Archive for March, 2007

Posted on Mar 21st, 2007

Acne can be treated with medications, creams, and lotions as well as with herbal and home made remedies. There are many herbs, which help in reducing the acne lump and making the face clear.

There are many homemade remedies, which are easy to follow and provide a good solution to the existing acne problem.

Home acne remedy: Wash the face gently with a non-oily face wash at least twice a day. Wipe off the water from the face and apply tea-tree oil on the face. This will reduce the chances of you getting acne. Don’t apply any other oily or chemical cosmetic on the face.

Herbal acne remedies: While making herbal acne remedies, herbs like lavender, chamomile, juniper, dandelion root, burdock and bergamot are used. These herbal acne remedies can improve the skin condition considerably. Other herbs like hazel, which is a very good astringent, pokeroot an anti-inflammatory herbal medicine etc, are also used for acne remedies.

Some people think eating chocolates, ice creams, pickles etc could make the acne worse, but it is a myth and taking these won’t harm or aggravate the skin condition. Whether you are a teen or an adult, acne could dent your confidence levels and make you depressed, so get a remedy for it.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://beauty.resourz.com/2006/01/30/acne-remedy/

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above.

Posted on Mar 20th, 2007

Acne lowers the self-esteem and self-confidence of a person. The person affected by acne usually finds it difficult to mingle with friends and colleagues. The acne problem is always in the back of his or her mind. Most of the people have acne in the face, cheeks and neck, which are easily visible. This lowers a person’s self-confidence.

Though acne is a small bump in your skin, it could make a person feel shy and could even keep a person indoor most of the time. It is advised to get it treated with the help of a dermatologist who would recommend proper medications, which would heal and prevent acne. There are lot of do’s and don’ts, which have to be followed if you have acne. No scratching, cutting, pressing etc as it could worsen the acne and aggravate the condition. In the long run the acne could leave a scar on your face, which cannot be treated.

Some people think eating chocolates, ice creams, pickles etc could make the acne worse, but it is a myth and taking these won’t harm or aggravate the skin condition. Whether you are a teen or an adult, acne could dent your confidence levels and make you depressed.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://beauty.resourz.com/2006/01/30/acne-problems/

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above.

Posted on Mar 19th, 2007

Taking proper care of acne is very important, so that the acne does not become a serious problem.

Clean your face often:

It is advised to clean your face often by using cleansers. Washing your face at least three times a day is recommended, but if you exercise, go for jogging, work in a factory environment etc then you need to wash your face after you complete that job.

Don’t touch the skin quite often:

Most of the people who have acne keep on touching, squeezing or rubbing the acne, which could leave marks on the skin. It is advised not to touch the skin often.

Shaving properly:

While shaving you should take care the acne portion is not cut. If you have acne in the beard area, it is advised to trim your beard rather than to shave with sharp blades and cut the acne, which could lead to blemishes. Shave only when it is necessary.

Avoid Sun:

If you use acne creams or lotions then it is advised not to go in the sun as you could get sunburn. Sunburn could leave a blemish on the skin and overexposure could even lead to skin allergy.

Using cosmetics:

You have to choose the cosmetics very carefully when you have acne. The cosmetic products should be noncomedogenic, which means it won’t close your pores. Even using noncomedogenic products could make the acne bad.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://beauty.resourz.com/2006/01/30/acne-care/

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above.

Posted on Mar 18th, 2007

Acne is 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).

The condition is common in adolescence as a result of an abnormal response to normal levels of the male hormone testosterone. The response for most people diminishes over time and acne thus tends to disappear, or at least decrease, after one reaches their early twenties. There is, however, no way to predict how long it will take for it to disappear entirely, and some individuals will continue to suffer from acne decades later into their thirties and forties and even beyond. Acne affects a large percentage of humans at some stage in life.

SYMPTOMS

The most common form of acne is known as "acne vulgaris", which means common acne. Excessive secretion of oils from the glands combines with naturally occurring dead skin cells to block the hair follicles. Oil secretions build up beneath the blocked pore, providing a perfect environment for the skin bacteria Propioni bacterium acne to multiply uncontrolled. In response, the skin inflames, producing the visible lesion. The face, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms are especially affected. The typical acne lesions are comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and inflammatory cysts. These are the more inflamed forms of pus-filled or reddish bumps, even boil-like tender swellings. Non-inflamed ’sebaceous cysts’, more properly called epidermoid cysts, occur either in association with acne or alone but are not a constant feature. After resolution of acne lesions, prominent unsightly scars may remain. Aside from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem and depression. Acne usually appears during adolescence, when people already tend to be most socially insecure.

CAUSES OF ACNE

The increased hormone production in the puberty stimulates to increased sebum production. The male hormone, testosterone, seem to contribute most. Also girls begin to produce more testosterone in the puberty. Also in other periods, altered hormone production may give acne, for example by women in the menopause. Exactly why some people get acne and some do not is not fully known. It is known to be partly hereditary. Here are some other factors that may contribute in causing acne or aggravating the condition.

