Posts Tagged ‘nutrition’

Acne is Not the Same as Spots

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

There are various forms of acne, named according to how or why the acne started. Some of the types of acne are: acne conglobata (chronic boils); acne fulminans (an extreme form of conglobata); acne cosmetica (caused by cosmetics); acne keloidalis nuchae (from shaving); acne medicamentosa (caused by starting or stopping a medication); acne rosacea (redness on the face); baby acne; hormonal acne; cloracne and the common variety, acne vulgaris (also known as ‘puberty spots’). In this article, we will concentrate on acne vulgaris.

Acne vulgaris may be described as: ‘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’ (from Wikipedia).

Acne is most often found in Western teens, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there could be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it may be an abnormal reaction to quite average levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, the condition lasts only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at most ten. For others, however, it can be a life-long recurring problem. It most often affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.

Acne vulgaris shows itself in different many forms, including: whiteheads, caused by pores that are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white spot on the surface; blackheads, caused by pores which are only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to slowly drain to the surface (the black colour is not caused by dirt, but is a reaction of the skin’s own pigment, called melanin, with the oxygen in the air); papules, which are inflamed, red, tender lumps with no head and pustules, which are similar to whiteheads, but are inflamed, and appear as red circles with a white or yellow centre.

Whiteheads do not often last for a long time; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people usually refer to as spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A ‘nodule’ is a rather larger and much more painful kind of pustule and can often last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps just under the skin. They often cause scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could make them last for months longer.

A ‘cyst’ may appear similar to a nodule, but it is full of pus and has been defined as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can cause scars and cause irritation. Squeezing an acne cyst may cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which can last quite a lot longer than if it had not been squeezed. Skin experts have ways of reducing the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just not true that acne sufferers are not careful about washing.

In fact, over washing can exacerbate acne. There are many, many fake ‘treatments’ on the market and many, many old wives’ tales, but any good dermatologist would tell you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a strict regimen of cleansing until the acne just ‘goes away’ of its own accord.

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

Acne Does Not Equal Zits

Monday, October 12th, 2009
by Frank Williams

There are several different types of acne, depending on how or why the acne arose. Some of the forms of acne are: acne conglobata (chronic boils); acne fulminans (an extreme form of conglobata); acne cosmetica (caused by cosmetics); acne keloidalis nuchae (from shaving); acne medicamentosa (caused by starting or stopping a medication); acne rosacea (redness on the face); baby acne; hormonal acne; cloracne and the common variety, acne vulgaris (also known as ‘puberty spots’). In this article, we will concentrate on acne vulgaris.

Acne vulgaris may be defined as: ‘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’ (from Wikipedia).

Acne is most usually found in white Western teenagers, although it is to be found in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic weakness to it. It is possible that it could be an exceptional reaction to quite normal levels of testosterone. For most afflicted, the condition lasts only until the age of twenty or so, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it may be a life-long problem. It most often appears on the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.

Acne vulgaris manifests itself in many forms, including: whiteheads, caused by pores which are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white appearance on the surface; blackheads, caused by pores which are only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to slowly drain to the surface (the black colour is not caused by dirt, but is a reaction of the skin’s own pigment, melanin, with the oxygen in the air); papules, which are inflamed, red, tender bumps with no head and pustules, which are similar to whiteheads, but are inflamed, and appear as red circles with a white or yellow centre.

Whiteheads do not often last for a long time; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people call spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is distinguished by nodules and cysts. A ‘nodule’ is a much larger and more painful sort of pustule and can sometimes last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps just under the skin’s surface. They often result in scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could cause them to last for months longer.

A ‘cyst’ can appear similar to a nodule, but it is pus-filled, and has been defined as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can leave scars and cause pain. Squeezing an acne cyst may cause a deeper infection and more painful inflammation which will last very much longer than if it had been left alone. Skin experts have ways of lessening swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is not true that acne sufferers are not careful about their hygiene.

In fact, over washing can exacerbate acne. There are many, many false ‘cures’ on the market and many, many old wives’ tales, but any good dermatologist would tell you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne just ‘goes away’ of its own accord.

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Cleansing is Not Enough to Cure Skin Acne

Monday, October 5th, 2009
by Sara Preston

Skin acne is all too common for adolescents. This skin condition is mainly due to the excessive production of oil glands result to blockage of oil ducts that produces the ugly blackheads, whiteheads and pimples and in some severe cases, inflamed and cyst-like sacs underneath the skin. Most have acne on their faces while a few have these on their backs.

When you have an acne problem on your face, especially for teenagers and young adults, the reflex is to hide from the crowd. There are numerous cases where people lose their self-confidence merely because of this skin problem especially when the irritation has gone from mild to severe. Although certain types of foods are not attributed to acne, most will tell you that it is hereditary while most are simply caused by bad hygiene.

