Tag: Bacteria

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.

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.

How to Deal with Cystic Acne

Acne is a very common skin disorder that is usually experienced by young individuals. It is caused by bacteria that form follicles in the skin, usually on the face. Though it is not really serious, acne can cause a lot of discomfort and shame because of its unattractive appearance.

There are many kinds of acne and they range from the simple to the very severe. More commonly known as pimples or zits, acne takes shape in many forms.

The most common of course are white heads and black heads. This type of acne are very easy to treat. Usually, all you need to get rid of white heads and black heads is a good facial wash or soap.

Then there are the more sever type of acne. Cystic acne is one of them. Cystic acne is a form of acne characterized by a proliferation of cysts and nodules, hence its name. This nodules or cysts are filled with pus can become very painful aside from the fact that they can be very unsightly.

This is why individuals with cystic acne are usually under huge physical, emotional or psychological stress. The worst thing about cystic acne is that it can form scars in your face, especially if its squeezed or picked.

What are the causes of cystic acne?

Like other forms of acne, cystic acne is caused by an over production of oil glands by the skin. When the skin, particularly facial skin, produces excess oil the skin erupts. And when there are bacteria, follicles are formed in the skin resulting to acne.

How is cystic acne treated?

Currently, there really is no definite cure for cystic acne. One of the best things that an individual with cystic acne can do is follow a clear skin methodology. The clear skin method is that standard system for treating cystic acne.

The clear skin method is a system of composed activities aimed at diminishing the acne on your face. You will nee specific treatments for this healing system. The first that you will need is benzoyl peroxide. Be warned though that you must only get a low dosage of benzoyl peroxide because it can have a harsh effect on the skin which can result to redness and irritation.

For the clear skin methodology, you will also need a good over the counter facial cleanser. You should get one that would not dry your skin. To be sure that your cleanser is non-drying, you must get one that is specifically for individuals with oily skin. You must avoid using soap as it can strip your skin of its natural oils and moisture.

The next thing that you should get is a facial moisturizer. You must use a moisturizer every day to counteract the reddening and drying effects of the benzoyl peroxide. In choosing a facial moisturizer, select one that has the word non-comedogenic in its label. This means that the moisturizer would not clog your pores.

Water-based moisturizer is usually non-comedogenic. You must also choose one that is hypoallergenic so your skin would not get irritated. It is also wise to get a moisturizer and sunscreen combination. By doing so, you will not only moisturizer you skin but you will also be able to protect from the harsh UV rays of the sun which can make you cystic acne sever.

What You Should Know About IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder in the body that affects the digestive system, particularly the large intestine or the colon, which is assigned to regulate and man over the excretion of solid wastes of the body.

Although it may not seem true, irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common diagnosed functional problems in the body. In the country alone, one out of five people are afflicted with the problem. This translates to about 20 percent of Americans. Still, little is known about the problem. Unlike other disorders that have already had awareness campaigns, irritable bowel syndrome still remain under the shadows. There is a lot of confusion as to how it starts and if a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome is appropriate.

What is doubly hard for this problem is the fact that there are no laboratory tests that can confirm the presence of irritable bowel syndrome. Diagnosis as mentioned before is solely dependent on the examination and study of the symptoms based on the account of the patient as well as on the medical history. Unlike other diseases that are directly caused by bacteria, virus and other organisms, irritable bowel syndrome has no known organic cause. Indirect causes or factors that may trigger the problem include stress, food items that may serve as irritant in the colon as well as milk products.

The numbers of cases of irritable bowel syndrome can actually even grow further as most people who have the problem do not even know that they have the problem. This is perhaps because of the fact that most of its symptoms are similar to symptoms of other body disorders. There is actually no distinctive symptom. This also the reason why it is classified under the term syndrome. Because there is a clear lack of a symptom that will differentiate it from other problems, diagnosis will depend on a set of symptoms that must be present. But what are the symptoms?

One of the main symptoms that doctors often watch out for in irritable bowel syndrome is the abdominal pain. This is actually one of the differentiating factors that doctors use to make a conclusion or final diagnosis. According to the Rome II Diagnostic Criteria, which is often used in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders, irritable bowel syndrome symptoms include abdominal pain and discomfort episodes that may last for about 12 months.