Tag: Skin Cells

The Lowdown on Laser Acne Treatment

Acne is a very common skin problem, especially among your people. As a proof that it is indeed very common, we see a lot of commercially available treatments for this skin disorder. And acne treatments come in many sizes and forms. There are anti-acne creams, ointments, facial washes, lotions, etc.

Apart from anti-acne products there are also treatments to acne. These treatments are commonly performed by dermatologists. These treatments cost more money than commercially available solutions to acne but their effect is more lasting and the results are quickly seen.

One anti-acne treatment that has been around for several years already is laser treatment. Over the last few years, laser acne treatment has quickly replaced other more traditional methods of treating acne. The reason why more and more people are using this form of treatment is the fact that it provides faster and longer-lasting results.

So how is laser acne treatment performed?

In laser acne treatment a laser pen is used by a dermatologist. The doctor holds this pen just above the acne or acne scar tissue. The laser pen emits concentrated beams of light. What dermatologists do is move the laser pen back and forth over the acne or scar to vaporize the unwanted tissues.

This back and forth motion also stimulates the growth of new skin cells. It is actually prove n that new collagen, the protein in the skins connective tissue that gives skin its texture, is formed after laser acne treatment.

Is laser acne treatment safe and painless?

Two of the best things about laser acne treatment is that is safe and painless. The only side-effect that the patient will experience is some swelling and bruising. This is normal and would only last for about seven or ten days. After the bruising and swelling are gone, the patient can already wear make-up.

Is laser acne treatment for you?

If you have light colored skin, then laser acne treatment is definitely for you. This treatment can greatly improve the quality of your skin. But if you dark colored or toned skin, you might want to think twice before undergoing laser acne treatment.

This is because laser acne treatment can alter the color and texture of the skin dramatically. It also sometimes produces unpredictable results. There are some doctors though who believe that laser acne treatment is perfect for dark-colored women who want to lighten up their skin.

How much does laser acne treatment cost?

A full face laser acne treatments cost between $2,000 to $3,000. This price is definitely very expensive compared to other types of anti-acne treatments but as said earlier, the results with laser acne treatment is seen much more quickly and it is more lasting.

Where should you go for a good laser acne treatment?

To be sure that you will get proper a laser acne treatment, consult only with a license dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Never ever go to a fly-by-night practitioner even if he or she offers the laser acne treatment at a lot less.

You could be saving a lot of money from these practitioners but you could end up with a much worse condition than the one you had when your first came in. This is why it is very important to first ask the practitioner before letting yourself be treated. Remember that you face is a very precious thing so entrust it only to experts.

How to Use Essential Oils for Skin Care

People have been using essential oils to nourish and soothe their skin since the time of the ancient Egyptians, at least. For awhile, chemical products were coming on the market every day. People went almost completely away from using essential oils. In recent years, it seems that they’re back.

With the resurgence of the use of essential oils, people are finding ancient answers to common problems. Several different essential oils have been used for simple cleansing. Some of these are sweet basil, lemon, lemongrass, neroli, juniper, and peppermint. Any of these oils can be put in by a few drops in a mild soap. Acne is a distressing skin condition that is related to overproduction of sebum in the skin cells of the face. Essential oils have long been used to help the condition. Geranium, chamomile, tea tree, and lavender oils are among those employed.

These essential oils can be combined with a light carrier oil and applied directly to the skin. However, the extra oil of the carrier may seem to be too much. In this case, the essential oils can be dropped into fragrance-free lotion or cream and rubbed into the affected area. The biggest single factor causing skin to age is the fact that skin loses the ability to hang onto moisture. Thus, it dries out and becomes more fragile. Skin can also age because of exposure to sun or pollutants such as smoking.

Essential oils supply a variety of remedies for aged and wrinkled skin. Frankincense, neroli, or rose oils are excellent oils to use for this purpose. Put them in carrier oils or in fragrance-free lotions to rub on the face. Sandalwood oil, carrot root oil, and many others can be used.

Dandruff can be a bothersome ailment. There are all kinds of chemical remedies in your local stores to treat it. However, there are many essential oils that can help the condition in a more natural way. Cedarwood, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, or rosemary essential oils can be used. There are many other oils and combinations of essential oils that have been used successfully. Any of these can be dropped into hair oil, or added to a water and vinegar mixture to rinse the hair with.

Chamomile and lavender oils are the two best essential oils to use for sunburn. One method is to put a few drops into a cool bath and soak until the heat goes away. The other way to use them is to drop a few drops into a carrier oil and rub gently onto the burnt skin. For severe burns, see your doctor. It seems counterintuitive that essential oils can help to clear oily skin. However, people have been getting good results with these treatments for years upon end. Juniper berry, chamomile, cedarwood, and lavender oils, to name a few, have worked wonders. Add them to water to make a rinse for your face after you wash it.

