Control Your Acne With Effective Acne Treatments


Acne is not a problem confined to adolescence; in fact, more than sixty percent of the population is troubled with blackheads and pimples well beyond the teen years. If acne is your problem, cheer up. While there are no acne cures, with reliable acne treatments, including internal and external therapies, you can keep outbreaks controlled, reduce the possibility of scarring, and lessen that greasy, shiny look. It's time to feel good about yourself again.

Causes of Acne

Acne has never been completely understood, but hormonal imbalances and heredity are certainly major factors, and breakouts can be aggravated by stress and lifestyle choices. The chief catalyst seems to be overactive sebaceous glands which secrete too much sebum, the lubricant the helps retain moisture and then becomes too much of a good thing. The oil clogs the pores of the skin causing breakouts, mostly on the face if it is adult acne, and on the face and sometimes on the back, chest, and upper arms in the teen years. Oily skin, pimples, blackheads, enlarged pores, and redness are acne symptoms, and these can be exacerbated by diet, pregnancy, birth control pills, cosmetics, and humidity.

Acne is not to be confused with rosacea, another facial skin condition which usually strikes in the middle years and causes blotchy red skin and small bumps, but rarely whiteheads or blackheads.

Your Diet Affects Your Skin

There is no scientific proof that certain foods, like chocolate or colas, can cause breakouts, but if something seems to act as a trigger for you, avoid whatever it is. Choose a healthy, balanced diet high in fiber and high in zinc, which means shellfish, nuts, egg yolks, and whole grains; and natural raw food rich in oxalic acid, such as almonds, cashews, and beets. The whole range of B vitamins will help keep your skin clear, and too little vitamin B2 can actually cause oily skin. B vitamins are found in wheat germ, Brewer's yeast, organ meats, nuts, and beans. Remember that one of the functions of the skin is to eliminate toxins through perspiration. This means you should drink lots of water to flush out most toxins via the kidneys and the liver and keep your system clear. Water is also necessary to keeps your skin hydrated. A good diet encourages clear, healthy skin, and works as an anti aging treatment as well.

Supplements Can Assist with Acne Control

Food grown in nutrient-depleted soil will be lacking sufficient nutrients to optimize good health and healthy skin, and so it makes sense to add one or more supplements to your diet. Supplements are also useful if you eat a lot of processed food and occasionally feel the urge to gorge yourself on fast food. The best supplement is a multivitamin suitable for your age and sex, and then you can add zinc and possibly a B vitamin complex or Brewer's yeast to help meet your special requirements. Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid which is known to benefit skin cells, and you might find it helpful to add this supplement as well.

Acne Skin Care is Needed Daily

Any acne treatment should begin with a common sense procedure such as cleansing the skin with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water. Avoid harsh cleansers and astringents, which make the oil glands more productive. An antibacterial astringent is perfect for wiping away excess oil between cleansings. Avoid squeezing and picking which can spread inflammation and cause acne scars, and use hot compresses and then an extractor for blackhead removal if needed. Antibacterial lotions that dry the skin, mild, pure soap, and a medicated cream is useful for treating oily, acne-prone skin. If you wear makeup, choose water-based acne products rather than oil-based products. Avoid anything that makes your skin feel tight and dry. If the upper layer of skin has been treated so harshly that it has become dry and shrunken, the flow of oil will be restricted and even more blockages and breakouts will occur.

Good Medical Options are Available for Acne Sufferers

A dermatologist should be consulted if your acne is severe, and this will give you access to tretinoin (Retin-A cream) or accutane for acute cases, both of which are available on perscription. You can also get prescriptions for a range of antibiotics in pill form, such as tetracycline, as well as antibiotic salves and creams. Effective over-the-counter acne treatments include topical salves and creams that contain benzoyl peroxide, or a five-percent solution of tea tree oil, or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Blemishes can be dried up with a variety of acne products that contain salicylic acid, sulfur, or resorcinol.

More Useful Information and Advice

* Exercise is good for the skin since it increases circulation and blood flow, but when you are exercising, avoid wearing cosmetics or moisturizers, which keep perspiration from flowing freely and cause pores to clog. Sweatbands also hold perspiration and oil against the skin and shouldn't be used.

* Keep your hair off your face so that you are not adding to your problems with scalp oil. Avoid using hair products that are oily or greasy for the same reason.

* Prolonged exposure to the sun or sunlamps might dry acne but can result in a whole host of new problems, such as damaged, leathery skin and skin cancer. There are better solutions.

* Use caution about taking saunas and steam baths as they may aggravate your acne condition. You can't do much about heat and humidity ? nature's version of saunas and steam baths ? but keeping your skin clean and removing excess oil frequently will assist in the prevention of breakouts.

* Remember that stress makes acne worse. Don't let emotional upsets get under your skin, so to speak. Try meditation or relaxation techniques to prevent stress-induced breakouts. Your skin isn't the only organ that will benefit.

Acne treatments are of vital importance to acne sufferers and can make a big difference in the lives of people who have to cope with this very real problem. Both internal and external acne remedies can be found on the Internet. Compare prices and brands, and place your order from the comfort of your home. Products are usually shipped the same day that you order. Shop with confidence online, and see an improvement in your appearance within days.

Scott Gray is currently a freelance writer and enjoys providing information and advice to online shoppers who are in the market for anti aging options, acne treatments, and general skin care.





Latest Acne News:



Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for acne
Finally: Dr. Zein Obagi ZO Skin Health? Releases Highly Anticipated Acne Prevention Kit (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
ZO Skin Health?, by Dr. Zein Obagi has released its limited edition Acne Prevention and Care Kit. This kit is designed to combat acne and replenish the skin to its natural state. Dr. Zein Obagi doesn?t just address your skin?s surface problems, his products start with the skin cells and work their way up. Pop Rocker Avril Lavigne Opens Up about Acne (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
PALM DESERT, Calif.----Avril Lavigne today said she hopes to reach millions of teens and young women with an important message about acne, summed up as: ?Be Proactiv.? Being Acne Free in 3 Days Holds Traps - Look At This One (LawFuel)
Being acne-free in 3 days sounds easy, but is it? We took a good look at what can happen when you try getting zit-free skin and a few people were not happy. Related Features (British Vogue)
VOGUE'S March cover girl Alexa Chung is a fan of the label and last night the East End's coolest kids and an army of Alexa-alikes braved the cold and rain to witness a little of Scandinavia come to Shoreditch, as Swedish label Acne unveiled its autumn/winter 2010-11 collection. Norwell salon, Studio 123, celebrates its first year in business (The Patriot Ledger)
When Ewa Deveney opened the Studio 123 salon on Main Street in Norwell last year, she was pursuing an interest she?s had since she was a teen. ?As a teenager I suffered from acne, and that always interested me to see how I could improve my skin and appearance,? Deveney said. Brush the stress away (Channel NewsAsia)
SINGAPORE: While most people get migraines and acne when they are stressed, Ms Teo A L complains about painful mouth ulcers. Northern Michigan University Olympic training center at risk in Obama plan (Detroit News)
Washington -- A Northern Michigan University training center for Olympic hopefuls might be forced to close and athletes could lose their scholarships if President Barack Obama succeeds in eliminating the benefit as part of his efforts to trim the federal budget by $20 billion. University of Minnesota student returns to classes after being shot on Minneapolis campus (Pioneer Press)
Timothy Schumacher will carry the bullet with him for the rest of his life. But the University of Minnesota freshman won't carry any anger after a gunman shot him for no reason last week on the Minneapolis campus. Obama cuts jeopardize Olympic training center in Marquette (Detroit News)
Rep. Bart Stupak said today he's "disappointed" that President Barack Obama proposes cutting a $1 million scholarship named after the congressman's younger son who committed suicide in 2000. Apple Valley Medical Center to hold free Heart Failure Community Education Evening (News-Medical-Net)
A free Heart Failure Community Education Evening will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at the Apple Valley Medical Center.

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