Acne Solutions

by duncan

Know Your Type Of Acne

While it is bad enough that acne is such a common problem, it is perhaps worse that there are so many different kinds of acne. You are probably familiar with some of the commoner varieties of acne, such as acne rosacea or acne vulgaris, even if you have never suffered from either of them.

But when you are really looking at effective remedies for acne, it helps to know enough about your condition to be able to target your problem specifically. So let us take a look at the different kinds of acne and see what we are actually dealing with here.

Exploring the acne spectrum. Broadly speaking, let us start with adult acne, which can be caused by a diverse range of factors, such as hormonal imbalances, pollutants, elements related to stress and responses to medications of different kinds.

These are just a few of the many causes of adult acne. Research has indicated that there may be a definite link between hormonal disturbances and the eruption of acne in women between the ages of 30 and 60 years.

Next on the list is Acne Cosmetic, which as the name suggests, is related to the kind of cosmetics you may have used which perhaps did not agree with your skin. In this kind of acne, your skin and pores have reacted adversely to various ingredients contained in your cosmetics.

Then there is Acne Congoblata, which is normally caused by hereditary factors. This kind of acne causes severe scarring on the face and back. Worse still, there is not very much that you can do about it.

Acne Detergens, as is evident from the name, is caused by the irritant effect of soaps and cleansers on the skin.

Acne Excoriee is the direct result of acne sufferers picking at the pimples on their faces and bodies. This is one of the worst things that anyone suffering from acne can do.

Then there is Acne Fulminans, a rather serious form of acne, in which the eruption is accompanied by fever and body ache. This kind of acne mainly affects males and erupts suddenly. Other symptoms of this kind of acne include a high white blood cell count, as well as loss of appetite and deep scarring.

You may have had enough by now, but unfortunately, there is more as this ghastly list goes on and on.

Acne Keloidalis is generally found among people of African stock. Most of the eruption in this kind of acne is concentrated around the neck.

Acne Mallorca is the result of too much exposure to the sun.

Acne mechanica is caused by friction between bare skin and different materials such as clothing, bag straps etc.

Acne Medicametosa occurs as a side effect of some medications. These include oral contraceptives, as well as other drugs that contain potassium iodide, potassium bromide and chlorine.

Acne Neonatorium is also commonly known as baby acne. It is caused by the transfer of hormones from mother to child, which stimulates the secretion of sebum in baby skin.

Last on the list is Acne Pomade, so called because it is brought about by the use of oils found in hair care products. What happens here is that this oil is transferred from the hair to the forehead, where it ultimately irritates the skin and clogs pores, causing acne to develop.

Generally speaking, it is a good idea to avoid touching your face in any case, and particularly if you are suffering from acne.

Now that you know the whole sordid tale, you will be in a better position to judge which kind of acne you have and take appropriate precautions. Before you recoil in horror at the different kinds of acne you are up against, remember that you only need to identify the one that concerns you.

Do not forget that you can look to your doctor or your dermatologist, perhaps both, for guidance on how to tackle your problem. It is not as bad as it looks, so do cheer up!

Is Baby Acne Common Among Newborns?

In our life, reproduction is one of the essential needs of human besides food, shelter and protection from harm. Most of parents are thrilled to see their newborn come into the world but how many people now about baby acne? If you do come across babies with little red spot on their cheeks, that will be baby acne. Some elderly might calm parents down by knowing that it will go away after some time. It is best to consult doctor or other parents that have tackled the problem before and solve it.

Baby acne is not uncommon among newborns and same like adult acne, it has a special name ‘infantile acne’. Cheek is one of the favorite spot for infantile acne to grow but it may also strike chins and foreheads of newborns. When a baby is born with infantile acne, the period of which it will hang on is from 2 weeks to 2 months. Worst case scenario makes it possibly till 6 months on the infant.

At this moment, some parents might be worried but only time can heal this problem. It can be said to be related to hormone in the baby which is passed down by the mother. However, there are good and bad hormones that are passed down. Not to worry as these hormones will eventually fade away and the only results are clean, rosy cheek of your baby.

The first of the tips to come are not doing anything that worsens the situation. As we some adults do, we like to prick the acne on our face. This is a practice that should not be done to baby. Their skin is delicate and might hurt the baby.

Secondly, do not put any oil or lotion on the infantile acne on the baby. Some parents might be too worried until making the wrong choice. It is understandable but the only thing that parents can do is wash the baby with gentle or mild soap and treat the baby’s clothes with good quality detergent. If infantile acne does not reside after 6 months, do seek doctor’s advice as this is not a common among infantile acne.

Mother’s skin care and diet programs, before or after pregnancy can affect the baby in many ways. It is best to care for your diet, do not eat things that can affect your skin. Baby feeds on mother’s milk to grow and build immunity systems thus your lifestyle inter-relates to your baby. During the first few weeks, baby’s skin is very delicate thus it’s best not to put any baby products that are available in the market. Just let the skin breath naturally to meet with the acne condition.

In conclusion, baby acne is quite rarely heard but it is not something and should be deal with care. Baby’s skin is very delicate thus we can relate it to us like caring for our own skin.

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by Dr Case

These Critical Steps Must Be Taken Immediately If You Have Cystic Acne

According to dermatologists, cystic acne is the most serious form of acne and those who have it require an immediate treatment from medical experts.

While all the causes of cystic acne are not fully understood, we do know that cystic acne cysts look like a closed sac and inside them is a tissue with a semisolid substance and fluid with a gaseous appearance. These cysts may appear on any part of the body and come in different sizes, normally they range up to about five millimeters.

These cysts can form a scar and may even develop into severe problems. They may also cause you some slight pain the moment they burst, which will then later result into deep scarring.

Dermatologists see cystic acne as the most severe form of acne. This is because topical medications like Proactive or Murad skin care products are not able to penetrate down to their root. They may also take a long time before they completely heal after bursting.

For cystic acne treatments cases, including adult cystic acne, it’s always recommended letting a dermatologist handle it, since their medications are usually oral medicines which will help far better than any topical medications.

Normally, the most effective cystic acne cure drug that is prescribed for the treatment of cystic acne is Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin is a type of drug that reduces the production of sebum and hence dries out the acne.

Isotretinoin comes in a form of a pill and it is the single prescription that can cure acne inflammation, clogged pores on your skin and reduce excess oil production.

The usual prescription for this pill lasts for 20 weeks, though when using it, you don’t need any other form of treatment.

However, this medication also includes some severe side-effect, like birth defects, which directly affects a developing fetus. Because of this, experts obviously do not allow pregnant women to take this medicine.

Likewise, the patients who are taking this medication are always scheduled for regular check-ups to monitor the occurrence of any additional side-effects.

Example of other side-effects that maybe caused by Isotretinoin are: some chest pain, muscles aches, depression, and the drying of either the eyes or the lips or both.

When any of these side effects occur, the patient is advised to see a doctor immediately for this may be harmful to their health.

With women, alternative treatments for cystic acne including oral contraceptives are usually prescribed as a cystic acne treatment. That’s because this later medicine can be used for a longer period without creating any side-effects.

Synthetic steroids are also regularly prescribed by the doctors for various causes of cystic acne. This treatments for cystic acne medicine helps to restrain the production of some hormones which are responsible for stimulating oil production.

In case the oral contraceptives don’t do the job, then experts suggest draining the cyst. However, this acne surgery should be performed by professionals.

Pricking or squeezing the cystic acne is discouraged by dermatologists because it probably will lead to an infection, which normally causes your cystic acne to last even longer.

With cases of inflamed cysts, these should always be handled by a dermatologist. He may decide to apply a highly diluted dose of corticosteroid. If he does, this corticosteroid will speed up the healing process and lessen most of the inflammation.

This procedure usually is painless and causes good results in about a week’s time and also avoids scars developing and any additional ruptures.

However, this particular cystic acne treatments medication is not the primary choice for treating cystic acne by a number of dermatologists. That’s because corticosteroid cures only recently grown cystic acne.

In the end, if you believe you have cystic acne, then it’s always best to check with a dermatologist for their evaluation and to get their treatment advice.

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by sabeth718

Beauty and Enlightenment: Laser Light Treatment of Acne

Acne is not a particularly attractive trait of anyone, whether adult or adolescent. Acne, in fact, contributes to lowering one’s sense of self, and self-esteem. As acne untreated can scar one’s skin, the effects brought on by acne can scar one emotionally for life.

Acne, however, is curable. Called by its formal name Acne vulgaris, acne is characterized by inflammation of the skin in the form of pus-filled bumps. These bumps are actually hair follicles clogged with oil and dead skin cells.

Acne is caused by a variety of problems. It can be due to a genetic predisposition to acne, a theory supported by the prevalence of acne in Western societies. Acne is also caused by fluctuations in hormonal levels, especially of the male hormone testosterone. Acne, scientists surmise, is the body’s reaction to these hormonal changes.

Another cause of acne is stress, which on its own results in hormonal fluctuations due to overworking of the adrenal glands. Other causes include medications containing halogens, androgens, barbiturates, and iodides; exposure to chlorinated compounds such as chlorinated dioxins; and abnormalities in follicle physiology, such as channels that are too narrow, pores that are too wide and deep, among others.

