Tag: acne

Options to Fighting Acne

Although much is already known about how pimples and acne occur and develop, there are still a lot of people who find fighting the condition a life long trial.

There is actually little that people can do to stop its occurrence. There are people who are just blessed with great skin, meaning that their body hormones do not wreak havoc on their pores. Scientific studies have shown that acne is very closely linked to the amount of oil that the body produces.

Excess oils that are produced in the pores of the skin get trapped inside by either the dirt and the dust that the skin absorbs from the environment or by the abnormal structure of the pores. When these oils remain inside the pores for a long time and get to interact with the dirt, dead skin cells and the bacteria, propionibacterium acnes, found in the pore lining, skin eruptions occur in the form of acne.

With so many considerations to think of, it is not surprising that fighting acne does not only involve just one step but a multistep regimen that one must get right. Dermatologists agree that in order to fight acne, one must first reduce the oil production in the skin as this is the environment that the bacteria propionibacterium acnes oh so love. The second step is to exfoliate the skins surface so that the pore shape and the function improve. The third step is to disinfect the skin and kill of the bacteria causing the inflammations.

Within these three steps are a host of alternatives that can make anyone head spin. And the worst thing is, you can never really know what alternative is the right one for your skin as some people may be allergic to certain types of chemicals and may even exacerbate the condition rather than improve them. As much as it hurts the skin, one must do some trial and error experiments to find out the best combination of treatments for your skin.

Among the steps in fighting acne, the hardest to do is perhaps the elimination of unwanted oils in the skin. Oil production is already innate in the body and the amount that it produces is really dependent on our hormones. This is also the explanation why teeners are more prone to acne than adults. Still, there are products like clay masks that absorb oil a lot. Another good product is Philips Mils of Magnesia, a liquid magnesium hydroxide facial mask that absorbs the oil in the skin.

To exfoliate the skin, products that contain beta hydroxyl acid and alpha hydroxyl acid is used. There are a lot of these kinds of products available in the market. As a general rule, BHA is often preferred over AHA because the former is much better in penetrating through the oils on the pores. There are however some people who just cant use BHA, so AHA is the next best thing.

For fighting bacteria, there is nothing like benzoyl peroxide. Numerous studies have already shown how effective this can be in fighting acne by disinfecting the skin. One reason for the effectiveness of bezoyl peroxide is the fact that it can penetrate through the hair follicles and go deep into the pores and kill all the bacteria. Alcohol may sometimes be effective but it can also irritate the skin.

Knowing the Right Acne Medication for You

Most often than not, the physique becomes the innermost reflection of people, their lifestyles and their personalities. Everybodyeven those who are evidently endowed with almost flawless skin and perfect bodystill wants more that is why they continue to search for products that would maintain and enhance their physical wellness.

But sometimes, it is quite unavoidable to encounter problems when it comes to achieving physical beauty. One of the most common problems people have to deal with is having various skin disorders or skin diseases.

Peopleregardless of their gender, age, and nationalityexperience different kinds of skin disorders. But among the so many skin diseases, majority of them agree that acne is indeed one of the hardest to get rid off.

Ccombating Acne

People who have skin diseasesespecially those who are suffering greatly from a skin disorder like acneendlessly search for products to cure their skin imperfections. And with the growing popularity of different acne medication, more and more people often resort to these products and treatments without consulting a dermatologist or a physician. More often that not, the result is more devastating than their current uncomfortable situation.

In order to avoid mistakes in choosing medications and treatments to acne, people should first gain information about the general cause of acne, its types, and the products appropriate for each kind.

For people who suffer from this skin disorder, it is very important to learn the current and future physiological and psychological effects of acne apart from focusing too much on the aesthetic aspect. It is also equally important for the acne patient to get support and advice from family members and relatives in combating this skin disease because getting improper acne medication may lead to a worst physiological shape in the future.

