Monday, April 23, 2007

The Right Acne Product Can Change Your Life

by Sarah Rhodes

Natural acne treatment is simple. Changing your diet or taking herbs and vitamins to cleanse and provide additional nutrition could be enough to clear your skin up. You should eliminate sugars, oils, and fats from your diet as much as possible. They are not part of a good balanced diet and are all unhealthy to begin with.

Using a natural acne remedy on the inside and out is your best acne solution. For exterior cleaning, try to find a product without alcohol, as it will dry your skin. Tea Tree oil is natural, but also very strong. I wouldn't use it for mild to moderate acne unless it had other ingredients in it to dilute it. If you have severe acne, that may work for you. An acne product that protects your skin and prevents acne from coming back is even better. There's one listed on my web site, see below.
Natural acne products can actually clear the skin for good, only requiring occasional follow up treatments, whereas conventional methods can require constant treatment, and the results disappear as soon as the individual stops using the medicine. Also, many acne treatments prescribed by doctors or dermatologists are antibiotic in nature. Continuous antibiotic treatment can result in antibiotic resistance in the body, meaning when you really need your body to respond to antibiotic treatment, such as in illness, it may have built a tolerance and need more powerful meds to respond correctly. Some prescribed acne medications can even be dangerous, and are to be taken only for the most severe cases of acne and with the utmost caution.

Eye shadows, blush on, moisturizer, and other cosmetics we use should be free from oily substances to permit healthy acne skin care maintenance. Even hairstyling products in forms of gels or aerosols that come in close contact with the skin may destroy a healthy acne skin care practice. Choose hairstyling products, which are commercially labeled as non-comedogenic are products which do not provoke the formation and growth of blemishes and other related skin disorders.

Acne is a very common skin problem which affects young people at their puberty and few adults till they reach 45. Acne is referred to as Youvana pitikas (which means the eruptions of youth) in ayurveda. This shows the prevalence of acne from ages. Ayurveda has described the causes of acne and recommends the best natural herbal acne remedies too.

There's a wide range of acne skin care treatment products available on the market. Some can prove very effective, while others are a waste of money. However, different treatments work for different people. The first thing to consider when purchasing an acne skin care treatment product is what type of skin you have. Most people have a dry, oily or combined skin. There are very few persons with a normal skin.

Determining your skin type is the first step. There are a lot of products available for all types of skin.

About the Author
Sarah Rhodes suffered from severe acne for many years before finally discovering a cure that works. Read about Sarah and the secret that permanently cured her acne at: acnehomesolution.com



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Friday, April 13, 2007

Types Of Laser Treatments For Acne: Pros And Cons

by Kelly Wade

Treating Acne With Ablative And Non-ablative Lasers

Although there are many different ways to treat acne, many traditional acne treatments are harsh on your skin and have numerous side effects. However, experimentation with different techniques are yielding positive results and providing much safer and natural ways to deal with acne and acne scars. At the forefront of these more gentle acne treatments are light and laser therapy.
It has been found that specialized lights and lasers can have a positive impact on acne and can even remove acne scars in some cases. There are now a variety of lights and lasers that can be used in different situations to treat acne depending on a person's skin type and the severity of their acne.

However, there is some kind of laser or light therapy for nearly anyone, regardless of how severe their acne is or where it is located: on the face, on the back, or even the scalp and hairline.

Although laser beams are a type of light ray, there are some distinct differences between light and laser treatments, and even drastic differences between various laser treatments. One thing that should be noted is that since light and laser treatments do not necessarily include any kind of medications or traditional medicine, there are no restrictions on who can professionally apply laser treatments. This means you do not need a license, certification, or training to operate laser or light treatments. As with other acne treatments, each treatment carries certain risks, although some are more serious than others.

Laser Treatments

There are two types of laser treatments, ablative and non-ablative. Both of these laser treatments are becoming very popular because of their effectiveness in eradicating acne, as well as removing acne scars, age lines, wrinkles, and discolorations. As would be expected, the more extreme treatment yields quicker and more permanent results, but there is a risk of side effects.

