What Are The Best Acne Treatments?

What Are The Best Acne Treatments?
By Monica Nelson

What are some of the causes of acne, and what are the best acne treatments? First off, it is nice to know that if you are suffering from acne you are not alone. It is a very common condition that is believed to occur in up to 85% of people at one time or another. And it can affect anyone, male or female, teens or adults, and people of every ethnic group. Pimples, as acne is more commonly known, can first appear when a person reaches their teens. The scientific name for this skin condition is Acne Vulgaris, and is characterized by small lesions that pop up on the skin.

This condition is most obvious when it appears on the face. However it often appears on other, less visible parts of the body such as the neck and back. The appearance of pimples can cause embarrassment and social anxiety. Nobody should have to go through that, so lets look at some of the causes that might be eliminated, and some treatments that might help clear up the skin.

Two possible causes of acne are 1. Puberty, and 2. Fatty, oily and sugary foods. With the first cause, puberty, the body is going through some changes and creating extra follicle cells and sebum. The excess of these can block the pores of the skin and cause pimples. A good treatment for this is to carefully clean the skin every day. Some people use glycerin soap and a soft cloth or boar bristle shaving brush. The hairs of the brush get into the pores and clean them so they dont get clogged. They gently clean the skin in the morning and evening to keep their pores clean and their skin free of acne.

With the second cause, fatty, oily and sugary foods, the body has consumed too much of this hard to digest junk food and some of it shows up in the pores of the skin, causing pimples. There are some people who dont believe this but we dare them to test it the day before their next date. They can go ahead and eat a lot of fatty, oily and sugary foods like cheeseburgers, fries, soda pop, candy bars, milkshakes, ranch salad dressing, potato chips, peanut butter, etc. Watch what happens to their skin. The best treatment for this is to eat less junk, and instead eat more fruits and vegetables. If you dont want oily skin, dont eat oily foods. Instead of a cheeseburger and soda, try a Subway turkey sandwich and a glass of water. This change in diet has helped many people to reduce acne. It also helps them lose weight.

Simply eating right and carefully cleaning the skin can do wonders for clearing up acne. Also avoid touching your face with your hands. If you have acne on your back, get a soft brush with a long handle so you can scrub your back with glycerin soap every morning in the shower. If the condition persists after some weeks of a change in diet and careful cleaning of the skin, you may want to try some of the over-the-counter acne treatments. Be sure to try the change in diet first. Otherwise the treatments will only be trying to correct an endless problem, and you are the one doing it to yourself with bad foods.

Other causes of acne are bacterium and sebum. A good topical therapy would be one that offers anti-bacterial support, and also works to reduce the bodys sebum production.

Benzoyl Peroxide is a common ingredient in acne gels and ointments. It is useful in removing excess dead skin cells and sebum from the skin. It also works to remove and prevent bacterium from creating pimples. This ingredient can be somewhat harsh to delicate skin and can cause drying or redness, so it should be used with caution.

Salicylic acid is another ingredient in some acne products. This is more of a preventative for stopping new pimple from forming. Again caution should be used because this treatment can dry the skin and cause redness and irritation.

Resorcinol is an ingredient that causes what is known as a skin peel. This is where the top layer of skin to peel away, along with the dead skin cells and sebum. This treatment is a bit drastic and the same cleaning could be more safely achieved with glycerin soap and a soft boar bristle shaving brush.

Sulfur (sulphur) is a common topical therapy ingredient often included in skin cleansing creams and lotions and salves.

If a topical over-the-counter treatment does not work, please consult your doctor for input on the latest treatments for your individual skin type and acne condition.

Monica Nelson writes articles that offer helpful information on health topics such as the best Natural Acne Treatments and how to get a high paying new career, fast, through Online Nursing Schools.

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Medications for Acne

Medications for Acne
By Carl English

A well known medication for acne is Accutane, that is the brand name for a isotretinoin. It isn't for wimps. It's controversial. This medication for acne is only effective for some in acne skin care treatment, but you pretty much have to be desperate to try it. There can be side effects to all medication for acne. Serious side effects. If you're a parent, and your child's dermatologist is telling you that accutane is the next step in a series of treatments that haven't worked, think very carefully before you try it, and consider alternative approaches offered by non-traditional practitioners such as naturopaths.

Accutane has a very bad reputation in my books as an effective acne medicine. Acne home remedies are way safer forms for treatment. Naturapaths will offer alternative acne treatments such as they offer a regimen of high doses of vitamins, herbs, gentle topical acne treatments and changes in diets that can eliminate acne blemishes and pimples for some without harmful side effects of acne medicine like Accutane. An alternative acne natural treatment is not very expensive to try, and certainly worth a try if it means sparing your child the risks associated with acne medicines like Accutane. Natural acne alternative is the best acne treatment by far.

What are the side effects? The biggie, the really scary one is that there is a high risk of severe birth defects if you become pregnant while taking Accutane. Some teens are sexually active; some aren't. Some are responsible about birth control; some aren't. If you have a daughter who is not sexually active, she'll have to take birth control pills along with Accutane. What could this medication be doing to someone who takes it if it causes birth defects? Is it worth taking the risk?

Other side effects can include dry and itchy skin, chapped lips, muscle and joint pain, irritated eyelids, decreased night vision, nosebleeds, skin rashes, intestinal discomfort, urinary symptoms, headaches, increased susceptibility to sunburn, and depression-even thoughts of suicide.

Now, some people with very bad acne have suicidal thoughts too because it is such a difficult experience for a young person to be disfigured by acne blemishes.

Another potential side effect is liver damage. This is serious enough so that if you take Accutane, you have to get regular blood tests to monitor the level of fat in your blood to make sure your liver isn't failing.

Another thing. It might not work. And for some people, it will work only while you're taking it and as soon as you stop taking it, back comes the acne problem. It is a form of acne control only while on the medication. Not an acne cure at all. But you're only supposed to take Accutane for a limited time. So, for many it's taking a serious risk for an acne solution that's only temporary.

There are people who have had success with Accutane. Otherwise dermatologists wouldn't be subscribing it. It's just a good idea to make sure all less invasive options have been exhausted before stepping into an acne skin care treatment that has potential to do so much harm.

Carl English, who goes by alias William Reeves, is a male fashion model/ 3d Artist who also enjoys writing articles to let people in on the truth. He is year of the Metal Rooster so it is in his nature to wake people up. Check his site for more articles on Acne and skin care health. Acne Skin Care

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What is the Treatment that Some Experts are Calling a Cure for Acne?

What is the Treatment that Some Experts are Calling a Cure for Acne?
By Peter Vine

In order to cure acne a drug must aggressively address the root causes of the disease, and stop it in its path. Unfortunately there are so many contributing factors that cause acne, there is never going to be a single miracle cure that is able to address all of these causes. However there is a drug that statistically helps 60% of people treated with it, to effectively be cured from acne, and not require any further treatment.

This drug is called Isotretinoin (Roaccutane), and it works by stopping the driving forces behind acne the excess production of sebum, and the building up of the ducts, which combine to cause blockages of the pores. The treatment is both very powerful, and at the same time causes a range of troublesome side-effects, including:

1)Extreme dryness of the skin

2)Extreme dryness of the soft mucous membranes such as inside the lips and eyelids

3)Muscle and joint pains

4)Acne can be worsened for the first 8 weeks of treatment

5)Foetal damage if the drug is taken during pregnancy

6)Elevated liver enzymes

Regular blood tests are required during the treatment, which generally lasts 4 months. This is a critical requirement of the treatment, and is part of the licensing of the use of this drug for acne, and should not be ignored. The blood tests will monitor liver enzymes which can be elevated by the use of the drug. This potential adverse effect on the liver may also preclude individuals that already have liver damage (for example from excessive alcohol abuse) from taking the drug.

This drug is very much a doubled edged sword, in that it is both very powerful, but has some serious downsides. It must only be taken under the close supervision of a specialist in this area, and the full implications should be spelt out, at the outset of the treatment. You should insist on a copy of the leaflet produced by the drug company, to make sure you fully understand all aspects of its use. This is not the sort of treatment you buy over the internet, and administer to yourself.

Peter Vine is a successful online publisher of Acne-Treatment-Expert.com He provides practical advice and the latest information on all aspects of adult acne treatments, which you can readily research on his website.

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5 Facts About Adult Acne

5 Facts About Adult Acne
By John Mancini

When you mention acne most people instantly think of hormonal teenagers standing in front of the bathroom mirror refusing to go to school because of a pimple on the end of his or her nose. Acne isn't necessarily like that, though. It's true that Acne does appear to be a hormonal affliction but it isn't true that it's only teenagers who can get it. Adult men and women can suffer from adult acne at any age and it is not uncommon to see people of 40 suffering quite badly. Adult acne can be just as serious as teen acne causing depression and social anxiety in people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

1- Adult acne really is a lot more widespread than you might imagine. 25% of adult men and up to as many as 50% of adult women are expected to suffer from adult acne at some point during their adult lives. It really is a lot more common than you probably imagine and there is no reason to be ashamed by it.

2- The exact causes of adult acne, like teen acne, remain unknown. Certainly hormones have a big part to play in people of any age contracting acne but the exact relation nobody knows. Because of it's similarity, though, the treatments and prevention for adult acne are virtually identical to those of teen acne and are easy to use or follow.

3- Acne, in general, is one of the most common medical problems in the world and it is estimated that 30% of all visits to dermatologists will be due to acne. However, because the world looks at acne as a teen problem they fail to realize the mental anguish that adult sufferers can face. Adult acne can lead to serious depression and social anxiety as grown men and women become afraid to go out in public.

4- Scrubbing and scrubbing your pimples will not help. It is more likely to open up sores that can become easily infected. These will look a lot worse than any acne pimples and can leave some quite visible scarring. Cleansing is fine but you should avoid scratching or picking.

5- There are a large number of natural botanical remedies to help with adult acne that you may want to consider trying. Dandelion and Burdock are both proven to help as are Lavender, Dock Root, Turmeric and Strawberry Leaves. There are many more natural solutions that are very easy to find and even easier to incorporate into your daily lives.

John Mancini has been writing about acne online and offline for a long time. Visit http://www.no-more-acne.info or http://www.fast-acne-treatment.info to read more about matters like acne scars and acne treatment.

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5 Acne Treatment Tips You Can Use Today

5 Acne Treatment Tips You Can Use Today
By James Allen

Dealing with acne can be embarassing at any age. Luckily, there area number of things you can do everyday to make sure your skin is lessprone to flare ups. Here are five tips for taking control of youracne starting today.

1. Exercise - Keeping in shape can help fight acne by fighting offnegative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem anddepression. However, some safeguards need to be in place to ward offacne that can result from your workout routines. Watch what you puton your body with regards to clothing, sports gear and equipment.

For example, tight lycra and nylon exercise outfits might lookgreat in the movies and on magazine models, but if you aresusceptible to acne problems, avoid these synthetic fabrics that tendto trap in body moisture and heat resulting in a bacteria frenzy.Instead, choose loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends toallow more air to get to your skin.

And when you are finished with your workout, get out of clothing wetfrom perspiration or water sports. Shower and change into dry, cleanclothing. And keep your sports gear and equipment clean, too. Dirtyheadgear, for instance, can irritate forehead areas prone to acneproblems. So toss headbands into the washing machine after workoutsessions.

2. Cosmetics - To avoid pore-clogging and skin irritations that aresimilar to acne and that can contribute to acne, use products labelednoncomedogenic or oil-free. Shimmering facial colors can contain aflaky mineral called mica that can cause skin irritations and clogpores. Other additives in coloring that can cause similar reactionsare coal tar derivatives, carmine and heavy cream in blushes.

More preventative measures include using a lip gloss that promotes amatte finish instead of a high gloss for less pore-clogging; note themore the shine, the more then comedogenic content and the more thepores can clog. Beware that eye creams can contain heavierconcentrations of moisturizers than regular creams and lotions,meaning they have greater potential to clog pores in the surroundingfacial areas.

3. Diet - Studies show that diet does not play a role in either thecause or the treatment of acne. However, what is recommended for acnepreventative care is this: what is best for your body is best foryour skin, especially since your skin is the largest organ of yourbody. So remember to watch your diet and consume healthy vitamins,minerals and other supplements. This will help to prevent and helpconquer acne breakout.

4. Hygiene - A healthy skin regimen should include no harshscrubbing or over-washing, because this can cause possible skinirritation or possible over production of oil to replace what haswashed off, clogging pores in the process. Products with gentleexfoliation ingredients are OK to use; i.e. not scratchy nut or fruitshell pieces that can tear skin. And skip alcohol products whenpossible; these can take off the top layer of your skin and causeyour glands to product more oil, clogging pores in the process.

If you do spot acne-troubled areas, do NOT mess with them. Rememberthat these are already weeks in the making, and squeezing or pickingblemishes can force the infected area to regress back inside, furthertroubling the region and possibly leave a scar. If necessary, seekhelp from a dermatologist for alternative treatments.

5. Shaving - Shaving for both genders is actually an excellent wayof exfoliating or removing dead skin to help with the prevention andspreading of acne instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. Andfor some light acne cases already in process, shaving can help ridwhiteheads and blackheads from the face. A word of caution: for areaswith infection or high inflammatory activity (redness, sensitive,open acne, sores, etc.), do not shave. Or at the very least, use ashaving cream for sensitive skin!

James B. Allen is the publisher of Power Living Press. He invites you to come learn more about living a healthier,wealthier, more beautiful and more powerful life TODAY byvisiting:

http://www.PowerLivingPress.com

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How Focusing On Pimples Prevents You From Ever Curing Your Acne?

How Focusing On Pimples Prevents You From Ever Curing Your Acne?
By Seppo Puusa

Even the most persistent efforts will go vain if they are not guided by correct information. Just like you can push the door with all your strength and it still won't budge, while a gentle pull will bring it wide open.

That's the power of correct information.

This article is all about information and a new, beneficial way to view and think about acne. I understand that you are in a rush to get rid of those horrible pimples, but it's important that you are a little patient and go through this.

It's important because, if you are obsessed with acne and your only concern is eliminating pimples - you are never going to get rid of them!

Because it's not about acne or pimples.

It's all about your health and the condition your body is in. Acne, is merely a symptom of your state of health.

It's like the old proverb 'there's no smoke without fire'. In this case acne is smoke and the problem deeper inside you is fire.

I'm a big fan of analogies. So, let's take this analogy a bit further to explore the implications of focusing on the symptom instead of the cause. Let's say that there is something burning at the basement of your house. The only thing you notice is that there is some smoke in your house.

Let's also assume that you wouldn't know that smoke is a direct result of fire.

Naturally this smoke bothers you and you want to get rid of it. Not knowing that there has to be fire to cause smoke you would only focus on the smoke.

You would open the windows. You'd install fans and blowers all around the house to blow the smoke out.

How effective you think that these measures would be?

Not very. Before you know your house has burned down.

It's exactly the same thing with acne. Since you are reading this, I presume that you already are an experienced 'pimple eliminator'.

Let's go back to our analogy. Now let's say that your neighbour comes and tells you that the fire in your basement is causing all that smoke.

After putting out the fire, how difficult it would be to clear all that smoke out?

Not very - in fact just open the windows and watch it being blown away. You really don't have to do anything else.

Again, it's the same with your acne. Just take out the cause and your acne will clear itself.

Natural Acne Cure Basics mini-course is all about telling you exactly what's burning inside you that's causing acne and how to put that fire out.

