What You Should Know About Acne

There are many different types of acne and with that come many theories, myths, and treatments. The exact cause of acne remains a mystery. Why some pores are affected by acne and others aren’t, is not known. Each case of acne is as complex as the individual battling it and a treatment that works on one person’s acne may not work on yours.

Acne obviously has physical effects but it can also have psychological effects, especially in teens. Most teenagers already feel awkward and different, add acne to the equation and they are identifiably different. Most teenagers with acne tend to have lower self esteem, than their peers with clear skin, and are not involved in as many activities.

Adult acne is on the rise and can also be very difficult to deal with. Due to the changes that our skin goes through as we mature, scarring is often worse in adults with acne than in teens with acne. Adults with acne are also less likely than teens to seek treatment for their acne, leaving them to suffer alone.

Whether you are an adult with acne or a teenager with acne, your acne probably falls into one of a two main categories, inflammatory acne or non-inflammatory acne. If you have blackheads or whiteheads, or both, then you have non-inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne can be a little harder to identify. Inflammatory acne is characterized by papules, pustules, and in more serious cases, nodules or cysts.

Once you have determined which category your acne falls into, you can explore the treatment options for your acne. Keep in mind that even if you have tried several different acne treatments to no avail, there is always something else to try for your acne. There are new acne treatments coming up left and right and the next new acne treatment might be the one that goes directly to work attacking your acne and leaving you with the clear skin you’ve longed for.

by: Amber Lowery

Acne Solutions

I use a few different Neutrogena products, and my skin isn't perfect either, but it's the best that it's been. If you go to the website, you can answer about 10 question about your skin and they'll recommend some products to you. The best thing I've found is the Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel. It's about $6-$7, but it's the best acne goo/cream I've used. It's very potent, and it has salicylic acid in it, which works for me. Another way I prefer the natural way of treating acne. sleep early, have enough rest, exercise, and always keep your face clean. Diets have nothing to do with your face so eat what you want, but wash your face with milk and baking soda twice a day and do not touch your face apply lotion to your face daily.

How To Alleviate Your Acne Problem

Acne brings huge problems to teenagers. Teenagers who have acne feel isolated, ugly, and insecure. Who wouldn't when everywhere you look, only clear skinned people are put on the pedestal.

You tried every acne product out in the market but nothing seems to work. At this point, you feel that your social life is doomed but fret not because acne won't stay forever if you take the proper actions early.

First step to take is to understand what acne really is and from there you can take the necessary actions in curing or at least reducing your acne problem.

Acne is the term for plugged pores (whiteheads and blackheads), pimples, and deeper lumps (nodules) that happens in the face, neck, chest, back and upper arms. Acne is caused by build up of excess oil and dead skin in a pore. The causes of this are natural hormones, clogged skin and bacteria.

The onset of acne happens between the ages of twelve to seventeen. Almost all teenagers had acne. Many of them used non-prescription treatments to alleviate acne but more than 40% of teenagers in their mid-teens have severe acne cases. Normally, it goes away in the early twenties. Then again, there are many cases wherein acne starts or continues into adulthood.

It is interesting to note though that young men who are more likely to have severe acne, don't consult dermatologists as much as young women do. But then again, young women are more likely to have irregular acne due to hormonal changes during menstrual cycle or due to the cosmetic products they use. This kind of acne may afflict women even into adulthood.

The ultimate question now is how do you reduce acne?

Knowing the facts that debunk the myths and misconceptions about acne may help you alleviate your acne problem.

Myth 1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene.

This may be true if you don't wash your face at all. But if you resort to frequent and vigorous washing, it will definitely cause scarring which will worsen acne. The best approach is to gently wash face twice a day with mild soap and use appropriate acne treatment after.

Myth 2: Acne is caused by diet.

Scientific studies debunked this having found that there is no connection between food and acne.

Myth 3: Acne is caused by stress.

Stressors are not important factors in acne. Only severe stress that needs medication can cause acne as side effects.

Myth 4: Acne is just a cosmetic disease.

Acne does affect how people look but there's no serious threat to physical health. However, acne can result to serious scarring which can affect how these people live their lives.

Myth 5: You just have to let acne run its course.

The truth is, acne can be cleared up using acne products available in the market today. If they don't work for you, then try seeing a dermatologist.

According to Thiboutot (2000), cure of acne lies in knowing three things:

* That resolution to cure acne takes time;
* That what works for one may not work for another;
* and that a dermatologist's help may be needed if all actions you take to cure your acne fail.

Remember that acne responds well to early treatment. So to prevent scarring have your acne treated as soon as acne starts showing up on your face.

by: Charlene J. Nuble