Archive for May, 2008



Acne Rosecea

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 11:35 am

Although rosecea is commonly known as acne rosecea, it is not actually acne. The symptoms are similar to acne and are frequently mistaken for it (both conditions can have pimples and bumps but with rosecea there are no blackheads and whiteheads).

Because treatments for both these conditions differ and can adversely affect recovery, it is important to know which type of complaint actually affects you.

Some rosecea myths are:

If you have acne as a teenager you will get rosecea as an adult – WRONG!
Rosecea is often referred to as adult acne but there is no direct link between the two conditions, Rosecea is a vascular condition where blood rushes to the face and acne is a bacterial/skin pore condition

Acne rosecea is contagious – WRONG!
Neither rosecea or acne can be transmitted from person to person. Bacteria on the individual’s face can complicate and worsen both acne or rosecea but its far from contagious.

What you eat causes rosecea – WRONG!
Research has shown that what you eat has no direct influence on any type of acne or rosecea. However toxins or allergies in foods can trigger outbreaks.




Proactiv Acne Treatment

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 11:33 am

Proactive acne treatment is an 3 step acne kit containing a renewing cleanser to exfoliate and penetrate pores, a revitalizing toner to unplug pores and remove dead skin cells and a repairing lotion that deeply infiltrates your pores with benzoyl peroxide. They also offer a mask that is a cool soothing mask with sulphur to refine pores and heal active acne, to compliment the 3 step system.

Many people swear by the effectiveness of this proactive acne treatment because it not only gets rid of acne but leaves your skin moisturized and soft .

What makes Proactiv different is that expert dermatologists have combined several prescription grade ingredients in the one system. The ingredients include benzoyl peroxide, sulphur, and other proprietary ingredients. It also has soothing botanicals like allantoin, chamomile and aloe vera that helps leave the skin feeling healthy and soft. The combination of all these ingredients exfoliate your skin, attacks acne causing bacteria, unclogs your pores and soothes inflammation.




Pimple Treatments

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 11:26 am

Generally there are three classes of acne – mild, moderate and severe. All of these types of acne will have different types of treatment. They all have one thing in common- they are all health conditions.

You will be very lucky in your lifetime if you don’t get a single spot. But for those people for which acne is a regular occurrence it can be very depressing and uncomfortable.

If your acne is getting on top of you the best thing you can do is visit your doctor or dermatologist as they will be able prescribe the best course of action for your type of acne. For example, if you have mild acne, washing regularly and using an over the counter pimple treatment could be the answer. If you have moderate acne, which usually covers half the face they are likely to gibe a prescription pimple treatment. For severe acne your doctor will probably send you to a dermatologist for a specialist’s recommendation.




Oily Skin

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 11:19 am

Having oily skin does not necessarily mean that a person will be more prone to acne, however as excess sebum is produced this is one of three main causes of acne.

A person with this type of skin is more likely to have blackheads but it can be kept under control by keeping his or her face ultra clean and exfoliating regularly.

Normal skin has small pores and this gives the impression of smoothness whilst oily skin has larger pores which can make skin appear uneven. Blackheads and dead skin cells can actually make a pore larger so by exfoliating the pores, this debris can be removed, and the pores appear smaller and the face tone much more even.

A common mistake that people make is not to moisturize oily skin fearing that it will cause more breakouts. Cleansing and exfoliation can take away all the oil and if you don’t moisturize the skin will react by producing more oil.




Natural Acne Treatment

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 11:12 am

There are many natural acne remedies on the market. Some you may have tried a few of them as well as some conventional medicines. Many people choose the natural option because some medications are very harsh on the skin and have lots of potential side effects. Allergic reactions are still a possible side effect of natural remedies so it is best always to check the ingredients.

One natural acne treatment that is used quite frequently is acidophilus, which surprisingly is a bacteria that lives in the intestines. These bacteria can be used to fight the acne causing bacteria and help cleanse the body and reduce acne.
Zinc is another well know natural acne treatment and is a very important mineral to have in our systems as it helps the body fight infections. In the case of acne it helps heal ruptured skin and reduce inflammation.

Rosehip oil, aloe vera juice or gel and lavender oil can be applied to reduce acne scars. Tea tree oil is another option, as this an antibacterial agent, that can reduce blotches and fights bacteria. Most of these natural acne treatments can be found in your local health store.




Hormones and Pimples

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 11:07 am

Hormones are responsible for a large number of cases of acne because they are responsible for the maturation of oil glands in skin, which is why children do not get acne. So some people would say hormones and pimples go hand in hand.

Hormones are the main reason why teenagers start to get spots, the changes in their bodies like a female’s breasts developing or a male’s voice deepening are triggered by them.

There are several other occasions in a lifetime when hormones and pimples can collide such as menopause, during pregnancy, stressful situations or really any time they become unbalanced and want to wreak havoc.

When a person becomes a teenager and the oil glands go into overdrive, there is a terror that the spots will continue for the rest of their lives. Thankfully, this is not the case as hormones balance out. Some situations within life may trigger an outbreak of acne but this is normal, can be treated successfully and won’t last forever.




Cleocin T

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 10:49 am

Cleocin t is a brand name of an antibiotic called clindamycin which is used to treat infections of the skin as well as respiratory, pelvic and abdominal infections.

For acne, clindamycin is usually prescribed as a lotion or gel to be applied twice daily and may take up to 12 weeks for the drug to take full effect on the condition.

Before prescribing cleocin t the doctor will ask you about allergies, what other prescriptions you are on, vitamins you are taking and even what cosmetics you are using as these can all affect the effectiveness of this medicine.

If whilst using this medication you experience severe dry skin, oiliness, itching, burning, rashes, redness, peeling or these symptoms do not ease, consult your doctor for advice.

As with all medications do not let anyone else use your prescribed drugs and store out of the reach of children.




Acne Chemical Peels

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 10:46 am

Acne chemical peels should be considered as a potential treatment for acne because it can be kinder to your skin than many other medical creams and solutions if it is in a low concentration.

What these acne chemical peels do is remove the outer layers of skin which may be damaged by acne, sun or dirt.

A chemical solution is applied to the face or affected areas and when it is removed it literally pulls one layer or more of skin leaving the person with a new layer of skin resulting in a clean healthy glow.

There are different types of chemical peels but the mild peel that removes just one layer of skin should suffice for most acne sufferers. It can both even out the skin and get rid of old acne scars.

The other types of chemical peels are called medium peels and deep peels and these remove more layers of skins but it would be worth consulting the dermatologist before considering these.

This is an inexpensive and simple procedure that could remove acne scars and leave a clear skin to increase one’s confidence.




Back Pimples

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 10:36 am

Back acne is often known as bacne. Acne on your face or in your hairline has no different cause then any other part of your body, including the back. Once again it’s due to the overproduction of sebum (oils) by the sebaceous glands that then clog up pores and cause acne on face, neck, back, hairline or wherever.

One thing that really differentiates back pimples from breakouts of acne on any other part of the body is that it is harder to treat because skin on the back is a lot tougher. This means that bacne treatments are a lot stronger and should by no means be used to treat facial acne.

The bad news with this type of acne is that back pimples, cysts and pustules can be larger and more painful then when acne occurs in other places. Wearing tight clothing or backpacks can make the outbreak worse, by irritating the skin more, so avoid these where possible.

There are a wide range of natural solutions that could be used for mild cases of bacne like homeopathic treatments, tea tree oil, Chinese herbs and other cleansing herbs like milk thistle. Severe cases of bacne will need to be seen by a dermatologist who would prescribe antibiotics, creams or other medical solutions.




Acne Scar Treatments

Thursday 8 May 2008 @ 10:30 am

They say that the best treatment for acne scars is prevention (not picking or squeezing spots and looking after your skin) but that doesn’t help those people who are already scarred.

Luckily for them, there are several acne scar treatments available.

Dermabrasion helps shallow acne scars where machines with rotating diamond edge wheels are used like sandpaper to scrape away damaged skin so new skin can grow in its place.

Chemical peels involves placing a chemical layer over the skin, which when taken off takes a layer of skin away revealing a new fresh layer.

Punch replacement involves removing the deep scar and placing a skin graft over it.

Deeper acne scars can be helped by dermal fillers whereby collagen or fat is injected around the scar to level out the surface.

Subsicion is an acne scar treatment where scar tissue is broken up beneath the skin layer forming a blood clot, which helps the tissue connect beneath the scar and levels out the scar.

Laser treatment in a modern technique where the laser penetrates the skin and gets rid of damaged skin.

Always consult with your doctor before following any of these courses of action.




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