Skin is the largest organ in the human body, which is the main reflection of the state of the body. It has pores that provide protection, hydration and respiratory functions, as well as remove toxins. However, the disrupted work of the sebaceous glands provokes not just cosmetic problems, but serious malfunctions in the body.
General information
Sebaceous glands are located throughout the human body. They reach the greatest accumulation in the face, back, chest, groin and armpits. The glands are always concentrated where there is hair, and are absent in places with rough skin, for example on the palms and feet. This is due to their important functions: protection against damage during stretching of the skin and penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the epidermis. In addition, these glands moisturize the hair follicles, which are surrounded by pores.
These processes are achieved with the help of secreted sebum. Its composition is determined primarily by hormones and intestinal microflora. The amount and consistency of sebum will depend on these systems. With increased production of this substance, it accumulates in the pores. This leads to the multiplication of bacteria that provoke acne, due to which sebum oxidizes and interferes with desquamation of the stratum corneum of the epidermis. And this process exacerbates the problem even more. Thus, various types of inflammation appear on the skin.
Causes of skin diseases: internal
The work of the sebaceous glands of the face largely depends on the internal settings of the body. In such cases, solving the problem with superficial methods will only mask the symptoms.
There are several forms of acne: infant, youthful and post-pubertal. In the first two situations, the unstable production of sebum is due to the specificity of age and is not amenable to treatment, only disguise.
Post-pubertal acne occurs by the age of 25-30 and serves as evidence of the malfunctioning of body systems. It can be caused by heredity, which allows you to cancel this factor by eliminating the causes that provoke it. They can cause malfunctions in the sebaceous glands and in the condition of normal heredity:
- Hormonal disbalance. This reason is more pronounced in women. Increased testosterone levels stimulate increased sebum production. This process also provokes progesterone. In women with polycystic and ovarian dysfunction, there are prerequisites for malfunctioning hormones.
- Chronic diseases Problems with the gastrointestinal tract, dysbiosis, gastritis, gallstone and adrenal gland diseases activate the sebaceous glands. Improper pore work on the face and head is often justified by infectious inflammatory processes in the body.
With internal problems, only a doctor will help get rid of the disease, prescribing appropriate treatment for interconnected organs and systems.
Superficial causes of impaired skin function
Skin problems caused by external factors are easier to treat. However, prolonged exposure to the skin of such irritating factors provokes skin diseases, such as oily and dry seborrhea, eczema and demodicosis.
Among the superficial causes of malfunctions in the production of skin secretion are:
- Cosmetics. The choice of products that do not fit the skin, or the use of products with poor composition provokes an allergic reaction and the effect of a demodex tick. The content of alcohol, comedogenic oils and glycerin, as well as some other dangerous ingredients in the care products can excessively dehydrate, irritate or create an airtight pore clogging film on the skin . It is important to understand that cosmetics with silicones, proteins, keratin in the composition, applied to the scalp, does not allow it to breathe. This provokes not only increased desquamation of skin flakes, called dandruff, but also can cause hair loss.
- Violation of the rules of care. The sebaceous glands of the head and face will not decrease with aggressive cleansing. Such procedures destroy the acid-lipid protective layer from the skin secretion, which provokes it to stand out more. At this point, the penetration of any bacteria into the pores can cause inflammatory processes. Untimely cleansing of the skin also provokes the growth of bacteria and clogging of pores, so such procedures must be applied with strict periodicity.
- Improper nutrition. To regulate the functioning of body systems, a certain amount of vitamins is needed. Their lack leads to a change in the condition of the skin. In addition, excessive consumption of sweets stimulates the synthesis of androgens, which also causes diseases associated with the development of skin pathologies.
- Environmental action. Frequent exposure to the sun, in a dry room or in the cold leads to the drying out of the skin, which enhances the production of sebum along with the destruction of the lipid-acid membrane.
Before you ask yourself how to normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands, it is necessary to identify the above factors and eradicate them. Then, resorting to treatment methods, you can use the complex of procedures as a prophylaxis.
Treatment of sebaceous glands on the face with medicines
This method of therapy is prescribed after the diagnosis and identification of the causes of malfunctioning of the sebaceous glands by doctors. A dermatologist, gynecologist and gastroenterologist are sent for research. During treatment, drugs for local application, antibiotics are prescribed and the nutrition plan is adjusted. If the disorders are associated with the hormonal background, then the treatment includes taking pills to normalize them.
