Acne Control and Acne Accuracies

Acne Control and Acne Accuracies

Acne is the eruption of lesions on various parts of your body. You could have acne on your face, on your chest, on your back, on your neck, on your shoulders, and even on the upper part of your arms. These acne lesions might appear as blackheads, whiteheads, nodules or cysts. Most people get acne in their teen years.

Some get it in their forties. Acne isn't going to threaten your life, of course, but it could seriously interfere with it, especially if it disfigures you for the rest of your life. Acne doesn't have to be severe to cause disfigurement.

The onset of puberty brings hormonal changes to our bodies and these changes can cause acne. Oil glands, called sebaceous glands because they secrete sebum (oil) are now working more than they were during your childhood before puberty.

Androgens, male hormones, are the primary culprit for this abundant secretion. Girls and women have androgens, though they don't have as many as boys and men.

A hair follicle starts the acne ball rolling. This sebaceous follicle, inside the sebaceous gland, is where acne happens. Puberty gets skin lining cells shedding more than in childhood but when they stick together as they sometimes do the extra oil results in a clogged pore. The oil builds up in this pore but can't get out. The follicle swells up and you have a lesion.

Myth- Stress Cause Acne

P. acne, a bacterium present in your skin starts to multiply to excess because of the clogging in the follicle. Your skin is now irritated and probably inflamed.

Should the follicle burst at this point the skin around the follicle is going to react too. You are now going to have nodules, blackheads and/or pimples elsewhere on your skin. You now have acne lesions.

There are myths about acne that have been around for a long time that give you false information about acne. Let's dispel those myths right now. One of the more common of the false ideas you could have about acne is that if your hygiene is poor you're going to get acne. While you may very well get acne that poor hygiene is not the cause.

Believing that could make your acne ever so much worse as you harshly scrub your poor face into irritation. Of course you don't want excess oil and dirt from the day's ventures sitting on your face, but when you wash it away be gentle.

Only wash your face twice each day, and do so gently. Drying should be patting gently instead of vigorously. If you still have acne try something at the pharmacy that says it treats acne or visit a dermatologist.

Stress doesn't affect or cause acne. This is a myth and it's not true. The stress you encounter throughout the day isn't going to bring on acne. Even were you to have stress beyond normal levels and take medication prescribed by your doctor that level of stress still isn't going to cause acne. The medication might, however, and if it does, tell your physician.

Let's also dispel the myth that the food that you consume affects your acne. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, do get a healthy balanced diet but don't think it's going to clear up your acne or prevent it from occurring. It won't.

Don't listen to those people who pooh pooh your acne complaints with comments about it only being cosmetic. As a teen especially, there is no "only" to cosmetic flaws. It's a self-esteem issue, and it could be that permanently if that acne gets bad enough and exists long enough to scar you forever.

Summary:

Acne is the eruption of lesions on various parts of your body. You could have acne on your face, on your chest, on your back, on your neck, on your shoulders, and even on the upper part of your arms. These acne lesions might appear as blackheads, whiteheads, nodules or cysts. Most people get acne in their teen years. Some get it in their forties. Acne isn't going to threaten your life, of course, but it could seriously interfere with it, especially if it disfigures you.

10 Easy and Natural Ways to Get Rid of Acne

10 Easy and Natural Ways to Get Rid of Acne

 

Are you looking for acne solutions that really work? The good news is, whether you're a teenager or an adult suffering from acne, you don't have to live with it. Here you can find 10 super easy and effective ways to get rid of acne.

1. Do not pick, press or rub your pimples. These actions actually increase the sebum production and rupture the membranes below your skin. The infection and sebum will spread underneath your skin and cause more pimples. Also, you risk increasing the chances of leaving scars on your face.

2. Wash your face twice a day using a mild soup. It is even better if you can buy sulfur-based soap especially for acne. If your skin is too oily, use soap with Benzoyl peroxide.

Do not use rough sponges, brushes, or anything similar on your face. You shouldn't, however, over-wash your face because it will actually stimulate your sebaceous glands to produce more sebum which will increase your acne.

3. Check if it is because of the food. For many people, food allergy can cause very serious acne condition. You should avoid eating too much oily and spicy food.

Recent studies have shown that acne can also be caused by milk which contains hormones as well as seafood with relatively high levels of iodine. If possible, cut down on those foods.

Other foods you may consider avoiding are: sugar, dairy products, deep-fried food, meat, nut butters, etc. On the other hand, it is believed that green vegetables, vegetable juices and foods rich in zinc can help alleviate acne condition.

4. Drink more water every day. "Eight glasses of water a day can keep acne away." says Jennifer Thoden, a respected acne expert. The reason is that water can carry waste material out of our body and it really helps heal and prevent acne flare-ups.

5. Do not wear makeup if possible. Makeup products can clog your pores, cause more blackheads and pimples. If you have to wear makeup, make sure it is water-based. Be sure to clean your makeup brushes regularly and cleanse your skin before you sleep.

6. Do not use oily products. Avoid products such as hair pomades, intense oil-based facial moisturizers, and oily cleansers.

7. Keep your face clean. Do not rest your chin on your hands or constantly touch your face. Regular shampoo your hair and keep it off your face, especially when you sleep.

8. Exercise moderately as it helps in blood circulation and elimination of toxins. 

To Acne Tips

9. Stay stress-free. Studies have shown that stress not only worsens acne flare-up, it also worsens the overall skin condition. Talk to your friends, listen to your favorite music, or take a walk in the park. There are many things you can do to be stress free.

10. Get Sunshine and fresh air. Sunshine stimulates vitamin D in the body, an essential vitamin for healthy skin. Fresh air and sunshine can also reduce stress (tip #9) and increase oxygen to the skin.

