Health Aim

Acne is one of the most common and irritating skin conditions one can have. One doesn’t have to be a hormonal teenager in order to have them; even adults can be susceptible to a little breakout or two. People with acne do everything in their power to get rid of unsightly pimples; it could be anti-acne products, visits with the dermatologist or healthy diets that can improve the condition of the skin. Whatever the solution is, people with acne should have in mind the top 9 mistakes that they do to their acne-ridden skin, which you should avoid if you want to clear up your complexion.

Squeezing the pimples out
You want to get rid of pimples, and you want to get rid of them fast. Most of the time, you can’t wait for the pesky things to dry themselves out, and you just want to squeeze them out so it won’t see the light of day. While it is very tempting to do this especially to those ripened ones already filled with pus and about to burst, exercise all your willpower and keep your hands to yourself. Most people suffering from acne will probably have dark scars after squeezing pimples, and scars definitely stay longer long after the pimples are gone. And yes, they are harder to get rid of.

Putting their hands on their faces every chance that they get
Oil is usually the common culprit behind acne, and remaining oil-free is obviously the best way not to have pimples. Touching your face all the time is not a good idea because the dirt and oil from your hands will easily transfer to your face.

Getting a facial treatment
A facial can be a great treat for the skin, but not for people with acne. Facials are great for those with regular skin, and can definitely perk up tired and sallow complexions, but it can prove disastrous for people with acne. You can get severe irritation and can worsen your acne even more.

Putting blind faith in pricey medications
Sure, you have to buy some treatments in order to help get rid of the acne, but a lot of people equate pricey with effectiveness. They believe that a little dab of the expensive cream or gel will make the pimple go away overnight, but this is not the case, especially for severe acne. It takes several days for a pimple to go away, and no amount of dollars can reverse that fact.

Forgetting to maintain their skin care regimen
Just because some of your pimples disappeared doesn’t mean that you can stop washing your face. There are some who get complacent once they saw results. Remember, the key to a clear, acne-free skin is maintenance. In order to keep away pimples for good, you should keep washing your face with the product that works for you, and apply astringent or toner if necessary. Also, it is best to be armed with a face blotter to blot away the icky, oily film from your face during the day.

Acne and eczema are two of the most common skin conditions that can cause physical discomfort and usually affect a person’s self-confidence. Acne develops prevalently during the teenage years and the early 20s, while eczema can develop to anybody from infants, to children and adults.

Acne is a medical term for plugged pores, such as blackheads and whiteheads, pimples, and even in more severe forms like lumps or nodules. These usually occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, and even the upper arms.

There are different risk factors that trigger and aggravate the development of acne. These factors may stop or will continue throughout a person’s life. Factors that may stop include stress, food intake, use of some cosmetics, sunlight & petroleum oil exposure, certain antibiotics, greasy substances, and some other medications. And factors that we can not avoid are hormonal changes in puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and family history. It is important to know that acne is not caused by any one factor alone. What most people believe that those who suffer from acne are those who lack personal hygiene or eat too much greasy or oily foods; it is a myth. It is a fact that acne has nothing to do with a person’s lifestyle or the skin’s origin.

The effective treatment for mild acne cases usually involves self-care measures such as washing the skin daily with a mild cleanser and using an over-the-counter acne cream. For severe cases, acne treatment usually includes one or more prescribed medications.

The other skin problem is eczema. It is a term for various inflamed skin conditions which is most often characterized by dry, red, flaky, and extremely itchy patches on the skin resulting from contact with physical and environmental irritants, and typically occurs on the scalp, forehead, cheeks, neck, forearms and legs of children and adults, but this usually appears during infancy. Symptoms depend on the type.

It is said that eczema can be a life-long condition which can recur on and off in a person’s life. No one really knows the exact cause of this breakout, although heredity or genetic play a big part. Although it is not contagious, the symptoms sometimes flare up. There is currently no cure for eczema, but it can be avoided and controlled from possible triggers, and can be treated depending on the eczema type. There are certain irritants that trigger the symptoms, such as chemicals, detergents, soap or shampoo, inhaled irritants such as pollen or house dust mites, certain foods, infections with bacteria or viruses, dry skin, hormonal changes, and stress. One of the best ways to avoid irritation is to avoid scrubbing the face and it is advised to use the fingertips when washing the face as this will limit the sensitivity of the skin.

The risk factors for eczema may not be the direct cause of the skin disease. You may wander how you can fight this disease. But the first thing to do in your combat against eczema is to avoid any potential triggers like any of the above. Prevention is still the best medicine for most skin conditions, and eczema is not an exception to the rule.

The best advice for any skin diseases or skin problems is to seek help and work closely with a good dermatologist to determine what triggers the skin flare-ups. They can take steps by providing good management and appropriate treatment. And then, you will regain your confidence and get back to a normal life without worrying too much about your skin breakouts.

A lot of people don’t really know the real cause of acne breakouts. For some, acne just represents nothing more than the key to the door leading to adolescence or a rite of passage during hormonal changes. As the most common disease of adolescents and adults (ages 25 to 40), it is often taken for granted and not realizing that poor and lack of information about acne management can cause these spots to persist, be widespread and scar.

How much do you really know about acne and its causes? Do you know that there is no scientific evidence that connects diet and acne? Did you realize that any one in their 40s can still experience this so called “teenage” problem?

