Posts Tagged ‘skin’

The Three Ways to Treat Acne

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Acne is nasty. However, it’s not a problem that cannot be tackled. There are lots of acne skin care products around. We can catalog acne skin care items into 3 broad categories:

A] Preventive or general acne skin care products; B] Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products; C] Prescription only acne skin care products.

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

These acne skin care products act against the reasons for acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and avoiding the clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care items prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of the bacteria that lead to acne. General acne skin care items also include exfoliation items like skin peels. These work by exfoliating dead skin cells, hence reducing the likelihood of pore-clogging and bacteria increase.

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

Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to test a few, before you find the acne skin care product that is most effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should get in touch with a dermatologist.

Prescription-only acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. These include ointments that can be rubbed on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical medication. Dermatologists might also recommend a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to the everlasting damage of your skin.

Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care items are known to be very effective in some cases. So, with all those acne skin care items, combatting acne is really not all that arduous.

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

Acne Problems

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Acne is one of the most common skin problems afflicting mankind and it affects all people irrespective of age, caste, colour or gender. Acne is a tremendously embarrassing and troublesome problem, because it is so noticeable and unsightly. Acne can be defined as red eruptions on the skin, sometimes containing a white puss, causing discomfort and pain. The most common type of acne is called acne vulgaris or puberty spots.

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

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

An over-balance of oily food also leads to acne, therefore fried, oily and spicy food should be religiously avoided. A near complete abstinence of fried and fatty food will have a notable, beneficial effect on any acne outbreak. Moreover, if you include more chromium and zinc in your diet, it will help to eradicate acne. There should be the correct combination of diet and hygiene.

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

The infected area should be washed with anti-acne soap at least three or four times a day. Make-up should be strictly avoided when one is suffering from acne. Make-up makes an acne condition worse. Acne should never be squeezed as it may cause infection or / and make it worse. Squeezing your acne could also lead to permanent scars on your skin, which results in your skin looking unsightly. Avoid letting your hair fall onto the acne-affected area too.

Your hair should be kept tied back to avoid touching the acne. Pillow covers should be washed on a daily basis to avoid the bacteria spreading. The regular washing of your skin should be observed to keep it free from germs. Apart from this, a healthy lifestyle should be followed with a proper, balanced diet, exercise and sleep. Remember if you take good care of yourself, illnesses will have trouble afflicting you, especially a small thing like as acne!

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