Archive for February, 2007

Posted on Feb 28th, 2007

Most people who suffer from acne related problems as teenagers, have over-active oil glands because of hormone levels. The silver lining of this is your active oil glands. These help with skins elasticity, and long after your friends who you envy now are wrinkled and old, you will still be looking fresh and younger. One more advantage of having acne is the great care you are currently taking now with the affected areas. This goes a long way for your skin looking great years down the road.

Many say that it is an advanage to suffer from the problems of acne when you are a teenager, then have clear skin as a teenager and skin dryness later on in life. Now this is what causes wrinkles when you grow older, oil glands that just dont produce what your skin needs. Few people will remember what you looked like when your a teenager, so look on the bright side!

Acne treatements do not need all those costly and expensice treatments. With simple everyday items and a strict cleaning routine you can have spotless, healthy beautiful skin. If you have ance, remember, you have the best type of skin. Oily skin which can be problematic in the earlier stages of life, has all the support of maintaining skins shine and glow later on in life.

Acne can be seperated into two catagories. There is facial acne which can be bluntly put as just a bad skin condition. The second is when it spreads badly, and caused by a hormonal disturbance. (Usually associated with teenagers) This is when acne becomes more of a disease then a condition.

Acne is usually on the chest, face, upper back and shoulders. All these associated parts are where oil glands are more active and the skin has many more pores. Pores are holes where body hair comes through a very narrow opening in the upper layer of the skin. Oil glands situated around these pores secret an oily substance called sebum. Acne forms when this opening gets clogged with excessive amounts of sebum (caused by hormonal imbalance), or with dirt and grime collected on the outside of our skin. Then bacteria on the contaminated dirt can attack the pore opening to get inside, and the body will send white blood cells to fight them off. In the fight of white blood cells and bacteria, skin can become swollen which causes pain and redness. This causes further infection, which causes pimples (commonly called zits) to form in the affected area.

Matt McMillan http://www.newacnetips.com/

Posted on Feb 27th, 2007

85% of people included in the age bracket of 12 to 24 are likely to suffer from any forms acne. Others may experience intermittent and serious forms well up to their forties. However, this skin disease is neither blood related or contagious. Notably, acne is a universal skin disease which manifests in all genders, ages and races.

This skin disorder is the resultant of over-induced sebaceous glands (or the skin’s oil glands) and blocked pilosebaceous units imbedded deep beneath the skin and blocked skin pores. Primarily, acne develops from blocked pilosebaceous canals. If these canals are obstructed by hardened sebum and dead cells, the combination of which may accumulate and block the ejection of dirt and body wastes; thus providing breeding grounds for Propionibacterium acnes or the P. acnes in the follicle walls or hair pores. These acne-infecting bacteria will attract white blood cells. The area then gets inflamed due to the reaction of the body to the activities eventually leading to the growth of acne.

This skin disorder comes in many forms. It is basically categorized into three:

  • Whiteheads and blackheads or closed and open clogs respectively.
  • Mild inflammatory acne which includes papules and pustules.
  • Cystic acnes or nodules.
  • Moreover, acne may come in many types, each possessing their own characteristics. Some types may be inter-related and some have their independent origins.

  • Comedo- or microcomedo, the smallest type of lesion)
  • Pustules- are pus-filled, usually yellowish in colour.
  • Nodules- are the same with pustules only varying in size and the degree of swelling.
  • Papules- are typically inflamed pimples.
  • Cysts- are pus filled and have sac-like formation. This is the most severe form of acne.
  • There are other forms of acne like:

  • Acne vulgaris-the most common form which comprise of blackheads and whiteheads. Normally found around the shoulder, the surface of the face and the forehead.
  • Infantile acne- which occurs to infants or new born babies.
  • Acne rosacea- acne growing on the skin surface of adults, especially middle-aged women.
  • Scalp folliculitis- or acne that manifest on the scalp and around the hairline.
  • Perioral dermatitis- which is more prevalent in women, characterized by small pustules and papules.
  • Acne conglobata- or acne vulgaris in its sever form.
  • Acne fulminans- usually characterized with systematic symptoms.
  • Acne is a disease that cannot be fully cured. However, there had been developed treatments to decrease the skin’s vulnerability to acne infection. These may composed by the following methods of treatments:

  • Homeophatic treatments or those that can be prepared at home and are usually available over the counter (soap and water, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and alcohol)
  • Topical treatments or those that are applied on the external layers of the skin.
  • Oral drugs or drugs that can be taken systematically, these are usually composed of antibiotics (like spironolactone, minocycline and doxycycline treatments).
  • There had not been any tangible causes of acne for most forms. Nevertheless, several studies were made as to determine some of the causes which may trigger the production of acne. These include the following:

  • Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes (the acne-infecting bacteria)
  • Psychological stress (also, emotional stress)
  • Unhealthy diet (basically, the basis may be the diet followed in the West which are fat-enriched)
  • Improperly functioning digestive system
  • Hormonal imbalances and changes ( which may be the product of the digestive system reacting to some food items)
  • Cosmetics (especially those that are oil-based)
  • Bruno Brown writes articles for health related sites. More acne information can be found at http://acne.atillz.com

    Posted on Feb 26th, 2007

    Products on the market that claim to make acne go away may do the trick but they contain many harsh ingredients, such as alcohol, that strip the oils of your skin. Some of these acne treatments and cleansers may cause the skin to become dry in areas that were treated. You may have solved the acne symptom where it was occurring, but now you have another symptom to resolve and that would be tight and flaky skin. You may then decide to buy another product that will fix or cure the symptoms of tight and flaky skin. As a result, you may develop greasy skin because the moisturizer was too greasy. Then you have to fix another symptom of shiny and greasy skin. It is a vicious cycle and in the end you may end up buying more products and wasting your hard earned money. You want to use an acne treatment that has herbal extracts and essentials oils with antiseptic properties to help nourish your skin so you can be blemish-free.

    One I recommend for your acne is the Aubrey Organics Amino Derm Gel Clear Skin Complex. This is perfect for acne spots. Natural alternative to over-the-counter Benzoyl Peroxide treatments. This product works. It clears acne and pimples without drying the skin. Aubrey Organics Amino Derm Gel Clear Skin Complex

    Here is one you are going to want to get your hands on quick. This mask is for an oily skin condition. The Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Seaclay with Goa Herb Oil Balancing Mask. This deep pore cleansing mask, complete with it’s active enzymes, works like no other mask, it will draw the oil and rebalance your skin without drying it out. Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Seaclay with Goa Herb Oil

    Alayna A. Fries, Licensed Esthetician Author, If Your Skin Could Talk, What Would It Say? My book teaches you what ingredients to avoid, what ingredients in skin care products are causing the common skin symptoms we all experience from time to time and what ingredients to look for when purchasing products for your skin. And by this, I mean safe skin care products.

    Get the rest of this article at: http ://www.ifyourskincouldtalk.com/

    Posted on Feb 25th, 2007

    Water retention is when there is a buildup of water in the tissues and spaces between cells.

    Water retention results from excess pressure on the blood vessels. Water then begins to leak into the surrounding tissue.

    There are many known causes of water retention. The biggest cause of it is actually from not drinking enough water. When you don’t give your body adequate amounts of water, it will begin to store water in the tissues for survival. When you supply your body with regular glasses of water it will stop storing water.

    Diet also plays a major role in water retention. Salt is one of the biggest food related causes. Too much processed salt in the body causes the water inside the cells to come out to dilute the excess salt. To remove access salt, you need to drink lots of fresh water so it can be flushed out your liver and kidneys.

    Other foods and liquids like excess sugar, toxins in the body and alcohol cause retention by putting strain on your kidneys and slows them down.

    Other than diet it is also important that you have healthy kidneys, as kidney disease and other complications all contribute to water retention. The other factor is exercise, which helps keep the lymphatic system active which is essential for removing access fluid from the bodies tissues.

    How does water retention affect acne?

    The pressure on the skin cells that water retention produces, causes the pores of the skin to become blocked. Inside these trapped pores, bacteria mixes with skin oil, dead skin cells, and toxins to cause acne.

    If you also happen to have over-productive sebum producing glands, you could potentially have quite serious acne.

    How do you combat water retention?

    * As you read a little earlier, it could be as simple as drinking more water. 6-8 glasses a day would be a good rule of thumb.

    * Exercising for at least 30 minutes each day to stimulate the lymph and promote healthy elimination of toxins and body waste.

    * Going easy on food additives such as sugar and salt. If you do eat excessivly salty foods, be sure to drink plenty of water afterwards.

    There are other methods to reducing water retention. One of them is by using diuretics. These cause excess water to be expeled from the body. There are many types of diuretics.

    Cucumber juice is know to be an excellent diuretic. Herbs such as Dandelion leaf have also been known for hundreds of years as diuretic in effect.

    Are you sick and tired of having acne?

