Acne Solutions

by Adams999

Myths About Acne

Acne is one of the common conditions that teenagers and even adults face nowadays. Do we blame pollution, food and even environment as the cause of acne? Modern science has improved dramatically to help us battle acne and might also discover truth of these myths.

Hygiene is considered as one of the most important aspects to ensure good health. One of the myths says ‘Poor hygiene causes acne’ which has been accepted widely in the society. However, it is not the main reason for the outbreak of acne which is due to ‘sebum’ and dead cells that are hidden under the skin and it is hard to cleanse. To minimize the outbreak, a gentle wash can be done easily on a daily basis.

What kind of food that will cause acne? As we believe, chocolate, junk food and greasy food can cause acne. How true is this? Some scientific research had been done to verify this myth in which the data from the experiment is not solid enough to prove this myth is true. However, iodine can cause acne outbreak and it is mostly found in seafood that we love to eat. Good health is the basic to reduce acne outbreak; thus, lessen the intake of the food mentioned above to ensure an acne free face.

Generally, medicine nowadays can either help or worsen the problem of acne. Many people think that applying more topical medication can cause acne to become worse. This myth is not true and people should not believe it but continue the medication prescribed. In some cases, acne ointments will cause inflammation of the skin. Professional consultation is needed in order to quantify the amount of medication to be taken.

We often hear that acne is common among teenagers but how about people in their 30′s? Acne can strike anyone at any age. But, acne usually clears up when a person reaches early stage of their 20′s. However, some may also have acne outbreak in their 30′s which is not common.

As we know, acne can be seen clearly through someone’s physical appearance but does the damage stops there? Patients of acne will tell you otherwise, acne can cause emotional stress which can last for a long time. It can also cause emotional outbreak such as low self esteem, self centered, seclusion from community and depression.

Some of the myths are carried down from generation to generation and some are created just for the sake of comfort and beliefs. Therefore, it is always a good idea to seek professional consultation for an effective acne treatment instead of believing the myths that could have make things even worse.

by zen

Your Quick Guide to Facts About Acne Scars

As a registered nurse, I have learned a lot over the years about acne scars, acne scar treatments, and acne scar removal.

Acne is one of most common skin conditions in the world, affecting more than 40 million Americans. Nearly 80 percent of people from ages 11 to 30 years old have acne, most often on the face, chest and back.

But acne isn’t restricted to any one age group. Adults who are in their 20s, 30s and even into their 40s can get acne.

Most cases of acne do respond to treatment and clear up without leaving any scars. Healed acne leaves scars in some people however, and it isn’t easy to predict who will end up with scars after an acne outbreak and who won’t.

Severe, inflamed, cystic acne always leaves scars after healing. And in some people even superficially inflamed acne can result in scarring.

Whether acne scarring is deep or superficial, extensive or scattered, the end result can be less than desirable and even disturbing.

Acne scars can give the skin an aging look. Scars may also contribute to a person looking older than their age as the skin loses its elasticity over the years.

A number of treatments are currently available to remove or improve acne scars. The type and depth of the scars influences the choice of treatment.

Here are some basic facts about acne scars:

Facts about the types of acne scars: Acne scars result from increased tissue formation, response to the inflammation of acne and loss of tissue.

Facts about increased tissue formation: Scars caused by increased tissue formation are caused by a build-up of collagen in the skin. These are called hypertrophic and keloid scars.

Keloids usually are found among several family members. There is a genetic predisposition to form keloids after tissue injury. For example, African-Americans often are prone to keloid formation. Some families also tend to more so, form hypertrophic or thickened scars.

Facts about scars resulting from loss of tissue: Acne scars resulting from loss of tissue are more common than scars resulting from increased tissue formation.

There are several types. They are ice-pick scars, depressed fibrotic scars, superficial and deep soft scars, and atrophic macules.

Ice-pick scars get their name from the way they look. They may be superficial or deep, are usually small and have steep sides like an ice-pick wound. They may be hard or soft.

The soft scars are usually more superficial and the hard scars are usually deeper. The bottom of the hard scar under the skin may be wider than the scar at the surface of the skin.

Depressed fibrotic scars are usually large scars that have sharp edges and steep sides. They look very much like deep chicken pox scars.

Superficial and deep soft scars vary in size. They have sloping edges that merge with normal skin.

Atrophic macules are soft, flat scars that often have a bluish or violet color on white skin due to the underlying blood vessels. These macules tend to fade away over time and become less obvious.

Acne scars are an ongoing reminder of a common skin condition that can cause embarrassment and social isolation. Acne scars can also contribute to the appearance of premature aging.

The good news is that today, there are several types of treatments to choose from for acne scar removal,. See your dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon for the best acne scar treatment for you.

More Acne Articles

by sabeth718

When You’re Serious About Getting Acne Relief Today

When changes occur in the skin, an inflammatory disease occurs that is known as Acne. The primary cause of acne is the blockage of hair follicles or sebaceous glands by dead skin cells due to excessive oil secretion from those sebaceous glands.

We often see teenagers and young adults having this common acne control and complexion problem. It usually occurs on the face but can also be found on the neck, back, upper arms and buttocks. Although acne seems to be a threat, especially among teenagers, remember it is only a skin problem and does not affect your general health.

Acne has several causes including having hormonal imbalances during puberty, during pregnancy, when starting or stopping to take birth control pills, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause. Improper hygiene and junk food can also be big contributing factors.

Prevention is the best cure. Although this is a glib answer on how to get to rid of the acne scars, studies have proven that intervention is the best solution especially because the number of people being affected by acne scars is increasing day by day.

Acne is to some extent genetic. So one must be watchful if acne has been known to be a problem in the family’s history. Also, it is known that acne and the resultant scarring affects teenagers and young adults the most.

The majority of acne patients develop scarring, at least to some extent. In order to prevent the ugly marks, one must immediately get an acne treatment in order to avoid developing the scars left by some acne conditions. Delaying an acne removal treatment might lead to a more serious problem and later on it will be really difficult to remove these scars, no matter how much you try.

For some, acne scarring may be mild and unnoticeable, but for others these scars are so prominent that they have a negative impact on the sufferer’s psychological well being.

There are many acne control treatments available, but it is advisable to visit a dermatologist to have long lasting results since a dermatologist can help you find the specific causes and determine the severity of the infection. Some of the treatments are:

1. Over the counter (OTC) acne medicine: these are products that are available without a prescription in any local pharmacy or grocery store in the US. These are basically just facial cleansers and creams that have combinations of a few different medications. Most of these products contain Salicyclic Acid, which helps to unclog the pores of the skin by sloughing off dead skin cells. In mild cases it’s quite an effective way for acne control.

2. Creams: they are quite popular as acne treatments. Benzyl peroxide is a very common ingredient in these creams. Other liquids and creams, do not need a prescription but those that contain certain antibiotics do. Applied to the affected areas, the cream can not only treat the acne but can help prevent blemishes from forming.

3. Oral treatments: these acne treatments are usually antibiotics that are available by prescription only. Another oral acne prescription medication is Accutane. It has been an effective treatment in severe cases but does have side effects that need to be seriously considered before using them.

4. Home treatments: These acne care treatments include dietary changes that will be beneficial to your general health and home made facial masks created from food grade items.

Thanks to the wide of range of acne treatments and acne medications that are available today, acne is no longer the problem that it once was!

by hnguitarist

All About Acne!

Acne is a terrible skin condition affecting millions of people around the world. Acne is an equal opportunity condition and doesn’t care about income, status or education, but does cause embarrassment, permanent skin damage and allows for a stigma to place on those who suffer from it. Acne is primarily caused by excess oil and bacteria on the skin that settles into the pores and causes infections to form.

These mini-infections cause breakouts or pimples to appear and go through their life cycle. This life cycle involved the formation of a pimple, the redness, pain, swelling and oiliness of the pimple and then the filling of the pustules with the infection or bacteria. Once the pimple burst, the infection is released, but often into other pores repeated the cycle, plus then you are left with an open wound which is unattractive and a perfect breeding ground for additional bacteria and thus the cycle begins again.

There many different products, treatments and procedures out there all advertising a “cure” for acne.

Realistically, this just isn’t possible. There are as many different types of skin and acne as there are sufferers and to truly find a “cure” takes an all-inclusive, personalized approach. If you are serious about getting rid of your acne and improving the health of your skin you need to assess and make changes in your diet, exercise routine, skin care routine, environmental effects, medical treatment or medications and personal hormone levels. When everything from diet to medications to work environment and stress can all lead to acne, there is no room to take anything for granted.

You should also consider using as many natural products or remedies as you can as well.

These products and remedies help the skin rejuvenate on its own and without the harsh chemicals of even the most sensitive of skin care products. Your skin is essential to the overall health of your body. It’s the largest organ you have and the largest filter you use. Your skin absorbs everything you come into contact with and when you don’t have the proper safe guards in place, you’ll end with acne and other skin conditions that are not only cumbersome to treat, but embarrassing to live with.

by sabeth718

The Dirty Secret about Adult Acne Treatment

One of the most irritating things that could happen to a boy or a girl in puberty stage is to have acne. This chronic inflammation of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands cause black heads, pimples, lesions and in some cases, cysts, infected blisters and scars to appear especially on the face. Acne may also affect the shoulders, the chest, the back and the upper part of the arms.

There are many known causes of acne; among them are hormonal changes in the body, stress, hyperactive sebaceous glands and bacteria. Whichever of these symptoms causes one’s acne; surely, the person doesn’t like having this skin condition. Aside from its unsightly effects, especially on the face, it also lowers one’s level confidence. For many adolescents, acne even causes depression and insecurity. Thus, for anyone affected by this skin disease, the first thing he would want to do is to get rid of it.

Acne treatment is not a very big problem because there are different kinds of treatments available. However, not all are scientifically proven to be effective. Nevertheless people’s experiences with these products have made these acne treatments so popular. In many cases, combining two or more acne treatments reduces severity of acne more effectively. Below are among the widely used acne treatments:

Topical treatment – Topical medicines are among the most popular treatments for acne. They are prescribed by dermatologists in order to reduce inflammation, open the clogged pores of the skin, stop bacterial infection and reduce sebaceous gland’s production of oil.

Among the topical treatments usually recommended by a dermatologist are Benzoyl Peroxide (Topical Bactericidals); Sulfur and Resorcinol; Azelaic Acid; topical antibiotics such as Clindamycin, Erythromycin and Sodium sulfacetamide; Retinoids (Vitamin A derivatives); and alcohol and acetone for milder forms of acne.

Exfoliating agents -Since one of the causes of acne is the accumulation of dead skin cells, exfoliating agents are needed to encourage peeling (not visible shedding of skin although in some instances, flaking occurs) of the outermost layer of the skin so that they won’t build up and block the pores. Exfoliating the skin can be done by scrubbing the skin using a harsh cloth and liquid scrub or by using agents like Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid.

Oral Antibiotics

Antibiotics can also be taken orally to destroy the bacteria that cause infection. Most common oral antibiotics are Erythromycin, Oxytetracycline and Doxycycline. Taking these antibiotic drugs however could not in itself stop acne since it doesn’t reduce excessive oil and normalize cell behavior that primarily cause blockage of the hair follicles.

Natural Treatment

Nothing can be safer than natural methods of treating acne. Natural acne treatments are advisable if your acne is just mild to moderate. One of the natural methods you can do is by eating unprocessed food, and vegetables and fruits rich in Vitamin A (this vitamin reduce oil production) and omega-3 oils. You should also drink lots of water and fruit juices. Avoiding food and beverages that aggravate acne is also helpful; among these are chocolates, fried food, coffee and milk products.