Does Swimming Cure Your Pimples?

I've been swimming at my gym pool and started to wonder what it did to my skin, specifically to my pimples. My skin has been pretty clear but milia and as of late, pimples, started to pop up. Was this the case of chlorine water?

I typed in "swimming" and "acne" into google and was surprised to come across articles claiming that swimming can pure acne. Was I the exception? If so, how do I become the rule?

Chlorine disinfects the skin and kills bacteria on the skin surface, thereby reducing the amount of oil your skin, and thus minimizes the amount of pimples on one's face and/or body.

Swimming is a good form of exercise. Recall my entry about exercising and its benefits on your skin. If you are healthy, then your skin is healthy, too. Deep breathing allows more oxygen to be processed and circulated by the body assisting in the removals of toxins and dead cells from the body and promoting the regeneration of cells.

The absorption of water is also part of the equation. It's recommended to drink a couple cups of water a day. Why? Because it flushes your toxins out and keeps you hydrated. If there are no toxins in your body then guess what? You'll probably end up with clearer skin. In the same way, swimming detoxes your body. It exudes harmful toxins through the skin and the excretion system for blood circulation is greatly improved.

So with all these great news about how swimming reduces pimples, what the hell happened to my skin?

I came across an article and while it agrees that swimming will cure your acne, the effect is only temporary. It goes on to explains that too much exposure to chlorine will make one's pimples and blemishes much worse. The area becomes dry and itchy and will become irritated. I guess it's kind of like oily hair. If your body thinks your hair or face is not getting enough oil, it will pump out more oil. = Pimples.

SO IN CONCLUSION,

Swimming is not an absolute cure to acne. Just like 2342423 other products and other methods, it's 50/50. It will either work for you or not. And in my case, it doesn't. So does this mean that I will stop swimming? Nope. I'll just find a way to battle the acne out and get that paparazzi skin.

No Sleep = Pimples

I'm pretty much a night crawler.

I would stay up all night doing absolutely nothing and sleep during the day if I could, but I can't. I'm currently taking summer courses and because of my procrastination, I lose a lot of sleep. Everything comes at a cost and my punishment for being a-last-minute-rush-rush-person are pimples.

Inflammation causes acne... and lack of sleep can worsen this condition.

When you lose sleep, your body produces more pro-inflammatory cytokines (messenger cells) in the blood. Thus, increasing regular inflammation levels.

Of course this isn't the case for everyone. Some people are born with gorgeous skin and while I'm green with envy, I need to find out what's best for my skin and how I can prevent future breakouts.

And my number one issue: lack of sleep!

Contest Update: It's coming! I'm just waiting for some cards to come in before I post contest details. It'll be my first give-away so I'm looking forward to it.