Posts Tagged ‘skin’

How to Treat Acne Successfully

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Acne is horrible. However, it’s not something that cannot be tackled. There are heaps of acne skin care products around. We can pigeonhole acne skin care products into 3 broad categories -

* Preventive or general acne skin care products; * Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care items; * Prescription only acne skin care products.

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

These acne skin care products act against the reasons for acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and avoiding the congestion of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products inhibit the oil from getting trapped in the skin and hence impede the growth of the bacteria that lead to acne. Broad-spectrum acne skin care items also take in exfoliation products like skin peels. These work by removing dead skin cells, thereby reducing the likelihood of pore-clogging and bacteria increase.

Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the requirement of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which remove the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care items are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne too). You must start with a product that has a lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.

Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also common as acne skin care items. You may have to test a few, before you find the acne skin care product that is most effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a skincare specialist.

Prescription-only acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. These include ointments that can be rubbed on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical medication. Dermatologists might also recommend a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to the everlasting 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 items are known to be very effective in some cases. So, with all those acne skin care items, combatting acne is really not all that arduous.

Are you having trouble treating acne scars? If you are or you’d like to know more about acne, please go to our website called http://treating-acne-scars.com

Strategies for Curing Acne

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Most people with acne attempt to treat their blotchy skin with creams, face washes, soaps, lotions and treatments. However, the easiest way to cure acne is by changing your diet and getting rid of acne-producing things such as fried food. A healthy diet, rich in natural unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains and beans is the first recommendation for curing acne.

Foodstuffs containing trans-fatty acids, milk, milk products, margarine, shortening and synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils, as well as oily foods, should be avoided. It appears that the high occurrence of acne in the United States is made worse by the average American diet. Americans typically eat fried food in large quantities, often cooked in the most harmful of fats and oils.

However, not all fats are bad for you, but the fats and oils that the average American eats make them more susceptible to get acne and other skin problems. Products that can irritate are ice cream, cheese, bacon, chocolate and milk. Furthermore, acne can’t really be treated using external skin creams and expensive soaps because the basic cause of the condition lies beneath the skin.

Pimples, spots and blemishes are caused by bacteria and other irritants lying underneath the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles, which are generally caused as a result of improper hygiene, squeezing and poor diet.

This unhealthy diet may be a result of too high a proportion of items like processed, fatty, fried and sugary foods in your diet. A diet that is healthy for your skin emphasizes raw or lightly cooked vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables that contain valuable trace minerals and fibre. Fresh green vegetables are essential, however you should also consume more lean protein sources, such as fish and chicken and complex carbohydrates, like rice, whole-grain bread and potatoes in your diet.

These fibre-rich foods will help ensure a clean gastrointestinal tract, which is especially vital to the control of acne. You should eat three healthy meals a day in order to supply you with sufficient important nutrients and decrease your craving for sugary or/and greasy, fried food.

You should eat lots more food that is rich in vitamin A, like apricots, watermelons, and broccoli, along with lean beef, nuts, lentils and whole grains, because they are rich in zinc, which is also be useful in curing acne breakouts. It’s also imperative to drink lots of water to help flush the poisons out that encourage acne.

Are you experiencing trouble treating acne? If you are or you would like to find out more about acne, please go to our website called http://treating-acne-scars.com

Are Acne Scars Permanent?

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Acne scars are a sad reminder of the having suffered pimples or even acne previously. They are unbearable because of their apparent longevity and their non-complimentary appearance. Normally speaking, acne scars are quite hard to treat, but tissue regeneration is not unusual these days with all the fantastic technological developments.

In general terms, by acne scars, we are referring to the healed lesions caused by an acne breakout. While most scars are temporary and disappear naturally in time, those from the more severe forms of acne can become permanent.

Acne scarring can be prevented if the patient sees a doctor when it is in the incipient stage, particularly if nodules or cysts accompany the red pustules on the skin’s surface. If the breakouts of acne have marked your skin, you will have to approach the issue from a different perspective, which usually involves surgery.

Laser resurfacing is one possibility of removing the damaged skin areas and stimulating the natural regeneration of the tissue beneath. The procedure requires only local anaesthesia and can last between a few minutes and an hour depending on the extent of the damage.

Fractional laser therapy is one of the most recent forms of eliminating acne scars. It involves surgical intervention at deep skin layers. The treatment is better than both dermabrasion and laser resurfacing in terms of quality and involves a very reduced healing period. Nevertheless, fractional laser therapy lies within the reach of only those few fortunate people, who can afford it, since it is the most expensive acne therapy currently available.

