Besides wrinkles, which come to us all, many people may have their faces marred by rough scars, of diverse origin, or permanently marked as a result of acne or chickenpox. There are three treatments which may correct some or all of these problems, depending upon their extent. They are — chemical face peel, dermabrasion, and collagen implants. (more…)
Finally, anything that you apply to your skin may cause so-called acne cosmetics or pomade acne. If your skin feels irritated by any particular cleanser, makeup, sunscreen, moisturizer, or even shampoo, and especially by hair treatments, it reacts by forming an extra shell of protection. How does it do this? Simply by adhering more dead cells onto the surface! It is therefore not the cosmetic per se that causes acne, but rather the body’s protective reaction that clogs the pores. (more…)
Anything that increases the sticking of cells to the skin or the secretion of sebum can cause acne. The three main influences are hormones, diet (and medications), and the products you use on your skin.
These are those magical chemicals that are secreted by your endocrine glands to regulate your metabolism, your sexuality, your growth, your cycles, your mood and your reaction to stress. The hormones that affect your skin come primarily from your sexual organs and from your adrenal glands, the latter of which become more active when you feel either excitement or anxiety. When the adrenals are stimulated they produce more hormones. (more…)
Acne can very often be effectively treated by special cleansers and topically applied formulations. There are four main non-prescription acne medications which alone or in combination with prescription medications are the mainstay for acne treatment. All of these are also available in stronger prescription form.
Salicylic acid .is one of the most effective topical medications. This is a beta-hydroxy acid that is a peeling agent, because it is “keratolytic” and loosens dead surface cells that stick within pores, thereby curing clogged pores at the very onset. Sulfur and resorcinol are not only keratolytic, but also anti-bacterial. They are often mixed as flesh-tinted lotions to cover blemishes (Longevite Concealer). (more…)
If the acne is so severe that it cannot be effectively prevented or treated using topical medications, oral medications are often necessary. These are reserved for the tougher, more resistant cases of acne.
The most commonly used oral medications are antibiotics, the most widely prescribed of which is tetracycline. Tetracycline not only kills the bacteria but also reduces sebum secretion. It must be taken on an empty stomach (one hour before or two hours after a meal). Tetracycline binds to calcium, so it is not absorbed if taken with dairy products. Tetracycline should not be taken by children under ten or by pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding, since it can stain a child’s developing teeth. (more…)
Acne is something we all recognize. It is so common that only one person in three may escape and probably everyone has a little, mild acne at times. It is normal to have a degree of acne while growing up but this does not make it any easier to cope with. No one finds it easy to cope with any disfigurement on the face. (more…)
Acne usually starts as a few blackheads on the nose and forehead and a few inflamed papules also appear often on a greasy skin. Often the spots come in crops so that there are times in between without any spots. Many girls have a bout of acne around the time of their period.
Very greasy or oily cosmetics are best avoided because they can block up the follicles and make acne worse. This may happen under a fringe when the hair may prevent the grease escaping. Disagreement about the best advice partly stems from the fact that in America they used to have a lot of trouble with greasy make-up causing acne. In Britain most doctors are happy to allow the use of noncomedogenic foundation, moisturizers etc. Some people gain much confidence if they can hide their spots. (more…)
It is difficult to understand why one person may have bad acne covering most of the back or chest but none on the face whilst another individual may have severe facial acne but little elsewhere. We presume that it is only the sebaceous glands and follicles in the affected areas that are responding to the hormone changes in the blood. Whichever area is affected, the changes are of larger papules and pustules which last longer and some of them may leave small scars. Blackheads will almost certainly be seen as well and they can be very extensive. When a flare-up occurs it may be very uncomfortable and an occasional cyst may appear. (more…)
Most people will need advice from their doctor to help in the treatment of moderate or severe acne. Generally doctors will start with cheap, safe agents which have few side effects and only if these fail will they recommend medication to be taken by mouth.
This has been around for more than thirty years but we do not yet know fully how it works. It loosens blackheads and kills bacteria but has other effects as well. It comes in strengths from two-and-a-half to twenty per cent and may be bought as a cream, gel or a wash. Examples are given in the previous section. (more…)
Unlike an outbreak of ordinary pimples, acne is a severe skin disorder common to adolescents that can be both painful and embarrassing. Many teens who suffer from acne also suffer from real confusion about its causes and proper treatment. According to noted acne expert Dr. James E. Fulton Jr., the disease can be treated effectively. The following is some of his helpful information on what really causes the trouble and on what you can do to fight it.
Acne starts with the pores, well below the skin’s surface and out of reach of both dirt and the drying soaps, tough scrubs, and cleansers commonly used to treat it. Breakouts are triggered by a hormone that stimulates the sebaceous glands so that they produce excess oil. The excess oil then prompts the pores to shed the cells in their lining more rapidly than usual. (more…)
Sometimes dermatologists use the antibiotic tetracycline, usually administered in doses of 250 milligrams twice a day. In many cases this has dramatically reduced the acne probably by altering the chemistry of fatty acids in the skin so that the sebaceous glands are rendered less active, as well as acting on the infection itself. But there are disadvantages to antibiotic treatment, too, particularly in growing teenagers, for it does inhibit protein synthesis in mammalian cells. It can also stain the teeth when used over a long period of time and of course disrupts the natural intestinal flora, which produce many of the body’s B-complex vitamins. (more…)
The Cause
It is more common among teenagers than among any other age group, although acne, an infection of the sebaceous glands, can occur at any time in life. It shows up as blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and pustules that occur on the face and neck, back and chest, almost always when levels of testosterone and progesterone—two hormones necessary for growth—are high. Testosterone, known as the male hormone (although women have it in small quantities too), spurs the sebaceous glands to increase their production of sebum. When too much sebum is produced, a keratinous plug can fill the duct, which then becomes infected while the skin around it becomes inflamed. If the problem is severe enough—and luckily most people never get to this stage—the walls of the infected ducts even disintegrate, and cystic lesions may develop in the skin which leave permanent scars after the infection itself has healed. (more…)
You can wash your face with soap and water as often as you can wash your face with soap and water. That may sound silly but what it means is that if you wash often with no ill effect, then clearly no damage is being done. People with greasy skin often have pallid, rather coarse, thickened complexions and suffer from blackheads, whiteheads and spots. They need to wash regularly to keep pace with the production of oil and it really doesn’t matter what they use as long as the shiny surface is removed. They cannot change the underlying grease production rate unless they take tablets which will grossly interfere with the hormonal control of their body. It is no use using products that claim “deep down cleansing” or which “unblock clogged pores:’. These phrases are meaningless and no amount of soap has any effect on the blocked grease gland which is the forerunner of an acne pimple. Neither is it any use using ‘medicated’ soaps because a flourishing bacterial population on the surface of the skin is quite normal and is only temporarily reduced by washing. (more…)
When it comes to the way your skin looks, you really are what you eat! Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do to have healthy-looking, beautiful skin.
You have probably heard many opinions about what you should (or shouldn’t) eat to have great skin. How much do you know about which foods are really good—and which are not good for your skin? Take this Food Facts and Fiction Quiz and find out: (more…)
Nobody has perfect skin, not even models and movie stars. Nearly everyone has an occasional blemish. How do you take care of minor skin problems before they become major skin problems?
Blackheads are pores that have become clogged with oil or dirt. The “plug” that forms in the pore is called a comedo. When the comedo is exposed to air, it turns dark or black, causing a blackhead. If the plug is under the surface of the skin, and not exposed to air, a whitehead (pimple or “zit”) forms. (more…)
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