Tag: Acne Problem

Treating Back Acne

Although acne is more frequently found on the face, there are instances when acne skips that part of the skin and goes to other parts of thee body such as the back, the chest and the buttocks. There are still no clear explanation why this happens except that maybe oil glands in affected parts of the body are more active than those in the face.

The cause of acne is actually the same as the causes of acne on the face. Often, eruptions are caused by the over activity of the oil glands that produce excess sebum on the skin. Experts believe that this is mainly due to changes in the body brought about by the male hormones testosterone and androgen. When there is overproduction of oil on the skin, hair follicles on the face, dead skin cells on the lining of the pores and dirt from the surrounding areas all combine to trap the sebum into the pores causing the swelling.

When this happens, resident bacteria that are normally found in the pores are activated, thus causing the skin eruptions. There are also times when bacteria outside come into the picture and settle on the pores of the skin. To fight off the attack, the body send white blood cells on the area. This then results in further swelling.

Still, many believe that body acne, particularly back acne is more of a hereditary problem than a hygienic one. People who have family history of acne are more prone to develop this kind of acne problem. There are also evidences that perspiration and tight fitting clothes may also help develop the problem. This is perhaps the reason why a lot of really active people, especially those that deal with a variety of sports have back acne.
Spandex for instance traps perspiration and dirt on the skin. When these two mixes with the natural oils produced by the body, acne can come about. Blemishes in the form of whiteheads, blackheads, papules and postules may appear.

Compared to facial acne, back acne and other types of body acne is harder to treat. They also do not respond well to scarring treatment. This is why it is important that one nip the problem in the bud before it spreads to other areas of the body. Aggressive treatment is often called for as this problem can be really stubborn.

Often, dermatologists will prescribe oral medicines, antibiotics, to help fight the problem. Medicines such as tetracycline or minocycline can often be found on the prescription paper. Retin A and benzoyl peroxide are also other options. If the problem still persists, accutane is often prescribed as a last resort because of its side effects.

Milder cases of back acne is treated with salicylic-acid cleanser. Patients are advised to wash the area every day for optimum results. They are also asked to take a shower after perspiring so as to minimize the development of the acne problem. Benzoyl peroxide is also applied on the problem area. Benzoyl has been proven to be quite effective in fighting off the problem. This is followed by a moisturizer made from alpha hydroxy acid. This will help exfoliate the skin while making sure that it does not dry out. Salicylic acid and Benzoyl peroxide are also used to treat the pimples individually.

As pieces of advice, people dealing with back acne or other forms of body acne should avoid wearing spandex clothes. As much as possible, they should wear cotton and should keep dry all the time. Apply powder or antiperspirant to prevent excessive sweating. Being hygienic and clean all the time will also help minimize the problem.

The Basics of Acne

We see it and we obsess over it but do we know anything about it?

Acne is a skin condition brought about by a host of factors that all contribute to its development. It starts off with an excess production of oil on the skin due to the over activity of bodys skin glands. The bodys hormonal havoc may lead to the plugging and clogging of the pores. When these oils interact with the dead skin cells that line up the pores and the dirt that accumulates from the environment, outbreaks may occur especially when bacteria begins to accumulate.

Genetics play a role in acne. People whose family members have acne will most likely develop acne or have children who will develop the condition. The bodys internal hormonal system also contributes. This is the reason why teeners are more predisposed to it than adults.
Acne does not only occur on the face, although they are much visible there. Acne may crop up in different parts of the body but the most common is of course in the neck, at the back and on the shoulders.

There are five different types of acne, or one may also call them stages of acne. The first one is the most common form, acne vulgaris. This is actually the mild to moderate version of acne problem. Do not get be confused. If your only problems is some zits that you can count with your fingers then this is not your problem. Acne vulgaris involves all the works, whiteheads, blackheads, papules and pustules, which are quite visible as they often have a white or a yellow center. In severe cases of acne vulgaris, the person may also experience the development of nodules and even cysts that are filled with pus. These are the forms of acne that when not treated carefully may lead to scarring.

Another form of acne is the Acne Rosacea, which may appear as the red rash that covers the spaces in between pimples and other blemishes. The condition occurs more often in women than in men and may require specialized treatment and care compared to Acne Vulgaris.

Acne Conglobata, on the other hand, is more severe as it occurs as an interconnected leasions that are dotted with pimples, whiteheads and blackheads. Because of the severity of the condition, this often leads to scarring.

The fourth one is the Acne Fulminans, which is actually similar to Acne Conglobata except that it occurs suddenly. The acne oozes out and the body is even affected, frequently resulting in aching muscles and joints. Males are more affected by this than women. To treat the condition, doctors often recommend the use of Accutane, which is very effective in completely stopping the breakouts altogether. This however is not often prescribed and only as a last resort because of the side effects that it can cause in the body especially for women who have just gotten pregnant.

The last type of acne is the Pyroderma Faciale, which can be often seen in women, 20 to 40 yeatrs old. This is actually quite severe as it often involves the presence of nodules, sores and some pustules, which will no doubt all lead to scarring in the future. Still, if treated well, the condition will rarely continue or last for longer than a year. The important is to have it treated as soon as it crops up.

Solve Acne Problems Now!