    Clear your skin naturally in only a couple weeks with Acuzine Acne Capsules.

    Read the online press release about Acne Free in 3 Days

    Posted on Feb 24th, 2007

    "Water can be considered the most essential element for life and functioning of the human body. The body is made up of roughly 70% - 75% water while the cells consist of 65-90% water by weight.

    Most people simply do not get enough of this vital liquid. As a general rule, 6-8 glasses of water a day should be consumed and more if you are involved very physically during the day from work or exercise.

    If you really want to feel the beneficial effects of water you should drink half your body weight in ounces daily as stated in one of many "water cures". If for example you weight 150 Lbs, you would drink 75 ounces of water a day. An average glass is around 8 ounces, so you would need to drink roughly 9-10 glasses of water a day.

    To avoid upsetting your bodies electrolyte balance by consuming large amounts of water, you can add 1/4 of a tsp. of sea salt to every quart of water you drink. Be sure to use unprocessed sea salt that contain most minerals and not regular table salt.

    Some of the biggest water-depleters are coffee, alcohol, soft drinks. Some water is lost through breathing and water is lost from exercise, depending on the intensity of the workout.

    Without water, the bodies cells begin to dehydrate and impairs their ability to function properly. They are unable to remove metabolic waste efficiently and begin to accumulate toxins which can cause pores in the skin to become clogged and cause acne.

    Other than the cells, your kidneys and liver require adequate water for proper waste elimination. When you drink enough water, toxins can be flushed through these elimination channels and not through the pores of the skin.

    Another function of the liver is to eliminate excess hormones from the body. When the kidneys are overloaded, they require the liver to deal with excess toxins. Excess hormones, especially androgens cause the sebaceous glands to produce too much sebum (skin oil) which is another cause of acne.

    When the body doesn’t have enough water for it’s many functions, it tries to conserve water which is known as water retention. Water retention puts pressure on the skin cells also causing the pores to become blocked. This also is another major cause of acne.

    Processed salt is another chemical that causes water retention. To eliminate salt from the body you need a good suply of clean water.

    between them, toxins, water retention and excess hormones are considered the 3 biggest causes of acne and all can be reversed with adequate water consumption.

    Apart from helping to clear your acne, when you give your body the water it needs you may find many other ailments start to dissapear like cellulite, excess weight, headaches, pains and so many others it would be impossible to list them all here.

    Are you sick and tired of having acne?

    Clear your skin naturally in only a couple weeks with Acuzine Acne Capsules.

    Read the online press release about Acne Free in 3 Days

    Posted on Feb 23rd, 2007

    Believe it or not, stress can actually be your cause for acne. A study at a German university has proven the stress theory. Another study found that acne worsened in students that were under stress from exams. They discovered that when you are under stress, your body releases a chemical called CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone.)

    During times of stress, CRH is released from the hypothalamus to create a hormone called cortisol that is responsible for creating enough energy for the brain amongst other things.

    The problem with CRH is that it also causes the oil glands in the skin to produce more oil (sembum). When there is excess oil in the skin, the pores are prone to getting clogged.

    When the oil is combined with bacteria, dirt, dead skin cells, and cell waste it creates the condition of acne.

    Dr Jerome Litt, A German dermatologist, believes stress also increases production of androgens. Androgens are the male growth hormone that regulate skin oil production and is produced in large quantities during puberty which is why the most severe acne sufferers are teenagers.

    Any type of stress can cause the above problems. Stress is defined as mental or physical tension that results from physical, emotional, or chemical causes. Things such as worry, anxiety, fear and anger are all different types of stress and should be avoided where possible.

    There are many great ways to reduce and relieve stress. One of the easiest and most effective ways is through exercise.

    When you exercise, your body begins to release chemicals called endorphins. Endorphines make you ‘feel good’ as they are a natural pain-killer and are very effective in combating stress.

    Even simple laughter is known to release endorphins into the body. There have been studies that have shown that the body also releases at least 4 hormones that are all related to stress.

    Diet is also important for emotional and psychological well-being which is important for avoiding stress. Stress arises when you are out-of-sorts and depressed. When you are happy you are less likely to be bothered or stressed out by certain happenings.

    Vitamins are required by the body when under stress. Vitamin B is essential for mental health and deficiencies can lead to depression, lack of concentration and tiredness, all perfect conditions for stress from normal everyday problems.

    Other practices such as meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, massage, use of herbs, incense, aromatherapy and bath salts are also excellent ways to reduce stress and all help you to relax.

    Are you sick and tired of having acne?

