Say Goodbye to Acne

Acne and blemishes affect a person’s quality of life more than we would like to admit. Parents hope and pray that their teens won’t be plagued by these problems, adolescents who have problem skin can’t help being stressed about it, and the scars from difficult cases can last a lifetime. No one likes acne.

So what can be done about acne and blemishes? Blemishes may be upsetting for a young lass on the morning of her prom when she wakes up with a zit on her otherwise perfect face. But these can be treated topically with ease and covered up before she slips on her stunning gown. Most of the products sold over the counter in drug stores work better in clearing up blemishes than with more severe forms of acne. (Americans spend well over $100 million on over-the-counter acne treatments each year.) It’s really the heavy-duty acne that causes the heartbreak.

Acne includes pimples, blocked pores (blackheads and whiteheads) and cysts and nodules that are deeper in the skin. While it occurs mostly in teenagers, adults can be plagued by it too, even into their 40s. Interestingly, young men tend to have more severe cases of acne than do young women, but it’s the women who seek help from the dermatologist to clear things up. Often for females the acne is hormonally related. Sometimes just taking birth control pills can help clear it up. Of course, the long term effects of taking birth control pills are really unknown, so it’s a good idea to check think carefully about the possible side effects before you use birth control to clear up acne and blemishes.

Some people think that acne and blemishes are caused by poor hygiene, but this is not the case. And often, washing more frequently just exacerbates the problem, causing your oil producing glands to work harder, producing even more oil than your skin can handle. Also, if you wash too vigorously, thinking this will help, it will do the opposite. It will irritate your skin, compounding the problem.

Some people say that acne is caused by diet. Mainstream medicine says this is hogwash for the most part. But M.D.s, dermatologists included, have minimal training in nutrition for maintaining health. They’re trained in treating disease. People who have studied lternative healing modalities say that diet can be a big factor in whether you get blemishes and acne, and it can be a big factor in clearing up the skin. The link between diet and skin problems is something that will be further explored as time goes on, and more information is likely to be available on just how much our diet plays a role in our skin’s health.

By: Keith Londrie

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If you are looking for an acne medication solution, there are many over the counter treatments to choose from. But what is the best acne treatment? This gives you a quick OTC acne treatment comparison, so you can choose the OTC acne skin care product that works best for you.

Over the counter acne products should be used for mild, or Grade I acne. If you treat acne during this stage, you have a better chance of controlling it before it progresses to the next stage.

It is typical to find blackheads and whiteheads with mild acne. There may be some papules and pustules at this stage, but they are more infrequent. Mild acne can improve quite a bit by the application of over the counter topical treatments.

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl Peroxide is probably the most common acne medication. It works by killing the bacteria that causes breakouts. It also unclogs pores and can reduce inflammation. You can purchase Benzoyl Peroxide over the counter in strengths from 2.5% to 10%. It is the main ingredient in many popular acne treatments, including Proactiv.

Benzoyl Peroxide is extremely drying to the skin, so you should always use it along with acne face moisturizer. It is always best to get your skin used to it gradually by using lower strengths, and applying very small amounts to begin with. You may even want to only use it every other day in beginning. Over a few weeks time, you should be able to build up to using it more frequently and can opt for a strength that is stronger, if you think you need it.

Resorcinol and Sulfer

Recorcinol and sulfer are typically found together in acne products. Resorcinol helps remove dead skin cell buildup. Sulfer has been used for a number of years to prevent acne. Resorcinol usually comes in strengths of 2% and surfer usually comes in strengths of 5% to 8%. These ingredients are found in some Clearasil products.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic Acid corrects abnormal shedding of skin cells that block pore openings to reduce breakouts. This product works very well for those who have blackheads and whiteheads. The typical strength is .5 to 2%. Some Oxy, Noxema and Stridex products contain salicylic acid.

Alcohol and Acetone

Alcohol and acetone are typically found together in many treatments for oily skin. Alcohol helps reduce bacteria and acetone removes excess oil in your skin. You typically will find these two ingredients in astringents, toners and cleansers.

Now when you are looking for an acne medication solution, you will be better prepared with this quick OTC acne treatment comparison.

By: Eileen Childs

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

Many people who suffer from a severe case of acne often drive out, spend a chunk of money on over-the-counter acne treatments, and they hope for the best. Inexperienced acne sufferers often fall for the common trick acne companies like to play on them: these companies promise acne free skin in just a week or two, permanently. However, these products are often packed with harmful chemicals that actually slow the healing of acne, irritating and damaging the skin in the process.

It is important to examine the acne treatment ingredients, but with so many ingredients listed, it’s often difficult to separate the good chemicals from the bad. Also, even if the chemicals do help treat acne without side consequences, it is unclear as to whether those chemicals won’t “backfire” on your skin, leading to an acne breakout. Unfortunately, since everyones’ skin type is different, no doctor can know for certain which acne treatment will work for your skin type. The mainstream acne treatments often cost much more than acne treatments that work for your skin, and they often don’t yield the expected results.

There are a bountiful variety of acne - mild acne, whiteheads, blackheads, cystic, nodule, moderate - these acne all must be treated in different ways. When these acne are treated in the wrong way, acne scarring often results, leaving permanent marks on the face for years to come.

However, is there a real cure to acne? This really depends on the person. Some people have been suffering from severe acne for over twenty years. Now, don’t think those people weren’t trying to get rid of their acne. In fact, those people are the ones trying the hardest to remove their acne, trying every acne treatment, spending thousands of dollars each year on a variety of acne treatments. From laser surgery to strong medications, none of them work. But, hopefully you’re not this worst case scenario. There are, in fact acne treatments that work for your skin type, however you need to carefully examine just what your skin needs to be acne free.

The majority of acne treatments take time to work, but when you find your miracle acne treatment, that is when your acne gets clear the fastest. There are many acne treatments that initially treat acne, but in the long run the acne comes back even worse, and more difficult to treat than before. The average time for a permanent acne cure is six to eight weeks, but expect up to half a year with a good acne treatment. You’ll also probably receive a pimple here and there after the treatment, but those individual pimples can easily be treated with a good acne spot treatment.

it’s important to be wise with your acne treatment purchases, and always be alert for the next acne treatment research. There are very unique acne treatments being developed each day, and one of these new acne treatments may work for your skin.

By: Jason Popper

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