AcneDay » Acne

Health risk of acne

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:44:54 +0000

Acne is a skin disorder resulting from the action of hormones and other substances on the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles. When these happen, your pores become plugged and lesions outbreak. And they are called pimples or zits. Most of the time, acne lesions occur on the face, neck, back, chest, and they also can appear on shoulders. Even though people tend to be distressed over acne, it does not cause a serious health threat. However, the worst case of acne can lead to permanent scarring on your face and neck.

Facts about acne

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:52:29 +0000

Acne is a disease that affects the skin’s oil glands. The small holes in your skin (pores) connect to oil glands under the skin. These glands make an oily substance called sebum. The pores connect to the glands by a canal called a follicle. Inside the follicles, oil carries dead skin cells to the surface of the skin. A thin hair also grows through the follicle and out to the skin. When the follicle of a skin gland clogs up, a pimple grows.

Most pimples are found on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Acne is not a serious health threat but, it can cause scars.

Source: NIAMS

Acne Hygiene – acne is not caused by dirt

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:24:07 +0000

Acne Hygiene

One of the most common misconceptions about acne is that it’s caused by dirt. It’s not! Acne is caused by a combination of factors you can’t control, like your hormone balance and the natural pace of your skin’s renewal system. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can control that may help you keep your acne in check. Begin by following these simple suggestions for healthy-skin hygiene.

Acne Prevention – Tip #1: Don’t over-wash. Since dirt is not causing your acne, excessive scrubbing and washing won’t make it go away. Try to limit yourself to two washings per day — anything more than that can leave your healthy skin dry, and your acne-prone areas irritated. Habitual over-washing may also stimulate extra oil production, which could result in more breakouts.

Acne Prevention – Tip #2: Skip harsh scrubs. It’s okay to exfoliate, but be sure to use a gentle formula with small, smooth grains. Avoid products with almond or apricot shell fragments; they can irritate or even tear your skin and further aggravate your acne.

Acne Prevention – Tip #3: Say no to alcohol. If you use a toner, avoid products with high concentrations of isopropyl alcohol, or common rubbing alcohol. A strong astringent, alcohol strips the top layer of your skin, causing your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. The result? Dry, red skin — and possibly more blemishes.

Acne Prevention – Tip #4: Don’t squeeze or pick. Squeezing or picking your blemishes — with fingernails, pins or anything else — can force bacteria deeper into the skin, causing greater inflammation and infection. You’ll also increase the damage to the surrounding skin, so the blemish is more likely to leave a permanent acne scar.

Acne Prevention – Tip #5: Hands off! Propionibacterium acnes (the bacteria that causes breakouts) is a normal resident of your skin; it doesn’t lead to acne until it gets trapped inside the hair follicle. Excessive touching of your face, including rubbing or even resting your chin in your hands, can drive bacteria into your pores — where it can begin its dirtywork.

Acne Prevention – Tip #6: Work out, wash off. When you exercise, your movement generates heat; clothing and equipment cause friction. Until you shower off, heat and moisture are trapped against your skin, creating an ideal breeding ground for the spread of bacteria. So whenever you can, shower off immediately after exercising.

Acne Prevention Treatment – Find a regimen and stick with it. Most cases of mild acne can be improved with “over-the-counter” products, or products that don’t require a prescription from your doctor. There is a wide range of treatments available, and there’s a good chance one of them will work for you. If you start treatment before your acne gets severe, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding physical and emotional problems down the road. But if your acne gets worse or lasts more than a couple of weeks, see a dermatologist. Here’s a quick listing of the most common products used to treat acne — click on the links that interest you for more information on that course of acne treatment.

For more information visit: Acnezine.com

Things you can do everyday to make sure your skin is less prone to flare ups

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:54:29 +0000

Dealing with acne can be embarrassing at any age. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do everyday to fight acne:

1. Exercise – Exercises lower your stress level. Excessive stress can lead to acne flareups.

2. Cosmetics – Use oil free cosmetics. Oily lotions can cause pore-clogging and skin irritation.

3. Diet – A healthy diet reduces the chance of acne and helps the treatment of acne.

4. Good hygiene – Do not over washing your face which can cause dryness and skin irritation.

5. Shaving – Shaving for both men and women is a good way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to prevent acne due to clogged pores.

Avoid touching your face too much when you have acne

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:41:11 +0000

The biggest thing to remember when dealing with acne is to avoid touching your face too much! Your hands touch everything around you, and when you touch your face, you’re not helping your acne problem, and you enter into the possibility of contracting viruses and diseases you otherwise might not have.

Of course, you’ve got to remember that it’s not always possible to avoid, especially because it’s a regular thing people do. As such, you must remember to wash your face regularly with things that have been clinically proven to work for your purposes. The use of some acne-marketed products may prove significantly helpful.