In order to impede the severity of acne on your skin, you can employ some acne skin care regimen that can be effective and inexpensive. There are acne or general skin cleansers available in the market to remove excess oil, make-up and dirt from your skin. You can also try some mild soap and facial cleansers for immediate cleansing of the skin from sweat. Make sure that the cleansers do not have adverse effects on your skin. You can also use some sunscreen when outdoors in order not to further aggravate the skin condition.

But when you are already experiencing this skin irritation and feels the inflammation and pain caused by these pimples, you should still continue the cleansing agents but make sure that you also consult a dermatologist. Before trying anything on your face, check with your doctor if this is applicable to your skin condition especially if you are planning to have an oral medication. Remember that what worked for your sibling or friend may not worked for you at all due to your skin type.

For those patients with mild cases of skin acne, dermatologists would recommend facial creams and cleansers that are needed to be applied daily. Some would also recommend oral treatments like antibiotics. These prevent the ugly scarring, limit the outbreak of blackheads and whiteheads and lessen the inflammation.

If the immediate relief and topical treatments are not working for you, then you may already have a severe case of acne that would require a more intensive treatment. Severe acne causes inflammation, deep cysts and scarring. You may have to undergo more procedures to solve your skin crisis.

If not treated properly, skin acne may leave dark marks, pits or pock marks or scars that are hard to recover from aside from the embarrassment associated with bad skin.

Although regular cleansing is not an infallible acne skin care treatment, having good hygiene will definitely be better for your skin.

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Be Acne Free

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
by Sara Preston

Adolescence is the usual age group attacked with a skin condition called acne. Generally, acne is often synonymous to pimples but skin acne is actually a condition that also includes blackheads and whiteheads. Pimples which have pus inside are also different from the cyst like formation on the skin.

When you have an acne problem on your face, especially for teenagers and young adults, the reflex is to hide from the crowd. There are numerous cases where people lose their self-confidence merely because of this skin problem especially when the irritation has gone from mild to severe. Although certain types of foods are not attributed to acne, most will tell you that it is hereditary while most are simply caused by bad hygiene.

Developing a good hygiene is one major thing you can do in order to prevent acne. Using sunscreens and foundations can also prevent the formation of skin problems. As an adolescent, you should already be using some mild cleansers for your face to clean excess oil, sweat and dirt. A lot of soap and facial creams are available depending on your skin type.

But when you are already experiencing this skin irritation and feels the inflammation and pain caused by these pimples, you should still continue the cleansing agents but make sure that you also consult a dermatologist. Before trying anything on your face, check with your doctor if this is applicable to your skin condition especially if you are planning to have an oral medication. Remember that what worked for your sibling or friend may not worked for you at all due to your skin type.

If it is still on the mild stages, creams and lotions can be applied on the affected areas. These can be bought over the counter or without prescription. But if you realize that it doesn’t do any good on your skin after weeks of usage, you better check with your doctor so he or she can recommend the best oral treatment or antibiotics for you. Antibiotics that have salicylic and sulfur content will most likely work well for your acne problem.

However, there are severe cases wherein these topical and antibiotic treatments are no longer applicable. There are oral medications recommended by doctors but this usually means a long term treatment. These treatments manage to control oil production and skin inflammation that causes obvious skin damage.

If you are too irritated with skin acne, you may be tempted to touch it often. Picking and popping pimples will only cause more damage to your skin. The acne skin care that you have been doing will simply be futile if you do not behave properly.

It’s not the time get hardheaded. Follow what the dermatologist tells you so you live your live again acne-free.

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Strategies for Curing Acne

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Most sufferers of acne try to treat their itchy skin with creams, face washes, expensive soaps, lotions and treatments. However, the easiest way to treat acne is by changing your diet and avoiding acne-causing things such as fried food. A healthy regimen, 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 consumed. It seems the prevalence of acne in the United States is caused by the typical American diet. Americans tend to eat fried food in large quantities, usually cooked in the most harmful of fats and oils.

However, not all fats are bad, but the fats that typical Americans eat make them more prone to develop acne and other skin problems. Items that can irritate are ice cream, cheese, bacon, and milk. Furthermore, acne cannot really be treated using creams and soaps because the root cause of the condition lies beneath the skin.

Pimples, spots or zits and blemishes are caused by bacteria and other irritants lying underneath the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles, which are usually produced by insufficient hygiene, scratching or squeezing and poor diet.

This poor diet could be a result of too high an amount of items such as 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 eat more lean protein sources, such as fish and chicken and complex carbohydrates, such as rice, whole-grain bread and potatoes in your diet.