- Hormonal activity, such as menstrual cycles
- Stress, through increased output of hormones from the adrenal (stress) glands
- Accumulation of dead skin cells
- Bacteria in the pores, to which the body becomes allergic
- Skin irritation or scratching of any sort will activate inflammation
- Use of anabolic steroids
- Some contraceptive agents
- Humid environments
- Some antidepressants. Testosterone and anabolic steroids used for treatment or by body-building
- Use of some types of greasy cosmetic products. Some antiperspirant products.
- Exposing the skin for chlorine or other halogens, or medicines containing halogens.
- Women may get aggravated acne 2-7 days before menstruation.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CAUSES

There are many misconceptions and rumors about causes of acne.

1. Acne is not caused by dirt. This misconception probably comes from the fact that acne involves skin infections. In fact the blockages that cause acne occur deep within the narrow follicle channel, where it is impossible to wash them away. These plugs are formed by the cells and sebum created there by the body. The bacteria involved are the same bacteria that are always present on the skin. It is advisable to clean the skin on a regular basis, but doing so will not prevent acne. Anything beyond very gentle cleansing can actually worsen existing lesions and even encourage new ones by damaging or over drying skin.

2. Sex. Common myths state that either celibacy or masturbation causes acne and, conversely, that sexual intercourse can cure it. There is no scientific evidence suggesting that any of these are factual. It is true though that anger and stress affect hormone levels and thus bodily oil production, which can cause acne.

TREATMENT

Sometimes Acne is so severe that special medical treatment is required, and sometimes the causes of acne necessitate medical treatment. But you can do much yourself also. Here are listed things you can do yourself to prevent or treat acne:

1. Some advices about diet that may help prevent and cure acne:

- Do not consume a great amount of fat
- The fat you add to the food should be natural oils. Such as Olive oil, walnut oil, and sunflower oil.
- Eat much fish, seafood and not so much meat.
- Eat food with a high fiber content to regulate the digestion like vegetables and fruit.

2. Here are some things you should avoid.

- Do not use greasy or heavy cosmetics that clog your skin and are difficult to wash away.
- Do not wash with soap or cleaners that dry up your skin and take away all the natural oily protection in your skin.
- Use clothes that allow air to reach your body surface to avoid collection of humidity and overheating of your skin.

3. Use of rinsing milk or solutions

You can rinse your skin with mild products especially made to dissolve the plugs in your pores, and to make the environment in your skin unfriendly to bacteria causing infection. Some of these products are just products to wash your skin with one ore more times a day others should be on during night and flushed away in the morning.

Salicylic acid is a mild ingredient often used in these products to dissolve the comedones. The products usually also contain ingredients that work antibacterial and stimulate the skin’s own cleaning activities, like Tea tree oil or Echinacea extract.

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Posted on Mar 17th, 2007

There are lots of acne pills available in the market and it is very difficult to choose a good acne pill. Also there are various herbal pills, homeopathic medicines and other therapies available for curing acne.

It is advised to consult a physician and buy acne pills and not buy them without a physicians advise. It might be confusing whether to buy a herbal medicine or allopathic medicine for treating acne. There are so many lotions and creams available in the market and on websites that people get confused while buying.

Some dermatologists might prescribe antibiotics if the acne is severe, while some might prescribe lotions and creams to get rid of acne. It all depends on the severity of acne.

It is advised to go to a dermatologist who would prescribe medicines. There are many stages of acne and there are many types of acne and a dermatologist only would be able to recommend the medications and their dosage. He also would recommend the right type of lotions and creams to be used.

If the dermatologist prescribes an acne pill then take it according to the prescription. Some acne pills could increase the redness and become severe. If you feel any problem while taking acne pills then contact your dermatologist immediately. Do not buy acne pills without consulting your doctor.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://beauty.resourz.com/2006/01/30/acne-pill/

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above.

Posted on Mar 16th, 2007

Millions of people have suffered from acne during their teenage days. Some of them, particularly women have suffered a prolonged acne problem beyond teenage. So much has been discussed and invented to wipe off this menace from the face. In fact very few experiments have been successful.

The newest on the block is acne light therapy. The acne light therapy is based on a device. The device in the acne light therapy attacks the bacteria in the clogged holes of the skin. The bacteria live below the skin surface. Porphyrin, a metabolic by-product of the bacteria is sensitive to light. The acne light device works on those porphyrins. A very sensitive blue light is released from the acne light device. When the porphyrins come in contact with the blue light they produce oxygen within the acne. This oxygen kills the bacteria. This is the basic technique of acne light therapy.