Ablative lasers are the oldest type of laser used to treat acne. The ablative laser rids skin of acne in two different ways. First, the laser heats the sebatious glands beneath the skin. The heat applied to the sebatious glands causes them to shrink and produce much less oil, which means that your pores do not clog as easily. However, ablative lasers also remove the epidermis, which is the outermost layer of your skin. The epidermis is essentially burned off or 'vaporized' as many websites say. Removing the outer layer of skin destroys skin that is marked with acne scars and causes collegen growth, which replaces skin damaged by acne scars with clear, smooth skin.

Although this treatment only takes one session, patients will find that their face is red and very sensitive for a number of weeks, which is a direct result of the outer layer of skin being burned off. The skin that replaces it is normally free from noticeable flaws, but it takes several weeks for this skin to grow and heal, leaving patients discomforted and with red marks on their face until healing is complete.

Using an ablative laser to treat acne is very much like removing a tattoo. Vaporizing the epidermis essentially allows your skin a blank slate so that it can grow back naturally without any scar tissue or formations. The drawback of using ablative lasers is that it takes a long time to heal completely and it is possible to vaporize too much with the laser. In some cases, laser operators can make the laser too intense or hold it in one place too long and cause permanent scarring.
Non-ablative lasers, on the other hand, produce similar results, but are much milder. Like ablative lasers, non-ablative lasers also shrink and impair the functions of the sebaceous glands so that they will not get clogged as easily and produce pimples. However non-ablative lasers have no effect on the outer layer of your skin. Because your epidermis is not burned off, non-ablative lasers do not leave patients with embarrassing red marks on their face. Non-ablative lasers also stimulate collagen growth, so acne scars can be removed without vaporizing your skin. However, because non-ablative lasers are not as harsh, they do require more than one treatment session. For non-ablative lasers, it may be necessary to receive treatment every two weeks.

If you do decide to pursue laser therapy to deal with your acne, it is necessary to make sure that the person running the laser is qualified and knows what they are doing. Because you do not need a license or certification to purchase or operate a laser therapy system, some operators will be more reliable than others. For any laser treatment, going to a dermatologist will likely yield much better results than someone who doesn't have a lot of experience treating acne, especially concerning the use of lasers. Laser treatments can be very effective in treating acne, but if used incorrectly, permanent scarring can result

About the Author
More acne treatment options are available than ever before. Visit http://acnerelieftips.com to read up on a wide variety in depth acne information



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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Acne Medication Review - Antibiotics

by Peggy Adamik


If you've talked to your doctor about your acne, you may have been given antibiotics. Or perhaps your acne is just starting to get serious, and you're wondering if it would help to try something stronger than the over-the-counter acne medications currently available. If this is the case, then antibiotics may be an option for you. Here's some detailed information about the use of antibiotics to treat acne.

General information
Antibiotics have been used for acne since it was first discovered that there were bacteria in clogged pores. But not all types of antibiotics will work; some are specific to certain bacteria, and if those bacteria aren't in the pores, the antibiotics won't do any good. Fortunately, medical science has discovered which antibiotics kill which bacteria. That makes it easier to prescribe the correct ones for use as acne medications.

How do antibiotics work? Well, mainly they kill the bacteria that's accumulated in the clogged pores. This has the indirect effect of reducing the inflammation - the redness - around those pores. Both of those effects may help clear up the acne faster than it would clear on its own.

Types of antibiotics
Antibiotics used for acne come in oral and topical preparations. Topical antibiotics, which are applied directly to the skin, will probably be tried first, because they'll go exactly where they're needed. Generally they come in two forms, liquid and gel, although other ways to apply them are being developed. For example, there's now a foam version which is designed to be easier to use - and less messy.

Oral antibiotics are taken by mouth, and may come in tablet, capsule, or liquid form. They're stronger than topical preparations because they circulate throughout the body, in the bloodstream. But this way of taking antibiotics has its own drawbacks, which I'll explain later in this article.

