Diet Can Increase the Oiliness on the Skin
The oiliness of skin changes due to hormonal changes – puberty, the menses cycle, menopause, or simply aging. Another factor might be the Western diet. It is known that nutrition rich in sugar, fat, and milk proteins will trigger the insulin-like growth factor --receptor pathway. Focussing on the sebocytes, the Western diet may lead to an increased sebum production with subsequent development of acne vulgaris.
Due to sebum overproduction, the sebaceous duct fills with excess Sebum and dead keratinocytes. Oxidation turns the oily texture of the Sebum into a wax-like consistency, and the melanin of dead keratinocytes oxidizes and turns black. This is what is known as blackhead comedones. Sebaceous gland Sebum protects the skin against drying out. Overproduction of Sebum leads to oily skin. The skin microflora becomes unbalanced—the oxidation of sebum and melanin results in blockage of the pore. Hyperkeratinization seals the pore. C. acnes can proliferate. Inflammatory reaction against C. acnes intensifies. The bacterium that settles on the sebum-rich parts of the body. With an estimated density of 100 up to 1,000,000 per cm2 on the skin, it accounts for approximately half of the total skin microbiota and may represent more than 90 % of the microbiota in acne conditions. In a late stage, an acne pustule evolves where the epidermis around the hair shaft is ruptured, creating more or less severe skin scarring. However, sebum overproduction is just one side of the story.
Due to sebum overproduction, the sebaceous duct fills with excess Sebum and dead keratinocytes. Oxidation turns the oily texture of the Sebum into a wax-like consistency, and the melanin of dead keratinocytes oxidizes and turns black. This is what is known as blackhead comedones. Sebaceous gland Sebum protects the skin against drying out. Overproduction of Sebum leads to oily skin. The skin microflora becomes unbalanced—the oxidation of sebum and melanin results in blockage of the pore. Hyperkeratinization seals the pore. C. acnes can proliferate. Inflammatory reaction against C. acnes intensifies. The bacterium that settles on the sebum-rich parts of the body. With an estimated density of 100 up to 1,000,000 per cm2 on the skin, it accounts for approximately half of the total skin microbiota and may represent more than 90 % of the microbiota in acne conditions. In a late stage, an acne pustule evolves where the epidermis around the hair shaft is ruptured, creating more or less severe skin scarring. However, sebum overproduction is just one side of the story.