Acne Skin Care

Author: Jack Smith
Source: articleage.com

Acne is an eruptive skin disease. It is essentially a disorder of the sebaceous glands around hair follicles. Sebaceous glands secrete sebum, a substance made up of fat and fragments of dead fat producing cells. The purpose of sebum is to act as a protector of skin and hair, by waterproofing it, to keep it from becoming dry and brittle. However, when these glands are over active, excessive sebum combines with the naturally occurring dead skin, dust and dirt surrounding the hair follicle and blocks the follicle. The blocked follicle is an ideal environment for skin bacteria to proliferate uninhibitedly. As a result, the skin around the follicle becomes inflamed, forming black heads, or visible cysts which we can observe as acne.
The most common form of acne is called ‘acne vulgaris’ which literally translates into common acne. Acne is most commonly found on the face, chest, shoulders and upper arms. Acne lesions can be characterized into two types – inflammatory and non-inflammatory. The former manifests itself in three types of comedones, or blocked pores which become inflamed due to the bacterial clogging – papules, pustules and cysts. These are most likely to leave unsightly scares and marks on the skin. The non inflammatory acne is seen in the form of black heads and whiteheads.
Although acne vulgaris commonly inflicts adolescents, it can also occur in adults. In puberty, acne occurs as an abnormal response of the male hormone testosterone, which stimulates excessive production of sebum. In most cases acne does not last beyond puberty. However, in the cases of adults it may continue to manifest itself even till the age of thirty, after which is may diminish or decrease. One cannot predict how long acne will affect an individual – some people have been known to suffer from this problem for decades, well into their thirties and forties.
Acne affects a large number of people at some stage of their lives, mostly in their teens. In fact it is so common that it is considered part of growing up! Research suggests that at least 85% of people experience acne in some form in their teens. The impact of acne is not only physical – it also affects its sufferers at a psychological level, causing depression, self-esteem issues and social embarrassment.
Jack Smith writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intact, the bio remains in full and the rel=”nofollow” tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you – Please visit http://www.acne-cleanse.info

Author: Joely Mench
Source: ezinearticles.com

Suffering from Acne can be a deeply frustrating and confidence draining experience. There are so many different treatments on the market that it’s almost impossible to choose one that will be effective. It’s not uncommon for acne sufferers to actually grow out of the condition before they’ve found a treatment that actually works!

The condition itself is caused by several things. Essentially, the sebaceous glands that lie deep within the skin tend to overproduce natural skin oils. These glands are part of the follicle and are supposed to lubricate the follicle hair and surrounding skin.

Over-activity of the sebaceous glands is often stress related, which explains why teenagers tend to suffer from the condition around the time they leave school or sit examinations.

If the body is producing too many of these oils, the skin will eventually become blocked and the oils will be trapped beneath the skin pores. The pores will then begin to form a blockage when these oils mix and clog with shed skin and a blackhead or whitehead will appear. The causes for the blockages aren’t known, but poor hygiene is not a reason for it.

Because oil is trapped in the pores, bacteria will grow and alter the composition of the oil. This will cause inflammation which is usually characterised by swelling, blotchy red marks, heat and discomfort.

Thankfully, there are effective treatments for the condition. Possibly one of the best pieces of advice is to use dermatological soap and pad the face gently with a clean towel after washing. It is important to dry the kin with a patting action instead of wiping. This will irritate the skin and possibly cause more blockages as secreted oil, bacteria and skin are spread over the face.

Alternatively, there are a series of full skin care systems available that have been proven to help acne sufferers. Possibly the best continues to be the Pro-Activ system which consists of cleansers, toners and repair lotions. Using benzoyl peroxide as its active ingredient, Pro-Activ is available without prescription and comes with a proven track record in the fight against acne.

There are also topically-based treatments that are available on prescription only. These include Accutane and Retin-A. The former is normally only prescribed in very persistent cases and has a series of potential side effects, while Retin-A is helpful with  acne as well as skin scarring, stretch marks and wrinkles.

As always, there are also some more natural treatments available. The most popular of these is the use of natural essential oils such as tea-tree oil and lavender oil. When diluted with grapeseed oil, these can be used to cleanse the skin and have produced excellent results over a period of time.

Surprisingly, even some ‘old wives tales’ can be very effective too. Rubbing a fresh clove of garlic on the pimples helps reduce inflammation and irritation. Toothpaste is said to do help as well.

