Oily Skin | Causes & Treatments
An oily skin type can have enlarged pores, shiny texture, and blemishes such as blackheads and pimples. But before we jump into the details of the causes and treatments for oily skin, let's understand more on the oils in our skin. Our skin produces natural oil in the sebaceous glands, known as sebum. This natural oil is crucial for keeping the skin healthy as it helps to lubricate the skin, preventing it from drying out or becoming irritated. It is very common for us to have a certain amount of natural oil as it keeps our skin supple and moisturised. So why do some people have oiler skin than others? Let's find out in the article below.
What Causes Oily Skin?
Overactive sebaceous glands are responsible for the development of oily skin because they produce an excess of sebum, a substance that resembles oil and helps to keep the skin soft and supple. When excess skin oil is produced within the pores, your skin will look greasy and shiny, which can lead to clogged pores over time, if you do not take proper care. This would eventually lead to occasional or persistent pimples, blackheads/ whiteheads, acne flare-ups and very large or obvious pores on the skin.
The prime factors responsible for oily skin are genetics, gender, age, diet, and weather conditions.
The symptoms of oily skin and the severity vary between individuals. Here are some factors that cause your oily skin;
Genetics
If you check within your family, you might find that several members have oily skin. This condition is significantly influenced by genetic predisposition, meaning your likelihood of developing oily skin is largely determined by your genes. One of the key factors is pore size; larger pores are more prone to producing excess sebum, and this trait is often inherited. Ethnicity and family history also play crucial roles in determining the size of your pores.
Gender
Oily skin is more commonly found in males than in females. This difference is due to the higher levels of androgens, such as testosterone, in men. Testosterone is linked to increased oil production in the skin. On the other hand, women have higher levels of estrogen, which helps reduce the skin’s oil production capabilities.
Age
During adolescence, the body experiences an all-time high rush of growth hormones which boost sebum production. Oily skin, and the prevalence of acne in adolescents, are indicators of the growth hormone’s role in excess sebum production.
Stress
Excess or continual stress leads to the release of stress-relieving hormones, which also provoke the sebaceous glands to produce oil in higher quantities. Dermatologists point out to that excess stress is known to aggravate acne conditions.
Diet
Oily foods and those that are rich in simple carbohydrates, are a potential trigger for sebum production. While simple carbs are known to boost growth hormone levels, thus increasing oil production in the body, oily foods add to the sebum levels of the body.
Weather
Humidity provides the right conditions for sweating and oil production. Therefore, people living in humid zones are more susceptible to oily skin. Similarly, summer season is conducive for sweat and oil production in the body.
Overdoing your skin care routine
It is a common misconception among people that washing or exfoliating their face too often will result in less oily skin, when it can actually result in the opposite effect. Overusing these products can strip the skin of its natural oils, causing the skin to go into overdrive to try and produce more oils to compensate for the lack of moisture.
Overexfoliating of the skin can also damage the skin's barrier, making them more vulnerable and susceptible to skin irritation, sensitivity and other skin conditions. The increased amount of oil can also lead to more frequent acne breakouts, clogged pores and greasy look.
Wrong use of skin care products, excessive make-up, and keeping on make-up for too long, are also seen as one of the oily skin triggers.
Our Solution for Oily Skin
The basic objective of treating oily skin, is to achieve a balance. This is because excessively oily and excessively dry skin are not desirable conditions to live with. The key, therefore, is to ensure that your skin has the right amounts of oil content. Here are some Tips on how to Control Oily Skin – Dos and Don’t
Basically, there are three approaches to treating oily skin.
Topical Treatment
This approach involves using medicated applications on the affected areas of skin. You can do it at home with the help of creams or solutions. At clinics, common procedures include medical chemical peels - like glycolic or salicylic acid peel. Some of these chemical peels are incorporated in the medifacials to help reduce and control the excessive sebum.
Lasers Treatment
A variety of lasers, such as Pico laser (ND: YAG), Long pulse ND: YAG, and Erbium YAG fractional laser are used to target the sebaceous glands and reduce the amount of oil they produce. These lasers are an alternative treatment for acne, because they clean the skin and help to increase skin cell turnover. Other devices such as LED Light Therapy can also help to control these oil glands, making them less active. This, in turn, may produce fewer acne breakouts.Energy-Based Treatment
Another alternative treatment is the RF Microneedling treatment that uses Repeated Ultra-Short Pulsed (RP) technology to target abnormal blood vessels that treat pigmentation, vascular lesions, and other skin discolouration. It targets the dermis layer of the skin, which can help repair the skin, minimize the pores, lighten the appearance of acne scars and control the overactive oil production.Injectables-based Treatment
The skin surface is injected either with Botox in extra-small dosages, to decrease the transmission of nerve or chemicals to the sebaceous glands. Polynucleotide injections are another option in this treatment category. Derived from salmon DNA, these injectables are perfectly biocompatible with human skin. Apart from downtimes as low as 24 hours, polynucleotide injections help in skin rejuvenation, and reduction of fine lines on the skin.