Tag-Archive for ◊ Acne Skin ◊

Author: admin
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Tim Orlando asked:


Your pimples are like a signboard. It is the first thing everybody sees when they look at your face. If you are like most acne sufferers the moment you pass by anything that reflects an image you tend to take a peep at your “pimples laced” face.

If you are reading this then it is only safe for me to assume that you are tired of all the annoying little pains that comes with having acne on your skin. If you suffer from acne it is most likely that your self esteem has taken some “bashing” all because you have those little monsters growing off your face.

It is only normal for everyone especially young adults like us to be concerned about the way we look, after all we all live in an age where appearance seems to be so important in umm “everything”. Well not everything but a lot of things, one of which is social interaction.

Although I never really had problems with teen acne, when I was 17 years old, I started having pimples on my face but they were just one or two appearing sometimes once a week. That was not really a problem. Fast-forward to when I turned twenty and my face was like a “battle field”.

How Many Times have you been disappointed with an acne product?

You must have tried some products that have cleared up some of the pimples on your face, but if you were like me you would later find out that some of those “topical” acne treatments actually lose their intensity to fight your acne problem after a while.

What do Acne sufferers display!!!

I am very sure that we do not need any researcher or “shrink” to tell us what those little “pimples” can do to us socially. It seems mild to severe acne sufferers usually display one of the following:

*Low self-confidence

*Frustration

*Feelings of inadequacy

*Depression

*Refusal to socialize

*Low self-esteem

How do I know these? Well in case you forgot I just you told at age twenty my face was a “WAR ZONE”. Seriously it was. People looked at my face and cringed. The pimples were just too much. Enough of my own tales, this article was meant to educate you on the best acne treatments available to you and from now I will do just that. I promise :-)

Types of Acne medications

Before we start looking for the best acne treatment to clear your up your face, you should have a basic knowledge of the types of medication available to you.

If your acne problem just began, I can guess the form of treatment you are currently using to combat the problem is a bastardized form of “natural acne treatments”. Yeah you guessed right!! – Washing your face like a “quadrillion” times in a day and also picking and “popping” your pimples. Hey in case you have not figured it out that routine will not work!!!

This is not to say that natural acne treatments which ensure proper skin care are not good or do not work, but hello! washing your face more than twice a day has adverse effects on your skin and could lead to even more breakouts (pimples).

Check acne skin to see a comprehensive way of reducing your acne breakouts by achieving proper acne skin care.

Okay aside the natural stuff, medications for your breakouts could be:

*Prescription medications

*Topical medications

*Oral medications

*Laser surgery – which is in its early stages to treat both acne scars and the pimple itself.

There are so many acne sufferers who use prescription medications for their acne problem. Products like accutane, Retin-A, Differin and Tazorac are quite popular and famous because of the large number of dermatologist and doctors who prescribe them to sufferers.

You have to consult with your dermatologist before you even attempt taking those medications. Although these prescribed medications work for some individuals, they could cause birth defects for pregnant women or nursing mothers risk causing severe complications for their babies.

Topical medications are the most popular form of acne medication for a large number of us having trouble with acne. It seems the two most common ingredients in most topical medications are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. These two ingredients in topical medications are very effective in clearing up your “pimple covered face”. :-)

Using these topical medications that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, which are usually in the form of ****** wash, lotion or gels thoroughly cleanses your skin pores. Products with the right amount of these active ingredients would usually prevent new pimple from forming on your skin to a certain extent, as they protect your skin surface against bacterial infections, which could have been as a result of so many factors like environmental pollution.

In case you did not know this, one of the causes of your acne problem has to do with your hormones being on overdrive. The male hormone testosterone, which is an androgen, is responsible for that.

What’s my reason for saying that? Well it is because of the oral medications now used for combating acne from the inside of your body. These medications work on stabilizing the hormonal imbalance in your body. In simple words these oral medications work on solving the main cause of your acne problem and not on patching up the ugly results that is seen on your skin surface. Although you can take accutane to combat your pimple woes if prescribed by your dermatologist, it comes with side effects that could be really annoying.

A Product like the acnezine system contains oral supplements which work inside the body to rid the system of all internal factors causing your break outs.