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

Furthermore, you should eat much more food that is rich in vitamin A, such as apricots, watermelons, and broccoli, along with lean beef, nuts, legumes and whole grains, because they are rich in zinc, which is also be helpful in reducing acne breakouts. It is also imperative to drink lots of water to help clean out of the body all the poisons which encourage the development of acne.

Are you having 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

Simple Home Remedies For Acne

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Having acne problem is really disturbing. Some subject themselves to expensive treatment and others buy antibacterial ointments. These ointments are effective but using a lot of those chemically formulated solutions will subject you to another problem. What if your skin is sensitive? You will develop rash or irritation.

You may not know it but your home may have the acne skin care that you need. Your kitchen will help you save a lot of pennies and more when you just know what to use for your acne solution.

For starters who have mild acne problems; you don’t have to worry because you only need warm water and a mild soap. All you need to do is to wash your face with the soap and water twice a day to remove excess oils, dead skin cells and dirt.

For people who have acne on other parts of the body like the neck, back of the neck, shoulders and back, you can bathe with nettle and rosemary. All you need is to blanch (immerse nettle and rosemary leaves in hot water) the ingredients then pour it to your body just like taking a bath. This should reduce the acne.

One great home remedy for acne is the use of lemon. A piece of lemon and rose water is enough, just extract the lemon juice with the equal amount of rose water then apply the mixture on your face and let it stand for half an hour each day. Wash with fresh water and do it for 15 days and you’ll see the result.

The acne home remedy for individuals with sweet tooth is sugar. Combine 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Use a spoon to mix it and pour some fresh water just enough for the mixture to be wet then scrub it on the face.

Another option for acne treatment is the mixture of pomegranate skin and fresh lemon juice. Roast the pomegranate skin first, when it has turned to dark brown, pound it until it is powdered then pour some freshly squeezed lemon juice then apply it on the affected area.

All of the recipes are known to be effective to cure acne. A lot of people have been using it for years and are contented of the good effects that mixtures bring. The home remedies for acne is recommended because it is also attainable and not to mention economical. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars just to get those prescription treatments and go out of your way to buy the prescribed solution and the best part is it gives no side effects.

Acne pimples are a form of acne that can look worse than blackhead style acne. If you learn how to get rid of acne you should be able to avoid this particular problem.

Treating Acne Scars

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
by Gail Jones

Acne scars are a sad reminder of the having suffered pimples or even acne. They are intolerable because of their apparent permanence and their non-complimentary look. Normally speaking, acne scars are rather difficult to treat, but tissue regeneration is not impossible these days with all the fantastic technological developments.

In general terms, when referring to acne scarring, we mean the healed lesions resulting from an acne infection. While most scarring is temporary and will probably disappear on its own in time, scarring from the more severe forms of acne can be permanent.

Acne scarring can be prevented if the patient sees a doctor when it is in the incipient stage, especially 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 another perspective, which usually involves surgery.

Laser resurfacing is one possibility of removing the damaged skin areas and stimulating the natural regeneration of the tissue underneath. The procedure requires only local anaesthesia and can take 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 removing acne scarring. It involves surgical intervention at deep skin layers. The treatment is superior to 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 lucky sufferers, who can afford it, since it is the most expensive acne treatment available these days.

Sometimes, further sessions are necessary to improve the condition of the upper layers of skin, before they can tackle the deep level treatment of the acne scar. The doctor may inject collagen into the scars in order to raise the normal skin level or she/he may recommend micro-dermabrasion for the very same purpose. 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 forms of acne scarring, they can be classified according to the formation pattern. 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 in deciding on the adoption of one form of treatment or the other.

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Are Acne Scars Permanent?

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
by Gail Jones

Acne scars are a sad reminder of the having suffered pimples or even acne. They are intolerable because of their apparent permanence and their non-complimentary look. Generally speaking, acne scars are rather difficult to treat, but tissue regeneration is not impossible these days with all the fantastic technological developments.

In general terms, by acne scars, we mean the healed lesions resulting from an acne breakout. While most scarring is temporary and will probably disappear on its own over time, scars from the more severe forms of acne can be permanent.

Acne scars can be prevented if the sufferer 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 bouts of acne have marked your skin, you will have to approach the issue from another perspective, which usually involves surgery.

Laser resurfacing is one possibility of removing the damaged skin areas and stimulating the natural regrowth 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 problem.

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

Sometimes, other sessions are necessary to improve the condition of the upper layers of skin, before they can tackle the deep level treatment of the acne scar. The doctor may inject collagen into the scars in order to raise the normal skin level or she/he may recommend micro-dermabrasion for the very same purpose. Trying to perform chemical peels for acne treatment at home could be a bad policy given the risk of aggravating the condition by irritating the scars even further.

As for the forms of acne scars, they can be classified according to the formation pattern. Scars 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.

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Acne Scars

Saturday, August 15th, 2009
by Gail Jones

Acne scarring are a sad reminder of the having suffered pimples or even acne before. They are intolerable because of their apparent longevity and their non-complimentary look. Normally speaking, acne scars are rather hard to treat, but tissue regeneration is not impossible nowadays with all the amazing technological advancements.

Generally speaking, by acne scars, we mean the healed lesions caused by an acne infection. While most scarring is temporary and will probably disappear naturally over time, scars from the more severe forms of acne can become permanent.

Acne scarring may be avoided if the patient visits dermatologist when the acne scarring is in an early stage, especially if nodules or cysts accompany the red pustules on the skin’s surface. If the bouts of acne have scarred your skin, you will have to approach the problem from a different perspective, which most of the time means surgery.

Laser resurfacing is one possibility of removing the damaged skin parts and stimulating the organic regeneration of the tissue beneath. This operation only requires local anaesthetic and can take 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 scarring. It involves surgical intervention at deep skin layers. The treatment is superior to 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 treatment available so far.

It can happen that additional sessions are required to improve the condition of the upper layers of skin, before they can tackle the deep level treatment of the acne scarring. The doctor may inject collagen into the scarring in order to elevate the normal skin level or she/he may suggest micro-dermabrasion for the same reason. Trying to carry out chemical peels at home could be a bad policy because of the risk of aggravating the condition by irritating the scars even further.

As for the types of acne scars, they can be classified according to the formation pattern. Scars 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 an extremely important factor in deciding on the selection of one type of therapy or another.

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Bumpy Dry Skin - Natural Treatements

Saturday, August 15th, 2009
by Linda Robison

Home remedies for dry skin are very popular because they are less toxic than typical dry skin lotions and creams. Here you will find the best tips for dry skin using natural and safe ingredients. Many people combine these natural remedies to make the best treatment for dry skin and sometimes find a permanent cure for dry skin.

Best Treatment For Dry Skin

Of all the home remedies for dry skin that are effective, the most important one is to stop using soap. In fact, this tip is for everyone, regarless if they have normal skin, oily skin, or dry skin because most soaps are not pH balanced. All skin cleansers should be pH balanced. This means it should have a pH of around 7 which is neutral. If your skin care cleansers dont list the pH balance, dont buy it.

The pH measures the how acidic or alkaline your cleanser is. Normal healthy skin is usually in the range of 4.2 to 5.6 and a good facial cleanser cream should also be within this range. At this level, the acid mantle (the skin surface) is in good condition and is able to protect the skin from dehydration and other damaging elements of the environment like wind, sun or bacteria. A pH below 7 is considered more acidic and above 7 is more alkaline.

One of the best things you can do to cure dry skin is to massage emu oil into the skin. Emu oil has been around for thousands of year and has been used by the Aborigines. They had to brave the harsh sun of Australia and knew that not only can emu oil moisturize the skin; it has been known to heal and protect it. You should apply the Emu Oil each time you wash your skin and every night before you go to bed. Its best to apply the oil while the skin is still damp, not wet, and just slightly damp like right after drying it with a towel.

Dry Facial Skin Mask

Consider a moisture mask treatment for dry skin a few times a week. This great easy to make mask is not only great for bumpy dry skin, but helps to clean pores because honey is a natural exfoliants. So it hydrates, cleans, and softens the skin. This mask is simple too. All you need is:

- 2 egg yolks - 1 teaspoon of honey

First beat the egg yolks well, then add the honey and mix again. Apply this mask to your whole face, neck, and even backs of your hands. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse well. Then blot dry and apply a good high quality, therapeutic moisturizer.

Cure For Dry Skin - Diet

Surprising, dry skin responds well to a healthful diet. When people look for a cure for dry skin, they hardly ever look at their diet. But just remember if you are obsessed with low fat diets and you suffer from dry skin, you might need more essential fats into your diet. Make sure to eat several servings of fruits, vegetables, and small amount of good fats such as olive oil, flax seeds, or avocados. Also, consider taking a good, quality fish oil supplement. Fish oil can also help reduce weight, cholesterol, arthritic conditions and even improve mood for those suffering from depression.

Home Remedies for Dry Skin -Dry Skin Lotion

Sometimes even the best home remedies for dry skin need a little help with a therapeutic moisturizer for dry skin. It is important that this therapeutic treatment for dry skin be100% noncomodegenic, so it wont clog pores and protect against sun damage. It should also contain natural soothing botanicals so as not to irritate sensitive dry skin. After many months of reviewing clinical research papers looking for the best dry skin lotion, we have found a excellent therapeutic moisturizer that is clinically tested and guaranteed to meet pharmaceutical standards.

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