Skin problems aren’t new to the world. Using essential oils to treat them isn’t new either. However, because these treatments were ignored for so long, they are new to many people now.

Enjoy Fresh And Healthy Skin

Acne is a skin disorder resulting from the actions of hormones and other substances on skins oil glands and hair follicles. These things often lead to plugged pores and outbreak of lesions more commonly known as pimples and zits. Acne lesions basically occur on the face, back, chest, neck and shoulders. Thus acne is a term for plugged pores [blackheads and whiteheads], pimples and even deeper lumps [cysts and nodules] that appear in different parts of the body.

How does acne develop?

Acne is a disease of the pilosebaceous units [PSUs], which consists of sebaceous glands connected to a canal, called a follicle that contains a layer of fine hair. These sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum that normally empties onto the skin through the opening of the follicles. When the walls of this plugged follicle breaks down, it starts spilling everything like sebum, bacteria and shed skin cells, thereby leading to lesions and pimples.

Factors that make acne worse

Although the exact cause of acne is still unknown, but doctors have a strong belief that they result from various factors. One of the main factors include sudden burst of androgens that occur more during puberty. The factors of acne include heredity or genetics. Children usually have a tendency of getting acne from their parents and often get affected due to usage of drugs like androgens and lithium.

However, there are several factors that can make acne worse:

– Changing hormone levels in adolescent girls and adult women

– Stress and anxiety

– Excess secretion of oil after using of skin products like moisturizers and cosmetics.

– Pressure from tight collars, tight sports uniform and backpacks

– Environmental irritants like pollution and high humidity

– Hard scrubbing of skin

– Squeezing or picking at blemishes

Types of acne

People suffering from acne can basically have a variety of lesions that can act as a detriment to the skin.

Following are the types of acne:

Comedo an enlarged and plugged hair follicle that mainly produces whiteheads

Papules inflamed lesions that usually appear as small pink bumps on the skin that can appear to be tender on touch

Cysts deep, painful and usually pus-filled lesions that can cause scarring

Nodules large painful solid lesions that are lodged deep within the skin

Pustules papules topped with white and yellow pus-filled lesions that are basically red at the base

How to treat acne?

Dermatologists normally treat acne but often you can use some homemade recipes to prevent severe acne. You should wash your face at least thrice a day with cold water and a mild cleanser. Using essential oils like lavender, chamomile, calendula, juniper and mint with almond oil on your skin will give effective results. You should also start adding zinc supplements to your diet and avoid caffeine, junk food and salty foods.

Other than these homemade recipes, you can also take prescribed medicines that contain benzoyl peroxide, salicyclic acid, sulfur, Azelaic acid, vitamin A, and OTC topical medicines to recover fast from acne.

A Permanent Cure for Acne Scars?

Ask anybody who has ever suffered from acne what was the least enjoyable part of the whole experience and probably the most possible answer will be the scars – acne scars that remain long after acne is gone. If having acne is considered bad, then what about having acne scars for several years more?

If your acne has already progressed beyond the initial stage of whiteheads and blackheads and you now have pimples and scars on your face, then you have to do two things at the same time – get rid of pimples and get rid of acne scars.

Before discussing how to eliminate acne scars, you may want to know…

What are acne scars?

Acne scars are caused when pimples either get inflamed or do not heal fully. Acne scars are formed when at least one of the layers of healthy skin is injured. When the skin is damaged and bleeding, the body forms new tissue fibers at the place to heal the wound and stop the bleeding. It is these tissues that may appear as a scar.

So getting rid of scars requires that the scar tissue be replaced by healthy tissue by some process or method.

There are several methods to help acne scars but in practice very few of them may be very effective. And some methods may have side effects that you may want to be aware of before you start such a program.

Laser Resurfacing: A carbon dioxide laser burns away the damaged skin, layer by layer. The depth of penetration is controlled. As the outer layers of damaged skin is removed, new skin cells begin to form as the healing process starts and in a few weeks, a younger looking smoother skin surface begins to appear.

Dermabrasion: This uses a spinning diamond instrument or a rotating wire brush to wear down the outer layers of the skin that have been damaged. And when the skin starts healing, younger and smoother skin will replace the old skin removed by abrasion.

Chemical peels for acne scars: Acidic solutions are applied to the skin to peel away the damaged layers and the new skin that is formed is usually smoother. Chemical peels range from mild to deep penetration. Though chemical peels can be applied at home, it would be advisable to get a dermatologist to apply it.

Punch grafts: More suitable for deep and pitted acne scars, this method involves punching a hole to remove the scar and then removing a small piece of undamaged skin.

But the question you may want to ask is… do they work?

All of the treatments mentioned above seem to have a moderate success rate – while they seem to work well for others, some are less than delighted with their treatments. While results like these may be expected with any medical procedure, your face is a very important part of your life and you will want to be absolutely certain that any treatment will be beneficial to your sense of well-being.