Acne treatment tips

by:M.D. Stracener

Acne is a broad term which includes blemishes, blackheads, and whiteheads. Acne can strike at any age. Effective acne treatments are sometimes difficult to find, and understanding acne and prevention can be frustrating. Here are some acne treatment tips that have worked for many.

Although acne isn't life threatening it can be uncomfortable and hard on your ego. There has always been a debate about the actual cause of acne. The actual cause isn't as important as finding a cure.

So is there a cure for acne. Well yes and no. There are many products available and for some they are a cure, for others they do not help. A cure is only a cure when you find a product that works for you.

Most acne treatments will take time to work. It usually takes around 8 weeks before you see any significant improvement so you are going to have to be patient. Once you've got your acne cleared up it's important to continue with the treatment that's working so it does not return.

If you have serious acne it is best to consult a dermatologist. However in milder cases you will often be able to get it under control by yourself just by preservering. Try these tips to conquer your acne.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps keep your whole body in shape. It builds your immune system and helps eliminate toxins from the body. It's a great start to fighting acne.

Diet

You need to eat at least 5 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of nutrients that your body needs. They boost the immune system and are good antioxidants. They can work towards helping you get rid of the acne. Try to avoid refined sugars and fatty foods which have are not good for you or your skin. You also need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to flush your system of toxins.

Cosmetics

Choose cosmetics that are water based and hypo-allergenic. Avoid oil free products, coal tar derivatives, and heavy creams. Make sure you wash your skin thoroughly every night to remove makeup residue.

Hormones

Hormones can play a role in acne flare ups and they can be used to reduce outbreaks. Your doctor may decide to use HRT to eliminate or reduce your acne outbreaks.

Clean Skin

You need to avoid harsh scrubbing of your face but you also need to thoroughly clean your skin nightly. Use a mild cleaning regime every night. Once or twice a week you should also use an exfoliator to gently remove damaged skin and unplug pores.

Shaving

Is actually a great exfoliating treatment the removes dead skin. However you should never shave an area that is infected or inflamed. Always use a shaving cream if your skin is sensitive.

Stress

Can be a contributing factor to acne so try to relax and unwind. Emotions trigger chemical reactions in the body which can cause an outbreak.

You can help control your acne outbreaks by following these simple steps. What are you waiting for?

About the author:

MD Stracener from The Acne Cure has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing valuable information to keep you beautiful and healthy. Please visit us at http://www.acnel.com/

2008 - All Rights Reserved

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Down with acne

by: Beth Scott

Like a good many people I have been the victim of acne vulgaris (what an appropriate name) the medical term for pimples. It has made me aggravated, made me cry, and made me angry. Thousands of people each year are afflicted by it, and it makes recluses out of a good many teenagers.

It is caused when your pores get clogged and the fatty material made by the sebaceous gland accumulates, and a "bump" appears under the skin-or perhaps a whitehead or a blackhead (a comedone). Blackheads are not caused by dirt but by the discoloring effect of air on the fatty material in the clogged pore. If this substance becomes infected a pimple results.

As anyone can tell you the worst thing to do is to push or "pop" a pimple. Because this will not only cause more, but can result in life long scars. No matter what you see on TV or a friend tells you, don't pop a pimple. I know, I made the mistake and I'm still regretting it.

But not too long ago I discovered a way to lessen the intensity of my outbreaks, although it stops short of completely curing them.

I totally avoid grain products, most especially bread, corn, cereal, and other pastries, (also potatoes) and to still get all my vitamins I add wheat germ and brewer's yeast to yogurt or milk and fruit. Brewer's yeast does take time to acquire a taste to however, and can be found at most if not all Health food stores.

This method may appeal to you or it may not. Use your own judgment and see what is right for you.

Beth Scott

http://hop.clickbank.net/?workgirl15/acnefree

sweetstuff245@hotmail.com

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What is acne?

by: Lana Hampton

What is acne? Acne is a term attributed to plugged pores, commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads, pimples, and even cysts or nodules, occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms. Follicles, often called pores, often get blocked with sebum (oil), which normally drains to the surface, and a bacteria propionibacterium acnes, begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a "microcomedone" which then become skin blemishes called comedones. Acne can be upsetting, disfiguring, sometimes leading to permanent scarring.

There are different types of acne. A white head is a lesion where trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface. A blackhead, on the other hand, is a lesion where trapped sebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to the skin pigment melanin.

