Month: February 2016

For many years, it was thought that genetics played absolutely no role in acne. Recent research has found that the reverse is actually true for some acne patients. While acne is not a guaranteed fate from an ancestor to a descendant, there are instances where the genes do actually bring acne on.

The research was conducted by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), through the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. The research was to test new technology, known as Gene Array Expression Profiling. This technology essentially measures the cellular concentration of messenger ribonucleic acid in the genes of a cell. As you may or may not know, each cell carries two genes – one from your mother, and one from your father.

So, if your mother had acne, does this mean that you will as well? Not necessarily. You see the new technology actually doesn’t look at your parents genes. Instead, it looks for specific gene patterns or sequences. Certain sequences appear more frequently in people who have acne than in those who do not.

On the other side of that, however, is the fact that we usually have the same skin coloring and type that one of our parents have. For example, if you have a dark skinned parent, you will most likely have dark skin. If you have two pale skinned parents, you will most likely have pale skin. Therefore, it stands to reason that if one of your parents had oily skin and suffered from acne, your chances of suffering from oily skin and acne are increased.

The good news is that with new technology and new acne treatments, you are not doomed to acne. Remember that treatments are always evolving, and just knowing that you are at a genetic risk for acne will help you to better avoid it, by taking better care of your skin, from a very early age.

Over the years, there have been great debates and controversies over various acne treatments. Sometimes, it is found that a treatment is not safe, and it is then banned by the FDA. However this rarely happens. In most cases, certain treatments are only dangerous if certain other conditions exist, such as pregnancy.

Most over-the-counter medications are safe, unless you have some type of medical condition or allergy that would make it unsafe for you. Most prescription medications used to treat acne are also safe, again, unless there is a specific reason why they are unsafe for you.

This is why if you have acne, it is always a good idea to discuss treatment options with your doctor, and preferably with a dermatologist that specializes in the treatment of skin problems such as acne. With a complete medical history, and a diagnosis of the type of acne that you have, the doctor will be able to prescribe or suggest a suitable acne treatment that is not only safe for you, but is also effective for the type of acne that you have.

Because some people prefer natural treatments in all things, they will avoid the use of chemical acne treatments, such as those that contain benzoyl peroxide. They will also state that such a chemical is dangerous, but this isn’t really true. It is just a chemical, as opposed to a natural ingredient, and it has been proven safe by the FDA.

If you aren’t sure whether an acne treatment is safe for you, contact your doctor. If you still aren’t sure after a consultation, get a second opinion, or choose a different type of acne treatment. These days, there is no reason in the world why you should have to suffer with acne, when so many effective treatments are available.

Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products. The truth is, most of these products are full of chemicals that can actually slow down the healing of acne, and irritate your skin, causing farther breakouts.

When an acne product has 20 ingredients listed on it, it can be hard to know if one of those ingredients is actually stopping you from having success. It can be even harder when you can’t pronounce the ingredient, much less know what it is and how it is going to affect your skin.

Most mainstream acne treatments are not only much more expensive than common household items, but they also don’t always work as well either. With that in mind, I will list some basic household items that can work wonders on clearing up your skin.

Baking soda – A very cheap cooking ingredient that most people have in their homes already, baking soda can be used as a great scrub. The purpose of a scrub is to exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin that can eventually clog pores and lead to acne spots.

To start off, you’ll want to mix a small amount of baking soda with some water for form a paste. Baking soda is very effective as a scrub, so you want to be sure to be extra careful when applying it to your face. Gently massage the paste into your skin for ten to fifteen seconds. Then rinse the baking soda off, and pat your face dry with a clean towel.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Though most people that use vinegar to treat acne use the apple cider form of vinegar, you can also use plain old regular vinegar. Regardless of which type you use, vinegar can be very helpful with it comes to clearing up acne. It can kill off acne causing bacteria, balance your skin’s pH, and absorb extra oil on your skin.

Starting with clean, dry skin, apply diluted vinegar (eight parts water to one part vinegar) directly to your skin with a cotton ball, and leave it on. If you want, you can also use a stronger vinegar solution (say, 2 or 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar), and apply it directly to problem areas, rinsing it off after ten minutes.

Lemon or lime juice can also be substituted for vinegar. Both of these juices are rich in citric acid, and can exfoliate your skin very well, halting the growth of acne spots, as well as fading previous, non-active acne quicker.

Egg Whites – Rich in protein, egg whites can be used as a mask to heal and rebuild your skin. It can also help to absorb excess oil from your skin.

To start off, crack an egg, removing the yolk so that just the egg whites are left behind. Beat these egg whites, and apply them directly to your face. Let it sit for fifteen minutes, and then rinse the egg off.

Oatmeal – As odd as it may seem, oatmeal can absorb unwanted oil and draw out impurities which reside deep in your skin. Cook some plain oatmeal like you would for consumption. Let it cool off, and rub it over your clean skin. Let it sit for a while, like you would a mask, and then rinse off. If you do this on a regular basis, you should begin to start noticing results soon. It may feel funny, but it works!

Tea Tree Oil – TTO is a commonly used all-natural household antiseptic, which you can pick up at most drugstores or supermarkets. You can apply TTO directly to acne spots to kill bacteria, or, if you strongly dilute it with another oil (such as jojoba oil), over your entire face.

Tea tree gel can be easier to apply than the oil, and many are made for applying over large areas of skin, so they aren’t quite as strong as straight TTO and do not need to be diluted.

Pantothenic Acid (Also known as Vit. B5) – Pantothenic acid can be taken in large quantities for the benefit of acne reduction. B5 works by helping your body to metabolize fats which would otherwise be later turned into sebum (oil) and excreted through the skin. Small amounts of B5 won’t help though, and it has to be taken several times a day.