Oral antibiotics as acne medications
If you've ever had an infection - for example, strep throat - you know how antibiotics normally work. You would have had to take a pretty strong dose for two weeks, or maybe a little longer if your infection was stubborn.

Antibiotic treatment of acne is different. The doses will be lower. But you'll probably have to take the medications for a much longer time period - possibly several months. This might sound extreme, but when you think about it, acne is a chronic condition - it usually lasts for several months, or even years. A two-week course of antibiotics probably wouldn't do much good.

Side effects - the down side of antibiotics
Antibiotics are strong medicine, whether they're taken internally or applied to the skin. Oral versions may produce the most severe effects, but even the topical preparations are not without their problems. Here's a sampling of antibiotic side effects:
- allergies - likely with both types, but may be more severe with the oral versions
- tolerance problems - when the antibiotic can no longer kill the bacteria as well, and different or stronger medications must be prescribed
- skin irritation - mainly from the topical forms
- increased sensitivity to the sun - also mostly from topicals, so be sure to wear sunscreen when you go out
- intestinal irritation (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) - from the oral versions, because they'll kill more than just the bacteria in the pores; they might also attack the "friendly" bacteria in the intestinal tract, making it harder to digest food

Conclusion - Are antibiotics for you?
Antibiotics may really help your acne, but they aren't trouble-free. Stay in touch with your doctor and report any strange effects or problems you notice (like the ones listed above).

If you're having problems with the antibiotics, but you're afraid your acne will just get worse if you stop them, ask yourself the question - "Is the treatment worse than the acne?" If it isn't, then continue with the antibiotics. If it is, you probably need to try something else.

Did you find some of these information intimidating? Are you nervous about possible side effects? Acne Free In 3 Days may offer a safer and faster alternative.


About the Author
Peggy Adamik is a former RN whose current interests lie mainly in area of holistic health.

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Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Conquering Your Acne - Some Helpful Tips

by Sarah Rhodes

Scrubbing and abrasives should be avoided. Experts have said that they irritate the skin, which should be left intact as a natural barrier against the acne-causing bacteria.

Harsh skin care products should not be used. These dry out the skin to a great extent thereby causing the sebaceous glands to secrete more oil which blocks pores of skin and creates more acne. Exfoliation of the skin should be done periodically to get rid of dead cells blocking pores. This will keep acne at bay.

It makes sense to cleanse and nourish from both the INSIDE and OUT. Your face and body do not need more clogging, synthetic oils and lotions. They need real nutrition that can make a difference when applied topically as well as nutrition internally to enhance detoxification and a healthy blood supply to the vessels beneath the skin's surface.

Acne skin care products can be very inexpensive, or very expensive, depending on what you are buying. Just because a product is expensive does not mean that it will work. However, the products that do work usually are expensive. Do your research, and purchase products that have a proven track record. This doesn't mean that the product will necessarily work for you, but the chances of it working are improved, because it has been scientifically proven to be effective for the majority of the people who use it.

While, benzoyl peroxide can be used for short-term treatment of mild acne in the US, its long-term use has the potential to damage skin. On the whole, safer options that allow natural resolution of acne are recommended. Natural alternatives to benzoyl peroxide are calendula or tea tree oil. Psidium guajava and Juglans regia leaf extracts were found to be beneficial in treating acne. Granulysin peptides were also found to be effective against P.acne and may form an alternative therapy against acne in future.

Adult acne can be caused by several things, one of which is mental stress. The body can react to stress by increasing the secretions of the skin's sebaceous glands or by releasing more hormones from the adrenal glands. Oils from the sebaceous glands can block pores, while a greater amount of hormones in the body can cause hormonal imbalance - both of which can give rise to acne flare-ups or exacerbate an existing acne condition.

About the Author
Sarah Rhodes suffered from severe acne for many years before finally discovering a cure that works. Read about Sarah and the secret that permanently cured her acne at: acnehomesolution.com

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