A new technique being used by doctors to erase scars left by acne lesions is Laser surgery. This involves the use of laser beams to burn out scar tissues, which enable your skin (if you ever attempt such technique, you are on your on, I didn’t tell you to do it.) to generate new, healthy tissues.

Few doctors have begun to use this technique to prevent acne from developing.

I do not know the side effects resulting from such techniques or even if there are side effects. Laser surgery is a new technique in removing acne so there is not much information available for now.

“If your acne problems have stopped and you are seeking ways to remove the scars left by the pimples, you should try Revitol’s acne scar remover, which is a lot cheaper than laser surgery.”

Which exactly is the best acne treatment

Okay I have been rambling about the types of medications and have not said the best acne treatments currently available to you.

Well there are a large number of useless products offering overnight cures, but that is not to say there are no credible products that are capable of ridding your skin of zits. Clear pores system seems to be the best system considering the level of combination treatment it provides which include:

*Facial/body wash

*Facial/body protection cream

*Herbal supplement

Another very wonderful product is the acnezine system, which I used to rid myself of acne. It consists of a Skin Anti-Oxidant Capsule that fight the root cause of your pimples breakouts from within and a moisturizing crème containing benzoyl peroxide (you remember that ingredient), which fights acne-causing bacteria on your skin.

A number of former acne sufferers have testified to the effectiveness of healthy pores, which is definitely among the best acne treatment available currently in the market.

For more information, tips and reviews on acne and the best acne treatment available to you, visit adult acne treatment. Now!!!



Author: admin
Sunday, January 18th, 2009
Kerwin Chang asked:


Acne

This factsheet is for people who have acne.

Acne is a skin condition that causes spots. Most people affected by acne are aged between 12 and 25.1 However, men and women in their 30s and 40s can also suffer. There are many treatments available to help deal with the condition.

What is acne?

Acne is a skin condition that typically causes one or more of the following:

* blackheads (comedones)

* whiteheads

* red or yellow spots

* greasy skin

* scars

Acne typically affects the skin of the face, back, neck, chest and arms and the severity of the condition can vary.

Acne affects people of all skin colours. The processes that cause acne are exactly the same in people with black or brown skin but the impact is altered by the skin pigmentation.

Acne is very common and affects about 80 in 100 people aged 11-30 at some time.

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Acne

This factsheet is for people who have acne.

Acne is a skin condition that causes spots. Most people affected by acne are aged between 12 and 25.1 However, men and women in their 30s and 40s can also suffer. There are many treatments available to help deal with the condition.

What is acne?

Acne is a skin condition that typically causes one or more of the following:

* blackheads (comedones) 2,3

* whiteheads2,3

* red or yellow spots2,3

* greasy skin2,3

* scars2,3

Acne typically affects the skin of the face, back, neck, chest and arms and the severity of the condition can vary.1,4

Acne affects people of all skin colours. The processes that cause acne are exactly the same in people with black or brown skin but the impact is altered by the skin pigmentation.

Acne is very common and affects about 80 in 100 people aged 11-30 at some time.4

The skin

The surface of the skin has lots of small sebaceous glands just below the surface. These glands make an oily substance called sebum that keeps the skin smooth and supple.

Tiny pores (holes in the skin) allow the sebum to come to the skin surface. Hairs also grow through these pores.

IIllustration showing the structure of skin

Illustration showing the structure of skin

What causes acne?

Acne is caused by the overactivity of the sebaceous glands that secrete oily substances onto the skin.

The sebaceous glands of people with acne are especially sensitive to normal blood levels of a hormone called testosterone, found naturally in both men and women.

Testosterone in people prone to acne triggers the sebaceous glands to produce an excess of sebum. At the same time, the dead skin cells lining the openings of the hair follicles (the tubes that hold the hair) are not shed properly and clog up the follicles.

These two effects combined cause a build-up of oil in the hair follicles. This causes blackheads and whiteheads to form.

For some people, their acne does not progress beyond this stage.

However in other people, the build-up of oil in the hair follicles creates an ideal environment for a bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes to grow.

These bacteria normally live harmlessly on your skin but when this ideal environment is created, they grow. They feed off the sebum and produce substances that cause a response from your body’s immune system. This inflames the skin and creates the redness associated with spots.

