Tag: Pores

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.

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.

Information On Acne

Do you have acne? Acne maybe the scourge of adolescent years, but it can follow people into middle age and beyond.

Acne is really a catchall term for a variety of symptoms such as pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads. It’s a condition where the pores of skin become clogged and the person gets inflamed and non-inflamed lesions.

So what’s the cause of all the clogging?

Heredity – at least for the most part. Acne is genetic – it tends to run in families, it is an inherited defect of your pores. If both your parents had acne, three out of four of your brothers and sisters will get it too.

Factors that can aggravate an acne outbreak are:- Stress, sun exposure, seasonal changes, and climate can all precipitate an acne attack. Certain types of makeup and taking birth control pills can also cause a breakout.

Change Your Make-up – In adult women, make-up is the major factor in acne outbreaks, especially oil based products. It’s the oil that causes the problem. The oil is usually a derivative of fatty acids that are more potent than your own fatty acids. Use a non-oil-based make-up if you are prone to acne.

Read The labels – Cosmetic products that contain lanolins, isopropyl myristate, sodium lauryl sulphate, laureth-4 and D & C red dyes should be avoided. Like oil, these ingredients are too rich for the skin.

Wash Properly – Wash your make-up off thoroughly every night. Use a mild soap twice a day and make sure you rinse the soap entirely off your face. Rinse six or seven times with fresh water.

Use Less Make-up – Whatever make-up you use, try to cut down on the amount you put on.

Leave Well Alone – Don’t squeeze pimples or whiteheads. A pimple is an inflammation, and you could add to the inflammation by squeezing it, which could lead to an infection. A pimple will always go away in one to four weeks if you leave them alone.

Know When To Squeeze – Most pimples are best left alone, but there is one kind that you can squeeze to help get rid of it. If the pimple has a little central yellow pus head in it, then a gentle squeeze will make it pop open very nicely. Once the pus pops out, the pimple will heal more quickly.

Give Dry Skin Extra Care – Dry skin can be sensitive to some over the counter skin treatments, so please use these treatments with care. Start with the lower strength products first, and then increase the concentration slowly.

Stay Out Of The Sun – Acne medications may cause adverse reactions to the sun, so minimize you exposure until you know what the reactions going to be.

Use One Treatment At A Time – Don’t mix treatments, use only one at a time because they may cause an adverse reaction if mixed together.

Stop The Spread Of Acne – Apply acne medication about half an inch around the affected area, to help keep the acne from spreading. Acne moves across the face from the nose to the ear, so you need to treat beyond the inflamed area. Most people make the mistake of treating only the pimples and not the outlaying areas of skin. This is wrong.