Tag: Hormones

What Baby Acne is All About

Although teenagers are often the ones attacked by a bad case of acne, adults can have it too and surprisingly so do babies.

More common than you think

Baby acne is actually a common condition in newborns and it is a really normal occurrence. The condition is characterized by red bumps on the skin that may initially appear as rashes. Often, baby acne starts off about three to four weeks after birth and may last until he or she reaches about four to six months old. Still, there are some babies that develop baby acne at birth.

There is no clear cause of baby acne but some experts suggests the role of the hormones that mothers pass on to their child during the last stages of pregnancy. These hormones babies get from the womb and sometimes from the breastmilk play a role in the development of the acne condition. As your baby grows, these hormones slowly disappear from the system. When this happens, the problem acne also disappears.

And because baby acne is basically caused by the chemical make up of the body, there is really nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. The only thing perhaps that parents have a power on is to make sure that your baby will remain comfortable despite the problem and that it will not become worse because of irritation.

Although baby acne is actually not a cause for alarm as it is quite normal for some babies to develop them, it is still important that parents become aware of the condition so as not to exacerbate the case and increase the irritation. Symptoms of baby acne include red bumps that are commonly found on the cheeks. The bumps may also appear on the chin and on the forehead.

Aggravating matters

Baby acne frequently gets irritated when the baby becomes hit or fussy. The stress brought about by these conditions will often irritate the case. Saliva, spits and even milk may also exacerbate the problem, making it appear worse than before.

There is really no treatment available for baby acne. As mentioned before, the condition will disappear on its own once the hormones disappear from the system. Most doctors would recommend gentle washing of the face with a really mild cleanser to remove the oils. Vigorous washing is a no no as this can irritate the skin all the more. Remember that baby acne is not caused by germs or dirt but rather hormones so no amount of washing can make the condition go away. In addition, too much washing may also remove the natural oils of the skin, resulting in the increased activity of the oil glands. Like all other things, too much is also not good.

Another reminder for parents is to lessen or avoid altogether the use of oils and lotions on the skin as this can add up to the grease that are already acting up on the acne. Never ever put any skin ointments and other facial products as this can aggravate the matter. Using topical medicines on the problem areas may only make it worse especially if your babys skin is ultra sensitive. Before you do anything about it or apply anything, make sure that you have consulted your pediatrician or a dermatologist about it.

Step by Step Acne Skin Care

Acne prone skin is something that you have to carefully treat as the slightest mistake can cause an irritation or an allergic reaction that can exacerbate the condition rather than cure it.

Contrary to popular myth, acne is not caused by just dirt and grime on the skin. One can be the most hygienic but you can still develop acne. Perhaps one of the reasons why acne is so hard to combat is the fact that it is caused by a lot of factors that all contribute to its development.

Acne actually starts off with unwanted oils on the skin that tend to clog the pores. These excess oils are produced by the bodys hormones. This is one of the reasons why there are people whose skin are not pimple-prone. The oil on the skin is the initial factor that contributes in the development of acne. Another factor is the shape of the pore, which restricts the flow of oil in the skin. When the pores are abnormally shaped, it tends to encase the oil all the more inside, leading to build up and eventually to acne eruptions.

Dead skin cells that line up the pores and the dirt in the skin also interact with the oil causing clogging, which exacerbates the condition. Another factor is the presence of the bacteria propionibacterium acnes, which actually thrives in an oily environment.

Although it was mentioned that acne is not necessarily caused by unhygienic ways, this is not a reason to clean the face. A clean face will of course lessen the risk of further eruptions. For most people, a gentle water soluble cleanser is recommended especially for people who have ultra sensitive skin that can be irritated by the smallest of things.

Another advantage of a water soluble cleanser is the fact that no trace will be kept after washing. Some soaps tend to remain on the face and will only clog the pores, thereby leading to skin eruptions.

The next step to taking care of the skin is to remove the excess oils. This can be achieved by using facial masks at night and rice papers during the day. One must be careful though as some chemicals and products may irritate the skin. Before you use anything on your skin, it is best that you consult your dermatologist.

Another step towards acne free skin is exfoliation. This is done to remove the dead skin cells in the pore lining as these contribute in the clogging. Another function that exfoliation provides is skin renewal, wherein the old skin will be replaced by a new one. Products that contain 1% to 2% beta hydroxy acid (BHA) or 8% alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) are often recommended by dermatologists.

As a rule of thumb, BHA is actually more effective than AHA especially in penetrating through the pores. However, there are some people who are either allergic to BHA or have too sensitive skins for the chemical, so AHA is the next in line that doctors recommend.

Disinfecting the skin and killing off the bacteria in the pores is another crucial step in acne skin care. Although there are a lot of products in the market, most if not all contain the ingredient Benzoyl Peroxide, which is proven to be the most effective in fighting the 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.

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.