Showing posts with label ACNE FAQS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACNE FAQS. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2013

8 Ways How To Conquer Acne


Reports show that over 90 percent of all adolescents and almost 25 percent of all adults suffer from acne at some time. Acne affects males and females worldwide, regardless of nationality.

The most effective methods to combat acne include a combination of prevention and better skincare.

Here are 8 ways you can use to prevent and treat acne:

1. Exercise
Regular exercise can help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression. But avoid wearing tight lycra and nylon exercise outfits. These synthetic fabrics that tend to trap body moisture and heat, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Stick to loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends, and keep your sports gear and equipment clean.

2. Safe Cosmetics
To avoid pore-clogging and skin irritations that can contribute to acne, use products labeled "noncomedogenic" or "oil-free." Opt for "hypo-allergenic" perfumes and cosmetics to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation. Coal tar derivatives, carmine and heavy cream in blushes can cause reactions.

Shimmering facial colors can contain a flaky mineral called mica that can cause skin irritations and clog pores. Use a lip gloss with a matte finish for less pore-clogging. The more the shine, the more then comedogenic content and the more your pores can clog.

3. Healthy Diet
Studies show that diet does not play a role in either the cause or the treatment of acne. However, what is best for your body is best for your skin. So make sure you get enough vitamins, minerals and supplements that have been known and recommended to prevent and help conquer acne breakouts.

These include
    * Vitamin A or Retinol (High doses are toxic)
    * Vitamin B Complex
    * Vitamin C
    * Vitamin E
    * L-Carnitine
    * Zinc

A good quality brand name multivitamin will probably have the recommended vitamins and minerals that you need to help with acne prevention. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day and making good, healthy dietary food choices.

4. Hormonal Treatment
Hormones (or a lack of them) during later years - especially for women - can play a role in acne flare-ups and prevention. One recent study showed that about 50 percent of women have acne, referred to as hormonal acne, problems during the week before their menstruation.

Treatment options include topical retinoids, oral antibiotics and Benzoyl Peroxide for teen years. For adults oral contraceptives or hormonal birth control pills and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) may be helpful for women, combined with systemic or topical treatments, prescription or over-the-counter products and medications.

5. Healthy Skin Regimen
Avoid harsh scrubbing or over-washing, because this can cause possible skin irritation or possible over production of oil to replace what's washed off, clogging pores in the process. Use products with gentle exfoliation ingredients and skip products that contain alcohol.

6. Acne Products
Some of the more popular products on the market that can prevent acne include:
    * Benzoyl Peroxide
    * Proactiv� Solution
    * Salicylic Acid
    * Retinoids
    * Antibiotics
    * Oral Contraceptives
    * Anti-Androgens
    * Isotretinoin (Accutane)

7. Shaving
Shaving is actually an excellent way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to help with the prevention and spreading of acne instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. And for some light acne cases already in process, shaving can help rid whiteheads and blackheads from the face. Do not shave areas taht are sore or infected. Use a shaving cream for sensitive skin.

Shave with a sharp blade. Use gentle swipes instead of heavy pressure and go with the flow or "grain." A single-edged blade is better than a twin-blade razor. Electric razors may not shave as close to the skin, but they help with the prevention of acne and other skin breakouts and flare-ups better.

8. Stress
Stress includes external and internal stressors. External Stressors are those that compromise your skin's ability to heal, like oily make-up and too much sun. Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations.

To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, get plenty of rest and sleep. Try to maintain regular hours. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.



Friday, October 19, 2012

5 Acne Myths - Facts And Fictions

Myths about acne die hard. Old wives� tales about its causes continue to persist, in spite of scientific condition to the contrary. This article aims to shed light on some common myths about acne and attempts to separate fact from fiction.

Myth 1 - People who have acne are unclean and maintain poor hygiene
There is absolutely no truth to this statement. Acne is caused by a hormonal imbalance in the body. When the oil glands responsible for keeping our skin waterproof and moist, over react to produce excessive quantities of sebum, they block the associated hair follicle, causing clogged pores, which develops into acne. So hygiene has absolutely nothing to do with it. In fact unnecessary scrubbing of the skin can exacerbate the problem. Do take care of your skin though - wash your face gently and pat dry.

Myth 2 - Eating the wrong foods will lead to acne
The fact is that there is no co-relation between what you eat and acne. The chocolates, the French fries, the cheese pizza, and all those other fatty foods that have been lambasted ever so often, because of their unhealthy consequence have no affect whatsoever on your skin. However, eating a well balanced diet makes sense. So while you don�t have to be concerned as to whether your favorite treat affects your skin (at least directly), do remember that it does affect your overall health.

Myth 3 - Acne is caused by stress
The truth is that the stress that most of us experience as part of our day-to-day existence does not lead to acne. Sometimes, acne can arise as the side-effect of drugs taken to treat severe stress. Talk to your doctor to find out if your stress medication is responsible for your acne. Stress can however make an already existing acne condition worse.

Myth 4 - Acne is a merely a cosmetic disease
Well, acne does affect the way you look and yes, it is considered a threat to your physical well being. However, the fact remains that in some cases acne can lead to permanent scarring which is more than just purely cosmetic. Acne affects people psychologically. It is known to affect their perception of themselves, their self-esteem and confidence and their interaction with others. It can cause feelings of frustration, depression and social embarrassment.

Myth 5 - Acne can not be cured
With the kind of products that are available in the market today, there is no reason why anyone should have to suffer the agony caused by acne. The fact is that acne can be cleared up with the right medication and a regime specific to their needs. Consult your dermatologist if you have acne.



Monday, October 8, 2012

8 Ways To Treat Your Acne

Reports show that over 90 percent of all adolescents and almost 25 percent of all adults suffer from acne at some time. Acne affects males and females worldwide, regardless of nationality.

These most effective methods to combat acne include a combination of prevention and better skincare.

Here are 8 ways you can use to prevent and treat acne:

1. Exercise
Regular exercise can help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression. But avoid wearing tight lycra and nylon exercise outfits. These synthetic fabrics that tend to trap body moisture and heat, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Stick to loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends, and keep your sports gear and equipment clean.

2. Safe Cosmetics
To avoid pore-clogging and skin irritations that can contribute to acne, use products labeled "noncomedogenic" or "oil-free." Opt for "hypo-allergenic" perfumes and cosmetics to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation. Coal tar derivatives, carmine and heavy cream in blushes can cause reactions.

Shimmering facial colors can contain a flaky mineral called mica that can cause skin irritations and clog pores. Use a lip gloss with a matte finish for less pore-clogging. The more the shine, the more then comedogenic content and the more your pores can clog.

3. Healthy Diet
Studies show that diet does not play a role in either the cause or the treatment of acne. However, what is best for your body is best for your skin. So make sure you get enough vitamins, minerals and supplements that have been known and recommended to prevent and help conquer acne breakouts.

These include
    * Vitamin A or Retinol (High doses are toxic)
    * Vitamin B Complex
    * Vitamin C
    * Vitamin E
    * L-Carnitine
    * Zinc

A good quality brand name multivitamin will probably have the recommended vitamins and minerals that you need to help with acne prevention. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day and making good, healthy dietary food choices.

4. Hormonal Treatment
Hormones (or a lack of them) during later years - especially for women - can play a role in acne flare-ups and prevention. One recent study showed that about 50 percent of women have acne, referred to as hormonal acne, problems during the week before their menstruation.

Treatment options include topical retinoids, oral antibiotics and Benzoyl Peroxide for teen years. For adults oral contraceptives or hormonal birth control pills and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) may be helpful for women, combined with systemic or topical treatments, prescription or over-the-counter products and medications.

5. Healthy Skin Regimen
Avoid harsh scrubbing or over-washing, because this can cause possible skin irritation or possible over production of oil to replace what's washed off, clogging pores in the process. Use products with gentle exfoliation ingredients and skip products that contain alcohol.

6. Acne Products
Some of the more popular products on the market that can prevent acne include:
    * Benzoyl Peroxide
    * Proactiv� Solution
    * Salicylic Acid
    * Retinoids
    * Antibiotics
    * Oral Contraceptives
    * Anti-Androgens
    * Isotretinoin (Accutane)

7. Shaving
Shaving is actually an excellent way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to help with the prevention and spreading of acne instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. And for some light acne cases already in process, shaving can help rid whiteheads and blackheads from the face. Do not shave areas taht are sore or infected. Use a shaving cream for sensitive skin.

Shave with a sharp blade. Use gentle swipes instead of heavy pressure and go with the flow or "grain." A single-edged blade is better than a twin-blade razor. Electric razors may not shave as close to the skin, but they help with the prevention of acne and other skin breakouts and flare-ups better.

8. Stress
Stress includes external and internal stressors. External Stressors are those that compromise your skin's ability to heal, like oily make-up and too much sun. Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations.

