Acne Scars - A Nightmare For Many

Acne is a very common skin disorder which has become problem for all ages. The teen years can be tough and sometimes even after passing those adolescent years acne may not leave you alone. After passing through that testing phase of acne you have to clear another milestone of the scars left behind due to acne. Acne may leave you at some point or other but the scars become very visible and your face is the one which gets most affected. There are different types of acne scars which causes severe damage to your skin Ice-pick scars are mainly seen on the cheek and are mostly small and can be shallow or deep. These can sometimes be hard or soft to touch. The soft scars can be worked upon by stretching and the same cannot be done to the hard ice-pick scars. Depressed fibrotic scars in comparison to ice-pick scars are very large which has sharp edges and steep sides. The metamorphosis of ice-pick scars leads to depressed fibrotic scars with the passage of time. Soft scars as the name suggest is soft to touch and like a mountain erupts from the skin. They are small, circular and very linear in shape. Atrophic macules are small but when it happens to surfaces the face it becomes very big. Over a period of time they may turn blue and dry out to be less conspicuous. Follicular macular atrophy is usually seen on the chest or back of a person. These look similar to whiteheads which can be seen slightly raised above the surface. Home treatments to remove scars are *Use of sandalwood paste on the scars can help in getting the scars fade away *Sandalwood paste mixed with black gram paste also helps *Rubbing ice cubes helps in tightening your skin and making it young *Sandalwood paste mixed with rose water kept overnight on your scar also helps, if it does not make your skin dry *Acne pores can be tightened by applying cucumber juice *Rubbing sliced tomato on your skin helps in closing the open pores and saves you from oily skin *The other treatment may include skin surgery, skin grafting and laser treatment too

Acne Scars – Is There Hope?

It is estimated that eighty percent of people between the ages of fourteen and twenty suffer from acne. For most of us, acne is a short-lived annoyance during certain periods of our lives. Unfortunately, for some people acne is painful long after the pimples have been treated. Scarring from acne is most common for those who have suffered from severe acne, but scarring can affect anyone who has experienced acne. If you are one of the millions of people living with acne scars, there’s good news. There are many options available to diminish these unseemly blemishes. All of these techniques work to restore the normal, healthy appearance of scarred skin; it may not always be possible to get rid of all acne scars, but with the right treatment for you, no one will ever know you were scarred. Acne scar treatments vary in their approaches depending on the severity of your scarring and your budget. You should discuss all of the available options, costs, and side effects with your dermatologist. Before we talk about the treatments available, we should take a look at why acne can cause scarring. The primary reason for any kind of scar is tissue damage. When body tissue is damaged, our body tries to heal and protect it from infection. In the case of acne, dead skin cells block the body’s pores, preventing the secretion of natural oils in the skin. This creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow, which irritates the skin and causes acne. When acne is aggravated due to harsh scrubbing or other forms of physical attention, it further aggravates the condition and harms the sensitive skin tissue. When the skin finally is able to heal, a scar is left behind. One of the most popular acne scar treatment techniques is injecting collagen under the surface of the scarred skin. Collagen puffs out the skin and evens out the scarred area, making acne less noticeable. Another important acne scar treatment technique is what is called autologous fat transfer. This process makes use of your own body’s fat. Fat is taken from another part of your body and is injected into the affected part, filling up the scar. This technique requires repeated applications because the fat is eventually absorbed into the body, making the scar noticeable once again. Your dermatologist may suggest you try laser treatments or dermabrasion. Both of these techniques are very effective. In the most extreme cases, skin grafting and skin surgery may be considered. Keep in mind that these are only a small number of the options available for acne scar treatment.

Acne Scars

In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids. When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue. White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos: (Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides) The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size. People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as "not too bad." The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars. Prevention of Acne Scars As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne treatment. Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area). Types of Acne Scars There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue. Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means "enlargement" or "overgrowth." Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid: (Photo used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides) The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to "run in families"—that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars. Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time. Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue Acne scars associated with loss of tissue—similar to scars that result from chicken pox—are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are: Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides—like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out. Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time. Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape. Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious. Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called "perifollicular elastolysis." The lesions may persist for months to years. Treatments for Acne Scars A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation. A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on: * The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to "live with your scars" and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make. * The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment? * A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you. Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken. The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is often not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin. The scar treatments that are currently available include: Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to "stretch" and "fill out" certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost. Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures. Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment. Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often required but scars may not be significantly improved. Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months. Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by "punch" excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar. Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions—for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts. Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all. In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.

Acne Scarring - What Are My Treatment Options?

Acne Scarring can have serious effects on a person's self-image and emotional state. Fortunately there have been significant advances in the treatment of acne-related scarring in recent years. It is important to note that nothing will completely heal the majority of scars. Laser Therapy - Using lasers to treat scars is a new technology, but is one of the most promising options for severe scarring. The lasers remove the scarred skin, and encourage growth of new skin in its place. After treatment, the skin will be pink and swollen for a week or so. During this time, bandages need to be kept over the skin to prevent infection. It takes months for the skin to return to normal, but most people will see less noticeable scars and smoother skin. Laser scar treatment can be quite expensive, however. Surgical Therapy (Dermabrasion) - This form of scar treatment uses a motorized burr, which usually contains diamond particles. Diamonds are very strong abrasives when in a powder-form. A scab will form once the procedure is completed. Once the wound is healed, a smooth pink layer of new skin will appear. Multiple treatments are often necessary, and each one can cost $1500. Creams and Gels - There are many topical treatments that claim to reduce the appearance of scars. Some contain Vitamin E and other nutrients. Mederma is a popular brand name. Many people report that it can improve scars in as little as 8 weeks for new scars, or 6 months for older scars. Results with topical ointments like this will vary from person to person. Collagen Injection - This is a temporary fix, where the patient's own body fat or collagen is injected into the scar site. This works well for some people with deep-pitted scars. The material injected serves to raise the skin, and reduce the pitted appearance, and wrinkling from the scar. However, this procedure needs to be repeated every 6 months and can be expensive. Read more at www.adult-acne.org.

Acne Scarring

A detailed and comprehensive discussion of acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars. Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred. Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment. Macules or "pseudo-scars" are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions. After an inflamed acne lesion flattens, a macule may remain to "mark the spot" for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain—unlike a scar. Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed acne lesion. It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin. Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Causes of Acne Scars In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids. When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue. White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos: (Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides) The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size. People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as "not too bad." The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars. Prevention of Acne Scars As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne treatment. Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area). Types of Acne Scars There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue. Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means "enlargement" or "overgrowth." Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid: (Photo used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides) The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to "run in families"—that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars. Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time. Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue Acne scars associated with loss of tissue—similar to scars that result from chicken pox—are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are: Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides—like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out. Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time. Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape. Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious. Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called "perifollicular elastolysis." The lesions may persist for months to years. Treatments for Acne Scars A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation. A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on: * The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to "live with your scars" and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make. * The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment? * A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you. Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken. The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is often not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin. The scar treatments that are currently available include: Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to "stretch" and "fill out" certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost. Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures. Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment. Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often required but scars may not be significantly improved. Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months. Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by "punch" excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar. Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions—for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts. Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all. In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.

