Say Goodbye to Acne

No matter who you are, you have probably experienced acne in your life to some degree. Millions of people around the world have this terrible skin condition that riddles your previously smooth beautiful skin with those nasty bumps and pimples that send you flying to the drugstore in search of answers. Well in this article some effective and simple tips are provided for you so you no longer have to live your life in fear of going out in public or being made fun of by anyone again.

So before we discuss what you can do to prevent your acne, it’s probably best that we discuss what exactly it is. Well when the glands in your body produce too much of the oil that is needed to for your body to function properly, then that clogs the pores in your skin, causing the presentation of pimples and zits on the skin that you know as acne.

So now you’re armed with a little bit of knowledge as to what acne is, it’s time you start to learn what steps you can take to treat and prevent it. Because when you don’t know the exact cause of something, treating it is rather useless.

1. Make sure you wash all over your body everyday, so you not only clean the affected areas of your skin but everywhere to prevent further breakouts.

2. If you are someone who has particularly oily hair, then you will want to make sure that you wash it an extra time a day, since excess oils are the leading cause of acne.

3. Don’t touch your face or any of the affected areas on your body as much as possible. By doing this you transfer the dirt and bacteria that already clogs your pores.

4. When you sweat, your body produces oils that clog your pores, so if you exercise regularly, make sure to take a shower afterwards.

5. If you participate in any sport activity such as hockey that requires you to wear a strap you might want to insert a piece of non-irritating material under so it doesn’t rub up against your skin and irritate it.

6. If at all possible, avoid exposing yourself to intense chemicals or oils. Avoid eating vegetable oil as well.

7. If you are a women using makeup or a man trying to hide scarring, choose your cosmetics carefully, don’t buy any with many chemicals that might irritate your skin.

8. Avoid over-exposure to sunlight if at all possible. The UV rays from the sun act to dry out and harm your skin further.

By: Thomas Middleton

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If you are unfortunate to suffer from acne then you should be aware that it is treatable. This article will describe some of the available forms of treatment to reduce the effects of acne on the skin. You should be aware that these methods will not stop the acne, but they will help to prevent new spots developing.

The most common form of treatment and the one that is likely to be recommended by your doctor is benzoyl peroxide. Acne is usually caused by excess oil production that blocked the pores in the skin. It is therefore important to keep the skin clean and fresh and so washing the affected areas on a regular basis will help to alleviate the problems. With this in mind, benzoyl peroxide can be found in soaps, creams and other antibacterial agents.

These treatments are available without prescription and can be purchased at most pharmacies. Although effective in improving the appearance of acne, benzoyl peroxide can cause dry skin and severe redness of the affected area.

If this treatment is not effective or you are suffering from severe acne, you can ask your doctor to prescribe either topical or oral treatments. There are a number of different types of topical treatments available. Antibiotics such erythromycin helps to remove the bacteria from the affected areas and unblock the skin pores. Other treatments such as topical retinoids work by applying to the skin on a daily basis. This causes the skin to flake and after a period of time improves its appearance.

Oral Treatments can be used if the side effects of the external treatments are too great. The most common forms of treatment in this case are the use of tetracycline. A doctor will recommend that they should be taken for a minimum of three months before any improvements in the skin can be expected. Unfortunately, although initial improvement may occur with this treatment, the bacteria that causes the acne seems to rapidly develop resistance to the antibiotics.

Should the acne not respond to any of these more common methods of treatment then your doctor may suggest the use of Isotretinoin. Effectively this works by reducing the amount of oil-based secretions in the skin. This drug is the most effective but also causes some severe side effects such as liver damage and is potentially dangerous for women who are pregnant. For this reason, its application is always closely monitored by a doctor.

If none of these conventional methods of acne treatment work then you may also consider a relatively new form of treatment known as phototherapy. This works on the principle that sunlight seems to improve skin generally if we are exposed to it in moderation.

This procedure involves the use of ultra-violet light, which when used regularly appears to dramatically reduce the appearance of acne in the affected areas. Unlike the traditional forms of treatments, Phototherapy also seems to last longer with the signs of acne not returning for several months after its first application.

However it should be remembered that this form of treatment is new and so is very expensive. Phototherapy has been classified as safe but the long term effects are as yet unknown.

So if you are suffering from acne then you now know that there are plenty of treatments available. The worst thing you can do is suffer in silence.

What is Acne – It is a condition in which the skin is inflamed. It occurs because of bacteria that enters into the pores of the skin and breeds. It can happen quickly. But, why it happens is what is important here. There are many causes of acne, but the reaction the body has is the same. Understanding what happens to the body will help in the prevention of additional acne later on.

How it happens – The body normally secretes oil through the skin. This helps to keep the skin healthy. But, sometimes, there are high levels of oils being secreted. On the other side are the pores. The pores can become clogged, so to speak, with dead cells and the oils. The combination makes for a warm, wet location for bacteria to get into and to breed quickly. All of this leads to painful, unpleasant pimples on the skin.

Here are some tips to help you with the prevention of acne:

1. The most important thing to do is to keep your face clean. Your face is normally going to be oily, to an extent. But, you’ll want to keep it as clean as possible nonetheless. Washing it with a good, quality soap is essential to keeping the excess oils off and the bacteria away.

2. Consider your needs for exfoliating. Remember those dead cells we mentioned? They too can get in there and help to cause acne. So, pick up an exfoliating cream or cloth and wash your face with it. It will help to remove dead skin cells from the face and therefore keep the zits away.

3. Seek out the help of a dermatologist. If you are facing continuous problems with severe acne or are otherwise concerned about your skin, you should speak to your doctor. They can uncover several things. First, they may find that there is a need to use prescription medication to slow down the production of oils within the body. They can also prescribe antibiotics to help rid the skin of these infections which are what acne really is.

4. Make sure that you are informed. If you educate yourself about what acne really is and why it happens, you can help to prevent it. It is also important to realize that not all acne can be treated or cured and that some of it is inherited.

5. Lastly, eating a well balanced diet and getting regular amounts of exercise really can make a large difference.

By: Mike Singh

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