I am sure you have many questions about acne like most of us so here the common myths and the truth behind it.

What are the Common Acne Myths?

Acne is caused by eating chocolate, sweets, and oily foods.

Based on scientific research and studies, although scientific evidence is not 100% accurate, diet does not directly cause acne. The real cause can actually be a blend of factors. But it is always a healthy option to stay on a healthy, balanced diet.

Acne is contagious.

No, it’s not. You can’t ‘catch” acne by coming into contact with someone who has it. It is non-communicable, meaning it can’t be transmitted.

Acne is caused by dirt or poor hygiene.

Dirt is one of the reasons that can lead to acne but only if it turns out into pores and block oil secretion. Acne is caused by a build up of oil, dead skin cells and bacteria in a closed pore. Most people think that a blackhead is caused by dirt, but the truth is, it is the skin’s natural melanin which turns black once it comes into contact with the air.

Acne is for teenagers — everyone grows out of it.

Acne can strike at any age and while it is treatable, the course and duration of treatment vary for each person.

Stress causes acne.

Not exactly. The truth is, stress can have a very minimal influence. It can’t actually cause acne, but it can trigger flare-ups. However, some anti-stress medications can have a large influence on acne because of its side effects.

Acne is caused by too much sex.

Even though teenagers are going through hormonal changes, sexual habits have no effect on acne.
Sun exposure helps acne.

Minimal amounts of sun exposure may initially help clear up the blemishes but prolonged exposure can cause skin damage and irritates the skin even more, since too much exposure will likely dry up skin cells which will result to clogged pores.

Sweating cleans out the pores.

Working out is important to a healthy body but strenuous activity can stimulate oil production that aggravate acne problems on the forehead, chest and back.

There is a cure for acne.

There is no cure at this time but it is highly treatable. There are many treatments available and you have all the options that will work for you. But the best way to treat acne is to prevent blemishes from occurring as we always know that prevention is the best medicine.

Cosmetics or spot treatments can help acne.

Over-the-counter products don’t actually clear up acne. The best way to prevent acne is to stop the blemish from developing and that is washing the face regularly even without blemishes.

Moisturizers or make up products causes acne.

There are many non-comedogenic, oil-free, and hypoallergenic products in the market. These products are especially formulated so it won’t clog up your pores.

Scrubbing and toning the skin clears acne.

Acne is not caused by dirt so washing can’t clear it away. Using harsh defoliants can actually irritate the skin and over washing can increase the chance of infection and breakouts.

Acne is a skin disorder that develops due to the overproduction of oil by the oil glands in the skin, which is caused by hormonal imbalance and other factors. Acne is also commonly referred to as pimples, spots or zits. Actually there is not much difference between acne and a pimple.

A pimple is the result of an obstructed or inflamed pore that contains pus. There are different types of acne/pimples and the most common types are:

Acne Vulgaris, the most general form of acne and includes the different types of pimples such as blackheads, whiteheads, nodules, papules and pustules.

Whiteheads are pimples that stay under the surface of the skin which are small and flesh-or white-colored. This is due to skin pore blockage.

Blackheads are dark formations that rise to the skin’s surface due to an accumulated mixture of oil and cells in a blocked skin pore. The black color is not a cause from dirt.

Papules are red pimples that can be tender.

Pustules are pimples that are red at the bottom but with a central collection of pus at the top.

Nodules are painful, large, solid pimples that are found deep in the skin.

Cysts are usually not painful. They are deep pus-filled pimples that can cause scars.

Acne Rosacea appears as a red rash which usually occurs on the cheek, forehead, nose and chin. The redness is associated with skin blemishes.

Acne Conglobata is the severe form of acne vulgaris which are commonly found in males. Large lesions and widespread blackheads are the common symptoms.

Acne Fulminans is similar to Acne Conglobata but affects younger men. Symptoms include severe cyst and ulcering acne.

Gram Negative Folliculitis are severe form of acne which is distinguished by cysts and pustules.

Pyoderma Faciale is also a severe form of acne which affects females only and is characterized by pustules and nodules.

People of any origin or race can suffer from acne but it is mostly prevalent in teenagers and young adults.

Some people in their 40s and 50s still suffer from acne, which means that people of all ages can get acne.
Doctors believe that acne results from several interrelated factors. Three out of four adolescents have acne to some extent, most likely caused by hormonal changes or rising hormonal levels that activate the sebaceous (oil-secreting) skin glands. For instance, the hormone androgen or the male sex hormone, increases in boys during puberty. Other hormonal changes such as menstrual periods, use of oral contraceptives, pregnancy, and stress aggravate acne.

Acne is not initiated by dirt or physical activities, but dirt and oil accumulated on the face can worsen the condition. External factors have been linked to acne such as the use of skin care products that are not non-comedogenic, occupation, too much exposure to sun rays, climate, squeezing of pimples, over-washing the face, and sweat. Internal factors include bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes), sebum production, follicle growth, hormones (androgens), stress, drugs and steroids, and genetics.

There is actually no cure for acne but it can be controlled and prevented. Acne generally responds well to any treatment after a few weeks, but usually flares up from time to time. It is not physically dangerous but if left untreated, severe infection can develop. Scarring can appear if severe acne is not treated so it is advisable to treat acne early and as long as necessary. The more the inflammation can be controlled, the more likely it can be prevented. Fortunately, one can always turn to acne scar treatments which are currently available.