Don't get burnt in the sun though. Burnt and heavily tanned skin forms a layer on the skin that doesn't exfoliate quickly enough and can lead to blocked pores.

Summary:

Become acne free forever. Get 10 super easy and effective ways to get rid of acne.

Acne and Acne Treatment

Acne and Acne Treatment

Acne is a menace. However, it’s not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories –

1.     Preventive or general acne skin care products

2.     Over-the-counter, specialized acne skin care products

3.     On-prescription acne skin care products.

Acne and Acne Treatment Before and After

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product.

These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne.

The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Then there are specialized acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin.

Most of these acne skin care products are based on Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of Benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.  

Acne and Acne Cure

Alpha-hydroxyl-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment.

Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules.  However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin. 

Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases. So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult.

Vilantae and Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic acid has long been known to help treat acne, however it doesn't work for everyone. There is also a strict procedure you must stick to or this acne treatment will not work.

Be Very Careful With Pantothenic Acid

Vilantae and other popular brands sell this chemical, also known as the B-5 vitamin, and it effectively diminishes acne in a short period of time. The general time frame for a complete acne treatment with these pills is roughly two to three months. Vilantae also offers a liquid form, which may be more convenient for some people. But, how does this all work?
                                                          

There has been studies on the B5 vitamin, but there is also much debate on the legitimacy of this treatment. In order for the treatment to work, you must take an overdose, roughly 10mg of this vitamin everyday for three months. It is known to reduce sebum levels produced by the body, and it also breaks down molecules the body normally cannot break down. This is good for the skin as well as for the body. However, some people noticed initial breakouts from starting to use this treatment.

 

Based on experiences, low doses don't do anything, but high doses treat acne. Also, one pill of the B-50 vitamin must be taken once a day - without this pill, this acne treating technique often becomes ineffective. Many people who failed at Accutane had success with this treatment, and more information can be obtained on acne forums from people who actually tried this procedure.

Like always, there are side-effects for acne treatments. Currently, there are no known dangerous side-effects for taking an overdose of pantothenic acid, but there are many mild side-effects. The most common side-effect is more trips than normal to the bathroom.

Some people reported minor hair loss, but these side-effects aren't of much severity to note. Also, many have reported that when they stopped using this treatment, their acne immediately came back as an acne breakout. However, this varies from person to person, as there are also many success stories as well.

Looking for an acne treatment? Check out our product reviews: vilantae, clearpores, and sensiclear.

Acne - Old Wives Tales That Work!!

Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on over-the-counter acne treatments. The truth is, a lot of these products are full of chemicals that can actually slow down the healing of acne, and irritate your skin, possibly causing further breakouts.

If there are loads of ingredients listed in your over the counter treatment, it can be hard to know if one of those ingredients is actually stopping you from having success. It can be even harder when you can't pronounce the ingredient, much less know what it is and how it is going to affect your skin. Most mainstream acne treatments are not only much more expensive than common household items, but they may also not work as well either. With that in mind, I will list some basic household items that can work wonders on clearing up your skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar. If you don't mind the possibility that you could smell just like a British Fish & Chip shop, vinegar can be a very effective means of treating acne. You can use any type of vinegar for this treatment. Regardless of which type you use, vinegar can be very helpful with it comes to clearing up acne. It can kill off acne causing bacteria, balance your skin's pH level and absorb extra oil from your skin.

Dilute your vinegar 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water and starting tarting with clean, dry skin, apply the diluted vinegar directly to your skin with a cotton ball, and leave it on. If you want, you can also use a stronger vinegar solution (say, 3 or 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar), and apply it directly to problem areas, making sure you rinse it off after ten minutes.

Lemon or lime juice can be substituted for vinegar. Both of these juices are rich in citric acid, and can exfoliate your skin very well, halting the growth of acne spots, as well as fading previous, inactive acne quicker.

The White of an egg

Egg white, which is rich in protein can be used as a mask to heal and rebuild your skin. It can also help to absorb excess oil from your skin. To start off, crack an egg, removing the yolk so that just the egg white is left behind. Beat the egg white, and apply it directly to your face. Let it sit for fifteen minutes, and then rinse the egg off.


Oatmeal

Oatmeal can absorb unwanted oil and draw out impurities that are found deep in your skin. Cook some plain oatmeal as if you were going to eat it. Let it cool off, and rub it over your clean skin. Let it sit for a while, like you would a normal face mask, and then rinse off. If you do this regularly, you should soon begin to start noticing results.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is a commonly used natural antiseptic, which you can pick up at most drugstores or supermarkets. You can apply Tea Tree Oil directly to acne spots to kill bacteria, or, if you dilute it with another oil (such as jojoba), over your entire face. Tea tree gel can be easier to apply than the oil, and many gels are made for applying over large areas of skin, and obviously they don't need to be diluted.

Aloe Vera has worked for a lot of people's acne. It's been used for years for assisting with burns, and another benefit of aloe vera is that it can prevent scaring, fade marks and help heal acne spots.

You now have an idea of some basic household items you can use on your skin that may work better than many Over The Counter acne products, and are much cheaper too.

This list of Old Wives Tales is a great natural alternative for chemical based acne treatment products. You can take this a step farther by attacking your acne from the inside out. It has been shown at times that acne can be affected by the digestive system, so keeping your entire digestive system working as smoothly as possible can help. Here's a basic idea of some natural products you can take that may help.

Cucumber, lemon and carrot juice, brewer's yeast, and active charcoal pills are all capable of improving the digestive system, and since the digestive system is closely related with your skin's health, they could help prevent or reduce acne breakouts.

As with all treatments I must stress that you need to stick to it. Don't just try for a day or so and then give up.