Also, some food allergies may worsen your acne. If you know you are allergic to some food item, avoid it, and if you suspect you are, do some research, keep a food diary, and find out for yourself. This will help with your overall health, also. If your acne is unusually severe, it’s advisable to contact your physician.

I never had acne in my life

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:02:45 +0000

I will say this first, I never had acne in my life. Before my daughter was born, for some odd reason, I became a teenager again. I always had clear skin and it was very upsetting to me to have such blemishes on my face. I tried astringents, changing make up, no make up, creams you name it and nothing worked.

I even tried herbal supplements. The ONLY thing that worked for me was ProActive! ProActive changed my skin, the 3 step program everyday is a little tedious, but the outcome is amazing. The pictures they show you on tv are true! I still use the facial cleanser and the blemish cream and what a difference its made. I feel good again and I feel like myself again.

You start with a clean face using a regular soap. Then, wash your face with the face wash, its gritty and feels great. Pat your face dry and then apply the astringent. After that dries, apply the blemish cream and then you may also add your own facial moisterizer, which I always did. The results are amazing. I’m a beliver in ProActive and would recommend this product and do recommend this product to everyone!

Getting Rid of Acne Scars – Important Facts That You Must Understand

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:27:05 +0000

By Zacky Lim

After getting painful and unsightly pimples in your skin, the next thing that you have to worry about is the scarring. There are skin types that are more prone to scars. People with oily skin are the ones who usually get deep or dark scars which can be hard to get rid of.

There are several types of scarring. The first one is called the ice pick scars. Like the name suggests, these scars are small, like the pricking of an ice pick. The scars can be shallow or deep. You can usually find ice pick scars on the cheeks. The second type is boxcar scars, which look a lot like the scars that you can find after someone had chicken pox. The third one is called rolling scars, which is the result of the damaging of the tissue under the skin.

The type of treatment that you will get will depend on the type of acne scar that you have. Always remember that every scar treatment has its own set of pros and cons, and if one treatment worked well for one person, it does not mean that it can work wonders for you too. There are some who ended up having worse scar problems because they went for the wrong type of treatment.

To make sure that you get the right type of scar treatment, you have to consult a reputable dermatologist. He will know how to remove your scars by determining the type of skin that you have.

And now I would like to offer you more free acne information, tips and resources when you come to my website. You can get your instant access at http://www.GetRidOfAcneScar.com

From Zacky Lim – The passionate and helpful friend who provide valuable acne information at http://www.GetRidOfAcneScar.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

When is surgery used for acne scarring?

megdilts — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:14:00 +0000

If you have scarring, your dermatologist may suggest surgery to help heal acne lesions and remove scarring. A laser can reshape scar tissue and reduce redness. Dermabrasion is a type of surgery that can remove surface scars and reduce the depth of deep scars. Another option is to transfer fat from one part of the body to the face. In some cases, a single treatment can help scarring. But for lasting results, several are often needed. There are also topical treatments for acne scarring.

Photodynamic therapy is a new acne treatment. It begins with light microdermabrasion. This is used to remove dead skin cells on the face’s surface. Then, an acid is put on the skin for 30 to 60 minutes. After this period, the acid is taken off. Lastly, the skin is treated with a laser. This treatment is still being researched, but seems to give positive long-term results.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

What is acne?

megdilts — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:40:31 +0000

Acne is a disorder that causes outbreaks of skin lesions commonly called pimples. It is caused by the skin’s oil glands making too much sebum, an oily substance, which leads to plugged pores. It also can be caused by the rapid production of a bacteria P. acnes.

Acne lesions occur mostly on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. It is the most common skin disease. Although acne is not a serious health threat, severe acne can lead to disfiguring and permanent scarring.

Source: Women’s Health

Why Acne Forms

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:43:40 +0000

Acne is the most common skin disorder, and while it usually appears in adolescence, adults can get it too. Acne occurs when hair follicles and the sebaceous glands inside the follicles are inflamed. Sebaceous glands make an oily substance called sebum. Too much sebum can clog the follicles and lead to bacterial growth and inflammation.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the four basic mechanisms contributing to acne are hormones, increased sebum production, changes inside hair follicles, and bacteria. Acne usually occurs at age 11 to 14 when the body starts producing male hormones called androgens. Androgens can over-stimulate sebaceous glands and make them produce more sebum.

Dead cells inside hair follicles normally are shed and come out onto the surface of the skin. But in people with acne, the cells are shed faster, stick together, mix with sebum, and clog the follicle. Then bacteria contaminate the skin cell and sebum mixture and grow. When the body’s immune system tries to destroy the bacteria, inflammation results.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration