Acne

Acne is the leading skin disorder in the world today. It affects over ninety percent of the population of the world to some degree.

It is difficult to determine why acne affects one person slightly, and attacks the next person with a vengeance. Scientists and medical research has determined that acne is caused by poor dietary habits and also the environment.

For the ten percent who have never had the problem of acne, they will never know the suffering both physically and emotionally that a person suffering from acne goes through on a daily basis. There are hundreds of acne treatment products today that line the shelves of pharmacies as well as grocery and department stores.

Acne is defined as a skin eruption caused by the bacteria propionibacterium acne, or p. acne. P. acne only grows in the skin, not inside the body. If the eruption doesn't have these bacteria present, it isn't acne. As much as those with acne type skin may not want to hear this, getting acne is part of one's genetic makeup. Even f you have acne type skin, it's possible that you'll never have an eruption. It's also possible that your skin won't erupt until you experience a highly stressful time in your life. This can happen at any age, but if it happens when you're an adult, your condition is known as adult onset acne.

Each one claims to better than the rest but the results are usually disappointingly the same. The acne may seem like it is clearing up, but as soon as you stop using the product the acne shows up within a day.

This may be the reason so many different acne treatments are available. Each product shows different results for a different amount of time. You cannot be sure if the treatment is going to work for you, so you end up trying as many products as you can find. For the person who has chronic acne, it is compared to fighting a battle every day to get it under control.

A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in disorders of the skin; he or she can effectively treat acne outbreaks with prescription medications and antibiotics. There are many different treatments a dermatologist can offer that are not available on the open market.

There are special procedures that can be done to alleviate the causes of acne. There are also procedures that can eliminate the painful scarring that acne causes. If you are not satisfied with the results that you are getting from over the counter and prescription medications, there are alternative treatments available.

Medical research is being conducted on the healing properties of green tea. It has many properties that are attributed to overall good health, and studies indicate that it may benefit acne suffers as well.

Whether the treatment you seek is medical, herbal, natural or a home remedy, everyone agrees that in order to control acne outbreaks it is necessary to make lifestyle changes including changing your eating habits. You will see a major difference when you cut out greasy oily foods and soda. All parents know that you cannot tell a teenager anything that they will believe. Experts advise them to try it for one month and see if he or she notices a difference.

Acne Prevention

The initial step to be able to manage this skin condition is to first understand the situations that may cause acne eruptions. There are skin types that are prone to acne especially in certain conditions. Treatment is to be able to avoid those circumstances or adapt to those situations to prevent acne outbreaks.

Elevated stress levels can definitely cause acne to flare up. Stress management is the only way to treat acne that will arise. Examples of such are exercise, meditation, hobbies, and yoga.

Women often experience acne eruptions due to hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle. They are usually seen during the week before their menstrual period starts. During teenage puberty, acne erupts because of the imbalance of hormones in their body.

Health providers always tell you not to poke your acne lesions. This will trigger the growth of more acne in the area.

Strong illegal stimulants such as methamphetamines and cocaine can bring about acne breakouts and prolong their lifespan. Do not even try to use these substances since it is not only the skin that gets affected but your health and your life.

Caffeine, in any form, as seen in coffee, sodas, and regular tea can initiate a small breakout which can be unmanageable since it can act on increasing the size, scope, and intensity of the breakout. Sugar and other carbohydrates also have the same effect.

Alcohol and smoking make your skin prone to acne eruptions and make it remain more active. The best cure is to stop drinking alcoholic drinks and smoking.

Acne can also arise when your work environment is hot, dusty and humid since the dust particles can get trapped in the skin, causing the acne to appear. Examples of places like this are a restaurant kitchen, the dry cleaners, or a factory.

Certain clothing worn that may inadvertently cause friction may also bring about acne eruptions in that specific area. Examples of these type of clothing are the face mask of a doctor during surgery, the tie of an executive, a heavy backpack on the shoulders.

A change in scenery can also create havoc to your skin, permitting acne eruptions to occur, especially if the place is warm and tropical. It is always best to bring the right moisturizer and exfoliants.

Junk food has always been a major cause of acne especially in teenagers since it promotes poor nutrition. Having poor nutrition renders your skin to become sensitive to acne eruptions.

Sometimes, the cause for the acne outbreak cannot be determined. Fortunately, in cases like this, the acne will also go away by itself since all other precautions are being practiced.

Avoiding these situations and substances that may trigger an outbreak of acne is the first step to treating and taking care of your skin.

Adult Acne

Acne that is contracted during adulthood, specifically after eighteen years old is considered adult acne. It commonly appears during the early twenties to even late forties and fifties. Women are the ones frequently affected by adult acne, also known as post-adolescent acne. Hormones are the obvious cause of adult acne since there is no definite pattern to its occurrence as compared to the teenage variety of acne vulgaris. Adolescent girls are often conscious of the growth of this skin condition, especially during their menstrual cycle, although the acne that forms during adulthood comes and goes more easily than the ones contracted during the teenage years.

The appearance of post-adolescent acne differs from that of teenage acne:
Blackheads and whiteheads (comedones) are less commonly seen.
Breakouts are usually mild to moderate.
Significant scarring is unusual.

Lesions more often appear on the lower cheek, the chin, and along and below the jaw line. Although some women may have breakouts on the chest and back, most have blemishes exclusively on the face.

Papules, also known as pimples, zits, bumps, pustules, and small nodules are the most common composition of breakouts. Papules are skin inflammatory elevations that are not suppurative while the pustules are also inflammatory elevations, but are filled with pus. The pustules and papules can be classified as deep or superficial. Superficial papules are those located on the skin surface. The deep papules are described to be palpable, and come from under the skin, since these are probably inflammations that are trapped underneath the skin's surface.

Nodules are described as large papules or cysts. They are firm tender lumps that stay on for several weeks or even months. The largest growth that they can be is about an inch and when healed can leave a noticeable scar. Luckily, nodules are rarely develop in women with adult acne.

There is no exact diagnosis for adult-onset acne since it can be easily confused by a health care provider with other acne-like disorders like rosacea, pseudofolliculitis barbae, keratosis pilaris, and endocrinopathy:
Rosacea: Symptoms of rosacea include facial lesions that consist of acnelike red papules and pustules. Moreover, both rosacea and acne can appear together.
Endocrinopathy: Sometimes what appears to be a simple case of acne vulgaris or adult-onset acne can be due to an underlying hormonal abnormality, called endocrinopathy. At times like this, acne may be difficult to get under control, and other measures such as blood tests to look for higher or lower than normal hormone levels should be evaluated by your doctor.

Women with adult acne do not have levels of androgen that are elevated but may have a amplified response to androgen in its normal levels and to progesterone, a female hormone, although to a much lower degree. On the other hand, estrogen, another main hormone of females, produces an opposite effect on acne production by depressing its release.

Other than the major hormones of women, adult acne may be caused and enhanced by the intake of pills containing hormones and drugs that have hormonal effects like those seen in oral contraceptive medications, food products, steroids and allergy medications.

Home Remedy for Acne

These are some alternatives to topical and internal prescription acne medications.
Internal Treatments

Vitamin A.
Like accutane, has been shown to reduce the sebum production and other factors that contribute to the formation of pimples. Vitamin A has proven effective in treating acne, but only in very high doses. Doses that are potentially toxic. Just like accutane, the use of vitamin A does pose a risk. Vitamin A in these doses should not be used without the supervision of a doctor or other medical professional.
A safe effective dose for vitamin A is less than 25,000 IU's per day.

Vitamin E.
Antioxidants like vitamin E also are important for the treatment of acne. Vitamin E has shown to be effective in men and women. The improvement is most likely due to the formation of toxic fatty acids in the sebum.

Zinc.
Zinc is important to the health of your skin. It is involved in the local hormone activation, the formation of vitamin A, healing wounds, activity in the immune system, controlling inflammation, and the regeneration of tissue. With acne, low levels of zinc increase the changing of testosterone to its more active form (DHT), while high concentrations of zinc inhibit this. The changing of testosterone to DHT is the underlying factor in the formation of acne. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of zinc in the treatment of acne. In fact, these studies have shown zinc to yield similar results to the very popular tetracycline in superficial acne and better results in deeper acne. Although some people show dramatic improvement immediately, the majority usually required twelve weeks before good results were achieved.
A safe effective dose for zinc is 30 to 45 milligrams a day.
Topical Treatments

Tea Tree Oil.
Tea tree oil contains significant antiseptic properties, and is thought of by many as the ideal skin cleanser. It has excellent penetration and very rarely irritates the skin. It has excellent antiseptic and antifungal properties. Many studies have shown that tea tree oil is exceptionally safe for use a a topical antiseptic. For moderate to severe acne solutions of up to 15% should be used. A 5% solution should be used for mild acne.

Sulfur.
Sulfur has been used in treating skin disorders for many years. Sulfur has been shown to have the same topical antiseptic properties as benzoyl peroxide, but without the irritation. 3 to 10 percent sulfur has produced results good enough for the FDA to approve sulfur as an effective treatment for acne. Products containing sulfur can be bought in most health food stores and drug stores.
Herbs for Reducing Acne Inflammation

Witch Hazel German Chamomile Goldenseal Echinacea Licorice Root Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Black Currant Seed Oil Evening Primrose Oil

Remember to be careful and start slowly when using any home remedy. If used incorrectly or in to great a dose it can be dangerous. Some of these may not be safe to use during pregnancy.