Acne light therapy is effective up to four months. Acne light therapy reduces acne up to sixty percent. The whole process of acne light therapy takes fifteen minutes. There have been no side effects reported. The success of the acne light therapy depends on the type of acne. Along with the therapy you need to take proper care of your skin.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://beauty.resourz.com/2006/01/30/acne-light/

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above.

Posted on Mar 15th, 2007

Acne inversa also known as hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disorder of sebaceous follicles and terminal hair follicles. To put it in simple words acne inversa is basically a disease which is caused in the inverse areas of body such as arm pits and similar parts which have skin to skin contact with each other and where apocrine glands and hair follicles are found.

Acne inversa becomes evident as a series from single boil-like, pus-filled abscesses, or hard sebaceous lumps, to painful, deep-seated, often inflamed clusters of lesions with chronic seepage involving significant scarring. The parts of the body where the abscesses are large as baseballs are extremely painful if touched and they remain on that body part for years with occasional to frequent periods of inflammation, culminating in drainage, often leaving open wounds that will not heal and even these are often triggered by stress, hormonal changes, or humid heat. Drainage of the lumps provides some relief from severe, often weakening, pressure pain; however, pain occurs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the acne inversa patients and at times it becomes extremely unbearable.

Now when this abscesses remains for years it is quite understandable that it may cause other problems as well as the bacteria have the highest tendency to gather here. Hence these may lead to the formation of sinus tracts, or tunnels connecting the abscesses under the skin. At this stage, complete healing is usually not possible, and progression of the disease in the area is inevitable.

As I have already mentioned drainage takes place from the prolonged acne inversa may have a foul odor, fever and fatigue caused by acute inflammation and the physical restrictions caused by pain and skin deformation. Due to this pain people often cannot work, drive, exercise or even perform day-to-day tasks, and are ashamed to go out in public. People who are suffering from the acne inversa not only have to go through severe pain of their inversa but also they get depressed and hypertensive because they are unable to go out in public and usually people try to avoid people who show these kind of symptoms of acne inversa.

One thing that should be informed via this article that acne inversa remains untreated for years because the people suffering from this acne are usually embarrassed to go out and even consult doctor for this issue and finally when they do go the acne has changed so much due to its occurrence from several years that the disease is frequently misdiagnosed. Only relatively few physicians are able to recognize it and even when they do, suggested treatments are often ineffective, temporary and sometimes even harmful. There is neither known cure nor any consistently effective treatment; what works for one person may not work for another. In advanced, chronic cases, surgery is often the choice, but recurrences of acne inversa are not uncommon.

Find out more about Acne Inversa as well as other Health issues by visiting getacnetips.com and gethealthtips.com

© 2006 GetHealthTips.com

Posted on Mar 14th, 2007

Cystic acne is a type of abscess that is formed when oil ducts become clogged and infected. Cystic acne affects deeper skin tissue that forms more superficial inflammation from common acne. Cystic acne is most common on the face and typically occurs in the teenage years. Not only are cystic acne breakouts painful, but the extent of damage they are capable of inflicting often goes beyond the reach of topically applied products.

A bacterium, known as Propionibacterium acnes, is a normal denizen of the skin. This bacterium uses sebum as a nutrient for growth, therefore increases in follicles during puberty. It is said by the doctors that people with acne have more Propionibacterium acnes in their follicles than people without acne. Now after reading all this it is pretty clear that the root formation of acne is within the sebaceous follicle, which is basically a hair follicle with attached oil glands. Androgens increase sebum production markedly. Hence this is the reason why rate of cystic acne formation increases in puberty because the hormones increase the sebum production.

Sebum might not be that dangerous to form acne but what accelerates the process of acne is the event of the formation of an oil-duct plug, known as a microcomedone. Cells lining the duct of the sebaceous follicle peel off the side and combine with the oil to form a tight little plug. Behind this plug acne bacteria proliferate, metabolize the sebum, and create an inflammatory reaction. What happens is that the presence of bacteria attracts white blood cells to the follicle. These white blood cells produce an enzyme that damages the wall of the follicle, allowing the contents of the follicle to enter the dermis. Rupture of the plugged gland causes the cystic acne.

It is highly recommended that people with cystic acne should visit a dermatologist. If the patient is suffering from light to moderate cystic acne then he/she can take antibiotics which have the tendency to kill the bacterium but approximately 30%-45% of today’s cystic acne strains are resistant to one or more of the common antibiotics, making them useless. Additionally long-term use of antibiotics is associated with increased cancer risks. Many dermatologists these days give oral drugs such as Accutane and sulfa-based antibiotics for cystic acne. Oral antibiotics such as tetracycline and minocycline are also more effective for cystic acne because they work systemically. However, they can cause such side effects as photosensitivity (higher risk of sunburn), upset stomach, dizziness and skin discoloration, and must be taken for as long as four to six months.