In more severe ‘inflammatory acne’, cysts develop beneath the skin’s surface. These acne cysts can rupture, spreading the infection into nearby skin tissue. This can result in scarring.

What makes acne worse?

There are a number of things that can make your acne worse. These include the following:

* picking and squeezing the spots may cause further inflammation and scarring1

* stress can make acne worse in some people, although it is not clear why1,

* in women, outbreaks may be affected by the hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle1,

* excessive production of male hormones such as testosterone from conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome may be another cause.5 For more information, please see the separate BUPA factsheet Polycystic ovary syndrome

* some contraceptive pills may make acne worse. This is due to the type of progestogen hormone in some pills whereas some other types of contraceptive pills can improve acne – see Treatments section below. Your GP will advise you which contraceptive pill to take

* some medicines can make acne worse. For example, some medicines taken for epilepsy, and steroid creams and ointments that are used for eczema. Do not stop a prescribed medicine if you suspect it is making your acne worse, but tell your GP. An alternative may be an option

* steroids can cause acne as a side-effect

Treatment

Acne may cause you considerable emotional distress but there is a range of treatment options to help you tackle the problem. No treatment will completely ‘cure’ your acne. The aims of treatment are to prevent new spots forming, to improve those already present, and to prevent scarring.3

Home treatment

It is important to keep spot-prone areas clean, so wash the affected area twice a day with an unperfumed cleanser.1,6 The skin needs a certain amount of oil to maintain its natural condition, so avoid aggressive washing with strong soaps.

There are a number of over-the-counter remedies available from pharmacies to treat mild acne. These usually contain antibacterial agents such as benzoyl peroxide (eg Oxy and Clearasil Max).

As well as its antibacterial effects, benzoyl peroxide can dry out the skin and encourage it to shed the surface layer of dead skin. Together, these effects make it harder for pores to become blocked and for infection to develop.

Benzoyl peroxide can cause redness and peeling, especially to start with. This tends to settle down if you reduce the number of times you use it. You can then build up your use gradually.

No home treatments for acne will work immediately. It can take weeks, if not months, for significant effects to be noticeable. If home treatments have not worked after two months, or you have severe acne, you should visit your GP.

Prescription medicines

Your GP may start your treatment by prescribing a preparation containing benzoyl peroxide. If this does not work, or if you have more severe acne, there are a range of other treatment options that you can either rub onto your skin (topical) or take in tablet form (oral).

Topical treatments

There are several topical treatments you may be prescribed including those listed below:

* azelaic acid (Skinoren) is an alternative to benzoyl peroxide and may not make your skin as sore as benzoyl peroxide

* topical retinoids (eg Adapalene) are medicines based on vitamin A, which are rubbed into the skin once or twice a day.7 They work by encouraging the outer layer of skin to flake off

* a topical antibiotic lotion applied to the skin can be used to control the P. acnes bacteria (eg Dalacin T). Treatment needs to continue for at least six months. Preparations that combine an antibiotic with other acne medication are available (eg Benzamycin which combines an antibiotic with benzoyl peroxide)

Oral treatments

There are several oral treatments you may be prescribed including those listed below:

* oral antibiotics (tablets), such as tetracycline, can be prescribed for inflammatory acne. They should be taken daily for around three months, although it might take four to six months for the benefits to be seen.7 The success of this treatment can be limited because the strains of bacteria are often resistant to the common antibiotics. Antibiotics do not prevent pores from becoming blocked so treatment to prevent blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed at the same time

* some types of oral contraceptive tablets help women who have acne. A combination of the usual pill hormone called ethinylestradiol with cyproterone acetate (eg Dianette) suppresses male hormone activity so is often used in women with acne

* isotretinoin (eg Roaccutane) is a medicine known as an oral retinoid, which also exists in a topical form (see above). Isotretinoin works by drying up oily secretions. It tends to be prescribed to people with severe forms of acne that have proved resistant to other treatments. There a number of serious side-effects of this drug, such as liver disorders and depresssion. You should not take isotretinoin if you are pregnant, as it is very dangerous to an unborn baby. For safety reasons, isotretinoin is only prescribed under the supervision of dermatology specialists.