Adult acne is common as well, and may be due to conditions such as ovarian syndromes, pregnancy, or a rare syndrome such as Cushing’s.

Although highly unsightly and inconvenient, acne is not without its cures. Several topical ointments, such as those containing retinoic acid and benzoyl peroxide, have been shown to cure acne. These medications, however, do not provide immediate results, and are thus often expensive.

Previous studies on acne have shown that sunlight can improve acne problems, but sunlight actually worsens acne in the long term due to UV damage to the skin. Nevertheless, treatment of acne by other wavelengths of light is now becoming common, as it is a painless, non-invasive, and has been shown to decrease the incidence of acne. One type, light wave therapy, passes a blue light beam of high intensity over the skin. Originally used for cancer therapies, this treatment has shown to be effective in acne removal.

The light of blue light therapy is generated by fluorescent bulbs, lasers, or dichroic bulbs. When applied daily, blue light can reduce acne considerably. This is due to the effect the light has on Propionibacterium acnes, the bacteria responsible for causing acne.

According to studies, the bacterium produces a set of molecules called porphyrins, which generate harmful molecules called free radicals when porphyrins are exposed to blue light. As these free radicals accumulate, bacteria are killed, and acne is reduced until it disappears.

Blue light treatment has been shown to be safe, and even more effective than benzoyl peroxide, but over a shorter period. Blue light treatment, however, is considered expensive, but is actually cheaper than using benzoyl peroxide over a period of years.

Laser surgery, on the other hand, makes use of a high intensity laser beam passed over the skin to treat acne. This kind of treatment has actually been used to treat acne scars, but is now commonly used to prevent acne.

Laser therapy works by one of the following methods:

Lasers degrade, or burn away the follicle sac, the opening in the follicle from which hair grows.
Laser light is strong enough to damage, or completely remove oil-producing sebaceous glands.
Like blue light treatment, lasers lead to the formation of free oxygen radicals in acne bacteria, which can kill them.

Laser surgery, however, is reputed to have disadvantages, such as damage to skin due to exposure to light. If used improperly, light and laser treatments can dry out skin, or induce the formation of spots.

If you are interested in laser surgery, consult with your dermatologist, and know the advantages and disadvantages of laser surgery. If used well, laser surgery can help you have cleaner, clearer skin free from acne.

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by Kekka

The Top 5 Common Acne Rosacea Myths

Although frequently mis-diagnosed as acne, Rosacea is not actually acne. Rosacea frequently appears as a red rash on the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. Because the redness is often accompanied with symptoms similar to acne ( pimples, bumps and blemishes), it is frequently mistaken for acne. Because treatments usually differ for treating Rosacea and acne, it is important to know which type of skin condition is affecting you. Some acne treatments can actually make Rosacea worse. When dealing with Rosacea, it is of benefit to be aware of some of the myths associated with it.

Your diet causes rosacea — FICTION!

Studies have shown that diet has no direct effect on any kind of acne. Therefore, chocolate, french fries, peanuts, oil, sugar, etc. will not lead to acne rosacea. However, they could trigger an allergic reaction that could, for example, exacerbate allergies associated with the condition.

Acne in teenagers will lead to rosacea in adulthood — FICTION!

Although rosacea is sometimes called adult acne, no link has been found between rosacea and teenage acne (most commonly acne vulgaris). Rosacea is primarily a condition of the vascular system, where blood rushes to the face, while teenage acne is mainly a skin pore and bacterial condition. Moreover, it is possible to experience both conditions simultaneously.

Rosacea is caused by too much alcohol intake — FICTION!

Since alcohol affects the flow of blood, and rosacea is indeed a vascular condition, drinking alcohol may cause flare-ups in the rosacea sufferer, complicating symptoms to which the sufferer is already predisposed. However, heavy drinking, even on a daily basis, will not cause acne rosacea; nor does having rosacea mean that the person is an alcoholic.

The same products can always be used for both rosacea and acne cure — FICTION!

Since rosacea has mainly to do with dilated blood vessels, common acne medications that target bacteria (antibiotics), sebum production (retinoids), and abnormal shedding of skin cells (salicylic acid), will most likely not be suitable for acne rosacea skin care. One of the best skin care products for rosacea and acne is topical niacinamide, present in such products as Acnessential (a 4% Niacinamide cream), which reduces inflammation while being gentle enough on sensitive skin so as not to cause irritation and redness.

Acne and Rosacea is contagious — FICTION!

Acne, no matter the kind, cannot be transmitted from one individual to the next. Rosacea, in particular (although it is true for all kinds of acne), is not caused by dirt or germs but by a vascular condition. There is no such thing as rosacea bacteria than can be transferred by a rosacea sufferer. However, bacteria may indeed complicate papules and other lesions associated with rosacea.

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