A papule is a small solid lesion slightly elevated above the surface of the skin. A pustule, again, is a dome-shaped skin elevation containing pus: a mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells, and bacteria. It often has a hair in the center. A macule is a temporary red spot left by a healed acne lesion. It is flat and pinkish, with well-defined borders that can persist for days to weeks. A number of macules can contribute to the "inflamed face" appearance of acne. A nodule is a solid dome-shaped or irregularly shaped lesion, characterized by pain, inflammation and extending into deeper layers of the skin. It may cause tissue destruction resulting in scarring.

A cyst is a sac-like lesion containing white blood cells, dead cells, and bacteria. It may be severely inflamed and painful, extending into deeper layers of the skin and can result in scarring.

Who gets acne? Acne affects teenagers mostly; however it can occur in adults of all age groups also. Acne starts between the ages of ten and thirteen and usually lasts for five to ten years. It normally goes away on its own in the early twenties but can stretch into the late twenties or thirties or even beyond. Some people get acne for the first time as adults.

The treatment of acne is not difficult at all. Following a clear regimen helps considerably. Gentle cleansing plus plenty of 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide gives a clear skin as Benzoyl peroxide kills the acne bacteria well. A little itchiness after an application is quite normal, and some people also experience redness of the skin for the initial couple of weeks. However, this will definitely get better because it will cure the acne and prevent any new outbreaks.

About the Author

Lana Hampton is the webmaster of www.theacnecenter.com. Visit her site today for the latest acne information, treatments and product reviews.

2008 - All Rights Reserved

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Natural acne treatment

by:Seth Miller

Most of these products contain vitamin E, grapeseed oil, calendula, aloe vera, witch hazel or essential oils. For example, tea tree oil applied to acne has been found to be effective for hundreds of years. An herbal blend that can help with acne consists of equal parts of the herbal extracts of sarsaparilla, yellow dock, burdock, and cleavers. Take half a teaspoon of this blend three times daily.

Natural acne treatments are desirable because they have few side effects, are inexpensive, and are effective for many. There are many natural acne treatments available for purchase. These contain various plant extracts that work to dry up the pimple and sooth the skin

Stress is popularly thought to be a cause of acne. Yoga, exercise, breathing techniques, biofeedback, massage, and meditation may be beneficial. Chinese, Ayuredic, Tibetan and Japanese herbal medicines can be used to treat acne. Massage is often recommended for people with skin problems. It can help to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage and speed the healing of blemishes.

Maintain a healthy kitchen with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eat foods containing healthy omega-3 oils such as ground flaxseeds, salmon, and sardines. Drink six to eight large glasses of water a day. Vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as chromium and zinc, all play a role in reducing and preventing acne. Avoid refined sugar, fried foods, and trans fat (such as milk, milk products, margarine, and any hydrogenated vegetable oils). Some people find that chocolate, caffeine, carbonated beverages, iodized salt, shellfish, wheat and/or milk products aggravate acne.

When shopping for cosmetics and toiletries, look for the phrase "non-comedogenic" on the packaging. Avoid heavy foundation makeup. Most acne patients should select powder blushes and eye shadow over cream products because they are less irritating and non-comedogenic. Never pick, scratch, pop or squeeze acne, especially inflammatory acne or "pustules".

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Acne Treatment provides detailed information on the best acne treatments, including laser acne treatment, and scar treatment, as well as adult, natural, home treatment, and more. For more information go toAcne Treatmentand / or visit its sister site at Microdermabrasion Web for related information.

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Controlling acne

by: Lori Stryker

Lori Stryker has been researching and developing all natural skin care and make-up for the purpose of offering men and women safe natural cosmetics for everyday use. She brings to her research a specialist in human biology from the University of Toronto, coupled with a professional home economics degree and an education degree from the University of British Columbia, fusing chemical and biological knowledge with food family and textile sciences.

Acne...it affects a majority of teenagers and many adults well into middle age. It is dreaded and despaired over by many who suffer from this common skin condition. Clearing acne begins by understanding what acne really is and what triggers it. Then we will consider how it can be controlled by lifestyle choices, skin care choices and wise use of make-up.

Who suffers from it?

Teenagers struggle with acne, but so do many adults. Acne breakouts can result from fluctuating hormone levels at various stages of life, such as puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Outwardly, acne can reveal internal signs, such as poor elimination or buildup of toxins, a lack of exercise or high stress levels. Both men and women contend with acne, and as good health and beauty are intertwined, the causes of acne can reveal the solutions to managing and reducing skin breakouts.

What is it?