Acne Scar Treatments

There are many ways to treat acne scars. Determining your treatment depends on the type of scar and quantity of scarring. Before you consider a scar treatment you should have an in depth conversation with your doctor. It is very important you only use this information as an introduction to scar treatments and not a final guide. Your dermatologist and you can discuss the proper treatment after you have basic knowledge. For very mild acne, a chemical peel might be all that you need. Different types of acid are used in this procedure. It is recommended that you choose another method of treatment, if you have very noticeable or deep scarring. The chemical peel procedure takes about fifteen minutes. The resultant facial redness may last up to a few weeks. There are a few choices available to treat moderate acne scarring. The most popular are dermabrasion and laser resurfacing. Dermabrasion is a scar treatment in which a diamond plated wheel is used to “sand” your face. This technique has been around for a long time and sandpaper was once used instead of the new machines that utilize the diamond plated tool. Generally, this procedure takes around an hour to perform. You should expect some scabbing and redness for a few weeks. This method is most effective for individual with very pale or very dark complexions. The other treatment for mild acne scars is laser resurfacing. This treatment involves removing old skin with a carbon dioxide (CO2) or erbium laser. Depending on the size and frequency of the scars, the treatment may last only several minutes or in excess of an hour. This treatment is not advised for people with darker skin pigment, because it may result in uneven skin color. After treatment, redness should be expected for a few weeks and a mild pinkish tone may be evident even longer. For very deep, pitted scars, physicians utilize a "punch technique." There are several "punch" treatments available depending on your doctor, type of acne and other factors. The first type is a punch replacement in which a tool is used to remove the scar. Then a skin graft from another part of your body is transplanted over the site. Another technique is the punch excision where the scar is surgically removed and the area allowed to recover. Finally, there is a technique where the physician removes the scar at the bottom. The skin at the treated area is allowed to rise and fills the cratered area. Usually a punch technique is combined with dermabrasion or laser resurfacing for optimal results. Healing may take up to several weeks. Another type of acne scar treatment is subcision. With subcision the scar is detached from the lower tissue, which allows a blood clot to form under the skin. The clot forces the scar up to the surface of the skin. Similar to the punch techniques, combining subcision with dermabrasion or laser resurfacing yields the best results. This type of treatment can be effective for all types of scarring, but is best for deeper and more prominent scars. The last type of treatment is augmentation. Augmentation uses a material similar to collagen which is injected under the skin to bring the scar to the surface. Recovery is immediate and no time off work is necessary. The drawback, however, is that results are temporary and only last up to six months. Whatever acne scar treatment you decide upon, keep in mind that some may require more than one session with a doctor. Always consult your dermatologist to decide which treatment is best for you. There is a wide variation with the costs associated with the various treatments. Make sure you consider the financial ramifications with your treatment plan before you proceed. Remember, more than one treatment plan may be effective in your particular situation. Each plan has benefits and drawbacks so make sure you discuss all your concerns with your doctor.

Acne Scar Treatment Techniques

Acne is one of the most common and bothersome skin conditions for adolescence. Although acne itself is not curable, even the most severe cases can be treated effectively. For these sever conditions, various types of acne scar treatment are available if warranted by the situation. Recent estimates indicate that 85% of the population between the ages of 12 and 24 suffer from acne. The severity and amount of time a person has acne can vary from person to person, but for most of us, it will eventually go away by itself. It is true that even mild acne may affect normal social activities because of the undesirable changes to your appearance, but this is considered more of a nuisance than anything else. Unfortunately, there are more severe forms of acne with greater consequences. In addition to being painful, sever cases of acne can cause serious scarring. Acne scars can occur in both mild acne or severe acne, but the chances of scarring increases as the acne severity increases. Luckily, you have the option of choosing between several acne scar treatment techniques available. The purpose of acne scar treatment is to restore your skin to its original appearance. You will find, however, that restoration is not always 100%, but acne scar treatment works to make the scarring almost invisible. There are a variety of techniques available to remove acne scars and each one uses a different approach. It is recommended that you consult with a dermatologist to determine the best technique based on your type of acne and the severity of scarring present. At this point, you may be asking yourself how acne scars occur. In general, acne scars, and other types of scars for that matter, result from tissue damage. After tissue is damaged, the body will begin healing itself and in the process discourages any chance of infection. Your body sends a special chemical call collagen to the affected area. Sometimes, the collagen is produced in excess and develops into an irregularly shaped fibrous mass resulting in an acne scar. Other types of scars that may also occur include soft scars, depressed scars, "ice-pick" scars, atrophic macules, and many others. For the most part, these types of scars are caused by the loss of tissue from a particular area. Injecting collagen under the surface of the scarred skin is one of the most popular acne scar treatment techniques being used. The purpose of this technique is to puff out or restore the skin, which makes the scar much less noticeable. Another acne scar treatment technique is called autologus fat transfer. This process uses the fat from one part of your body for injection into the affected area. This helps to fill in the scar, but since fat is eventually absorbed into the body, repeated applications may be needed. Other effective acne scar treatments include laser or dermabrasion. Skin grafting and even surgery is a possibility, but these procedures are used only used in the most extreme cases. Hopefully, you will not have to undergo any of these techniques to address your acne, but if scarring is present, with the help of your dermatologist you will be able to make an effective choice.

Acne Scar Removal Tips

T While acne does affect about 90% of adolescents, only a small majority of those affected are left with scars. However, those who are left with scars often look for acne scar removal methods that work to remove or diminish the scars. Fortunately, there are many options available for acne scar removal. Acne scar removal can be by dermabrasion. This is a process where the top layers of the skin are removed with the use of a machine that literally abrades the skin. While dermabrasion does give your skin a smoother appearance, it is not 100% effective for acne scar removal. Chemical peels are another option for acne scar removal. This works much the same as dermabrasion, but instead of machinery, chemicals are used to remove the top layer of skin. Again, this is not 100% effective for acne scar removal, but it does give the skin a smoother appearance. Another technique for acne scar removal is collagen injections. Collagen injections are often used to treat wrinkles, scars, and lines. Injections can be expensive, and will need to be repeated on a regular basis. This is another acne scar removal technique that doesn't actually remove the scars. It really just hides them. A drastic acne scar removal procedure is Autologous Fat Transfer. This is a process where fat is removed from other parts of your body, and injected back into your skin. It doesn't remove scars. Instead, it fills up depressions, such as those that are characteristic of acne scars. Again, this is a drastic acne scar removal method, and the process will need to be repeated as the fat is absorbed into the body. Another drastic acne scar removal technique is punch grafts. This is a process where small skin grafts are taken and used to replace scarred skin. This acne scar removal technique is usually used to remove deep acne scars. The newest - and seemingly most effective - acne scar removal technique is Laser Skin Resurfacing. This is a process where the acne scarred skin is gently vaporized, with the use of a laser. Once the damaged skin is vaporized, the new - unscarred - skin underneath is visible. Local anesthesia is given for small areas, but for full face acne scar removal, the person is usually sedated with anesthesia administered through an I.V by an anesthesiologist.

Acne Scar Treatment

Acne scars develop after severe cases or when the acne has been forcibly picked or scratched. There are many types of acne scars, each entirely treatable. The only sure method of acne scar treatment is prevention early on. In general, you should never pick or squeeze acne, especially inflammatory acne or “pustules”. Squeezing forces infected material deeper into the skin, causing additional inflammation and possible scarring. But there are many acne scar treatment options. All acne scar treatments are short procedures – fifteen minutes to an hour – but recovery times vary from fifteen minutes to many months. Scabbing, redness, swelling, flakiness, dryness, bruising and uneven skin tone are common post-treatment effects. Acne scar treatment can cost anywhere from $50 to over $3000. Ask a dermatologist which type of acne scar treatment is right for you. Dermabrasion works on shallow acne scars. For decades, sandpaper was used to scrape away damaged skin, allowing new skin to grow in its place, but now machines with rotating diamond edged wheels are used. Laser resurfacing is a newer resurfacing technique, with the same effects as dermabrasion. Penetration depth into the skin is more easily controlled with a laser than with dermabrasion and other methods. Chemical peels are designed only for the lightest of cases. It involves application of different types of acid to the skin in order to remove the top layer so that a smoother layer can surface. Punch techniques are used for deep acne scars. Punch replacement or excision involves removing the pitted scar, followed by a skin graft or suture. Punch elevation, on the other hand, just cuts the scar loose and allows it to float up to the level of surrounding skin. Subcision is a method whereby the scar tissue is broken up underneath the surface of the skin, forming a pool of blood under the scar. The blood clot helps form connective tissue under the scar, leveling it with the surface. Dermal fillers are used for deeper acne scars. Material - often collagen or fat – is injected under the scar to bring it to surface level. Injections usually last about six months, although research into the longer lasting materials continues to this day.

Acne Scar Removal: How To Do It The Right Way?