Drinking plenty of water will help in hydrating the skin, while fresh mint juice, honey and cucumber have all been proven to have a positive effect in the treatment of acne.

To learn much more about the different types of acne problems, visit allaboutacnetreatments.com where you’ll find this and much more, including acne antibiotics and home acne treatments.

Author: Gen Wright
Source: articlesbase.com

You find an acne on your face and you are tempted to rush out to the nearest local convenience store and buy the most powerful acne care product you can find. But before you do so, make sure that you are equipped with the right knowledge to choose the right product. Otherwise, you may end up with some additional scars on your face!First of all, understand that there are different types of acne. Each type of acne will require unique and specific treatments. Therefore, there is no one size fits all acne products. These products are usually created with certain types of acne in mind. They are meant to treat those specific types and nothing else. If you buy the wrong acne product, you could be a victim of a few side effects. Undesirable side effects include scarring or skin irritation. Sometimes, the scarring can be so bad that it’s irreversible! This is a worst case scenario, but if you are careful about what you apply on your acne, you should be fine.An acne problem is actually a kind of skin disorder. It is caused by either a hormone imbalance, or by a bacteria infection. It would not be possible for acne to appear if not for the presence of the sebaceous glands. The sebaceous glands is responsible for producing a substance known as sebum. This substance is necessary for creating and spreading oil across the skin, which improves the health of the skin. However, during adolescent stage, the sebaceous glands expands rapidly as the child grows. This gives rise to excessive sebum, which is what causes the acne to grow. The sebaceous glands cease to expand after about age 20. That is why most teens seen their acne problem disappears naturally as they enter adult hood.Another cause for acne is a bacterial infection. A bacteria, known as the Propionibacterium acnes, feeds on sebum. When infected, the skin becomes inflamed, and a bright red spot appears on the skin. White blood cells rush to this spot to help fight off the bacteria. The entire process causes the skin to be irritated, and produces more swelling. However, when the bacteria dies off, the acne heals naturally. When you understand the above, you know that for the acne product to be effective, it has to be able to help kill the bacteria. The sooner the bacteria is eradicated, the quicker the skin will heal. Also, good acne care products should use natural ingredients as much as possible. This is because some people have naturally sensitive skin. The bacteria is already irritating the skin and causing it to swell. People with sensitive skin can expect acne to appear bigger and redder because of the skin reactions. If a strong acne product is applied to the skin, the substance starts to fight off the bacteria but it also further irritates the skin. That is why some people experience undesirable results after using a particular acne face product. Understand your own needs and apply only products that suit those needs.

Acne Care Product – Read ClearPores Review

Author: Alison Cole
Source: articleage.com

Acne is the scourge of the teenage years and a source of great distress and embarrassment at an age when young people are most conscious of their appearance. Almost no teenager, or adult for that matter, is spared a prolonged period of acne problems.
Pubescent girls are generally affected to a more serious degree because of the hormonal upsurges associated with the onset of menstruation. Basically, acne is the result of increased hormonal activity, which causes excess oil production in the skin’s sebaceous glands. Unfortunately, the areas most affected by acne are those which are almost constantly visible with today’s youthful fashion trends.
In extreme and far from rare cases, acne can lead to extensive and permanent scarring. Because of the emotional trauma attached to this disorder, it has assumed top priority status among problems that must be avoided at all costs, but this is easier said than done.
It has now been proved that oil-saturated foods, chocolate, poor skin hygiene and emotional upset actually play no role in acne occurrence at all, so there go a number of time-honored prevention targets. In fact, the most widely employed means of addressing the problem of acne – camouflaging cosmetics – are actually among the main acne aggravators. Many of them cause subtle skin changes that exacerbate acne occurrence. They can also cause the obstruction of the sebaceous glands, thereby preventing the free drainage of excessive oils. Often, this even applies to some of the so-called acne-prevention compounds.
While there is apparently very little an individual can do to prevent acne, there are now effective methods of treating it medically. However, for optimal results, these must necessarily be employed before serious disfigurement can take place. Since these treatments may involve hormone manipulation, they must take place under strict medical supervision.
Acne Care provides detailed information about acne care, acne care skin tips, acne skin care centers, and more. Acne Care is affiliated with Acne Skin Care.