It can be that other sessions are required to improve the condition of the upper layers of skin, before they can start the deep level treatment of the acne scar. The doctor may inject collagen into the scarring in order to raise the normal skin level or she/he may suggest micro-dermabrasion for the same reason. Trying to perform chemical peels for acne treatment at home could be a bad idea given the risk of aggravating the condition by irritating the scars even more.

As for the types of acne scars, they can be classified by the way they look. Scarring can result because of an increase of tissue or due to a loss of tissue They both have an adverse impact on the way the face looks. Specialists’ evaluation of the nature of the scars is a very important factor for the decision of adopting one type of treatment or another.

About the Author:

Acne Problems

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Acne is one of the commonest skin problems to afflict the human race and it affects all people irrespective of age, caste, colour or gender. Acne is a tremendously embarrassing and burdensome disease, because it is so obvious and off-putting. Acne can be defined as red eruptions on the skin, often filled with a white puss, causing itchiness and irritation. The commonest form of acne is called acne vulgaris or puberty spots.

Acne vulgaris can be described as follows: … an inflammatory disease of the skin, caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland) . Acne lesions are commonly referred to as pimples, spots or zits - [source: Wikipedia]. It is an upsetting problem that we do not seem to have complete control over. However, there are different methods in which to treat acne: you can try medication from a skin specialist or you can try home or natural treatments.

Natural remedies are less time consuming, less expensive and have no side effects. However, they do take a bit more patience, because certain routines have to be followed rigorously in order to cure the problem once and for all. A natural remedy for acne is just as efficacious as medication. Here are a few home remedies to cure your acne. To start with, your daily consumption of water should be a minimum of eight to ten glasses. This helps you to detoxify your system and kill the harmful bacteria that cause acne.

Too much oily food also leads to acne, so fried and spicy food should be strictly avoided. Complete abstinence of fried and fatty food will have a marked, beneficial effect on an outbreak of acne. Furthermore, including chromium and zinc in your diet also helps to eradicate acne. There should be a combination of the right nutritional balance and proper, hygenic skin care.

A solution of ground nutmeg with unboiled milk regularly daubed on the afflicted area also helps to eradicate acne. Cinnamon powder and honey is equally efficacious in eradicating. The cooled liquid from boiled Neem leaves applied to acne acts as a disinfectant. [The Neem Tree is a tall, usually evergreen East Indian tree (Azadirachta indica) widely cultivated in tropical Asia for its timber, resin, bitter bark, and aromatic seed oil, which is used medicinally and as an insecticide (source: 'Free Online Dictionary')].

The infected area should be washed with anti-acne soap at least three or four times a day. Make-up should be strictly avoided when one is suffering from acne. Make-up makes an acne condition worse. Acne should never be squeezed as it may cause infection or / and make it worse. Squeezing your acne can also lead to permanent scars on your skin, which leaves your skin looking unsightly. Don’t let your hair fall onto the acne-affected area too.

Your hair should be kept pulled back to prevent contact with the acne. Pillow covers should be washed on a daily basis to prevent the germ spreading. The regular washing of your skin should be done to keep it free from bacteria. Apart from this, a healthy lifestyle should be followed with a balanced diet, exercise and sleep. Remember, if you take good care of yourself, illnesses will have less chance of afflicting you, especially such a small thing as acne!

About the Author:

Home Acne Treatments

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Every body knows the value of our facial appearance. The better it is, the more advantageous it gets. Above anything else, it is the first thing others look at when they look at you. Generally, our confidence relies on our level of contentment with our physical appearance. When one thinks he or she looks good, confidence really soars.

While we are growing up, especially in our teens, the outbreak of acne or even pimples is a major issue. If you do not have a problem involving your face, then congratulations. On the other hand, if you are one of the majority who do have an issue with it, there is a solution to the problem!

Is acne one of your problems? Are you spending too much money on chemical acne remedies? Do you want to apply a remedy but you are afraid that it may be a bit on your skin? Then try a more natural way of treating your acne. You do not have to go very far to do it, because the treatment is right there in your own house. The doctor is within you. The most useful beauty tip of all time is: drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. Hydrating your body will help you wash away your toxins. Take care of your body and take care of your skin.

Clean, healthy habits can also help. Take care that you do not leave make-up on your skin since it contributes to the clogging of your pores, thereby causing even more pimples and blackheads. Do not sleep with your make-up on. Also, always keep your hair out of your face, because hair contains natural oils that may contribute to breakouts in your skin.

Put your pillow slip and face towels in the laundry often. Daily, if possible. They are absorbent and they also hold acne-contributors like oil and bacteria as well. Finally, never, ever scratch your acne or pimples, since you do not want the dirt from your fingernails inside your face, do you?