Acne scar removal is effective when done properly, with the right products. For many individuals, acne scar removal is the best solution to having scars removed from their body. Many individuals spend years dealing with acne in one form or the next. They find that there are many products on the market that do little to actually help them to remove acne. Acne scars can be devastating to their self esteem and outward appearance. Many individuals will deal with confidence issues because of their scars. Yet, acne scar removal can be the exact answer to their needs. How Do They Work? Selecting the right product for acne scar removal is important in the process. What individuals need to know is how the product actually works. For some situations, the product will work by exfoliating the skin enough to create new skin growth in the area of the scar. When the new skin heals, the scar will be gone or much less noticeable. These exfoliating products work well for many. Often, this acne scar treatment is called a chemical peel. There are both natural and chemical forms of this type of acne scar treatment. Many of them work in the same method with the goal of removing the top layers of skin to help improve the skin’s condition. Other products work by gently and effectively removing the scar through topical treatments. In any case, the method for which the acne treatment works should provide some results rather quickly. How To Select The Appropriate One When selecting an acne scar removal product, insure that you understand how the product works. Find out how it will work to remove the scars on your body. Also, insure that you are not allergic to anything in the product. If you are unsure, test the product on a small area of skin to see if there is a reaction within a day’s time. Also, you should notice where the removal treatment is used. Some are not meant for the face while others will not be able to be used on the neck or body. Acne scar removal can actually help to reform the skin and the soul when it is selected wisely.

Acne's Frequenlty Asked Questions

Over the Counter Drugs Q: I've tried a million over the counter products for acne and they work for a while and then they stop. I've tried oil-free cleansers, gels, cover-ups, and makeup - all of which claim they help acne-prone skin. But they're not; what am I doing wrong? A: You're not doing anything wrong except wasting your money. The products you're buying don't work. Even though they are labeled oil-free, they really aren't oil-free. All products with the exception of water, are oil-based. Just like in the foods you eat, there are good oils and bad oils. The products that you have been using are full of bad oils and are producing new acne, not helping it. Over the counter eye shadows and lipsticks are fine, but when it comes to make-up and cleansers, the stuff you've been buying just isn't helping. Q: What about all the acne soaps and astringents I use? I wash and scrub my face constantly, but I still break out. Why? A: You can scrub all you want but it won't make a difference. Acne forms inside your hair follicles which are below the surface. The same thing goes for drying-out your skin with alcohol or astringents. All this does is clean the top layer of your skin, but it doesn't go inside the clogged hair follicles to clean them out. It's important to realize that your pimples are forming beneath the top layers of your skin and that over the counter products can't help you there. The Acne Treatment Clinic offers topical medications which go deep into the clogged hair follicles to clean them out and prevent new pimples from forming. Whether you suffer from severe acne or occasional breakouts, our products work quickly giving you positive results. Q: I've tried just about everything for my skin. What do you put in your products that make them so different? A: It's not what we put in them, it's what we don't put in them. Our products are formulated without adding oils to interfere with their effectiveness. The Acne Treatment Clinic has a safe, effective, and inexpensive skin care program that works. There are no side-effects, no sun-sensitivity, no pills, and no gimmicks. Q: I'm very skeptical about new products, especially since everything I've used up till now hasn't worked. What is your success rate? How long have you been in business and most of all, do you have any idea how I feel!? A: I know these products work because I suffered from acne for 25 years. It destroyed my self-confidence, made me feel unattractive and was just plain ruining my life! After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, I did some research, hired a chemist, and opened the Acne Treatment Clinic. We have been in Northern California for over ten years and have successfully treated over 5,000 men and women of all ages. When many of our graduating high school seniors went off to college, we started sending their products to them by mail. Word spread on campuses all across the state and country and soon we opened our mail order division. Now with the Internet, we are able to send our products all over the world. I must have the most rewarding job in the world, because I know exactly how it feels to have acne and know exactly how great it is to clear it up! Q: Do all your clients use the same products? A: No. Everyone's skin is different. That's why the Acne Treatment Clinic offers a variety of products, all formulated for specific skin types and problems. Many factors determine your treatment which is customized for you. That's why we ask you to please fill out the questionnaire on the How to Order page so we can personally help you. Q: Are chocolate and greasy foods really bad for my skin? A: No! How could anyone live without chocolate or French fries? Food Q: Is there a connection between what I eat and my acne? A: Yes, it helps to eat a well balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals with plenty of water. This is paramount to having a healthy body and a good complexion. Splurging on bad food once in awhile is no big thing, as long as you eat well most of the time. However, some people have that backwards. The stress you put on your body if you mistreat it by not eating right, smoking, doing drugs, over-doing the alcohol or caffeine is enough to aggravate even the most mild acne case. Prescription Drugs Q: Why don't antibiotics work for acne? A: Antibiotics work for getting rid of an infection, like strep throat. When it comes to treating acne, all topical and oral drugs are doing is temporarily killing the bacteria, which eventually become resistant to the antibiotic. A common practice is to prescribe the topical ointment, Retin-A® in conjunction with antibiotics. Unfortunately, many people experience redness and irritation which actually cause more pimples and blackheads to form. Because Retin-A® and antibiotics make your skin very sun-sensitive they are not practical for many acne sufferers. Another drug often prescribed for acne is Accutane®. This is just a temporary solution to your acne, but it's not a long term and safe alternative to controlling your breakouts. And if not helping acne isn't enough, some antibiotics also reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Check with your doctor. Q: What should I expect to see after using your products for a couple of months? A:You will definitely look better. Your pimples will be smaller, go away faster, and you should have fewer of them. Our products will prevent new pimples from forming and will reduce the swelling and irritation on your skin from your breakouts. We stand behind our products, and if for any reason you are not happy with them we will refund your money. They get to the root of the problem and work. At the Acne Treatment Clinic our products are specially formulated for problem skin. That's all we do - is treat your type of skin. We are specialists in acne and only acne. Sun Q: If the sun is so damaging to my skin, then why does it seem to clear up my acne? A: It's not helping clear up your acne at all. The "tan" look is just a temporary coloring that appears to hide your pimples. But when the tan goes away, the zits stay. Worse yet, the sun tans your scars darker and sets you up for a whole new crop of pimples! Sun damages your skin and that's all there is to it. True, you might look better and feel better with a tan, but what you're doing is creating new pimples for three or four months down the road - that's how long it takes for a pimple to form. It's not a fluke that your skin looks worse in October when your summer time tan catches up with you. That's why it is important to wear one of our specially formulated sunscreens to help prevent future breakouts. Q: I try to remember and wear sunscreen, but every time I wear it my skin breaks out worse. What's the story? A: Good sunscreen is good, but bad sunscreen is bad. If you're wearing acne aggravating sunscreen, then you're not helping the situation. Most of the over the counter sunscreens you've probably been using are loaded with oils which clog your skin. This produces acne. The Acne Treatment Clinic only has non-acne aggravating sunscreens, that not only protect your skin from harmful UV rays, but don't cause acne. Remember that a sunscreen is JUST that: screen. You need to apply your sunscreen at least a half hour before sun exposure and re-apply it at least every two hours to receive the maximum protection. Also, it never hurts to wear a wide-brimmed hat or sit under a tree. Acne or not, the sun harms your skin. Men Only Q: I work out and sweat a lot. I always have pimples on my back but rarely on my face. How can I avoid them altogether? A:Sweat aggravates acne, however, there are a few things you can do to minimize your breakouts. First of all, avoid sport drinks at all costs! Most sport drinks contain high amounts of iodine which has been shown to flare-up pimples when excreted through the skin in the form of sweat. Drinking lots of water during exercise helps minimize this problem. Wear clean, loose-fitting clothing during your workout because believe it or not, friction makes pimples bigger. Last, but not the least, you must try to shower at least 1/2 hour after exercise using one of our cleansers for acne prone areas. Q: After working out and showering, it feels like the soap didn't cut the oil and sweat on my skin - especially on my back. Any suggestions? A: The Acne Treatment Clinic's medicated cleansers are perfect for the job. They are adequate for both the face and body and thoroughly clean your skin without leaving behind any slimy residue. Best of all, they're not very expensive, last a long time, lather-up great, and really work. Q:My skin seems to break out only where I shave. Why, and what can I do to stop this? A: If you are using a double edged razor, then STOP! Double edged blades cut the hair beneath the surface and cause trauma and subsequent breakouts. Try using a single-edged razor and shave in the direction of your hair growth. Also, you need to stop using your current shaving cream because it's probably aggravating your skin. We've seen the best results when men switch to one of our foaming facial cleansers and use it as their shaving cream. Never put cologne or aftershave on areas where you frequently break out because these products contain oils which will aggravate your acne. It is also advisable to use topical medications on a daily basis to prevent future breakouts as well. The products we sell at the Acne Treatment Clinic can be worn during the day so you are treating your acne around the clock without anybody knowing it but you. Q: I'm 34 years old, have 2 kids, 1 house, 1.3 dogs and 800 zits! I was always looking forward to trading in my pimples for wrinkles, but it's starting to look like I'll be stuck with both. Why? A:Acne is a genetic skin problem and aging won't get you out of this one. While it's true that the older you get the flare-ups usually become less severe, they're still unwanted and often embarrassing. Most acne sufferers go between times of flare-ups and clear skin their whole lives. Fortunately, the Acne Treatment Clinic has a safe, long-term treatment for controlling your acne. Sorry, we can't do anything about controlling your kids! Women Q: Can anyone tell when I'm wearing your products? A:No. All our products, with the exception of the masks, are invisible on your skin. We don't expect you to stop your life so you can go home and treat your pimples. Q: Why do I always break out about a week before my period? My pimples are large and hurt and seem to be located around my mouth and chin. Also, sometimes they pop up on my neck. A: Hormones, hormones, hormones. It is very common to breakout along the lower half of your face and neck because of hormones. Regular periods and regular break-outs go hand in hand, however, if you're having irregular periods, the imbalance of hormones could make your skin worse. Also, where acne is concerned, some birth control pills are less acne aggravating than others. The good news is that you can effectively control most premenstrual breakouts using Acne Treatment Clinic products. Diligent use of the topical medications 30 days every month, insures your skin stays clear every day of the month -- even when you have your period. Stress and Emotions Q: When I'm stressed or burned out, my acne gets worse. What does one thing have to do with the other? A: Whether it's from relationship problems, an unbalanced diet, lack of sleep, your job, or school pressures, stress aggravates acne. You may be able to control some stress, but unfortunately stress is a part of life. That's why it's important to have a skin care program that's easy to use and helps to fight off stress-induced pimples. Acne Treatment Clinic products are specially formulated to prevent pimples. So whether you're stressed out or not, you are able to successfully control breakouts using our daily treatment plan. Sleeping 8 hours a night, eating a well balanced diet, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water can immediately help reduce your stress level. Getting close is simply out of the question when you feel bad about your skin. We've all been there - we're too embarrassed by our skin to want to leave the house - let alone have someone touch it. Now there is a way to control your breakouts so your breakouts don't control you. The Acne Treatment Clinic was founded to help you get your confidence and your life back. Nobody should feel bad about their skin and we are here to help you, regardless of your age, gender, or national origin. We offer a safe, affordable, long term solution for controlling your breakouts. And because we know the emotional roller coaster you've been on for years trying to find a solution, our products are fully guaranteed. For over 15 years we have successfully treated thousands and thousands of acne sufferers just like you.