    Clear your skin naturally in only a couple weeks with Acuzine Acne Capsules.

    Read the online press release about Acne Free in 3 Days

    Posted on Feb 22nd, 2007

    When your skin pores start to be clogged up with greasy, oily stuff, causing inflammation to occur, a skin condition known as acne results. If left untreated, acne could produce permanent scarring on one’s face, neck, or back. Acne is different from the common pimple that appears on the face, because acne will be inflamed and might turn out to be an infection. Acne can appear as whiteheads (closed pimples) or blackheads (open pimples), which then cause the distinguishing inflammation and possible infection.

    When children begin to turn into adults, their levels of hormones causes changes in skin gland size, which causes more oil to be produced by the glands, thus often resulting in acne. The majority of acne is minor and vanishes at the end of teen years, but inflamed, infected acne can result in serious scarring.

    Contrary to popular belief, there is no known study that shows particular foods, such as chocolate, cause acne. Proper diet and exercise will result in healthier skin, but will not necessarily prevent acne from appearing.

    Mild forms of acne can be controlled by washing with a soft mild soap several times a day, and by refraining from picking at pimples while they are healing. There are several acne medications on the market that can control acne, but cosmetics and oil-filled lotions should be avoided when treating it.

    The more serious forms of acne may necessitate the assistance of a physician to avoid spreading and scarring. Antibiotics are often prescribed in such cases. Further, teens who have acne sometimes feel embarrassed and might skip school or stay away from social contacts because of how they look. In cases like that, it might become necessary to seek counseling as well as medical assistance from a physician.

    For more about acne causes and treatments, as well as news items dealing with acne, visit http://www.acne-data.info

    Posted on Feb 21st, 2007

    Diet is very important when you are experiencing an oily skin condition. If you eat a lot of refined carbohydrates and sugar they will create more insulin that produce more hormones, which will create more sebum (oil), and in turn, will create more bacteria and more acne. You have probably heard refined sugar, especially excess sugar, is not good for you. Remember the barometer, (more about the “Skin Barometer” in my book) if you have too much of it, it will tell you that you are doing bad things to yourself. The average person eats over 150 pounds of sugar a year. Refined Carbohydrates you want to avoid come in many forms.

    When you eat refined carbohydrates they get digested and your body turns them into sugar. You do not need to add a lot of refined sugar to your diet, your body will produce what it needs naturally.

    Eat foods that have the nutrients your body wants, have your body love you, not hate you. If your body hates you, you will definitely know by the way you feel after you eat something!

    You need a healthy balance from the inside out to have amazing skin. What you want to do is nourish your skin, by eating well and choosing quality foods. By doing this, you could quite possibly take years off of your looks and add years to your life. I want to share with you why it is so important to choose the proper foods to nourish the skin. By eating the proper foods, it will increase your chances of succeeding. The choice is really up to you.

    I discuss the importance of safe, pure and natural skin care products. I will teach you what to look for and how to read the labels of your skin care products. I also recommend an eating well diet to have healthy skin from the inside out. After reading my book you will be well on your way to beautiful skin and a natural state of well being.

    Posted on Feb 21st, 2007

    Puberty brought bouts of acne. In your 20s, finding Mr. or Mrs. Right was of chief consequence. When the 30s hit, you worked to raise little Johnnie or Suzie to be a model kid. Now that your hitting the fabulous 40s, you should be coasting through life, right. Well, why are you suddenly dealing with the cosmetic double whammy of acne and wrinkles? Even your insurance company figures that you should have gotten rid of acne by the age of 25.

    The number people over 30 needing acne treatments has climbed to the extent that a report published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology recommends raising the age for insurance coverage of the acne drug tretinoin to at least 40. The authors of the report, Drs. Steven Feldman and Alan Fleischer, add that many insurance companies refuse to pay for tretinoin prescriptions for patients older than 25.

    Cosmetic Catch 22 Even if your insurance company leaves you to fend for yourself, you still have options for freeing yourself from acne and wrinkles. At first, coping with acne and wrinkles may seem like a cosmetic catch 22. Do you dry your skin with acne cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, and worsen your wrinkles? Or, do you smear on the moisturizer to smooth the wrinkles, but cope with the zits brought on by the extra oil or sensitivity to a new product?

    There’s a smarter way to handle acne and wrinkles.

    1. Interpret the acne

    2. Allow your skin to improve as you use self-awareness to remove zits.

    Interpret the acne

    While dealing with acne and wrinkles, target the acne first because acne is an autoimmune disease. Having an autoimmune disease means that your thoughts, emotions, and/or environment are affecting you in an adverse way and require immediate attention. Thus, acne may reveal that you need to relax more, change your eating habits, reframe your interpersonal dialogue, stop dating that jerk from the office and/or make another beneficial alteration to your lifestyle.

    Zits arrive on your face to report on some unpleasant activities within your body and life. Once you get feedback from these zits, you can take action to send the zits away while augmenting your health in the process.

    Acne is usually an indication various hidden or overlooked health problems. Here’s a sample of the questions you should ask yourself when dealing with acne so that you can unravel the mystery behind your zits. Are you:

    Regular?

    About 70% of your immune system is located in your intestines. If this area is blocked with waste, your immuno-defenses are down. So, instead of waste leaving your body via the rectum, it chooses to leave through the skin. Waste leaving the skin can cause an infection that presents itself as acne.

    Tense?

    Tension likewise reduces the vigor of the immune system. Take a few deep breaths throughout the day to calm your body. Take a long walk in the fresh air to wind down.

    Eating nutritionally?

    Cases of acne have been improved with consuming foods containing zinc, essential fatty acids, vitamin A and a host of other nutrients. All of these vital nutrients are available in leafy green vegetables, fruits and olive oil.

    Worried about unresolved issues?

    Not resolving personal issues creates conflict and tension in the body. Again, these issues most be addressed to avoid undue stress within the body.

    Exercising daily?

    Exercise reduces stress and gives you an opportunity to subconsciously contemplate challenges that you may be facing. Physical activity also keeps your muscles and intestines toned, which keeps encourages regularity.

    Changing pillowcase frequently?

    Using a dirty pillowcase aggravates an acne condition. Your face naturally secretes oils during the night. These oils are sticky. So if you pillowcase if dirty, you are allowing your face to collect extra waste during the night, which could further clog your pores.

    Moving or changing your job/career?

    New demands or feelings of lose can sometimes accompany change. Transfer these emotions into something constructive by writing in a journal or envisioning how these changes are going to benefit you. Find comfort in these changes and opportunities for new beginnings.

    Experiencing excessive facial hair growth and erratic periods?

    Conditions such as acne, excessive facial hair, and erratic periods could indicate an androgen disorder or other underlying hormonal imbalances. Your doctor can provide you with a series of endocrine tests to ascertain your hormone levels and what corrective actions you should take. Ricardo Azziz, M.D, who serves as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Director of the Center for Androgen-Related Disorders at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, estimates that 80 percent of women with excessive androgen levels suffer from an endocrine disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Azziz adds that women with PCOS often have insulin resistance and are at increased risk for developing Type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

    Once the acne is under control you can move on to the wrinkles. Another reason for treating the zits first is because if you alter your lifestyle in such as way as to free yourself from acne, and you doing this in a healthy and patient fashion, you will actually lessen the number of wrinkles you have.

    Health is wholeness and beauty is a reflection of robust health. You’ll never buy robust health in a jar. It is a mind, body, spirit and environmental support system that garners full-bodied health. Lets look at want you actually need from a “beauty cream”.

    Face Cream Education There are five basic ingredients in any given anti-aging or anti-wrinkling cream.

    1. The oil or moisturizer

    2. The preservatives to keep the cream from spoiling.

    3. A scent or flavor

    4. A color

    5. The active ingredient.

    Only one of these components is essential, the oil. The preservative is only needed to keep the cream useful. Your face does not need preservation because the skin is alive. Since some people have allergies to scents and colors in cosmetics, the body says that these two ingredients are not necessary. The active ingredient is usually the latest cosmetic drug or multivitamin that is supposed to lift or dramatically reverse your age by 5-20 years.

    Researchers S. Jay Olshansky, Leonard Hayflick and Bruce A. Carnes bluntly comment on the antics of cosmetic companies in their report No Truth to the Fountain of Youth, published in the June 2002 edition of Scientific American. The authors warn everyone aiming to reverse the signs of times on their face that, “… anyone purporting to offer an anti-aging product today is either mistaken or lying”.

    I bet you are thinking, “Won’t that oil make acne worse?” The answer is not if you are using the right oil. Some essential oils such as bergamont, lavender, lemon, neroli, sandalwood, tea tree and ylang ylang have cleansing and antibacterial properties which help combat acne infections. Other essential oil like geranium, clary sage and orange regulate the production of oil on the face. When mixed with a carrier oil such as jojoba or camellia, these essential oils are ideal moisturizers.