To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, get plenty of rest and sleep. Try to maintain regular hours. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.



Friday, October 5, 2012

Best Home Remedy For Acne - Guaranteed! Quickly and Easily!

Despite acne treatments and medications having improved dramatically over the years, acne still seems to take a firm hold on many people.  If your acne has not improved within 4-6 weeks following treatment with such products, you should consult your doctor.  Current understanding of the different presentations of acne allows for individualized treatments and improved outcomes.  Also, treatment must be given constantly to all acne-prone areas, and not just to individual existing pimples.

    Severe Acne: Antibiotics given by mouth, including tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, and erythromycin, are reserved for the treatment of severe acne.  It's essential that teens with acne be given an appropriate treatment regimen.  However, acne scar treatment available today cannot only wipe out the infliction(in many cases), but can also deliver smooth, refreshed skin.  Even if outbreaks of acne cannot be eliminated, conventional treatment can provide relief.  Even dermatologists cannot cure a severe case of acne but can only provide an acne treatment regimen.  We have a growing impressive line of therapeutic quality natural herbal based treatments to keep your acne and oily skin healthy.  Little is known about how personality and emotional traits affect acne and its impact on quality of life and treatment.

    Objectives To evaluate the relationship between TA and acne severity, skin-related quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, and adherence to treatment.  Unfortunately, 60% of these women either do not respond to standard acne treatment or build up a tolerance to frequently used medications.  You can then build up your use gradually.7 No home treatments for acne will work immediately.  Unfortunately, about 60 percent of these women either do not respond to standard acne treatment or build up a tolerance to frequently used medications.  Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products.  For healthy skin, Americans spend billions of dollars on acne treatment and anti-aging skin care products every year.

    Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products.  And no matter what a drug ad says, acne treatments alone will not help you win the battle against acne.  CEighty percent of inflammatory acne cases clear up after four weeks of twice-weekly treatments, Leal says.  "Basically if someone with mild acne presents for treatment, your first line of defense will be a topical regimen," says Dr.  Alternative therapies continue to gain new respect in acne treatment.  Even after blemishes disappear, you usually must continue to use an effective acne treatment to keep new blemishes from forming.

   Once you've got your acne cleared up it's important to continue with the treatment that's working so it does not return.  Cryotherapy is another treatment for acne scars, using repeated freezing to gently shrink scar tissue.  Here you will find information about acne scar treatment.  An individual can either use any generic mild facial soap or a soap made especially for acne by major treatment brands.  We are particularly interested in how Alabu soap may have helped with acne treatment and other acne skin conditions.  (17) In the 1800s dermatologists used acne treatment such as sulfur in which this dried out the skin.  Although long used in treatment of acne, it is not known how sulfur acts on the skin to influence the development of acne.  Sulfur is less frequently used by itself as an acne treatment due to its unpleasant odor.  What is known as an anti-inflammatory treatment for acne is embracing a certain lifestyle.

   When choosing a treatment for your acne condition, it is important to know about acne treatment lifestyle changes.  A wide range of (lifestyle) treatments can give you control over your acne.  Objectives To collate and evaluate the evidence on the clinical efficacy of minocycline in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris.  The review found that there was no reliable evidence that minocycline was better than any other acne treatment and that more research is needed.  Objective  To review the best evidence available for individualized treatment of acne.  Shaw JC: Low-dose adjunctive spironolactone in the treatment of acne in women: a retrospective analysis of 85 consecutively treated patients.





Sunday, September 30, 2012

How To Cure Or Alleviate Acne

The processes going on in the skin of a person suffering from acne are explained here. You also find a survey of the factors causing acne and measures you can apply yourself to prevent, cure or alleviate acne.
Acne gives the combination of symptoms like greasy skin, white heads, black heads, pimples, inflammation and scar formation.

Acne mostly affects young people in the age 14 - 25, but also sometimes older persons, like women in their menopause. Most teenagers experience outburst of acne, some only little, but for others acne may develop into a serious skin ailment with great cosmetic impact.

THE SKIN ANATOMY
To understand the acne process, some knowledge about skin anatomy and physiology is essential:

The skin has there layers:

The outer layer called epidermis consists of epithelial cells. Under this lies the dermis consisting of connective tissue. At the bottom there is a layer called the hypodermis consisting mostly of fat cells.

The skin has narrow pores extending from the surface down to the top of the sub-dermis, called hair follicles. A hair extend from a growth zone in the bottom of each hair follicle and out at the skin surface. Around the hair in the dermis, there are small glands called sebaceous glands. These glands produce a fatty substance, sebum, which empty through the follicle opening and lubricates the hair and the skin.

THE ACNE PROCESS
Acne starts by the glands in the hair follicles increasing their sebum production. This will in the beginning only cause greasy skin. Eventually the sebum in the entrance of the follicles mixes with dead epithelial cells. This mix reacts chemically to forms hard props, comedones that close the pore entrances. According to the color of the comedones, they are called black heads or white heads.

Then the closed hair follicle gets filled with sebum and swell. The swollen follicle then gets infected by bacteria. The bacteria and the accumulated sebum cause the follicle and the surrounding skin to get inflamed, forming a pimple.  At last the inflamed follicle burst and empties its content.  Eventually the affected area heals. Sometimes the inflammation reaches deep into the skin surrounding the follicle and destroys skin tissue. This will cause more or less distinct scars that may reside permanently. Typically an affected person will have follicles in all these stages of the process at any given time.

THE CAUSES OF ACNE
The increased hormone production in the puberty stimulates to increased sebum production. The male hormone, testosterone, seem to contribute most. Also girls begin to produce more testosterone in the puberty. Also in other periods, altered hormone production may give acne, for example by women in the menopause.
 
Since not all teens get acne in any degree, the increased hormone level cannot be the whole cause of the increased sebum production. The follicles of affected persons must for some reason react stronger upon the higher hormone level.
 
Dietary factors, like eating too much fat, too much sugar or the wrong kind of fat may aggravate acne by some individuals. Lack of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids may also contribute to development of acne.

Poor digestion, lazy colon and constipation aggravate acne in some individuals, probably due to productions of toxins in the intestines. Lazy colon may be caused by dietary faults, like lack of fiber.

Very frequent washing and use of strong soaps aggravate acne, and does not alleviate the condition as many think. Rubbing, scrubbing or squeezing the skin may also aggravate acne.

Here are some other factors that may contribute in causing acne or aggravating the condition.

- Stress
- Some contraceptive agents
- Environmental or domestic pollution.
- Humid environments.
- Some antidepressants.
- Testosterone and anabolic steroids used for treatment or by body-building.
- Use of some types of greasy cosmetic products.
- Some antiperspirant products.
- Exposing the skin for chlorine or other halogens, or medicines containing halogens.
- Women may get aggravated acne 2-7 days before menstruation.


WHAT CAN YOU DO YOURSELF TO AVOID OR TO TREAT ACNE

Sometimes Acne is so severe that special medical treatment is required, and sometimes the causes of acne necessitate medical treatment. But you can do much yourself also. Here are listed things you can do yourself to prevent or treat acne:

1. Some advices about diet that may help prevent and cure acne:

- Do not consume a great amount of fat.
- The fat you add to the food should be natural oils. Olive oil is ideal, but use other types of oils too, like walnut oil, sunflower oil and soy oil. However, do not use only soy oil as many tend to do. Using only soy oil will give you too much of some fatty acids and too less of others.
- Eat much fish, seafood and not so much meat.
- Eat food with a high fiber content to regulate the digestion, like vegetables, whole cereals, full corn bread and fruit.


2. Here are some things you should avoid.

- Do not use greasy or heavy cosmetics that clog your skin and are difficult to wash away.
- Do not use strong irritating antiperspirants.
- Do not wash with strong soap or cleaners that dry up your skin and take away all the natural oily protection in your skin.
- If you perform body-building, do not use anabolic steroids or other hormonal supplements.
- Use clothes that allow air to reach your body surface to avoid collection of humidity and overheating of your skin.


3. Use of rinsing milk or solutions
You can rinse your skin with mild products especially made to dissolve the plugs in your pores, and to make the environment in your skin unfriendly to bacteria causing infection. Some of these products are just products to wash your skin with one ore more times a day; others should be on during night and flushed away in the morning.
 
Salicylic acid is a mild ingredient often used in these products to dissolve the comedones. The products usually also contain ingredients that work antibacterial and stimulate the skin's own cleaning activities, like Tea tree oil or Echinacea extract.
 
4. Use of gels and creams to treat acne and protect your skin
After the rinsing, you should apply some treatment gel, cream or lotion onto your skin to achieve these effects:

- To make your skin soft and elastic.
- To protect your skin against the environment. 
- To acts further to dissolve the clogging of your pores.
- To soothe and alleviate inflammation.
- To kill the bacteria causing infection or make an environment hostile for the bacteria.
- To stimulate the skin to clean itself.
- To stimulate the skin to heal.
- To be used as a isolating layer between the skin itself and cosmetics


In order to protect, make the skin soft and further dissolve the comedones, many products contain natural plant oils that are easily absorbed into the epidermis, like Tea tree oil, Rose hip oil, Lavender oil and Olive oil.
 
Ingredients used in products to reduce inflammation and to stimulate healing may be: Aloe Vera extract, Viola Tricolour extract, Rose hip oil, Vitamin E and Vitamin A.
Tea tree oil and Grapefruit seed extract are natural antibacterial agents used in many of these products. In other products artificial compounds like Benzoyl peroxide are used.

5. Oral supplements to fight the acne process and nourish the skin
Supplements taken by mouth to nourish your skin may be useful. The purpose of these supplements is more or less the same as that of nourishing creams.

- To make the sebum more fluid so it drains more easily.
- To stimulate the substance exchange and cleaning processes in your skin,
- To stimulate your skin to heal,
- To give your skin building nutrients necessary to heal.


Ingredients often used in these supplements to stimulate the cleaning and healing processes in the skin are: Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, D, E, Folic acid,  Beta carotene, Bioflavonoids, Magnesium, Copper, Zinc, selenium, anti-oxidants from Green tea, Metylsulfonyl methane.
 
Nutrient found in these products used as material to rebuild damaged skin and to give a sebum with better consistency are: Evening primrose oil, Olive oil, Flax seed oil, Borage oil, Soy oil, Wheat germ oil and Lecithin.

Gum guggul extract used in oral products has an anti-biotic effect, and helps against spreading of the acne infection and thus helps against scar formation.






Photo and illustrations by courtesy of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Friday, September 28, 2012

What is Acne And Its Types And Symptoms

What is Acne?
Acne is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Some of the characteristics of acne include black heads, pimples, cysts, infected abscesses, and rarely scarring. Acne usually occurs during adolescence in both men and women. To be more specific, acne starts during puberty and tends to get worse for people with oily skin.

Acne badly affects teenage boys. Only mild to moderate forms of acne occur in middle-aged women. Acne can be seen most commonly on the face. The other places where it can occur include the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms and legs. Most forms of acne are the result of heredity and hormonal problems and has nothing to do with a harmful diet or poor hygiene.

Types of acne
Acne starts in a similar way for all but can take different forms and can react in a unique way according to the body conditions of the individual. A basic lesion called the comedo is the begining of acne. The comedo is an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria residing under the surface of your skin, that waits for the right conditions to grow into an inflamed lesion.

Whenever the skin produces more oil, the bacteria grows within the swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells fight against the intruders. Two main types of acne include non-inflammatory acne and inflammatory acne.

Non-inflammatory acne
Closed comedo:
If the plugged follicle stays below the surface of the skin, the lesion is called a closed comedo. This usually appears on the skin as small, whitish bumps. This condition is otherwise called as whitehead.


Open comedo :
If the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin, the lesion is called an open comedo. The dark appearance of the plug is not due to dirt, but due to the buildup of melanin, the pigmentation element of the skin. This condition is otherwise called as blackhead.

Inflammatory acne
Papule:
This appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. The papules are tender in nature and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory lesions.

Pustule:
These are small round lesions that are inflamed and contain visible pus, which appear red at the base with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not contain a large amount of bacteria. The inflammation is caused by chemical irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids.

Cyst:
These are large pus-filled lesions that are usually present deep within the skin. The cysts are very painful lesions, as they are inflamed. Cysts form as a result of the contents of a comedo spilling over the surrounding skin and due to the response of the local immune system in producing pus. The cysts often leave deep scars.

Acne conglobata:
This is a rare but serious form of inflammatory acne that develops primarily on the back, buttocks, and chest. In addition, to the presence of pustules and cysts, there may be severe bacterial infection.

Symptoms
The common symptoms of acne include persistent, recurrent red spots or swellings on the skin known as pimples. The pimples become inflamed and get filled with pus. The pimples usually occur on the face, chest, shoulders, neck, or upper portion of the back.

Some of the other symptoms include dark spots with open pores at the center, which are known as blackheads, bulged spots under the skin without openings, which are known as whiteheads, and red swellings or lumps filled with pus, which are known as pustules. The pustules can develop from blackheads or whiteheads. Inflamed fluid-filled lumps under the skin known as cysts are also a symptom of acne. These cysts can become as large as an inch across.