If the patient is interested in using therapies to cure cystic acne then the most important therapy is the use of tretinoin (Retin-A). The reason for using this vitamin A is because it is a comedolytic. It thins the outer layer of skin and slowly over months reverses the formation of the keratin-sebum plugs, which lead to rupture of the sebaceous follicle but one of the side effects is that a persistent red flush is seen in many patients on Retin-A. Certain areas of the face, such as the chin, are easily irritated with tretinoin and the frequency of use might be limited to every two or three days until your skin gets used to it.

Find out more about Cystic Acne as well as other Health issues by visiting getacnetips.com and gethealthtips.com

© 2006 GetHealthTips.com

Posted on Mar 13th, 2007

For a healthy skin, skin care is extremely important and when we talk about acne, trust me acne skin care is even more important. Acne is that condition of skin when the skin has pimples, cysts, nodules, blackheads or whiteheads which can occur on face, chest and back. Acne is said to affect more than eighty percent on teenagers or preteen but this is in majority cases otherwise acne can occur on skin of person belonging to any gender, race or color.

The most important goal of acne skin care should include clearance of acne, prevention of scarring and, morbidity minimization. It is very important that the patient who has acne should be given the education on the acne and its treatment because patient’s knowledge is most important for effective acne skin care. It is essential to give away with the myths that consumption of greasy food, potato chips, sugar and chocolates are responsible for the development of acne.

For an effective acne skin care the patient should be strictly advised to cleanse the skin gently using a non-comedogenic moisturizer. The patient should also avoid picking and rubbing the skin and using the apricot scrubs that might have a harsh effect on the skin. Other important preventive measures for acne skin care should include use of proper shaving technique and being consistent with the skin care regimen. Drinking more water can also help skin stay healthy. Evidence states that modification of the testosterone dose; dosing schedule or delivery method helps improve acne symptoms.

Another very important issue is the use of cosmetics. Trust me it is better to eliminate or not eliminate so atleast reduce the use of the cosmetics for proper acne skin care because at times the patients use cosmetics and makeup to hide the acne. Though this is reasonable and makes sense, any kind of topically applied oil-based compound will aggravate acne because the growth of acne is increased due to oil glands and top of it if more oil producing crèmes are applied than one can understand what the condition of the skin would be.

Specifically, the ingredients to avoid for proper acne skin care are isopropyl myristate, isopropyl esters, oleic acid, stearic acid, petrolatum and lanolin. Cosmetic brands of lower quality will not mention the presence or absence of such compounds on the label and must be avoided. Though alcohol-based cosmetics are not the best choice for acne-prone skin, they are certainly preferable to oil-based one. It is best to use water-based cosmetics which, though not as long-lasting as oleaginous ones, are far more suitable and less harmful to acne.

There are a number of cosmetics available for concealing the acne one doesn’t want anyone else to see. They usually come in the form of a regimen that includes a concealing cream, a sheer or opaque foundation and a dusting powder. But I would suggest that before using these products as well the skin should be gently cleansed and then these products must be applied on the acne skin.

Find out more about Acne Skin Care as well as other Health issues by visiting getacnetips.com and gethealthtips.com

© 2006 GetHealthTips.com

Posted on Mar 12th, 2007

Acne scars are the scars that are the leftover marks of acne. Even though the reason and the occurrence of acne scars is still not understood but yes this is for sure that some people are more prone to develop acne scars than others. The scarring on the skin usually occurs due to inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin but scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions.

Acne scars are of two types. One type is the scars caused by increased tissue formation known as keloids scars which in simple words means the overproduction of collagen that is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. This type of acne scar is typically 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. This type of acne scars usually run in genes as they are transmitted within the families.

The second type of acne scar is the scar that is caused due to loss of tissue for example ice-pick scars that are usually formed on the cheek. They are small, with uneven edge and steep side. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out. Another is the depressed fibrotic scars that are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. Third are the Atrophic macules that are small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. Fourth and last is the follicular macular atrophy which is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne and may persist for a month or a year.

Now when we take a look at the treatment of acne scars there are several of them available for example the injection of collagen which is a normal substance of the body. Collagen is injected under the skin to "stretch" and "fill out" certain types of superficial and deep soft scars but the point to note here is that this treatment does not work for ice-pick scars and keloids.

Second treatment involves the fat transfer when the fat is taken from another site of the patient’s own body and prepared for injection into his/her own skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of transferring fat from one’s own body part to one’s own another body part is usually used to correct deep line defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated.

Third most effective treatment of acne scars is the by giving the local anesthetic, a high-speed brush is used to remove surface skin and alter the lines of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth but a point should be cleared that this treatment is not recommended for all kind of scars. It may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, this may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment.

Find out more about Acne Scars as well as other Health issues by visiting getacnetips.com and gethealthtips.com

© 2006 GetHealthTips.com

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