Eat healthy food when you have acne. You should try to cleanse yourself not only from the outside but also from the inside. It would really help if you could reduce your consumption of oily or fatty food. Eating food rich in fibre helps|is a cure, since the fibre helps clean your body of waste too. Furthermore, eating food that is considered anti-oxidant would help a lot in order for you to maintain a healthy skin. Furthermore, food rich in Vitamins A, B and D as well as those rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, chloride, magnesium, zinc, iron and sodium is also a great help.

Maintain a diet, which is high in beta-carotene and zinc is a great aid not only in the prevention, but as well as in the treatment process and anti-scarring by acne. Yes, beauty is only skin deep, but having beautiful skin also makes you feel more beautiful and confident in your self.

About the Author:

Strategies for Treating Acne

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

Most people with acne attempt to treat their broken skin with creams, face washes, soaps, lotions and treatments. However, the best way to treat acne is by altering your diet and getting rid of acne-causing items such as fried food. A healthy diet, rich in organic unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruits, grains and beans is the first recommendation for treating acne.

Foods containing trans-fatty acids, chocolate, milk, milk products, margarine, shortening and synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils, as well as fried foods, should be avoided. It seems that the prevalence of acne in the USA is exacerbated by the typical American diet. Americans usually eat fried food in large quantities and often cook it in the worst possible fats and oils.

However, not all fats are bad for you, but the fats and oils that the typical American eats make them more prone to develop acne and other skin problems. Products that can cause are ice cream, cheese, bacon, chocolate and milk. Furthermore, acne can’t actually be cured using external skin creams and expensive soaps because the basic cause of the problem is beneath the skin.

Pimples, spots and blemishes are caused by bacteria and other irritants embedded below the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles, which are usually caused by insufficient hygiene, scratching and poor diet.

This poor diet could be caused by too high an amount of items such as processed, fatty, fried and sugary foods in your diet. A diet that is good for your skin emphasizes raw or lightly cooked vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables that are rich in valuable trace minerals and fibre. Fresh green vegetables are essential, however you should also consume more lean protein sources, such as fish and chicken and complex carbohydrates, like rice, whole-grain bread and potatoes in your diet.

These fibre-rich foods will help ensure a healthy gastrointestinal tract, which is especially important in the management of acne. You should eat three healthy meals daily in order to supply you with sufficient vital nutrients and lower your craving for sugary or/and greasy, fried food.

You should eat much more food that is rich in vitamin A, like apricots, watermelons, and broccoli, along with lean beef, nuts, beans and whole grains, because they are rich in zinc, which is also be helpful in preventing acne breakouts. It’s also imperative to drink lots of water to help flush the toxins out that contribute to acne.

About the Author:

Pregnancy and Acne

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Treatment acne is usually the right thing to do, if you have it, but not always. There are times in a person’s life when you should not try to cure acne just because you would like to. Unfortunately, during pregnancy is one of those times. Everyone knows, that this is a delicate stage in a woman’s life and that it is that phase of a woman’s life when she must show extra care of herself. If a pregnant woman feels the need to try to cure her acne, she must see to it that she arms herself with the proper information.

This must also be borne in mind by those women who might get pregnant. The following are some medications for acne that are not recommended for use during pregnancy since they may be injurious to the fetus:

Hormonal therapy which may include estrogen, flutamide, and spirolactone. They are a big no, no. They are injurious and may lead to some issues for both the mother and the child. It is better see it as a threat.

Isotretinoin treatment is something else that would put a pregnant woman’s life at risk. Isotretinoin can have negative effects as well, especially for pregnant women and breast-feeders. It may cause serious health hazards in both the mother and her unborn baby. Therefore, it is advisable that a woman who is taking Isotretinoin must be monitored by an expert. Women who want to become pregnant must avoid taking Isotretinoin, because it could trigger negative issues not only for mother but most especially for her child.

Oral tetracyclines, which could be made up of|of] doxycycline, tetracycline or minocycline, may not be an option at all, because it is injurious. It has been shown that pregnant women or those who are breast-feeding should avoid the use of this drug at all costs, because it could produce side effects that are nothing short of a danger to the life of you and your child. However, the most common side effect is the permanent discoloration of your teeth or / and bone weakness.

Topical retinoids, such as tazarotene, adapalene and tretinoin, is the last group that must be avoided. Just like the above-mentioned cures, topical retinoids may be another hazard to you and your baby. Even if you are pregnant or not, it is not wise to use any of the therapies mentioned above.

For sure, those women, who are pregnant and have acne, really ought to refrain from the heavy treatments mentioned here. Instead, why not try more traditional remedies, like keeping your hair back off your face, cleaning your face three or four times a day, changing your pillow slips every day, eating more fresh fruit and avoiding fatty, oily and spicy food?

About the Author: