Say Goodbye to Acne

Many people who have pimples are left with marks or holes in their skin after the pimple is gone and are looking for solutions to remove a pimple mark. These pimple marks are caused by acne scarring.

There are a number of ways to remove scars caused by acne. Acne usually starts at puberty when your body is most actively producing hormones that creates excess seburn in your skin. This stage can pass, but it is not uncommon for marks to cosmetically affect your appearance.

There are multiple ways to treat scars, including natural remedies, over the counter products, products you can obtain through your doctor as well as dermabrasion, chemical peels or laser techniques. Cost is obviously a consideration as well as how deep the scars are.

Some of the things you can do that will help naturally repair scars are to drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet, apply vitamin E oil or take a vitamin E supplement orally. Rosehip seed oil can be an effective remedy, not only for scars, but for removing wrinkes. It can be applied twice a day. Rose water mixed with sandal wood can also be applied overnight.

If you don’t want an acne scar home remedy or over the counter acne product, there are also medical procedures that usually offer faster results.

Dermabrasion can be done by your dermatologist and is also offered in many beauty salons today. This may offer faster results than the natural remedies, but it can leave your skin very irritated, may take multiple applications and may not work if your scars are very deep.

Chemical peels are another alternative that can be offered by either a dermatologist or a salon. Peels use chemicals to peel layers off of the skin. Keep in mind that some people experience allergic reactions to chemical facial peels.

For deep acne scarring, many people are looking to laser treatments to resurface the skin. This treatment uses a beam of light to destroy unwanted scar tissue and is performed by a doctor. The cost of this treatment depends on whether you are treating a few scars or your whole face. A whole face treatment can cost a few thousand dollars.

One thing to remember with dermabrasion, facial peels using chemicals and laser acne treatments, is that these techniques are much more invasive and can cause pain and irritation. Some laser treatments may require anesthesia, if the scarring is very deep. You can also expect to take a week to ten days off of work for this procedure.

There are many ways to remove pimple marks caused by acne scarring, but the method you choose will depend on a number of factors including the severity of your pimple mark and how much you are willing to pay.

By: Eileen Childs

With that said it is always best to seek professional help even if you have a tremendous urge to pop pimples in your own home. However; many acne sufferers are going to do it anyway so in this article I’ll share some helpful tips on how to pop a pimple as safely as possible and minimize your risk of infection.

Here’s what you’ll need; rubbing alcohol, 100% cotton balls, a very thin sewing needle or pin, and Neutrogena facial cleansing soap.

In order to pop pimples safely, you should only consider popping only whitehead pimples when it’s obvious they’re ready; you’ll be able to recognize this when the pimples have turned yellowish-white on the top and they look like tiny pus-filled sacs waiting and begging to escape!

Never try to pop a cyst, whenever there is redness and significant swelling in the area, or whenever the surrounding area of a pimple appears to be infected.

Start by cleaning the affected body area with the cleansing soap and warm water, and wash it well for a good minute or so to be on the safe side of keeping the area you’ll work on free and clear from excessive oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells.

Take your needle or pin and carefully rub it with a cotton swab drenched in rubbing alcohol to sterilize the needle without getting poked in your fingers.

Carefully, gently, and slowly poke the pimple head in a sideways motion; don’t ever poke down on the skin and never poke towards your eyes!

Take a cotton ball between each thumb and fore-finger, and gently but steadily squeeze the pus out with a slightly downward and sideways motion from each side.

Once the pus escapes fully, you’ll see a little blood trickle out. Have a cotton ball ready to press on your skin for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the bleeding totally stops.

While popping pimples, always keep in mind that if you pick at and prod your pimples, or if you squeeze them before they are ready to pop, you will run the risk of infection.

Happy popping!

By: Orlando Gutierrez

Acne can be both embarrassing and frustrating and it is usually extremely difficult to get rid of. And why does acne keep coming back?

Seven Top Myths About Acne:

1. Pimple squeezing gets rid of them - no, unfortunately that just does not work. When you squeeze a pimple the bacteria and germs causing it go deeper under your skin. This creates pain, swelling, redness and often leads to infection. Another possible long term problem arising from squeezing pimples is scarring which can turn out to be permanent.

2. Fried foods and chocolate cause pimples - although it may sound logical, this is in fact another myth, which is a relief if chocolate and the occasional hamburger or fried chicken is one of your favorites. There are no studies whatsoever to support this theory which may well be only a psychological belief. Of course, wiping greasy hands on your face while you are eating, will not help your skin at all.

3. Stress causes blemishes - this is not true either. Stress happens in everyday life, more so now than anytime in history, and is surely a part of growing up. If you worry about school examinations, how well you perform in sports, or problems you may encounter at home, all of these things will not cause your body to explode with skin blemishes which is just as well as we would always be down at the drug store looking for products to treat our spots.

4. Exposure to the sun will eliminate acne - it sounds likely but it is not true. It is a well know fact that the sun damages your skin, causing it to become dry, irritated and burned and can even put you at risk of cancer of the skin later on in life. This myth came about because as your skin takes on a tan, it gets darker and pimples and spots are not so visible. If you really need to be out in the sun, use a sunscreen with an SPF factor of at least 30, wear sunglasses and make sure you cover the top of your head.

5. Washing your face as regular as possible will clear your skin - it’s not a bad idea to wash your face along with the rest of your body on a regular basis (your family, friends and co-workers will appreciate this!) but just washing will not do the trick. Washing your face removes excess oil, dirt and dead skin cells, but washing or scrubbing too much will only irritate the skin and dry it out, making the situation worse in the long run. Wash your face once or twice each day with a mild cleanser and always dry your skin on a soft towel.

6. Do not wear makeup - moderate use of noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic makeup products should not be a problem. This make up does not clog pores and some brands actually contain acne fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

7. Using more medicine is better - too high a dose of acne medicine can irritate your skin, cause it to turn red, and may dry it out. This will actually be more harmful than using no over the counter or prescribed medication at all. Many drug treatments have side effects like headaches, nausea, and other unpleasant reactions if you exceed the recommended dose. Read labels and follow the instructions provided.

As these seven myths have shown, many things you may have believed to cause acne, are actually not responsible. To ensure clearer skin, eat a well balanced diet, and take regular exercise. If you find you need to take something to help clear your skin more quickly, first of all talk to your doctor or try one of the safer products you can buy over the counter.

By: Ken Black