acne is a common skin disorder normally found on the face and
the upper torso. Acne is a cause of embarrassment to most people but it is
seldom serious. Acne is caused by an interaction between hormones, skin oils,
and bacteria that results in the inflammation of the hair follicles.
Majority of the cases of acne
responds pretty well with personal care. With combination of personal hygiene,
over-the-counter acne treatments and alternative remedies, you may have a
clearer and fairer skin.
Acne may be in the form of pimples,
cysts and sometimes abscesses. Cysts and abscesses are pus-filled pockets of
skin where the hair follicles grow. Hair follicles are connected to the
sebaceous gland that are located in the middle layer of the skin or the dermis,
these glands secretes an oily substance called sebum that the body uses to keep
the skin from drying.
What are the symptoms of Acne
There are 2 major categorization of
symptoms of acne
Mild acnes.
Symptoms of mild acne are mostly
superficial, the symptoms of mild acne are characterized with the development
of few noninflammed blackheads or a moderate number of small mildly irritated
pimples.
Symptoms of acne includes blackheads
which appear as tiny black dots at the center of the small swelling of normal
colored skin.
Another symptom of acne is called
pimples. Pimples on the other hand have white centers surrounded with
moderately reddened skin. Pimples are moderately uncomfortable and irritating.
Mild acnes usually go away after treatment and rarely leaves scars on the skin.
Severe acne.
Symptoms of acne that is categorized
as severe acne include several large, red, painful pus-filled lumps (nodules)
that develops on the skin. These symptoms of acne are usually deep and cystic.
At times these lumps join together under the skin forming a giant lump where it
ruptures and oozes abscesses. Severe acnes usually leaves scar in the skin
depending on the depth of the acne. Scars maybe tiny deep holes (ice pick
scars), wide pits of varying depths or large irregular identations. Scars
resulting from severe acnes lasts a lifetime. To some people this is
cosmetically disturbing and a source of psychologic stress.
Skin Pore Blockage can cause acne.
One
cause of acne is the blockage of skin oil secretions (sebum) that normally pass
out of the skin through the hair follicles and then through the skin pores
together with dead skin cells.
The
clogged skin pore is one of the primary cause of acne, this is when the pore of
the skin is clogged with dried sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria.
There
are two types of blockage that is the cause of acne;
- Black Head (open comedone)- this is a cause of acne as
black head develops as the dried sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria
partially blocks the pore of the skin.
- White Head (closed comedone)- this is a cause of acne as
white heads develop when the dried sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria
completely blocks the pore of the skin.
In
both instances, the blockage of the skin pore promotes the growth of bacteria
propionibacterium acne which is normally present in the hair follicles and a
cause of acne. When this happens the bacterial growth breaks down the sebum
creating a substance irritating the skin. The resulting irritation inflames the
skin resulting to skin eruptions called acne pimples. When irritation worsens,
an abscess will form causing skin rupture, resulting to more inflammation.
Cosmetic
use can also be the cause of acne. Cosmetics blocks the skin pores preventing
the flow of oils and dead skin cells from the skin. This becomes the cause of
acne.
Hormones can cause of acne
Increase
in hormone levels is also considered as a cause of acne. Hormone imbalance
aggravate the development of acne. That is why most teenagers suffer more from
acne. But as the hormone level stabilizes by mid 20's acne usually disappears.
Other conditions that involves hormonal changes such as menstrual periods and
during pregnancies may also be the cause of acne. The taking of oral
contraceptives and menopausal hormone replacement therapy may also be a cause
of acne.
Drugs can also be a cause of acne
Certain
drugs such as corticosteroids and anabolic steroids can also be a cause of acne
pimples. These drugs stimulate the sebaceous glands secreting more oil or
sebum. When these oil or sebum are blocked this may be the cause of acne.
Others causes of acne
Other
cause of acne maybe exposure to sunlight, stress and other skin irritants that
continuously comes in contact with the skin.
Home Remedy for Acne
There
are a few things that can be done to home remedy acne flare ups
Home
Remedy Acne Care 1: Stay Clean and fresh. Acne care may be done by washing
gently your skin with mild soap. Avoid strong cleansers and heavy scrubbing,
this causes the skin and acne to be further irritated leaving your skin more
vulnerable to the side effects of topical acne treatments. Rather use soaps
that do not contain moisturizing oils that may not be washed off by water and
would clog your skin pores.
For
acne care, it is unnecessary to use special and more expensive facial cleansers
that contain special medication against acne. Special facial cleansers used for
acne care may be washed off by water anyway upon rinsing. Wash your face at
least three times a day to remove excess oil and dirt for best acne care and
prevention.
Home
Remedy Acne Care 2: Another home remedy for acne care is to use minimal makeup
and avoid those that are oil based cosmetics. Look at the labels and select
those that are water-based. Some skins are easily irritated even with minimal
make-ups that cause blemishes and acne breakouts. For best acne care, choose
cosmetics that would not irritate your skin then remove makeup as soon as
possible, most importantly before retiring to bed.
Home
Remedy Acne Care 3: Avoid frequent and continous contact to your face. Try not
to touch your face frequently with your hands as this may transfer germs to
your face and may cause further infection of your acne. Also avoid prolonged
contact with other things such as cradling telephone between your head and
shoulder.
Home
Remedy Acne Care 4: Poke prudently. Generally for proper acne care,
dermatologists discourage the squeezing of blackheads and popping the
whiteheads. These practices usually results to scarring. But who doesn't, most
people can't simply resist to poke their acne or pimples, if you will do, make
sure that your face and your hands are clean. Making sure that you will at
least dab it with rubbing alcohol before and after to keep it disinfected.
Nutrition
and Acne - Foods for Acne Free Face
Good Nutrition and eating a healthy diet
is the key to effective acne care.
Eating a healthy diet rich in fiber is commonly known to help maintain a clear
and acne free skin. Although there is no medical study done as yet to prove the
relation of diet and acne, eating a healthy diet rich in fiber brings more good
to a person generally.
For best acne care and avoidance, do
not eat too much meat and processed foods. Increase your intake of whole
grains, vegetables, and fruits. Drink a lot of water.
Chololates can cause Acne - Myth busted. Chocolate has been blamed for acne.
"The chocolate myth has been very persistent," says Alan P. Bauer,
M.D. "After all these years I still hear it." In fact, the chocolate
myth about acne was debunked about a half-century ago. Back then, Albert M.
Kligman, M.D, professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia, gave a group of teens either real chocolate bars of
"placebo" bars that only tasted like chocolate. Later, Dr. Kligman
photographed the teens' faces and counted the acne blemishes that had
developed. The teens who had eaten the placebo bars got virtually the same
number of acne blemishes as the teens who had eaten the real chocolate.
(Excerpt from Blended Medicine-The Best Choices of Healing, Michael Castleman,
2000)
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Acne Free
Take your Vitamins and Mineral
Supplements.
1.
Zinc : Studies have suggested that a
dose of zinc may help control the break-out of acne. Zinc works by reducing the
levels of male sex hormone dihydrotestorone (DHT) in our body. By lowering the
hormone androgen, acne breakouts are lessened. Zinc intake more than 30mg per
day should be under medical supervision.
2.
Aloevera soft gel
3.
Lecithin
4.
Herbal soaps such as:
-
Organo gold G-3 soap,
-
BF suma anatic herbal essence soap
-
CNI beauty soap
-
Green life G soap