To help with acne, you will need to take 2.5 grams of pantothenic acid (the powder form is much easier to take), 4 times per day, for a total of 10 grams per day. Powdered B5 can be purchased from vitamin stores.

Aloe Vera – Aloe Vera has been used for many years in kitchens for topical application to burns. Another benefit of aloe is that it can prevent scaring, fade marks and help heal acne spots.

You now have an idea of some basic household items you can use on your skin, that work better than many OTC acne products, and are much cheaper to use. Since we have only really covered basic acne treatments, you can always take this to another level and take all natural, internal acne treatments.

This sums up our basic list of natural alternatives for chemical based acne treatment products. You can take this a step farther by attacking your acne from the inside out. Acne has been shown numerous times to be very closely affected by the digestive system, so keeping your entire digestive system working as smooth as possible can help reduce acne. I will help give you a basic idea of some all natural products you can take to help clear up acne.

Cucumber, lemon and carrot juice, brewer’s yeast, and active charcoal pills are all capable of helping the digestive system function normally. Since the digestive system is closely related with the health of the skin, they should help reduce acne breakouts. Flax seed can also be wonderful for helping your skin heal faster.

Acne can be easily divided in to three main types. All these three types of acne are further classified and this classification is usually based on the severity of the condition.

The severity is further based on the number of lesions that are present on the body in conjunction with the presence of persistence, psychological impact as well as scaring.

– Types of acne

a) Comedonal

This type of acne can be considered as the initial phase of acts. It usually triggers of with the onset of puberty. It starts its onset on the nose and can progress further to involve the checks, forehead and chin.

Conedonal acne consists of white heads and black heads. There are no traces of pimples. This type of acne may exist separately or even with many other types of acne.

b) Papulopustular

This is the most common type. It is also considered to be the main type. It appears on the skin in the form of reddish pimples and can easily range from mild to severe. The acne most commonly involves upper arms, neck, back and chest of the body.

c) Nodulocystic

Nodulocystic acne is considered to be the most severe type. It is more severe than the Papulopustular acne and also involves the presence of large deep lesions, also known as nodules. It may also result in the formation of acne cysts. It can also affect the chest, face and back. This type is most common among the male.

d) Other types

Acne has many forms. These are seen as a small red dot to big pus filled cysts. However, all these types are related to each other. This means that they are developed from one another. They may also be completely independent in their origin.

e) Nodules

These are severe forms of acne also known as cyst as they are pus filled appear in sac-like formation. These are also considered to be the worst type of infection that tends to spread under the skin towards the adjoining tissue around the primary infection site. These are filled with pus and usually run deep inside the skin. Nodules can be very painful and scarring.

f) Cystic

This type is very common and caused by squeezing, picking or pinching small acne filled with pus. These activities makes the pus inside the cyst to burst deep inside the tissue of the skin and results in to a body mechanism that sends white blood cells to the affected area and these cells work towards fighting off bacteria. Cystic acne also results in a lot of swelling and deep rooted inflammation that ultimately results in pain.

g) Acne Vulgaris

This consists of black as well as white heads. This is easy to treat and can be taken care of via applying 2.5 per cent Benzoyl peroxide topically to the infected area.

You’ve probably seen numerous infomercials on acne – what causes it and how to treat it. Often, dermatological companies would introduce new quick acne treatment. If you are plagued with acne and you have not bothered to visit your healthcare provider for this condition, you probably have tried almost every product in the market. At the end of the day, you’ll be saying, “Nothing works! I’ve tried everything!” Well, you probably have not even tried to determine what really causes your acne. This is crucial to determining the proper treatment.

The Start of Acne

Usually, acne occurs during puberty. This is triggered by hormonal changes that occur during this stage. The testosterone is converted into dihydrotesterone which set off excessive oil secretion. This excess oil then blocks the skin pores. The skin is then unable to shed the dead cells causing these dead skin cells to stay in the pore and eventually cause the acne. People with oily skin tend to suffer from acne. However, it is not just trapped excess oils that cause acne. Dirt and bacteria may also cause the blockage and the acne.

How Does Acne Occur?

Your acne may start and be categorized as inflamed or not inflamed. Not inflamed blemishes are known as whiteheads and blackheads. A whitehead is a pore clogged with bacteria and dirt. When this clogged pore opens up, this exposes the oil to oxidation which causes the blackish color and this is known as blackhead. When the clogged pores do not turn into blackheads, the body will then try to dispel of the dirt and bacteria. When inflammation develops, you have acne condition.

What are the Causes of Acne?

Acne is fairly common amongst teenagers. However, there are a lot of adults that share the same condition. The causes of acne, regardless of who is suffering from it, are almost all the same. These are:

1) Rapid dead skin cells shedding. When a person hits the age of puberty, his skin would start to shed a bit more rapidly. Unfortunately, the dead skin cells may buildup and block the pores.

2) Bacteria. The dead skin cells and oils make it perfect for many bacteria to populate people’s skins. These bacteria are known as Propionibacterium acnes. The excessive growth of these bacteria causes acne and large lesions.

3) Heredity. Unfortunately, heredity can indeed play a factor on acne development. If any of your parents suffered from severe acne breakouts, you will probably share the same fate.

4) Hormonal changes. Rioting hormones can cause imbalances and excessive oil production. This is why acne is common among teenagers, menstruating women and pregnant women.

5) Diet. Although there are no specific findings that would really relate diet to acne, people have different reactions to various foods. Too much caffeine, carbonated beverages, fatty foods, sweets, processed foods and pasta may cause acne. It is actually up to you to take notice if you experience acne breakouts with some foods.

6) Severe stress. Daily normal stressors like spilled coffee do not actually cause acne, but people who are severely stressed emotionally may suffer from acne breakouts.