 

Photos courtesy of the National Institutes of Health


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

6 Lifestyle Tips for Reducing Acne

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about Acne?

The information in the post below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about Acne.
 
Here are 6 tips that have helped hundreds of people suffering from acne. 

Hopefully, these will help you too:

1. Water is Best
Water is by far the most effective treatment for acne.  The main support for this claim is the fact that water is alkaline (pH 7.3) and can be considered as a natural treatment or an almost free acne treatment.  Thus, it is best that you drink at least eight glasses of water per day (10 to 12 is better). This will help your body in getting rid of oil, waste and toxins, and water even helps to moisten your skin as it keeps your pores from clogging. 

Perhaps what is most important is that, water helps to relieve stress and relax your body in the end, so you can have a better sleep. Note that water and sleep are factors that help reduce stress. Along with this, try to lessen your coffees, sodas, teas and alcohols intake as much as possible. The reason behind this is that they are partial diuretics that they drive more water out of the cells of the body than they put in.

2. Avoid Astringents
If your goal is to have a beautiful skin, then you should try to avoid astringent natural soaps and any astringent agents that shrink your skin's pores, such as oatmeal, witch hazel, very cold water and rubbing alcohol.  It was found out actually that when your skin pores shrink, more oils are clogged in the pores of the skin, causing the onset of acne.

3. Avoid Stimulants
Coffee, tea, cigarettes, as well as excessive sugar from sweets and soda should be avoided.  It is often said that anything potential for affecting the entire body, brain and nervous system can easily stimulate the sebaceous glands to release more oil.  This oil has to leave the body through the pores, worsening your acne in the end. Stimulants even trigger stress.

4. Watch Your Diet
Note that diet affects acne.  So be careful with what you eat. As much as possible, try to eat foods that are low in fat, as fats produce more oils in the body that are capable of producing acne.

5. Avoid Alcohol
A number of people think that alcohol is one of the best ways to relax and relieve stress.  Well, alcohol may do this, but studies have found out that alcohol causes the formation of acne.  It is considered capable for producing acne knowing that it is an astringent, thus it shrinks the skin pores, making them more prone to clogging.  Aside from that, alcohol inhibits sleep, therefore causing more fatigue and stress, leading to worse acne.

6. Hot and Very Cold Count
When considering baths, you should avoid hot and very cold water on areas of the skin affected by acne. Use warm water instead; perhaps well below 98.5 degrees on your skin.



Quick Home Tips For Curing Acne

Using home treatments for mild cases of acne can easily be done if you follow a few guidelines. First off, though, it is important to keep in mind that for more severe cases like cystic acne, a consultation with a dermatologist is advised before beginning an at home regimen.

However, home treatment of mild to moderate acne can dramatically reduce the appearance of acne on your face, giving you clearer skin and more confidence in your appearance.

After you decide that you want to treat your acne at home, it is essential that you are patient for the first couple of weeks. Acne medications do not work in a matter of days, as they need to fight deep below the surface to balance your skin, but after a couple of weeks you should start to see results. The same rule holds for prescription medications, as noticeable results will occur after a couple weeks.

One of the first steps to improving your complexion is washing your face thoroughly two to three times a day. Wash your hands with an anti bacterial soap and, using a mild bar soap or acne scrub, thoroughly wash your face for about thirty seconds. Make sure that your bar soap is fragrance and color free as these can clog your pores and irritate your skin, causing inflammation and increased redness of your face.

If washing your face is not enough, further measures can be taken for home acne treatment. One of the most common is the use of benzoyl peroxide, which can be found in face wash, bar soap, topical cream or gel. Benzoyl peroxide is typically used once or twice daily, but initially most people should only apply it once a day or every other day to avoid redness and excessive drying.

Generally, results will be evident after a few weeks, but if you do not notice a difference by then you should consult your dermatologist for advice.

Another popular home acne treatment is salicylic acid. You can usually find this in medicated facial pads and also in some face washes. Salicylic acid prevents your hair follicles from shedding excess skin and clogging your pores, thereby fighting the cause of most acne and blackheads.

Whichever home treatment you believe to be best for your acne, always keep in mind that the results are gradual and will be noticeable in a couple weeks. Follow the directions for your product and only use it the specified number of times per day.

Also, combining treatments at the same time may cause irritation and excessive dryness to your face, so benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid should only be used one at a time. If you do not notice results for your home acne treatment after several weeks, contact your doctor for further advice.