual variations in the extent to which acne is affected by exercise.

A study carried out on two groups of participants, one that went through an exercise routine and another that did not, and did not find any significant connection between exercise and breakouts of acne. However, since this is still a disputed subject, you could play safe by ensuring that you minimize the likelihood of developing acne through exercise.

Acne, putting you in a spot? Possibly you have begun to feel that this is a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea if you do not exercise, you have an unhealthy lifestyle; if you do, you run the risk of developing acne because of the very activity that you have taken up to improve your health.

Well, whichever of these theories turns out to be the right one, you can certainly take steps to avoid putting yourself at risk of developing acne. That will not take a whole lot of doing. You just need to follow a few simple rules:

Fight acne keep your hair away from your face. The sweat and grease that is built up after exercise can affect your hair and scalp as well and may run down onto your face. This will be further aggravated by any hair care product you may have used such as hair spray etc.

Take steps to ensure that your hair does not touch your face and neck while you are exercising; this will at least give you a head start in cutting down the chances of developing acne through exercise, if indeed it can happen at all.

Select your exercise equipment carefully because it could give you acne. Try to avoid using exercise equipment that rubs against your skin, as there is some evidence that this kind of friction could encourage acne to develop. Then again, particularly if you are working out in a public place such as a gym, do ensure that the equipment you are using is clean.

In a situation where the same equipment is being used by several people, you are open to the risk of picking up germs left by other people.

Keep your clothing light for workouts unless you want acne. Make sure that the clothes you wear when you are working out are light, loose and comfortable. This again will avert the possibility of friction with the skin and allow the skin to breathe. Tight clothing will cause unnecessary problems, even if it does not actually contribute to your developing acne.

Shower as soon as possible in order reduce the risk of developing acne. Do this for the sake of your own health and well being, but also for the sake of anyone else who may be with you. Keeping your skin clean is surely one of the basic rules you must observe for general well being. Dry your skin carefully after showering and avoid rubbing vigorously

Keep your sportswear and linen clean to stay clear of acne. Remember that you should take care to keep the clothes you use for your workouts clean. This is particularly important in the case of headbands and wristbands, which accumulate a great deal of perspiration. Take care to use clean towels as well.

Use oil free products to treat your acne. If you have chosen to use a sunscreen, make sure it does not have an oil base. That will be one sure way of setting the stage for acne to develop once you have finished your workout, as there will be plenty of grease and perspiration on your skin by then.

Exercise can help your acne. Lastly, exercise can in fact have a positive effect on your acne by cutting down the effects of stress and simply making you feel good. When you build up stress, certain hormones are released into the skin, increasing the likelihood of your developing acne.

So, if you had any doubts, remember that exercise is good for you, and ultimately, it will be good for your acne as well, as long as you observe the basic rules of health and hygiene. If you are an exercise freak and have also broken out with acne, keep plugging away and you will see the difference!!

How Exercise Affects Acne