For now I hope I managed to change your perspective about acne a little. Just like smoke tells us that something is burning, your acne tells you that there is something wrong inside you.

This article was the first part of the Natural Acne Cure Basics mini-course. On this course you'll receive step-by-step instructions on how to naturally cure your acne. To receive the entire course send a blank email to acnementor@getresponse.com or go to http://www.natural-acne-solution.com

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The Different Types of Acne Medication

The Different Types of Acne Medication
By Kathlene Capelle

To treat acne, there exists many types of acne medication and solutions. Many of the acne medication treatments may include topical or systematic acne solutions. Additionally, homeopathic treatments may also be applied to prevent the out-break of acne, an example of which is the use of mild soaps and water. Which acne medication to use first depends on what is the cause of acne.

There can be many causes of acne. Some of the causes include:

Over-secretion of the sebaceous glands of its sebum (natural oil of the skin).

Hormone imbalances due to internal changes in your body.

The weakening of the immune system due to the attacks of the acne-infecting bacteria called as Propionibacterium acnes.

Impaired internal detoxification system.

The reaction of the digestive system to the food items you eat.

Stress.

Genetic influences.

Environmental pollutants or toxins.

Cosmetics that contain chemicals, preservatives or harmful substances.

The severity of your acne problem determines the type of acne medication to be used. In fact, for the less serious acne cases or conditions, it is best to start with natural acne solutions. This normally comprises of natural herbs and exotic plants that are effective in removing blemishes and the prevention of bacterial formation. One example of less serious acne symptoms are those that appear on the onset of an acne outbreak.

Fruits and vegetables are perfect in lessening the effects of the above mentioned factors. They contain eeded minerals and vitamins for healthy skin. These may also have the properties of effectively cleansing and removing the oil from the skin tissues, like that of cucumbers and tomatoes. Most vegetables and fruits have a high water content. Water itself is potent in releasing body toxins from the body. Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of distilled water can help prevent the onset of acne.

However, if you have a serious acne breakout, the use of acne medication treatment may be suitable. Acne medication products include topical and systematic acne solutions.

Topical acne solutions are those which you apply on the skin surface. One ingredient found in a topical acne medication product is benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is effective in reducing the quantity of bacteria on the skin. However, prolonged use can result in dryness of the skin, contract dermatitis and cause skin irritations.

Another ingredient in a topical acne medication product is Azeilic acid. Azeilic acid is known for its diminishing effect like that of benzoyl peroxide, on the bacterial presence on the skin. This acne solution is also effective in evening out the darker complexions produced by the recent flare-ups of acne. The side effects of this acne solution are impermanent discoloration on the affected area and extreme dryness.

In addition, Erythromycin in its topical form may reduce the acne inflammation. This acne solution is often combined with benzoyl peroxide to rigorously attack belligerent infection caused by the Propionibacterium acnes.

An acne solution that does not only obstruct the growth of the acne-infecting bacteria but may also address inflammation and clogged pores is Sodium Sulfacetamide treatment. However, it is not commonly used as a treatment to acne because of its smell. Yet, it has been proven to help acne flare-ups in many cases.

Systematic acne medications are usually prescribed to more severe cases of acne infections. Generally speaking, the treatment may last up to six months. For women, the most prescribed systematic acne solution is anti-androgens. This form of treatment controls the secretion of a certain hormone and is commonly referred to as hormonal treatment.

Treating your skin with the right acne medication type is important. For instance, if your acne problem is at best mild, you don't want to be applying too strong a product on your skin. Too harsh a product can cause your skin to age faster and result in wrinkles or dry scaly skin. It is therefore, best to research properly on acne medications that will be the most appropriate for your acne problem.

Kathelene Capelle is a writer for beauty tips and advice. Her blog includes useful information on acne remedy, natural skin care, natural remedies for skin care and anti-aging. She also provides step-by-step recipes for skin care that you can easily prepare from ingredients right out from the kitchen. Get updated on tips and resources at http://www.acne-and-skin-care.com

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