Indeed, everybody wants to be beautiful in his or her own concept of beauty. Although there is much more to being beautiful than having a charming face, good skin, striking posture, and youthfulnesswe cannot blame those who are looking for ways to enhance their physical beauties.

Since various skin problems are among those that create physical flaws, more and more people would want to get rid of the skin disorder fast.

Finding a Solution to Acne

Since acne bacteria exist on every persons skin, acne has become one of the most common skin problems people experience. Contrary to common belief, there are many ways to solve acne problems and infections. But, the very first thing to do to solve acne problems is to trace the causes of acne for you to understand what should be done about it.

Make a little review of your lifestyle for the past few years or months. If you havent been sleeping at least 8 hours, eating three hearty meals, or drinking 8 glasses of water each daythen these are possible causes of your discomfort. Try to relax and live a healthy lifestyle. If your acne problem doesnt get any better, its now time to find solution to your problem.

Basically, home treatment and prescription therapy aims to unclog pores, kill bacteria, and minimize oil. But before you delve deeper into these acne solutions, take note how each process works:

1. Opening or unclogging of pores. The easiest solution to acne is by cleansing the skin and proper skin care. Since the opening or unclogging of pores plays an important role to that ultimate acne solution, try different alternatives in doing the process.

You can open or unclog your pores by washing once or twice daily with a mild cleansing liquid or bar. Cleansing will keep your skin clear and clean while minimizing possible irritation and inflammation. Another way to open pores is by using exfoliating cleansers and masques. Since majority of these products contain salicylic acid that act as peeling agents, the outer layer of your skin can be removed which will lead to the opening of pores.

2. Killing the acne-causing bacteria. One of the acne solutions recommended by most dermatologists is the elimination of the acne-causing bacteria. You can do this acne by using antibacterial cleansers especially those that contain benzoyl peroxide. An acne patient can also kill the bacteria by using topical or external medications that come in the form of creams, gels, and lotions applied in the area affected.

3. Reduction of oil. Excessive production of oil is one of the factors that aggravate acne cases. Since oil is normal, you cant do anything to eliminate it for good. What you can actually do is get rid of it on the surface of the skin by using gentle astringents or toners.

You can look for acne products that contain glycolic acid that exfoliates the skin. You may also use facial masques that have sulfur and antibacterial pads that have benzoyl peroxide that are effective to draw out the oil.

Other acne solutions include the use of water-based or oil free cosmetics to conceal the acne affected area. You may also administer facials or the use of pore strips to cleanse your skins pores.

Aside from these, the ultimate acne solution is developing a good skin regimen. Most dermatologists suggest that a basic skin routine may include twice a day cleansing using products that have benzoyl peroxide wash or salicylic acid. It should be followed by the application of benzoyl peroxide gel or cream.

At day, you also use light skin moisturizers or oil-free makeup just make sure that you apply a sulfur-containing cream at night.

Knowing About Adult Acne

Acne has long been associated with the adolescence stage, perhaps because this is the time when breakouts occur but adults can also develop acne and having no acne when you were a teenager does not mean that you will not have one when you reach your 20s and 30s.

In fact, there are many that only develop the condition later in life. Doctors attribute the phenomenon to the fact that internal body systems and make up change over time and one factor that causes the development of acne is the bodys hormones. Another theory is the fact that there are certain types of acne that only occur when one is already an adult.
Although there is no conclusive evidence that the rate of occurrence for adult acne has risen up, more and more adults are observed to be seeking treatment for their conditions. This may be brought about by increasing awareness on the problem of acne in adults and the fact that it can be cured.

About a quarter of men in their mid 20w to their early 40s experience or develop acne. Women, however, have a bigger problem as they are most likely to develop adult acne. In fact, about 50 percent of women in the same age range have acne breakouts. Another bad news is the fact that controlling the acne does not mean that recurrence will not occur. There are even some people who get acne problem when they are about 40 years old, some even beyond 50.

Unlike with adolescent acne when the skin is much more elastic and its ability to heal and regenerate is still fast, adult acne is more prone to permanent scarring. This is perhaps because as one grows older, the skin loses its collagen which primarily needed for the skin to heal and bounce back after much damage. Another reason is that adult acne conditions are often more severe than what is usually experienced during adolescence.

Although there is really no preventive measure that will completely eradicate the possibility of developing acne later in life. As mentioned earlier adult acne is actually caused by the changed in the internal body system. There is really nothing much that one can do about that.

Still, it does not hurt to develop practices that may prevent mild cases of acne from exacerbating further. One of the steps to consider of course is to always keep the face clean. Although any soap will actually do to clean the face, there are people whose sensitive skins do not respond well to the harshness of some body soaps. Dermatologists therefore recommend the use of a mild soap that is water soluble to make sure that it will go easy on the skin and it will not leave any traces that can clog the skin further.

Another preventive measure is the use products that will reduce the oil on the skin such as facial masks that are often worn while sleeping, which is the time when oil production goes on haywire. Another is the use of rice paper during the day, which helps in controlling the oily environment where the acne bacteria thrives on.

Exfoliation and disinfection are also needed to keep the acne bacteria at bay. Products with 1% to 2% beta hydroxy acid (BHA) or an 8% alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) ingredients are great exfoliants. BHA is actually better than AHA but some people are allergic to it. Benzoyl Peroxide, on the other hand, is the first line product that is used to disinfect the skin and kill of the bacteria.