Acne Rosacea Treatment

Acne rosacea is a chronic disease that affects mainly the facial skin, characterized by flare-ups and remissions. It generally begins over the age of thirty on cheeks, nose, chin or forehead, but sometimes can occur on the chest, neck, scalp or ears too. If untreated, pimples often develop and in most severe cases th nose grows swollen and bumpy due to excess tissue. In many cases, it acne rosacea also affects the eyes, which feel irritated and look watery and bloodshot. Even though anyone can suffer from it, people with fair skin who flush or blush easily are prone to develop rosacea. It is more common in women than men, but men tend to develop more severe forms. There is no cure for acne rosacea, but medical therapy helps keeping it under control and reversing the symptoms. If you suspect you have rosacea, you should consult a dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment. What Are The Main Symptoms? Acne rosacea symptoms vary widely from one individual to another and generally only some of the potential sign appear. Experts claim that it always includes one of the following primary symptoms: * Flushing * Persistent Redness * Bumps and Pimples * Visible Blood Vessels Acne Rosacea Treatment As signs and symptoms vary widely from one sufferer to another, acne rosacea treatment should be tailored by a dermatologist for each particular case. Dermatologists can prescribe various oral and topical treatments to cure pimples and redness associated with the disease. Generally, the initial treatment consists of oral antibiotics combined with topical treatment to bring the condition under control, followed by long-term topical treatment to maintain it. In some cases, laser or intense pulsed light therapy are used for acne rosacea treatment, in order to reduce redness, remove visible blood vessels and correct nose disfigurement. Ocular rosacea is usually treated with antibiotics. Skin Care Individuals who suffer from acne rosacea should consult their dermatologist to make sure the skin care treatment they are using is suitable for their condition. Patients are usually advised to use mild and non-abrasive cleaners to wash their face, rinse it with warm water and blot it dry using a soft cotton towel. They should only use non-irritating products and use a sunscreen with an SPF of minimum 15 to protect their skin from sunlight. If you have acne rosacea, you may use cosmetics to conceal the effects. Green tinted, followed by a skin-tone foundation in natural yellow tones can be used to conceal redness. Makeup with ping or orange hues should be avoided. Lifestyle A healthy lifestyle is also part of the whole acne rosacea treatment and it can help you maintain remission and avoid the external factors that cause flare ups or aggravate your skin condition. Here are some of the things you should do: * Avoid hot drinks, lots of coffee, spicy foods and alcohol. Although most people think acne rosacea is linked to alcoholism, it can also affect someone who doesn't drink at all. * Practice a good sun protection and avoid extremely high or low temperatures. * Avoid aggressive behavior against your face, such as rubbing or scrubbing, as it can irritate the reddened skin. * Work out only in cool environments and do not overheat. * Avoid cosmetics and skin-care products that irritate your skin and use hair sprays properly. * Try keeping a diary of all flushing episodes and write down what foods, products, medications ore activities are they associated with. Even though the causes are still unknown and there is no acne rosacea treatment that can ensure you got rid of it forever, there are a lot of things that do help. Consulting a dermatologist and getting the right treatment, as well as following these lifestyle guidelines, can decrease the risk of pustules and redness and help you keep the situation under control.

Acne Removal Tips for Men To Tone Up Complexion

Acne affects people irrespective of their sex. Men lack the knowledge to deal with acne than women, as skincare, beauty regimen and acne removal products is widely used by the fairer sex and thousands of beauty products are available for them. Hence, very useful tips are given under for the men folk: Either your wife or girl friend can provide some valuable tips on skin care and products used for taking care of acne. A visit to the skin doctor might also be very helpful in combating acne and to prevent breakouts of acne. Before shaving off the facial hair, it is advised to use a clean, warm cloth soaked in warm water to soften the skin and the facial hair. It removes dead skin cells if any blocking the pores, thus acting as an exfoliator and also makes the skin smoother. There is a less chance of nicking any existing acne. If the person has to work exposing his skin to the sun or play games under the sun, use of a strong sun block cream will help from tanning and also slow downs the aging process, without which he might be very much vulnerable to skin lesions, scars and acne. While using a sun block it should be checked for non-comedogenic or the one which doesn’t block the pores. Consumption of alcohol might result in poor blood circulation, make the skin look old and might also delay the skin’s healing abilities on its own particularly when the person is suffering from acne or skin lesions. Smoking also might be delirious to the skin and make the skin susceptible to acne and related conditions. To avoid acne and to keep the skin look younger, it is good to consume fresh vegetables and fruits, antioxidant rich vitamins like the vitamin a and c can help in the prevention of acne and other infections. Mild exercises like stretching and walking improves the circulation of blood and helps to fight against acne. Exercise also relieves stress in one way and this property helps to prevent acne. If the men already have acne scars, that too is treatable nowadays, as the science has enabled hide or rectify acne scars through either steroids injections, or through the application of chemical peels on the scarred tissue and is used when the condition is not severe. The chemical peels, help in the growth of new and healthier skin on the affected area, hence rectifying the problem. For extreme conditions plastic surgery may be advisable.

