Say Goodbye to Acne

It’s dreaded by teenagers everywhere - regardless of their skin color, the language they speak or what social circles they run in. If anything is going to bring the youth of today together in a common cause, it’s the fight against acne.

Teenagers everywhere are constantly on the lookout for effective acne treatments, but just as acne can come in many forms and degrees of severity, there are many different treatments available. The one that will work best for one person won’t necessarily be the best for someone else.

Before you can decide on the best treatment option, it helps to understand what it is that actually causes acne. It’s commonly believed to be caused by poor hygiene, but that isn’t the case. It is actually caused by changes in the body that can’t (and shouldn’t) be stopped.

Teenage acne is often due to hormonal changes in the body that causes excess secretion of oil, which can block pores and trap dirt and moisture. The result is the blackheads and pimples that are so common among teens.

Effective treatments are available for the various forms of acne, and a dermatologist will be able to thoroughly diagnose a particular case and recommend the proper treatment.

If you’ve ever looked at the many acne treatments that are available at any drug store or pharmacy, you’ll probably have seen shelves full of creams, gels and lotions that promise to be the cure to end all acne problems.

These treatments work for some people and not for others, but they are often attempting to treat any and all forms of acne, which just isn’t possible. The most effective treatments will be tailored for a given person’s acne.

Some of these treatments will include azelaic acid creams, benzoyl peroxide or Accutane. They may be in the form of topical creams or lotions. Each of these treatments is best suited to deal with certain types of acne, with varying strengths depending on the severity of the acne.

Many teens spend a lot of time and money trying every possible treatment to get rid of their acne. The trouble is, the treatments are often not dealing with the cause in their particular situation. A visit to a dermatologist is the best way to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, customized for a particular case.

By: Nathan James

About the Author:

Solve your acne & skincare problems at http://www.acnepimplezits.com

I think there will not be a single person in this world who does not know about acne. Acne is the most widespread skin diseases and most teenagers have gone through this depressing phase.

People use different methods for acne cure. Different types of acne treatments include home remedies, herbal medicines, antibiotics and over the counter medicines. Whatever the method they use one thing is clear that an acne cure is not an overnight process. Normal acne treatment takes around 6 to 8 weeks to show some improvement.

Most of the misconceptions originate due to lack of information and education about this condition. There are several misconceptions about acne which are quite misleading for people. This is such an advanced era that you can get the required information whenever you want. There are numerous websites, articles, and eBooks about acne and its treatment. You can easily gather all the required information.

Now I will discuss a few misconceptions about acne to make things clearer for you:

• Some people think that acne is contagious but this is totally wrong. Acne cannot be spread by skin contact or use of towels. So, if your friends are suffering from acne, you should not worry because you cannot catch it.

• There is another misconception that blackheads get their black color from dirt. This is totally wrong because blackheads get dark color due to excessive pigmentation. Dirt can only increase the number of bacteria and aggravate acne.

• Acne is caused by poor hygiene. Wrong, dirt, pollution etc don’t cause acne but they can worsen the acne condition. Acne is caused by clogging of pores due to oil secretion.

• If you wash your face frequently and do over scrubbing for an acne cure than you are highly mistaken. Excessive washing and scrubbing can actually cause irritation and inflammation on the skin. The best solution is to wash your face twice a day with a face wash and pat dry. Do not use a towel on your affected skin.

• Different foods cause acne. Scientific research did not conclude that eating food can cause acne in the first place. No chocolates, French fries, pizzas, colas cause acne. However there are some foods which can worsen the acne condition. It is advised to eat balanced diet as much as possible because diet imbalances can trigger acne.

• Acne is caused by stress. Another misconception! In realty stress does not cause acne however acne can be a side effect of stress reliving medicines.

• You have to wait for a specific time period to cure acne. The truth is that acne can be treated at any time and cleared up during any phase. If you are using some over the counter medicines and they are showing no result then see your dermatologist. There’s no reason why some one should wait for acne to get worse and leave scars on the skin.

There are numerous other misconceptions about acne and acne treatments but here we have discussed the very common misconception to make things clear and easy for you.

By: Susan Moro

About the Author:

Before considering your acne treatment, it is important to know a few quick facts about acne vulgaris and acne treatment

No direct link has been established between acne and diet (pizza, nuts, sweets, chocolate )

There is no link between acne and diet. In particular, no cause and effect has been established between acne and chocolate, dairy products (milk products), shellfish, sweets, or fatty foods (french fries, pizza, etc.). Healthy diet is good for your overall health but it will not be enough to get rid of acne.

Acne cannot be cured (There is NO acne cure); it can be effectively treated (see acne treatment) and controlled (but there is no permanent acne cure)

There is a widespread belief that acne is curable and that a course of antibiotics is all that is required to treat acne. People will often make statements such as my acne treatment did not work because when I stopped the tablets the acne came back again, and after my acne treatment the acne only improved but did not completely disappear. It must be made clear that continued acne treatment is required and that there is no cure for acne (although isotretinoin may cause long-term remission of the disease).

Acne is NOT a result of poor hygiene

Dirt and surface skin oils do not cause acne. However, accumulation of daily dirt on the skin and excessive skin oils should be removed by gently washing your face twice a day with a mild soap, pat dry and use an appropriate acne treatment.

Constant washing does not improve acne

Constant washing does not improve acne. Excessive scrubbing dries and irritates skin further and can actually make your acne worse.

Getting a tan does not clear acne

Although there has been little scientific evidence that sunlight has any reliable beneficial effect on acne, and even less evidence for the benefits of solariums; nevertheless, there has been a resurgence of interest in effects of sunlight on acne. Before recommending such acne treatment one should carefully evaluate any positive effect of using sunlight in acne treatment against the possible long-term carcinogenetic effects of ultraviolet light on the skin. In addition, some studies have shown that acne treatment using sunlight can even worsen acne.

Not only teenagers can have acne, adults get acne too (adult acne)

Even though, acne vulgaris is mainly a skin disease of teenagers; the prevalence of acne in teenage boys and girls is so high that acne is considered almost universal in this age group; nevertheless, adults suffer from acne, too.

Acne should be treated and controlled, do not just “let acne run its course”

Even though, in most cases acne will “run its course”; nevertheless, untreated acne can leave you forever with unaesthetic acne scars, reminding you about your teenage acne skin problems for the rest of your life. There are multiple acne treatments available; therefore, acne should be treated and controlled, avoiding any potential unaesthetic acne scars in the future.

Stress does not cause acne, but it can exacerbate the existing condition

A study of 215 graduating medical students showed that 67% believed that stress plays a role in acne exacerbations. Anxiety was considered an acne-exacerbating factor by 74% of students and their relatives. There is also evidence that stress may exacerbate acne during examinations. It has also been noted that treatment with biofeedback mechanisms is useful in some acne sufferers.

Exercise does not increase risk of acne

According to Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford.edu) research and contrary to popular beliefs, exercise and sweating during exercise do not increase acne in athletes.

There are misconceptions regarding variably of too little or too much sexual activity and acne.

There are myths regarding too little or too much sexual activity and acne.

First sex and acne myth that too much sex or masturbation may worsen acne.

Second sex and acne myth that somehow when females begin having a regular sex life their acne will be improved.

Although acne is linked to androgen metabolism at the level of the sebaceous glands; nevertheless, there is no evidence supporting neither of these rather strange extrapolations.

By: Lauren Millie

About the Author:

Solve your acne & skincare problems at http://www.acnepimplezits.com