Acne occurs when the oil glands produce excess sebum, the skin's own oil, which accumulates with dead skin cells to form a plug which results in a clogged skin pore. Bacteria trapped inside the pore feed of the sebum mixture, multiplying and producing agents which irritate the walls of the pore. As the immune system works to attack the bacteria, pus is formed leading to an inflamed pimple, blackhead or whitehead. Picking or squeezing a pimple can cause the pore to rupture, releasing the bacteria into the surrounding area, and can cause more pimples, cysts or scars. For many, certain areas of the skin have overactive sebaceous, or oil glands which produce excess sebum. These areas are typically the forehead, nose, cheeks and/or chin. Comedones, or blackheads, are not caused by dirt, but rather by sebum which has clogged a pore, oxidized and discoloured by melanin.

What triggers it?

Often a spotty complexion denotes a diet high in sugar or saturated fats found in fried foods, refined or processed foods. Conversely, a diet low in fat may lack essential fatty acids, and can also affect the appearance of the skin. Breakouts can reveal toxin buildup, resulting from constipation, kidney or lymphatic problems. Other triggers include a polluted, dry environment, and seasonal climate changes. Genetics also determines whether a person will be predisposed to acne breakouts. In general, acne is caused by a combination of four main factors:

- Genetics

- Skin Care

- Lifestyle

- Emotional State

We cannot change our genetics, but we can change the other three factors to help reduce the likelihood of acne breakouts.

How can acne be controlled?

Skin needs to be cleansed, fed and nurtured. Externally, the skin benefits from a simple regimen:

- Cleansing with a mild, slightly acidic and all natural soap. Other kinds of soaps can cause redness, soreness, irritation or tightness because of the harsh chemicals, colorants detergents and fragrances they are made with. Avoid any products which contain ingredients which may irritate or dry out the skin. Most often culpable ingredients are petroleum derived, synthetic or animal based.

- Tone with an alcohol-free, all natural toner, since alcohol is drying to the skin and will cause the oil glands to produce more sebum. Toner also helps reduce the bacterial population on the skin, decreasing the number of bacteria which will migrate into the pores.

- Moisturize with a petroleum free cream. Petroleum is comedogenic and can clog pores unnecessarily. Creams which contain natural waxes such as beeswax do not have a comedogenic effect on the pores. At night, massage a facial oil into the skin as this helps increase circulation to the surface of the skin and suppresses the oil glands from producing excess oil.

- Once per week, use a gentle exfoliant to remove dead skin cells which accumulate at the surface of the pores and lead to blackheads. A mud mask used once every couple of weeks also helps draw out sebum in the pores as the clays present in the mask are highly absorbent.

Internally, the skin is fed and cleansed by a diet rich in fresh fruits, whole grains and vegetables. These foods provide more water, nutrients and fibre into the diet and can make a remarkable difference in the appearance of the skin. Relaxation, adequate sleep, exercise and stress reduction also play an important role in keeping the skin clear and healthy as they assist the body to repair and detoxify itself.

Seasonal or climate changes, such as winter and humid summers in addition to dry, polluted environments also contribute to acne breakouts by drying out or irritating the skin. As the skin is exposed to dry temperatures moisture is lost through the skin, triggering the oil glands to produce more sebum. Keeping the skin clean and moisturized is essential to preventing the pores from becoming clogged with excess sebum. In humid conditions, the skin loses moisture through sweat and evaporation, triggering the same process which can lead to breakouts. Moisturizing and regular cleansing in dry, humid or polluted conditions can reduce the onset of acne.

Makeup can also trigger breakouts. If they contain comedogenic ingredients, such as those derived from petroleum, they may contribute to acne despite a clean and healthy skin regimen or lifestyle. Choose all natural makeup which is in harmony with the rest of your skin care regimen and less likely to contribute to breakouts.

Acne treatments which contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide worsen acne, as these are skin irritants and very drying. Tea tree essential oil is a natural alternative, and works by sterilizing the infected area upon contact without damaging the surrounding skin cells. It can also prevent microbial growth in that area for hours. Other treatments for acne include hydrocortisone which thins the skin over time, or antibiotics which can contribute to microbial resistance in the long term. Hormone treatments work by decreasing testosterone levels in the body, since this is the hormone responsible for sebum production. There are natural alternatives to aid in controlling acne, such as tea tree, lemon and juniper berry essential oils. These are effective and much safer to use for treating acne.

Acne can be a source of frustration for many. Much can be done, however to minimize the occurrence of breakouts thereby reducing the impact of acne on our lives. Making healthy adjustments to our diet, lifestyle and skin care product choices can lead to clearer, more radiant and healthy skin, free at last from acne.

References:

- Erikson, K, (2002). Drop Dead Gorgeous

- Marsden, K, (1993). Super Skin

- Purvis, D, (1989). The Business of Beauty

- The Organic Makeup Company can be located at http://www.organicmakeupcompany.com

About the Author

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