Let me ask you this…

Are you suffering from acne?

Do you know what is causing it and is there any effective acne
treatment?

Studies show that an estimated 80 % percent of people experience
acne at some point. No one knows exactly what the cause of acne
is, but there are a few theories.

Let

Acne is a skin condition that simply refuses to go away. It’s a nagging skin ailment that we commonly call pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, red or yellow spots, cystic nodules or scars. The acne prone age is between 12 and 25 years. But beware; it’s not just a teen trouble. Even in your 30s and 40s you may get acne attacks. Acne can cause lifelong scars, if left untreated. Hence, it is vital to be proactive about acne treatment, beginning right from home remedies. Acne treatment essentially involves the use of both preventive and curative products.

Preventive products

The natural way to keep off acne begins at home. If you wish to keep off acne, follow this home treatment attentively and be sure of great results.

- Keep your face spotless clean, by washing it often with a gentle anti-bacterial cleanser or some home-made natural product

- Never use greasy, oil-based moisturizers

- Never use products containing synthetic chemicals and vegetable oils

- Keep your hair off your face

- Never dig or touch scars

- Keep skin pores unclogged with products containing sulfur plus resorcinol

However, pregnant women, kids and patients under some other medication, should consult a doc before they use such products.

Medication methods

The condition of your acne will determine the treatment options. Treatment also depends on the oil balance of your skin, your gender and your existing medications. The most proactive acne treatment is with topical products (gels, creams) containing Salicylic acid, Benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, tetracycline, erythromycin or a retinoid. Many times a combination of these products also works well.

Physicians also prescribe oral medications like antibiotics, hormones, and isotretinoins. Go for such acne treatment only after knowing the side effects.

Laser treatment

Laser treatment has completely cured many. Here the laser destroys the excess oil producing glands and removes scars. It is painless, harmless but costly. However, to get rid of the existing acne you need medication.

Cystic treatment

Acute cystic acne needs cystic treatments with Accutane or isotretinoin. But, there are side effects. Since most other treatments are not effective on cystic acne, these severe products are unavoidable.

Chinese treatments

The Chinese method is a natural herbal acne treatment. They believe in getting to the root of the problem like liver ailments, emotional upsets, wind heat, damp heat, blood heat etc. “They even trace acne to reasons like a stagnant qi (energy). Their natural products do help many,” says dermatologist Dr Manela Humphrey.

Peel power

TCA Peels are an easy, safe and affordable acne treatment. “They are also more effective than other clinic or spa-based treatments,” says salon specialist Mary Roberts. Peels were earlier available only through costly treatments by skin specialists, at US$ 500- 1000 per session. These same peels are now easily available at less than US$30 from websites like bestskinpeel.com. No prescriptions are required either.

David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests and manufactures various skin peels and other for doctors offices and medispas. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com

Acne is, perhaps, the single treated skin disorder and has been addressed in a wide variety of ways. Often the wisest step is to develop a program in consultation with a dermatologist or medical practitioner. Even with help, there may be a trial-and-error process in finding the right solution. There are also some solutions advised by alternative medicine practitioners of various sorts and we will also touch on them.

Some mild washing of the face may be useful. But vigorous and frequent washing is discouraged by dermatologists. Topical creams may be helpful but overuse can lead to side effects and problems. One popular home treatment is salicylic acid, found in face washes and medicated facial pads. It curtails the hair follicles from shedding excess skin, which leads to the clogging of pores. Another home treatment is benzoyl peroxide, found in certain soap and face wash products, but also in topical creams. It can produce excessive drying and redness- so it is often recommended that one begin by trying it once a day and, then, if that works, try it twice. Results should be apparent after a few weeks.

In the world of orthodox medicine, there are various types of prescription medications and face washes. If you go to your local drugstore or supermarket, you can find lots of different products whose objective is to treat acne. None of these products produce instantaneous results and one part of a sensible prescription for treatment is patience. Since some of these products may have side effects, you should know their contents and possible effects. Over-use of the wrong product can actually exaggerate the condition.

Experts generally think that acne is caused when an excess of oil, secreted by tiny glands surrounding the hair follicles combine with dead skins to clog the pores of the skin. Bacteria, chiefly Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes develops in these pore pockets which leads to the blackheads, white heads and more common pimples that we associate with this unpleasant form.

Some of the prescription topical solutions include antibiotics. Antibiotics, along with azelaic acid can impede the development of the bacteria, reducing the ugly inflammation that characterizes acne.

Comedones, which are the compromised hair follicles, plugged with dead cells and sebum, that cause blackheads, which penetrate the surface of the skin, and whiteheads, which operate at semi-surface levels. They can actually be treated by retinoids, which are Vitamin-A like biochemical formulations, which actually help to unplug comedones, paving the way for topicals, including antibiotics, to enter into the follicles and do their damage. Dermatologists sometimes use the newer retinoids to curtail further comedone development.

In the case of severer forms of acne, dermatologists may prescribe the less physically invasive route of oral medicine. Some common antibiotics, used to curb the development of the P. acnes bacteria and reduce inflammation are doxycycline, tetracycline and minocyclyine. The common topical, benzoyl peroxide, may be used with antibiotics such as sulfur, erythromycin or clindamycin. There can be disturbing side affects to antibiotics, depending on the drug and the individual’s sensitivity. Changes in skin color, an increased propensity for sunburns, dizziness, stomach problems can occur. Tetracycline is contra- indicated in children and pregnant women. The antibiotic route must be taken with caution and with awareness of problems. Substances such as minocycline and tetracycline can even affect the potency of oral birth control methods.

In very serious cases of nodular or cystic acne that seems resistant to treatment, a dermatologist may prescribe isotretinoin or “Accutane,” a retinoid that might be taken once or twice a day for up to twenty weeks. Oil glands actually can be shrunk by Accutane and there is a marked effect on the growth of bacteria. Its great advantage is that it can prevent scarring and markedly disappears the acne in something like 90 per cent of patients.

The downside of isotretinoin is that it can cause birth defects in an unborn child if it imbibed by a pregnant woman. So woman undergoing this treatment often have two take several forms of birth control to make sure they don’t get pregnant while undergoing therapy.

Are there natural treatments for acne? Alternative medical practitioners recommend such substances as pantothenic acid, a B vitamin, said to combat stress, a factor that aggravates acne, grapeseed extracts and grapefruit seed extracts; various essential fatty acids like primrose or flax seed oil which can allegedly clear the pores of the skin, colloidal silver, said to be a powerful natural antibiotic; tea tree oil soap- whose main active constituent is tea tree oil, said to be made from a natural antibiotic.

Copyright 2005 George ForganSmith

Learn more about the treatment of acne at http://www.acne-sucks.com

Let’s face it. Nobody is really immune to having acne from time to time. Don’t blame your French fries. Don’t blame your Hershey’s bar. Don’t blame yourself for not being able to wash your face enough. Don’t blame being overworked. Acne does not happen because of those. Acne is caused by some imbalances in our body and internal impurities. This is the main reason to the imperative knowledge that the way to really get rid of acne is through internal cleansing.

Using topical medications and oral antibiotics as acne treatment does not guarantee the disappearance of these menacing and painful spots that invade the face. What artificial medications do is only target one or just a few of the causes of acne and a few more of the symptoms. This
requires acne sufferers to use different products to treat just the individual cause and symptom of this skin disorder. Oftentimes, they could even worsen the disorder because of their side effects.

Herbal alternative, holistic remedy, nature’s way. Whatever you call it, natural treatment is one of the most resorted forms of therapeutic means for many debilitating diseases. One of them is dealing with acne.

The ultimate realization is that acne should be dealt with by performing internal cleansing treatments that target the source right away and fights acne before it even has the chance to begin. And there’s no other way to do this but to seek help from natural acne treatment sources. Natural acne treatment is good for dealing with moderate to severe cases of acne.

The advantage of natural acne treatment is that it does not only attacks the symptoms. This natural method treats the cause of acne. Natural acne treatments usually entail modifying the eating habit to relieve the symptoms. It is about cleansing the vital organs. In this kind of cure, herbs are used to provide nutrients and sustenance to the vital organs and also aids in cleansing internally.

Some of the herbs or herbal concoctions and topical preparations reported to do well as natural acne treatment are the following:

Olive leaf extract - potent for strengthening the liver
Herbal cortisone - mimics the effectiveness of cortisone as an effective acne treatment without the side effects Jing Huang Gao - a Chinese herbal cream Tea Tree Oil - said to be the same effect with that of five percent benzoyl peroxide.

How does natural acne treatment work? Herbal remedies for acne actually target the liver. Why? It is because liver is the organ that cleans up the troubles of our hormones - one of kinds of chemicals produced by the body to ensure proper function. And when our hormones get messed up, the skin makes it obvious by giving birth to these annoying critters in the form of acne.

Herbs contain vitamins, minerals and plant nutrients that provide the body nourishment and some unexplained energy source. These herbal alternatives are reported to be fine when taken for long-term but should only be taken seasonally. Another way that natural acne treatment through herbs is carried out is the ability of some herbs to kill fungi that weaken the liver.

A
healthy liver functions well to cleanse our blood of the dirt from excess hormones. And with our blood clean, consequently, our skin’s condition will improve. That’s the herbs’ ways of accomplishing the natural acne treatment process.

Get the knowledge you need about Natural Acne Treatment
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Much recent evidence points to the beneficial effects of Retin A in treating more serious cases of acne, as well as aged, sun-damaged skin and stretch marks. However, as with most prescription medications, there are potential adverse reactions that you should be aware of before you begin treatment.

Retin A, or tretinoin, is a derivative of vitamin A and is available in a variety of forms. Retin A cream is weaker than the gel as the medication is less able to penetrate the skin in cream form. It acts to unplug acne follicles and bring the pimple to the surface, as well as prevent new pimple formation.

Since one of the effects of Retin A cream applications is to extrude the pimple, it initially appears as if it is making the situation worse. As such dermatologists recommend that you give it time to work, sometimes up to a year or more for maximum Retin A results.

Although minor side effects of Retin A are quite common, they are usually mild and will subside within six to eight weeks. They may include unusual darkening of the skin, slight discoloration or redness. Slight peeling of the skin has also been reported in many cases as has swelling. You should avoid direct sunlight in the early stages of using Retin A, as it will dramatically increase your chances of sunburn.

Don’t let the adverse effects of Retin A discourage you from discussing this treatment regimen with your dermatologist; for serious cases, this can be the only remedy that works for you. Retin A results speak to the efficacy of this medication in getting severe acne breakouts under control.

If you have blemished skin you might want to try natural treatment options before you look into potent prescription applications. There are natural formulas with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can be as effective as a Retin A cream or gel.

There are many other treatment options for acne, from benzoyl peroxide OTC medications such as Clearasil, Oxy and Proactiv to oral drugs like Accutane and you should certainly check with a dermatologist to find out which is right for you. Retin A results are quite favorable as are those for some natural solutions, it’s just a matter of figuring out which is right for you.

David Bloom is an avid health enthusiast and a regular contributor to a variety of health websites. He is the author of Natural Acne Treatments and Effects of Retin A, a blog dedicated to the treatment of acne, covering conventional and natural remedies for clearing up blemished skin.