    Nothing that you put on your face will truly change your appearance. Creams are useful, but they are only one instrument in an orchestra of anti-aging concerts. Health starts on the inside. If you want to improve your beauty start with how you treat yourself and feed yourself. I mean not only what foods you eat but what thoughts you eat.

    You may eat thoughts of the sort, “I can’t…”, “I had a stressful day”, “I’m tired of…”, “I can’t wait until…”, “I’m getting old”, “My body isn’t as healthy as it used to be”. The menu is endless. If you want to look young and healthy, you have to think young and healthy thoughts. Here’s steps to jumpstart your quest:

    Start by changing your thinking. Develop your own youth model, i.e. with steps you’ll take to maintain your vitality and stick to it.

    Enjoy nutritious foods. A study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and using olive oil every day could help keep wrinkles away. The researchers found that people who ate a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts and multigrain breads, while avoiding butter, red meat and sugary goodies, were less predisposed to wrinkling. Researchers believe that antioxidant vitamins, such as A, C and E, which are found in fruits and vegetables, may help protect the skin from environmental damage.

    Use a gentle cleanser each day.

    Steam your face everyday for 5-15 minutes, especially if your have acne. The steam removes waxy build-up on the skin while it stimulates circulation. This combo of benefits cleans to pores to reduce the possibility of acne while firming up the skin and facial muscles.

    Exfoliate your skin daily.

    Moisturize your face in the morning and evening with natural oils. In addition to the acne fighting oils listed above, you can mix essential oils such as frankinsense, myrrh, neroli and rose to help encourage the growth of new skin cells. You can create a moisturizer by diluting 1-3 of your favorite essential oils in a carrier oil such as jojoba or camellia oil in a ration of 1 part essential oil to 3 parts carrier oil.

    Massage your face daily when you apply your facial oil.

    Lie down on an incline bench for 5-20 minutes each day to let the blood flow to your head.

    Wear a sunhat in the sun.

    Give yourself a light skin peel once a month.

    Finally, forty can still be fabulous and your beauty-plan a lot less enigmatic. Just remember the basics, interpret the messages of your zits, and educate yourself about wrinkle creams- you don’t need them.

    Naweko San-Joyz is creator of the Acne Messages program, the only acne program to combine the latest scientific research and ancient wisdom to deliver an acne cure as unique as the acne sufferer. As there are millions of people with acne, there are a millions cures, find your unique cure with Acne Messages. ISBN: 0974912204 available at Amazon and Noixia.com, Home of Six Billion Natural Cures for Acne

    Posted on Feb 20th, 2007

    The latest statistics from the American Dermatological society suggests that adult acne is much more widespread than most of us imagine, more and more adults are getting acne then ever before. In fact almost 50% of women and 25 % of men are affected by adult acne, at some point in their lives.

    Like teenage acne the exact cause of adult acne remains largely unknown. However one of the biggest contributing factors to adult acne is increased levels of stress that people now suffer from. For many, adult acne seems to come out of the blue, while others get it in there teens and never seem to get rid of it. Nobody really knows why so many more people are getting adult acne later on in life, but there does appear to be a clear link with stress.

    Stress is thought to interfere with the normal hormonal balance. If you’ve been under a lot of pressure recently and you’ve started suffering from adult acne, the best thing you can do, is to address the source of the stress. Until the stress is under control you won’t see a dramatic improvement in your acne.

    The standard treatments for adult acne are similar to those employed for teenage acne using mainly topical products, many of which contain benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is used to kill the P. Acnes located in the clogged pores. The use of topical solutions (creams, gels or lotions) targets the result or symptoms of acne and not the cause. It also often dries not only "pimples" but also the skin around them. In adult acne it is especially important to limit the number of pimples since dermatologists have known for many years that adult acne is more likely to leave permanent physical scars. The increase prevalence of scarring or pox marks is due to the fact that as the skin ages and loses collagen, it’s much harder for the skin to repair itself after tissue damage that is caused by inflammation and enlarged pores associated with acne.

    Despite the fact that acne is one of the world’s most common medical problems, it is still thought of as being very much a teenage problem. Very little thought is given to the significant psychological effects that the victim may suffer as a result of an outbreak of adult acne. The net result may be in feelings of anxiety and apprehension in leaving the home, and interacting with other adults. These issues must be resolved as part of the long term treatment of the disease.

    Peter Vine is a successful online publisher of Acne-Treatment-Expert.com He provides practical advice and the latest information on all aspects of adult acne treatments, which you can readily research on his website.

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