Local therapy consists of drugs with retinoic acid. This includes Differin and Adapalen gel once daily and lasts up to 3-4 weeks. Antimicrobials are prescribed in the presence of inflammatory elements on the face. Dermatologists are advised to use Baziron AC, Proderm, Eklaran and Desquam. During their use, the effect of desquamation of skin flakes is observed. In addition, combined therapies, such as Zinerit, Klenzit S, Isotrexin, are also used in therapy. These methods regulate the sebaceous glands and are prescribed for mild stages of acne.
If necessary, doctors use an antibiotic treatment method. Among the most effective drugs resistant to acne, groups of tetracyclines and macrolides are distinguished. The former include Erythromycin and Josamycin, and the second include Doxycycline, Metacycline, Oxytetracycline.
Courses of such drugs last 10 days. In no case should you interrupt the course of antibiotics and combine them with alcohol. When prescribing medications, the doctor should have information about concomitant diseases of the patient. Diabetes, venous thrombosis and arrhythmia require additional nuances to be observed during treatment.
In severe cases of acne, the only preparation of retinoic acid is prescribed - Roaccutane. It reduces the activity of the sebaceous glands throughout the body, enhances exfoliation, but has a lot of side effects, so it is a radical means of normalizing the activity of pores.
Hormonal drugs are selected individually and are not used for self-medication.
Treatment of sebaceous glands on the face with alternative methods
Treating facial pores with home remedies is a less effective task that can only be used with external sources of the problem. This technique is suitable for the prevention of relapse. Used homemade lotions from pharmacy herbs, masks and essential and base oils that enrich cosmetics.
Steaming the face with decoctions is practiced to clean the pores and, as a result, narrow them, which reduces the production of skin secretion. For the procedure, decoctions of chamomile or sage are selected. The procedure is as follows: the broth is brought to a boil, poured into a container, and, covered with a towel, they keep their face above it for 5 to 7 minutes. This procedure is not suitable for owners of dry skin and with a close location of blood vessels to the surface of the skin.
A common solution to the problem is how to reduce the sebaceous glands. are clay masks. This product has a drying, anti-inflammatory effect, and also acts as a source of nutrients useful for the skin. Masks made of white, green, blue and black clay are used.
The product is diluted with water to the consistency of sour cream and applied for 15-20 minutes in the area of enlarged pores. During the procedure, clay should not be allowed to dry: for this, the applied mask is sprayed with water spray. It is recommended to apply 1-2 times a week.
An egg white mask dries the skin and relieves inflammation, tightens pores. For the procedure, the product is whipped until foam is formed and applied to the face in several layers. When the previous layer dries, apply the next. After the procedure, the mixture is washed off and a moisturizer is applied.
Cosmetic procedures for the skin
The solution to the question of how to normalize the sebaceous glands can be hardware cosmetology. A specialist in the process of identifying the causes of the disease, hereditary predisposition, anamnesis and other factors can prescribe additional procedures. Cosmetology offers many highly effective skin treatments:
- Laser biostimulation. This procedure can not only relieve problems with rashes. It comprehensively affects the skin's regeneration and protection systems, and also removes toxins and restores a healthy complexion. The procedure is carried out in 10 sessions, during which light therapy, microcurrent stimulation and ultrasound massage are combined. As a result, the skin looks more elastic, toned and moisturized.
- Microdermabrasion. How to normalize the sebaceous glands on the face? This method can be used independently at home. Microdermabrasion is based on soft spot scrubbing with exfoliating particles, which removes the keratinized layer accumulated around the pores and expanding them. This method allows you to narrow the mouth of the sebaceous glands, thereby reducing their activity.
- Ultrasonic peeling. During this technique, the shock wave of the blade of the ultrasound apparatus gently removes impurities from the pores and removes the keratinized layer of the epidermis.
- Iontophoresis. Stimulation by microcurrents increases the delivery of nutrients to the dermis, due to which regeneration is enhanced and the fat content of the skin ducts is reduced. Delivery of vitamins with blood helps to generally improve and refresh the face.
- Chemical peeling. As a result of the procedure, the acidity of the skin decreases to the level set by the cosmetologist, which causes a controlled burn of the skin. Skin for recovery enhances the production of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid. The integument is moisturized, the pores are narrowed, which reduces the production of sebum.