Acne Remedy: what worked for my acne was the drug-free way (part 3)

Welcome back. I have discussed the internal aspects of acne treatment and now we shall be going over the external factors of treating acne and its symptoms. The internal and external factors of this drug-free method of acne control do go hand-in-hand so needless to say; ensure that for your success at this acne treatment regimen, you take the necessary steps to keep both methods working together to ‘zap those zits’ naturally. Okay? Acne Remedy: Tips for External Acne Control *Don’t repeat the use of a pillowcase in 2 days; always change them nightly so get 7 clean ones. *As much as possible, keep unwashed hands off of your face for long periods of time. *Try to sleep on your right side. *Wash your hair with a mild shampoo every night especially if you use greasy hair products, or use a wrap-around nightcap that covers the hair and ensure the cap is washed every morning. *Steam your face by putting boiling water in a large basin, immersing your face to about several inches away from its surface and allowing the steam to open up the pores, all the time ensuring that the head is covered with a towel. I will recommend using purified water instead of regular tap water, to avoid inhaling the toxic chlorinated by-products it is notorious for. Perform this step for several minutes to induce heavy and effective perspiration. *Massage the face regularly as this not only aids in cleansing the face, but it firms up the skin and alleviates unwanted signs of aging such as crow’s feet, bags under the eyes, lines and wrinkles *Engage in some form of exercise to aid the body in detoxification and metabolism. *For my male readers; if you are of African or Hispanic descent, most barbers recommend you use electric clippers to shave. For Caucasians & Asians, I have observed that using razors might not be a problem although if you prefer, you can use electric clippers also. This completes the third and final installment of “Acne Treatment: what worked for my acne was the drug-free way”. It is my hope that you can apply these methods and take the steps necessary to see a successful cure for your acne naturally and permanently. Good Luck my friend.

Acne Program- Step 3: Relieve Your Constipation with a Three Day Mini-Juice Fast

Getting your bowels moving and cleaning out your colon is necessary for having facial skin without blemishes or acne. By reducing the toxins in your colon, you minimize the toxins that can seep out of your facial pores and contribute to acne. If you eat 3 meals each day, you should have at least 2 bowel movements a day. If you only have one, then you are short 1 bowel movement. To get your bowels moving like they should, you need to, clean out what is in your colon right now. So the first day is for cleaning out your colon. The next two days is too keep cleaning the colon and to detoxify the body. Doing a 3-day mini-fruit juice fast is the best way to start cleaning out the colon, to detoxify the blood, and rejuvenate your body. Just doing a fast for three days is not a cure all and it will require more work on your part by starting to eat more natural foods. In her extensive book, Coking For Healthy Healing, 1991, Linda Rector-page, N.D., Ph.D., talks about what a fast does, "Fasting works by self-digestion. During a cleanse, the body in its infinite wisdom, will decompose and burn only the substances and tissue that are damaged, diseased, or unneeded, such as abscesses, tumors, excess fat deposits, and congestive wastes. Even a relatively short fast can accelerate elimination from the liver, kidneys, lungs and skin, often causing dramatic changes as masses of accumulated waste are expelled. Live foods and juices can literally pick up dead matter from the body and carry it away." Day before the fast The day before the fast, eat a large salad and two apples. This will give you plenty of fiber to scrub the walls of your colon as you move fecal matter out of your colon the following day. First day of colon cleanse Do this cleanse on a Saturday, Sunday or any other day that you don't have to go anywhere. You will be going to the bathroom all day and at times you need to be there quick. Buy the following items. * Organic apple juice - one gallon * Organic apples - 6 for one day * Organic prune juice - one quart When you first wake up in the morning, drink, * 8 oz of prune juice * 10 minutes later drink another 8oz of prune juice * 10 minutes later again drink another 8 oz of prune juice * wait 20 minutes than drink 8 oz of apple juice * wait 30 minutes than drink another 8 oz of apple juice If you haven't sped to the bathroom yet, you will in a little while. Now you will be drink 8 oz of apple juice every hour until the end of the day. You can stop drink apple juice around 5pm. During the day you can eat three apples in the morning and 3 apples in the evening. This process will clean out any fecal matter that has been sitting your colon for days and gets you ready for the next step. Second way to start the colon cleanse Another way to start a colon cleanse is to use a product that is called "Oxy-Powder." This product is in capsules and is used to 30 days. Simply by taking capsules everyday, you will clean out your colon and any build up along your colon walls. You can get this product on the internet, just type in Oxy-powder. Second day of mini fast During the second day you can drink different kinds of juice and eat 2-6 apples. You can drink any kind of juice be it fruit or vegetable. A combination of fruit and vegetable juice is good. Third day of mini fast The third day is like the second day where you can drink different kinds of juice and eat 2-6 apples. You can drink any kind of juice be it fruit or vegetable. A combination of fruit and vegetable juice is good Fourth Day, after the fast is done After you have finished your three-day mini fast, start eating soft foods to gently adjust your system to food. Here are some of the foods you can eat: * Baked potato * Fruit salad * Fruit smoothie * Light soup * Oatmeal, multigrain cereal * Salad * Yogurt If you are ill, not feeling good or your immune system is down, do not do this mini-fast. Wait until you feel strong. After do the mini-juice fast you are now ready for the next step in clearing your acne.

Acne Program - Step 12 Change The Way You Think

Your thoughts have a lot to do with why you have acne. Most people will not even give this idea a single thought. You can get rid of acne without changing your way of thinking, but your thoughts will create some other illness that you might not see. Most illnesses begin with the way you think, the way you are, or your basic philosophy. Your thoughts create chemicals that flow into your blood and affect the function of your entire body. So if you have acne, it was created by the way you think. If you have ulcers, heart problems, or anything else, these were created by the way you think. Your thinking prevents you from eating and doing the things that you need to do to have good health or clear clean skin. If you have acne or any disease, it is an opportunity for you to stop and think about why you have it. Acne is an expression of your thinking. Everything about you – the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you dress, that way you eat, the diseases you come down with, the way you do everything – originates in your thought process. Here is one place to start your self-examination. Start by being more accepting of yourself. What I have learned in the past is that no matter how much you put yourself down or how critical you are of yourself, it will not change the world around you. The world and you are still the same. So, just get over it. Stop fighting who you are. Accept yourself as you are and get on with the purpose of your life. Just get on with it. Don’t worry about what other people are thinking and doing. That’s their problem not yours. You need to learn how to “face yourself.” When you have acne you may not want to look at yourself and “face who you are?” If you have acne, there is always some underlying emotions and feelings that are being expressed by your acne. Look into yourself and try to see what you are saying with your acne. If you cannot find it, see if you can relate it to constipation. Constipation and a toxic colon is typically the cause of acne. But to go one-step further, all physical illness are created by some emotional unbalance that you are holding onto. Acne can be a representation of repressed traumas that you have experienced as a child when you were growing up. I know you may not want to hear this. But, Acne can be an expression of those traumas trying to burst out of the repressive mechanisms that your body creates to prevent you from facing these traumas until you are ready to do so. Some effort has to be make to connect and release these traumas, otherwise as you clear your face these traumas can move to some other parts of your body where they will be unseen and destroy tissue and body functions. If you have a negative thought, ask yourself this question, “does this thought or idea help me or others become a better person?” If not, then let go of this thought and move on to a better thought and a better place in your life. Good Luck To You Follow the 12 steps for getting rid of acne and you will get results. Follow these steps and your face will clear and become smooth and lovable.