Basically, the use of any acne medication will depend on the kind of acne the person has developed. Most studies show that acne cases depend on the life stages of a personinfantile acne, juvenile or teenager acne, and adult acne.

Knowing the type of acne the person has is quite significant in determining the kind of acne medication required. This is a very significant factor because this is where the calculation of dosage and span of time the acne medication depends.

In giving any acne medication, it is also quite important to take note of the type of acne the patient has, his or her age, the prevalence of acne organism present, and the overall well-being of the individual. These pieces of information will determine the kind of acne medication to be given in order to avoid possible allergic reactions due to the antibiotics.

Recommended Acne Medication

Since antibiotics have been known as effective solution for moderate to severe and persistent acne, doctors and dermatologists continue to administer the use of it for years now. Through the years, medical research, and developments also proven that antibiotics can be more effective when taken orally.

Today, acne medication is usually administered through oral antibiotic medication or medicine taken by mouth usually prescribed by a physician or a dermatologist.

Of all the existing oral antibiotics for acne out there, oral tetracycline remains one of the most widely used. Tetracycline medication starts from 500 to 1000 milligrams a day. When developments occur, lesser dosage is given until the bacteria that caused the disease have been suppressed. Oral erythromycin on the other hand serves as an alternative to tetracycline safe for the consumption of pregnant women and very young children.

Other acne medications that are derived from tetracycline include oral minocycline and oral doxycycline these are both believed to be more effective than tetracycline itself but are dangerous to pregnant women and kids. Physicians also consider oral corticosteroids and isotretinoin as effective acne medication. Topical acne medication or treatments through surgery are also other options to treat acne.

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.

How to Take Care of a Pimple Prone Skin

We cannot all be blessed with a skin like that of Hollywood greats. Come to think of there are celebrities such as Cameron Diaz who also fight the fight against acne.

The truth is having clear skin is not just being clean and hygienic. There are people who are just more prone to acne than others because of their hormones. Studies have shown that excess oil production in the skin caused by hormones is one of the initial factors that cause acne. This is because the bacteria that cause the acne in the first place thrive in an environment that has a lot of oils.

Acne comes about when unwanted oils get trapped inside the pores of the skin. When the pores are clogged with these oils, not to mention the dirt and the dead skin cells that often line up the pores throughout the day, irritation can occur. When the bacteria propionibacterium acnes come into the picture, all hell will break loose on your face and other parts of your body.

This is perhaps the reason why it is so hard to take are of an acne-prone skin. You have to consider a lot of things as it is not caused by just one factor but a host of factors that interact with each for the end product. With all the available products in the market, all saying that they are the answers to all your pimple prayers, this can be mightily confusing.

One of the first steps of course that everybody should do whether one is blessed with good skin or not is to clean it. Although there are people who can take on ordinary soaps as cleansers, there are people whose skin is so sensitive that they need milder cleansers that are water soluble.

Dermatologists also recommend that people do not rub their skin so tight as they may irritate the skin. This can result to even more blemishes and may even affect the skin natural ability to heal and regenerate new skin. Another great advice is to make sure that all of your make-up is removed when you wash your face. Make up easily clogs the skin when left on the face.

Another step for taking care of pimple prone skin is to remove the excess oils as much as you can. This can be really tricky as there is really nothing you can do about the production of excess oils. The most that you can do is remove the oils that are already produced in the skin. Some people use facial masks like Philips Milk of magnesia mask, to help remove the oils.

Others use rice papers to keep the face from oiling out. One problem is that there are people who have sensitive skins. When these masks and rice papers are applied to the skin, it gets irritated. To be on the safe side, before you put anything, make sure that you have already consulted your dermatologist.

Exfoliating your skin is another step that one must take into consideration when taking care of an acne-prone skin. Exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells in the lining of the pores as well as penetrate through the pores and remove the dirt and other materials that clog it. For exfoliation, products that have beta hydroxy acid (BHA) and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) are used.