Thus, you can choose a more or less radical way to get rid of the problem. It is important to choose a qualified cosmetologist, since such procedures can aggravate the process if improperly performed.
Nutrition to normalize the skin
To make the skin of the face healthy and strengthen any treatment, it is necessary to switch to a proper diet. This means that it is worth excluding from the diet all foods that stimulate disturbances in the functioning of the sebaceous glands. These include:
- foods with a high glycemic index (fast carbohydrates);
- food containing starch;
- flour and soda drinks;
- refined products;
- caffeine;
- alcohol;
- nicotine.
Such food can be replaced with useful analogues. It is worth adding to the diet products that normalize the sebaceous glands:
- vegetables and fruits;
- high fiber cereals;
- dairy products;
- beans and nuts;
- poultry meat.
It will also be beneficial for the skin to eat red fish and drink decoctions of herbs.
Causes of scalp diseases
How to normalize the sebaceous glands on the head? This is a question that is undeservedly ignored. In fact, deviations in the production of sebum in this area in the early stages are not as noticeable as on the face, but subsequently can lead to thinning, loss, dryness and brittle hair. This problem can lead to seborrhea, eczema, and a subcutaneous tick.
Insufficient production of skin secretion or its excess can be due to both internal and external causes. Flaws in care are insignificant against the background of seborrhea. During this disease, sebum does not perform its direct functions, but accumulates on the surface of the scalp, which leads to stagnation of the secret. As a result of this process, natural lubrication loses protection against fungi, which leads to a strong exfoliation of the stratum corneum, which is called dandruff.
There is another reason that affects this ailment - stress. How to normalize the sebaceous glands on the face in this case?
Scalp treatment
Drug treatment of the sebaceous glands on the head is resorted to when the source of the disease is seborrhea, eczema, nervous disorders, demodicosis and other internal causes.
If the disease is caused by problems with the gastrointestinal tract and liver, doctors prescribe Festal and Pancreatin. When the illness is associated with stress, sedatives are recommended for use, for example, Novopassit or Sedavit.
For external treatment with local drugs, a shampoo is prescribed that normalizes the sebaceous glands. Means with ketoconazole and erythromycin are used, for example, Nizoral, Sebiprox, Sulsena, Sebazol. They not only equalize the acidity of the skin, but also serve as antiseptics that prevent the return of dysfunction of the sebaceous glands.
Such shampoos are applied 2-3 times a week for 1-2 months. For this period, it is forbidden to use other cosmetics.
Prevention of normal skin on the head and face
In order for the skin treatment to be successful, and at the end of it no relapse occurs, you should pay attention to the rules for regular care of the scalp and face.
How to normalize the work of the sebaceous glands, a specialist will be able to recommend. Here are some tips for caring for your face and choosing cosmetics:
- Cleansing. For this procedure, soft foams without alcohol and sodium lauryl sulfate are purchased. You need to wash your face only as necessary. It is worth buying a cleanser with acids. Scrubbing can not be performed more often 1-2 times a week, while synthetic abrasives in cosmetics should be preferred.
- Toning. A mandatory stage in care, which is the main way to normalize the sebaceous glands. It is used after washing, scrubs, masks and as a preparatory measure before applying the cream. It is worth giving preference to products with vitamin A and E.
- Moisturizing. As a means of care, it is recommended to use cosmetics that prevent the evaporation of moisture from the skin, and not pulling it from the deep layers of the dermis. It is worth avoiding products that contain glycerin and comedogenic oils.
How to normalize the sebaceous glands on the head, the list of recommendations for regular care will tell you:
- Wash your hair only if it is dirty. Do not adhere to the rules of purification once every 3 days, once a week, and more.
- When washing use water at room temperature. Hot liquid enhances the secretion of the sebaceous glands.
- Choose cosmetics that match the type of hair.
- Use nutrients for hair roots.
- Thoroughly rinse off sprays, mousses, styling creams.
Solving the problem of how to normalize the sebaceous glands requires patience and time. Many options for getting rid of the problem allow you to choose the best way to solve it. Proper nutrition, regular care and following daily rules that will allow the skin to perfectly fulfill its main function - to add beauty and charm to its owner, will help to avoid this violation.