The Best Treatment for Blackheads, Whiteheads, and Mild Cases of Acne
The usual treatment prescribed for mild cases of acne is topical medicine. The topical treatment is applied externally, directly on the affected skin surface or simply on each pimple. The common substances that make up topical treatments are:
- Salicylic acid – alone or in combination with SD Alcohol 40, the Salicylic Acid makes for a very effective treatment against blackheads and whiteheads. This acid also serves to decrease the shedding of cells around hair follicles, thus acting pre-emptively against one of the causes of acne.
- Benzoyl peroxide – effective against acne by reducing oil production
- Resorcinol – good against acne
- Sulfur – wipes out blackheads and whiteheads.
The external application of topical treatments means that such substances come in many forms. Any drugstore or pharmacy is sure to have a wide range of anti-acne creams, gels, soaps and lotions. Such products are effective against mild acne, but do require sustained use for several months.
In case you notice any unpleasant side-effects when using topical treatments, you should pay a visit to a doctor as soon as possible. Side-effects like irritation, swelling or burning are quite common, especially among people with delicate skins.
Posted by Niko Date: Thursday, November 29, 2007
Categories: Acne
Tags: benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, soaps and lotions, topical medicine, topical treatment
The Social Impact of Acne
The negative results of acne
Acne is one of the most troublesome conditions of our times. While most people suffering from acne do not experience any kind of physical discomfort, they make up for this by psychological scarring. This effect has not been studied in depth because acne is a common, non-threatening condition that comes and goes on its own and any psychological effects attached to it were not seen as particularly important.
However, acne has a stronger than suspected impact on the lives of people today. Studies conducted by researchers showed that people suffering from acne also display:
- Low self-confidence
- Frustration
- Feelings of inadequacy
- Depression
- Refusal to socialize
- Low self-esteem
These effects are triggered by the negative effect acne has on looks and the resulting apprehension of negative reactions from others. People suffering from acne can end up living unsatisfying lives and fail in school, jobs and social interaction.
Finding your skin type
Knowing what type of skin you have is important for your health care. Your protection depends on accurate information, which is the basis of correct decisions. Skin type determines which makeup, sunscreen and soap you can use and how much you need to help your biggest organ. Environmental factors such as pollution, UV radiation and chemicals damage your skin and block its normal functions.
Normal Skin: This is considered the standard type of skin that we all should have. Normal skin is soft, elastic and firm to the touch. The pores are small to medium in size. It needs no special care, unless exposed to hazardous environment factors.
How Baking Soda Can Treat Eczema
Patients suffering from eczema can often find comfort in a baking soda bath. Additionally, some sufferer’s also like to compliment their baking soda with oatmeal, to further soothe their symptoms. If you suffer from eczema, or similar skin conditions, you should take care to remember the importance of brief baths, which should never be hot as this can further enhance discomfort. Baking soda baths can be particularly useful where the sufferer is a child. The baking soda is effective yet not too abrasive as to cause discomfort to a child’s skin. A good tip is to use a knotted sock to store the soda, which will allow it to disperse when submerged in lukewarm running water.
The optimum time for sufferers to bathe is around thirty to sixty minutes before they go to sleep. This allows plenty of time to cool down before getting in to bed, to avoid the itching and discomfort this excess warmth can cause. It is also a good idea to avoid perfumed soaps and fragrances, including deodorant, which can cause further irritation. It is significantly better to use baking soda to absorb perspiration, so as to ensure the skin does not negatively react with the substance.
Subsequent to your baking soda bath, it is imperative that you promptly cover your skin in moisturizing cream, or some similar ointment to avoid excess drying of the skin. Again, ensure any product you do apply is free from excess chemicals or fragrances which may cause further irritation to the skin surface. Products like Vaseline and other creams specifically designed for dry skin conditions may be the best in these circumstances. The chemical substance ‘urea’ is also particularly good at soothing sores and dry skin, and is available in a variety of forms without prescription. If in doubt, consult your doctor for advice and information on the best substance to use to preserve your skin at its most vulnerable.
If you suffer from eczema, you should also invest in a humidifier to increase room humidity and prevent the drying and subsequent irritation of the skin. This way, the room is kept at a suitable humidity level, which should reduce the amount of itching and scratching throughout the night which can itself aggravate the condition. It’s a vicious circle, once you start scratching the more painful and itchy it is!
If you can’t justify splashing out for a humidifier then you could place pans of water beside all radiators to allow the evaporation to increase moisture in the room to further avoid ‘drying out’ while you sleep. This way, your skin will benefit from more favorable atmospheric conditions, which will ultimately help alleviate the symptoms you are experiencing.
Eczema sufferers should also consider natural fibers for clothing to avoid causing any unnecessary irritation. Additionally, it may be better to wear cool garments which don’t have a tendency to rub against the skin to avoid aggravation.
So why not try the baking soda bath, in addition to these other methods of reducing the symptoms of your eczema? In fact, many sufferers enjoy this soothing bath every night as part of their routine, to calm the ferocity of the condition.
About The Author:
You can also find more info on http://www.eczemacuretreatment.com/causes-prevention/eczema_causes.html on cause eczema and http://www.eczemacuretreatment.com/causes-prevention/eczema_types.html on types of eczema.
Home remedies for acne – are they worth it
The bigger a problem is, the more people are going to look for a solution. This improvised saying is an accurate description of the host of remedies, cures and treatments for acne available on the market today. From exfoliation and the classic antibiotics and bactericidals and on to hormonal treatments, retinoids, phototherapy and laser, the list is very long. The average customer looking for a cure to his or her acne problem is likely to be confused by this cornucopia of treatments, all of which are 100% guaranteed to put an end to acne once and for all.
One of the new additions to the overall effort is the idea of treating acne with a combination of healthy food and vitamins. Although the use of certain foods to cure various conditions is by no means a new idea, the concept that food alone could be used to cure acne is an interesting new twist. The cornerstone of this approach is the attempt to avoid treated food, fat and sugar in order to focus on fresh vegetables, fruits and water. The underlying assumption is that heavily processed food and fat-rich food are bad for the body and the source of acne and other conditions. Skin problems are considered to be a side effect of processed food consumption
However, things are not that simple. This approach is a good idea only for the people whose acne outbreaks are caused or worsened by hormones and other substances found in red meat and processed food. It would be hard to argue that all the various types of acne have only one source and that source is nothing else but food. Moreover, people respond in different ways to different foods. Banning one type of food may work for some people, but not for others. A healthy diet is good for everybody, but it simply can’t cure acne on its own, especially the severe cases. What the skin needs is a product that clears pores and kills bacteria, thus preventing hair follicles from clogging and turning into pimples. This is what you should be looking for if you want to get rid of those ugly pimples.
Alternative acne treatments – a review
The high percentage of people suffering from acne all over the world has led in recent times to an increase in the number of treatment alternatives available to people suffering from this condition. The classic antibiotics and creams have been supplemented by hormonal treatments, phototherapy and laser surgery. Others are trying to develop still more types of cures, such as diets built to avoid the consumption of dairy products, the use of chromium and zinc supplements and home made cures from various sorts of spices. Many of them haven’t been scientifically proven yet.
Laser surgery is the latest technique developed by doctors to reduce the scars left behind by acne. Doctors use laser beams to burn out scar tissue, which allows the skin to generate new, healthy tissue instead. This technique is still in the early, primitive stages since it is used after follicles had turned to pimples and pimples were reduced to scars.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis – How To Manage It?
As you are no doubt aware Dermatitis Herpetiformis is an extremely common skin ailment. In fact, it is known for being the chronic variety, which simply means that it does not go away after it is developed no matter how you treat the condition on an ongoing basis.
There are, however, quite a variety of treatment methods available that can help to relieve and control the symptoms that are caused by Dermatitis Herpetiformis.
What Are The Symptoms?
Dermatitis Herpetiformis has many symptoms for you to watch out for. The most common and visual include an extremely itchy rash and the local affected area will show signs of redness, swelling, scaling and lesions in the form of papules and vesicles.
Causes of Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Dermatitis Herpetiformis can be caused by an enormous variety of outside influences. Principally the condition is a result of external skin irritants and these are due to the exposure of allergens. Blame for the outbreak of this type of dermatitis can also be attributed to other common irritants such as detergents, soaps and other cleaning products and chemical mixtures. It has been recognised that even cigarette smoke and alcohol can both be responsible for further aggravating the skin and responsible for the onset of this skin condition. A further cause of Dermatitis Herpetiformis is the skin’s exposure to cheap jewellery, particularly items containing nickel.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis is also commonly associated with a reaction in the intestine to gluten products and is quite often contracted by people who suffer from Celiac disease.
Corns May Be A Side Effect
Dermatitis Herpetiformis is often responsible for causing corns on the skin. Corns are basically thick patches of skin. They can appear as hardened raised bumps or flaky, dry or waxy skin. Sometimes corns are confused with Calluses, but they are quite different.
To compare the differences between corns and calluses, you will generally find that corns are typically much smaller in size. They usually have a hard centre and are surrounded by inflamed skin. Corns usually appear on the parts of the skin that get the driest, including the feet and toes and often on and around elbows. Corns can be incredibly painful, particularly on the feet and toes when they rub against shoes. When it comes to finding an effective treatment for Dermatitis Herpetiformis corn sensitivity, there are a number of alternative options to consider.
Recommended Treatments for Dermatitis Herpetiformis
The best treatment regime you should follow will vary depending on the severity of your own particular case of Dermatitis Herpetiformis. In essence the most effective way to treat it is to ensure that the affected area is kept moisturized. If this approach fails then you should consult your doctor who would prescribe some sort of medical treatment. It is always very important to keep in frequent contact with your doctor about your skin condition and together you can work to identify the cause of your Dermatitis Herpetiformis and establish a treatment regime to which your condition responds favourably.
If your Dermatitis Herpetiformis is a direct result of celiac disease then the best, and only option, is a life-long adherence to a strictly wheat and gluten-free diet.
About The Author:
For more information on treatments for Dermatitis Herpetiformis and other forms of dermatitis and eczema go to http://www.dermatitisanswers.com
Stay clean – a few simple rules for clean face skin
One of the easiest ways to prevent, to a certain extent, the emergence of pimples and the spread of acne is to keep your skin clean. While the hormonal causes of this condition cannot be addressed by simple washing, you can still prevent excess sebum from clogging pores and grime and bacteria from accumulating into them. Thus, at the cost of a couple of minutes every day, you can actually stop acne from running wild and popping up everywhere it feels like. However, there are certain simple rules one must follow in order to make washing an effective tool against acne.
The first rule is to avoid using hot or cold water on your face. Facial skin is one of the most sensitive parts of your skin and should never be washed with anything else than lukewarm water. Hot water will burn the outer layers and cause the pores to open up too much, thereby exposing yourself to even more danger. Cold water, on the other hand will force the pores to contract and you will no longer be able to clean them, thus defeating the purpose of washing. Neither scalding your face nor freezing it is recommended. Lukewarm water is gentle on your skin and more effective at removing sebum and grime than hot or cold water.
The second rule is to avoid the use of soap or other cleansing chemicals. Soap will disrupt the natural balance of facial skin by removing too much sebum and leaving the skin dry and unprotected. It will also leave behind a film of substance that can easily clog the pores and cause the acne you are trying to avoid. Other chemicals, such as creams and ointments, will usually dry out your skin and cause redness and swelling in time. Avoid them like plague. Plain water is enough for keeping your facial skin clean.
After washing, you should pad your face with a soft towel. As you may have noticed, the basic idea is to be gentle to your face skin at all times. A harsh toweling would only serve to open a thousand tiny lesions in your facial skin, all of which can turn into entry points for bacteria and germs. Needless to say that you don’t want this to happen. Be gentle with your skin and you’ll enjoy beautiful and wrinkle-free skin even in your old age.
Keeping your skin free from acne scars
Many people suffering from acne are familiar with the problem of acne scars. While acne is enough of a problem on its own, the issue of more or less permanent scars makes everything even more complicated. Pimples are a tempting target for squeezing or picking open in what may be seen as a futile attempt to get rid of them. However, squeezing and picking is exactly what you should refrain from doing because it will only make everything worse.
I know that you heard this advice a million times, but do try to keep your hands away fro your face. For one thing, your hands have a lot of germs and bacteria, mainly because the hands are the most exposed part of the body, the limbs with which you grab and use all manner of not very clean objects. This means that bringing your hands in contact with your face skin is guaranteed to transfer a load of germs and bacteria from the hand to the face. Worse, all these germs and bacteria are transferred exactly in the area where your squeezing is opening a breach in the skin. In other words, you are bringing the enemy right to the gate.
Depending on the type of acne you are suffering from and on your face skin type, pimples that have been picked or squeezed open can turn to scars, leaving an unpleasantly looking skin behind. While squeezing pimples is not a good idea, but tolerable within certain bounds, you should absolutely refrain from trying to remove scars yourself. This is definitely a job for a trained physician who uses the right tools for the job. Tampering with scars will make matters worse. If you feel you cannot live with them, then make an appointment with a dermatologist and have them removed.
Alternatively, you could try to buy an acne treatment in order to keep your skin clear and prevent pimples from even forming. The best anti-acne system around is the ClearPores system. Featuring deep facial and body washes, herbal pills and a protection cream, ClearPores makes sure your pores are clean of grime and sebum and that bacteria don’t get the chance to start multiplying in a clogged sebaceous follicle. This system is the absolute best at stopping acne from being a problem.
How hormones affect zits and skin
Implicated in a wide range of conditions and illnesses, hormones also play a role in the development of acne – inflammation of the skin that causes blackheads, whiteheads, and red spots usually called “pimples” or “zits.” Androgens, hormones that are secreted in different amounts by both men and women, play a huge role in most cases of acne. Androgens stimulate the hormone-sensitive sebaceous glands, which produce oil known as sebum. Sebum, in turn, has been labeled as “the fuel that feeds the flame of acne.”