Acne Program - Step 10: Vitamins You Should Be Taking

Vitamins Here are some of the vitamins and minerals you should be taking to help you get rid of acne. * B6, 25 – 150 mg in a B vitamin complex * B5 pantothenic acid, 500 – 1000 mg per day * Vitamin A (water soluble), 50,000 IU – take just before meals. Taking more than 50,000 IU requires a Doctors approval * Vitamin C, buffered 1000mg three time a day * Vitamin E, 400 IU two times a day before meals for a total of 800 IU a day. A word of caution: Do not take more than 50, 000 unit of vitamin A since it can be toxic at higher levels. If you experience any symptoms with 50,000 vitamin back off to 25,000 units. Minerals Here are them most important minerals to take when you have acne. * Calcium Hydroxyapatite Complex – a tablet after each meal. * Chromium 200 – 500 ugm or micrograms a day * Mineral electrolytes * Zinc gluconate 25 – 60 mg a day (zinc is one of the most important nutrient to add to your diet) Zinc works to reduce the male sex hormone dihyrdrotestosterone (DHT), which in excess will produce acne. Do not take over 100 mg unless you consult with a Doctor. Word of Caution: After you have gain relief from acne, you can discontinue the use of the above supplements and get back to your normal supplementation program. Continual use of high doses of vitamins and minerals will offset you natural body’s chemical balance and is detrimental to your health in the long run. Other Supplements There are seven special supplements that you should consider taking that can help you get rid of acne and to improve your overall health. These supplements will improve your immune system and help to clear and prevent future acne. Look at these supplements and take the one or ones that you feel will give you the most health benefits. * Oxygen Elements Plus * Electrolyte Minerals * Systemic Enzymes * Digestive enzymes * Flax Seed Oil * Lecithin * Chlorophyll and Lemon Oxygen Elements Plus (only this nutrient is discussed in this article) The skin needs plenty of oxygen to keep it clean and free of bacteria. Using a product like Oxygen Elements Plus gives you at least 10-20% more oxygen in your blood. Here’s where to get Oxygen Plus. The plus in this product are added minerals and other nutrients. Increasing the oxygen in your blood is now a necessity for normal health. Your body needs more oxygen than you presently get from the air you breathe so that your body functions normally. The amount of oxygen you have in your body that is available to you cells is dependent on many things such as, * Acid in the body * Nonfood waste products * Pathogens in the body These three items, acid, nonfoods, and pathogens use up your oxygen. The oxygen that is left over is then used for your body’s needs. So the more you have of these three items, the less oxygen you will have to supply your body’s needs. This results in more toxins in the blood and can prevent you having an acne free face.

Acne Program - Step 7 Fruits You Should Eat

Eating fruits that are red or orange in color will help improve you skin health and help to prevent acne. Here are the fruits you should be eating. * Apples - eat 3 - 4 apples a day while working to clearing your acne. Apples are good for skin health. Eat at least 2 a day. Eat organic apples because you can eat the skins and most pectin is in the skin, which helps with constipation. Apples contain ascorbic acid, bioflavonoids, fiber, pectin, quercetin, minerals, and vitamins * Apricots - eat as many as you like. Apricots are a high source of minerals, fiber, and beta-carotene and will help control acne. (A precursor to vitamin A) They help to relieve or prevent constipation. * Bananas - eat only one banana a day. Bananas have the phytochemcial fructoOligosaccharides, which feeds the good bacterial in your colon. By feeding the good bacteria, you prevent the bad bacteria from overtaking the colon and producing toxic acids that get to the skin and create acne. * Blackberries - help cleanse the blood and are good for constipation. They help a weak kidney and are good for creating good skin on your face. * Blueberries are a good blood cleanser. They are also good for constipation and various skin disorders - eczema, acne, psoraisis * Cantaloupes - are high in vitamin A, C, and have many other minerals. This makes them good for any type of skin problems * Cherries - are good blood cleansers and help the liver and kidney. They promote regular bowel movements. * Figs - are high in fiber and help to reduce constipation. * Grapefruits - helps to dissolve and eliminate poisons from drugs thus improving the liver function * Grapes - help cleanse the body, build blood, and build the body. It is good for constipation, skin, and liver disorders. * Mango - is good for kidney inflammation. It contains a lot of minerals, which helps to neutralize acid waste. * Strawberries - have been shown to have strong anti-acne activity. They are high in pectin content, which helps to keep your bowels moving. * Pineapples - contains many vitamins and minerals. It contains Papain, which helps to digest protein. They are useful in of excess mucus, digestive problems, intestinal worms, and constipation. These fruits below are useful for acne since they have an antibiotic effect, * Grapes * Plums * Figs * Raspberries * Blueberries * Honey * Apple juice * Grape juice Use as many of these fruits in your diet. If you do, you will start to see improvement in your skin and your acne will start to clear up.

Acne Program - Step 4: Adding Essential Fatty Acids To Your Diet

Getting sufficient essential fatty acids is importance in clearing acne. It's these fatty acids that help control the production of androgens - the hormones that surge during the teen-age times, which causes excess sebum oil to clog your hair follicle and contribute to creating your acne. The three fatty acids you need daily are omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. You need more omega 6, olive oil, than omega 3. When you are deficient in the essential fatty acids, you will have, § A weaken immune system § Inflammatory disorders § Poor skin § Skin eruptions that won't heal § Increase sebum production causing acne § Sebaceous glands size increase Eating essential oils is necessary to provide the right oils that are used in the sebaceous glands. These oils can come from straight vegetable oils or from oils in specific foods such as nuts and seeds. Use flax seed oil (omega-3 oil) and olive oil (omega-6 oil) in your salad. These are the best oils to eat and are called polyunsaturated fatty acids. The other oil that is even better for you is called monounsaturated fatty acid, omega-9. This oil is found in avocados. Most diets people have contain an excess of omega-6 oils, so mostly likely you need to concentrate on getting more omega-3 oils into your diet. You can get omega-3 oil from, § avocados § sesame seeds § pumpkin seeds § walnuts § dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, kale) § wheat germ oil § salmon § sardines § albacore tuna Or, you can take one to 4 tablespoon of flax seed oil, omega-3 oil, each day. This will give you the amount of omega-3 oil that your body needs to reduce or eliminate acne blemishes. You can add this oil to your morning cereal, soups, smoothies, salads and other liquid foods. Each tablespoon of flax seed oil contains about 100 calories. You can get omega-6 oil from, § Flaxseed oil § Flaxseeds § grape seed oil § pistachio nuts § olives § olive oil § sunflower seeds § evening primrose oil § pumpkin seeds Taking 2-3 tablespoons of omega-6 oil a day will give you the amount of this oil that you body needs. You can add olive oil and other oils into your salad with the flax seed oil. You can get omega-9 oil from, § Olive oil § Avocados § Cashews § Almonds § Olives § sesame oil § pecans § pistachio nuts Taking around 1 ½ tablespoon of olive oil per day will give you the omega-9 oil that your body needs. Fish Oils In addition to supplying your diet with omega-3 and omega-6 oils, you need to supplement your diet with fish oils. Fish oil contains EPA and DHA fatty acids. Normally, enzymes in your body break down omega-6 into EPA and DHA fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) These two fatty acids eventually change into prostaglandins. What are prostaglandins? Prostaglandins are chemical hormones that come from omega-3 and omega-6 oils and that help, regulate every function in your cells and organs. Postaglandins also keep androgen hormones in control so that excess sebum is not produce in the hair follicle, which results in acne. However, eating plenty essential fatty acids may not insure that you produce enough EPA and DHA, which produce the essential prostaglandins. It is critical for acne and more importantly for your health that you get enough EPA and DHA in your cells and organs so they can produce the required prostaglandins. To increase the prostaglandins in your cell walls, it is necessary for you to take a fish supplement, which contains both the EPA and DHA. Of course eating salmon, halibut, and mackerel twice a week will be a plus in providing your body with more EPA and DHA. Include at least 20% of your diet calories as good fats - omega oils and fish oil. This is essential for controlling the excess activity of your hormones and reducing the inflammation of your acne.

Acne Program - Step 2: Using Acne Face Cream

After you have washed your face with a chemical free soap, use an applicator to dip into Scotty's face cream or you favorite face cream. Place the cream on your face and spread it all around. Massage the cream into your face gently so the skin absorbs the oils in this cream. These oils will seal the pores and hold the natural moisture of the skin and enhance the curing effects of the cream You can use the cream 2-3 times a day. It is best to use it after you have cleaned your face in the morning and right before you go to bed. You can also use it during noontime. You can use Scotty's' cream under your makeup or over your makeup. It will work either way. However, it will work better on a clean face. You will notice that when you apply the cream it will tingle in areas without sores and may sting in areas of open sores. This will pass and as it does it should reduce the itchiness of any sores. Scotty's cream has allantoin, which will help to clear acne sores. The oils, vitamin A and E, and minerals in Scotty's will help to feed, rebuild, and rejuvenate your skin. The minerals also help to neutralize the toxic acids that have contaminated and inflamed pores on your face. During cleansing and fasting, more acid waste may come out of your pores. This is why Scotty's cream will help you to reduce the inflammation and spread your acne. Tree Tea Oil To make Scotty's cream or your own cream even more powerful, you can add 5-10 drops of pure tree tea oil to a two-ounce container. You can experiment with the amount to add. You may want to add more drops to provide more tea tree oil for your face. But, do not use more than 15 drops. Tree tea oil has been found to be effective in various skin disorders. It acts as an antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial. This oil helps to bring oxygen to the skin cell, which kills bacteria and fungus and helps to repair damaged skin caused by acne. Borage Oil There is one more thing that you can add to Scotty's face cream or your favorite acne cream that will boost its acne clearing power. This is borage oil. Borage oil contains EPA and DHA, which helps to control excessive hormones that cause the over production of sebum. It is the adrenal glands that produce streams of androgens during puberty. These large quantities of androgens help to activate bone growth and assist in bringing forth sexual maturity. A side effect of these androgens is the release of excess oil from the oil glands near the hair follicle. This excess gives rise to § black heads § white heads § pimples § cysts So here's what you can do to make your face cream even more effective, § Mix one or two capsules of Borage oil into your cream § Do this by cutting the tip off of the Borage oil softgel and squeeze the oil into the cream There is a new form of EPA and DHA that is available in a product called Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) NKO is the new EPA and DHA product, which maybe better to use than Borage Oil. NKO has the omega-3, EPA and DHA in the phospholipid form, which is easier for your cells to absorb compared with Borage oil. Borage oil contains the omega-3, EPA, and DHA in triglyceride form, which is more difficult for cells to absorb. One other good property of NKO is that is does not have to be refrigerated like Borage. It can be kept in a cool place in your cabinets. However, it does cost more than Borage oil. Word of Caution: As with all creams and oils, if you get any rash or skin reactions when using them, discontinue their use. Use a good face cream to help clear your acne. You can boost the power of this cream by adding tree tea oil and borage or NKO oil.

Acne Program – Step 7 Fruits You Should Eat

* Apples – eat 3 – 4 apples a day while working to clearing your acne. Apples are good for skin health. Eat at least 2 a day. Eat organic apples because you can eat the skins and most pectin is in the skin, which helps with constipation. Apples contain ascorbic acid, bioflavonoids, fiber, pectin, quercetin, minerals, and vitamins

* Apricots – eat as many as you like. Apricots are a high source of minerals, fiber, and beta-carotene and will help control acne. (A precursor to vitamin A) They help to relieve or prevent constipation.

* Bananas – eat only one banana a day. Bananas have the phytochemcial fructoOligosaccharides, which feeds the good bacterial in your colon. By feeding the good bacteria, you prevent the bad bacteria from overtaking the colon and producing toxic acids that get to the skin and create acne.

* Blackberries – help cleanse the blood and are good for constipation. They help a weak kidney and are good for creating good skin on your face.

* Blueberries are a good blood cleanser. They are also good for constipation and various skin disorders – eczema, acne, psoraisis

* Cantaloupes – are high in vitamin A, C, and have many other minerals. This makes them good for any type of skin problems

* Cherries – are good blood cleansers and help the liver and kidney. They promote regular bowel movements.

* Figs – are high in fiber and help to reduce constipation.

* Grapefruits – helps to dissolve and eliminate poisons from drugs thus improving the liver function

* Grapes – help cleanse the body, build blood, and build the body. It is good for constipation, skin, and liver disorders.

* Mango – is good for kidney inflammation. It contains a lot of minerals, which helps to neutralize acid waste.

* Strawberries – have been shown to have strong anti-acne activity. They are high in pectin content, which helps to keep your bowels moving.

* Pineapples – contains many vitamins and minerals. It contains Papain, which helps to digest protein. They are useful in of excess mucus, digestive problems, intestinal worms, and constipation.

These fruits below are useful for acne since they have an antibiotic effect,

* Grapes

* Plums

* Figs

* Raspberries

* Blueberries

* Honey

* Apple juice

* Grape juice

Use as many of these fruits in your diet. If you do, you will start to see improvement in your skin and your acne will start to clear up.

Acne Products That Work

Acne products that work include a wide range of natural and chemical treatments. Acne products can actually help individuals to find a way to get through their acne trouble. For those that are looking for a solution, for the solution that will finally help you, there are several things that you can do to find it. Acne products range from the all natural products to the laser treatments and even to chemical treatments. Which one will work for you? That may be the hardest question of all because these acne products may work better for you then they will work for someone else. Natural Products First The best thing that you can do for your acne is to treat it with natural acne treatments first. These are one of the best ways to go simply because your body knows how to handle and digest natural products much more so then chemical ones. And, there are fewer side effects when you are working with natural acne medications as well. There is a wide range of choice here including products that contain a wide amount of vitamins and minerals. This may include such things as zinc and chromium. Acne Medications Sometimes it is necessary to deal with the acne medications on the market too. You may want to seek the advice of your dermatologist before spending a fortune on acne medications though. For example, you may want to take the time to find out what exactly is causing your acne. Once this is done, you will find out that which way to go. You may need antibiotics to treat the infections on your skin but you may also need supplements to help turn off the over producing oil glands in your skin as well. Acne medications can be purchased through the web with great ease. You will find a wide range of products that work well at acne control. For many, acne products that are geared towards their specific needs provide them with the best acne medication available. The good news is that there are many more option for you to rely on.

Acne Prevention Tips and Home Remedies

Any skin disorder that is very apparent can prove extremely embarrassing and a trying experience for the sufferer. Everyone who is prone to develop acne would love to know a dozen effective ways to prevent it in the first place. Who wouldn’t want to save face and another month or longer worth of painful self-consciousness? I have listed a number of practical ways to prevent another acne breakout from embarrassing you, and if despite your honest efforts acne still rears its ugly head, I also suggested a few effective steps for treating acne, naturally. Acne Prevention Tips Use a honey mask on a weekly basis. Honey is considered as a disinfectant and a great way for healing pimples. It can also kill bacteria found in your skin. Cut your hair short if it’s long. Hair has oil. When you are moving, dust particles often culminate in your hair, and as your hair touches your face, neck, or forehead, it can provoke acne or worsen an affected area. Take a powerful multi-vitamin twice every day; the biggest organ—your skin —requires proper nutrients to stay healthy. Take vitamin A daily. It both protects your skin and prevents acne. Plus, vitamin A reduces sebum production. Avoid over washing and rubbing or scrubbing your skin excessively. Acne is not caused by not washing or by having dirty skin. Some people, especially students, have claimed that their acne grows worse when experiencing stressful situations. Advise: if it’s in your power, cut down on stress. Drink 8 glasses of water everyday. Water helps to clean and hydrate the skin. Avoid alcohol-based creams and lotions. Either change or wash your pillowcase everyday. Eat food rich in zinc. A deficiency in zinc may cause acne breakouts. Add a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. When you are undergoing much stress, breathe deeply. It has been discovered that there exists a direct connection between acne and stress. Exercise regularly, for it helps your blood to circulate and to remove toxins. Eat a well-balanced diet to reduce the reoccurrence of acne. Choose your cosmetics very carefully. Sometimes what you wear to disguise acne can actually turn out to be the root cause of a skin disorder. Acne Home Remedy Tips Put ripe tomato pulp on your pimples, and keep them there for as long as one hour. Next, wash the treated areas. Apply the juice of raw papaya on your swelling pimples. On and around your pimples apply fresh garlic. Pimples will fade away when this treatment is used regularly, not leaving a mark. Drink wheatgrass juice; it can remove acne. Create a paste from orange peel by grinding the peel in water. Then, apply this paste on and around your pimples.

Acne Prevention- Natural Cures

There are several natural cures for acne that you may want ot try before spending money on treatments. Many of these are cures that have been passed down from generation to generation. They are broken down into 2 categories. The blackheads category is more for prevention than curing an outbreak of pimples. This is the category you should use most because, the most important factor in acne control is early prevention. The second category, acne cures is used if an outbreak has already occurred. Before starting any of these treatments, you must first be sure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients that are used. All of these treatments are intended to be used along with your normal skin cleansing. You should wash your face twice daily with a mild soap and water. When wshing your face you should be gentle, as harsh scrubbing can cause severe outbreaks of acne. Blackheads Mix lime juice and milk in a 1 to 1 ratio. The milk should be allowed to come to room temperature before mixing. Once mixed this is used as a cleanser in problem areas, where the skin may be oily. Use every other day under normal circumstances. Mix neem leaves and tumeric powder into a very thin paste this can be used to gently wash the face. Use every other day. Boil 2 teaspoons of Funigreek in a gallon of water, allow to cool to room temperature. This can be used every other day as a facial wash. Acne cures Make salt and vinegar paste. Apply directly to pimples wait 30 minutes and wash face. This can be done nightly if needed. This works because the salt and vinegar have natural abilities to draw liquids out of the skin, thus it draws the trapped oils out of the pimple. Make a paste out of roasted and ground pomegranite seeds with fresh lime juice. Apply directly to pimples. Apply a paste of 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of room temperature milk directly to pimples allow to stay for 1-2 hours and rinse. All of these natural are general acne prevention and cure techniques and may not work for specific skin conditions. Using these natural cures for acne can help you control it, if for some reason these do not help you should look in to over the counter remedies. Many of the medications today are targeted to specific types of acne breakouts.

Acne Prevention - Lifestyle and Diets

Lifestyle Is your lifestyle causing your acne? Certainly not. But the way you live affects your whole body, including its largest organ: the skin. The place you work, the hours you keep, the ways you play — all of these can take a toll on the epidermis, especially in those who are prone to acne. Following are a few everyday acne triggers you might not be aware of, and a few things you can do to avoid them. Comedones on the job. Since some part of your skin is always in contact with your environment, it’s important to pay attention to the substances with which you come into contact on a regular basis. You may be exposing yourself to comedogenic (pore-clogging) substances on the job without even knowing it; while these substances are not the cause of your acne, they can aggravate it. For example: the airborne grease in a fast-food restaurant can create an invisible film on your skin, clogging your pores. Most industrial oils — the kinds used in cars, in factories, on bicycles — are comedogenic as well. Acne & Sleep - Sleep and your skin. The simplest good deed you can do for your skin may surprise you: sleep! Scientists and mothers around the world agree that a good night’s sleep — at least eight hours — can do wonders for your complexion. How? A healthy, well-rested body has the resources to build a strong immune system. While a robust immune system won’t prevent acne altogether, it can help fight infection so your lesions clear up more quickly. Luckily, your body isn’t picky; uninterrupted sleep in the daytime is just as beneficial. So if you work late, sleep late — and try to maintain a regular schedule. Acne & Sun - Savvy sun worshipping. While it’s true that small amounts of sun exposure may initially improve acne, don’t be fooled; the benefit is temporary. Consistent sun bathing will dry your skin, causing your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Also, skin that has been exposed to the sun has to slough old cells more frequently; when you combine the extra oil and extra dead cells, you create the ideal environment for comedones, or blocked pores. So if you work (or play) in the sun, it’s important to protect your skin with sunscreen. Look for oil-free products that provide at least an SPF 15 protection level from UVA and UVB rays. Acne & Stress - The stress connection. Not surprisingly, stress often has a starring role in the ongoing acne drama. “Ninety percent of my patients complain about what stress does to their skin. It has a huge impact, and it’s becoming a bigger problem every day,” says Katie Rodan, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford University. How can stress — emotional anxiety caused by any number of factors in your life — show up on your face? The connection is purely chemical. When you become tense, your adrenal glands go work, flooding your bloodstream with the hormone cortisol. This triggers the sweat glands in your face to produce more oil. When your sebaceous glands go into high gear, there’s a higher probability that this excess oil will mix with dead skin cells and clog your pores, trapping bacteria inside. The result? More acne, primarily inflamed papules rather than blackheads or whiteheads. What can you do? Of course, you can't eliminate stress from your life — it's part of being human. But you can minimize its damage by leading a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet and at least seven hours of sleep every night will help you build a stronger physical foundation; if you're well fed and well rested, you're less likely to feel irritated by the events of your day. Try to get some exercise every day, even if it's just a walk around the block at lunchtime. It's also important to take time out of every day to relax — read a book, take a bath, practice yoga, or do whatever makes you feel happy and calm. It's an important step towards overall good health, and therefore the health of your skin. Diets Don’t eat that — you’ll get zits! We’ve all heard it; from parents, friends or even the family doctor. But the fact is, even after extensive study, scientists have not found a connection between diet and acne. Not chocolate. Not french fries. Not pizza. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “A healthy diet is important for improving raw materials for healthy skin,” but they also note that greasy or sugary foods do not cause acne.1 Likewise, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concurred, “Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients…even large amounts of certain foods have not clinically exacerbated acne.”1 Of course, that doesn’t mean you should make a habit of eating foods high in sugar or fat. The skin is the body’s largest organ, so what’s good for the rest of you will be good for your skin, too. Acne Prevention & Diet - Nutrients for healthy skin. There are a number of nutrients found in everyday foods that are known to promote a healthy body — and therefore healthy skin. Get wise to these substances, and you’ll increase your chances of conquering your acne. Acne Prevention & Diet - Vitamin A. Naturally occurring Vitamin A, or retinol, is found in fish oils, liver and dairy products. The Vitamin A produced by plants is known as Beta-carotene, and is found in yellow/orange fruits and vegetable such as carrots, yams, apricots and cantaloupe, as well as green vegetables like parsley, kale and spinach. Extremely high doses of Vitamin A are toxic, so don't overdo it. Acne Prevention & Diet - Vitamin B-2. Stress has been known to aggravate existing cases of acne, and Vitamin B-2 is often helpful alleviating stress. Foods with a high concentration of B-2 include whole grains, fish, milk, eggs, meat and leafy green vegetables. Acne Prevention & Diet - Vitamin B-3. Found in peanuts, eggs, avocados, liver and lean meats, Vitamin B-3 improves circulation, promoting healthy skin. It also reduces the cholesterol level in the blood and helps you metabolize protein, sugar & fat — increasing your energy through proper utilization of food. Acne Prevention & Diet - Vitamin E. Vitamin E is found in almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, wheat germ and vegetable oils. A powerful antioxidant, it protects your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Acne Prevention & Diet - Zinc. Even in trace amounts, the antioxidant zinc is known to boost the immune system, improving overall health — which of course is reflected in the skin. Zinc can be found in eggs, whole grains, nuts and mushrooms. Acne Prevention & Diet - Know your own triggers. Since acne is different for everyone, there may be certain foods that cause flare-ups in your skin. Clearly, these foods should be avoided. You may also want to check your vitamin supplements for their iodine content; while normal amounts of iodine have not been shown to affect skin, amounts greater than the RDA of 150 mcg may aggravate your acne. Overall, use your common sense. Drink lots of water and eat a healthy, balanced diet — but don’t be afraid to indulge your cravings every now and then.