The Health Nut Blog

Teenagers have enough to worry about without adding acne control to that list. For some, acne control is only a passing phase and once the surge of hormones dies down, the acne decreases. But for others, acne control becomes a lifelong battle. There are many ways to treat acne regardless of the severity of your case.

The essential methods of acne control are to keep pores from getting clogged, unclog infected pores, attack the bacteria causing the infection, or reduce the redness associated with acne.  There are many preventative measures you can take to reduce the chance of having an acne breakout in the first place.  Gently washing your face with soap and water once or twice a day will help prevent your pores from being clogged.  Beyond this, benzoyl peroxide, which is the active ingredient in Oxy pads and many other cleaning wipes, helps to further clean your skin as well as dry it out.  One of the biggest advantages of using benzoyl peroxide is that it can be used in combination with other products to treat acne.

Exfoliating is another very popular method of acne control.  Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.  These dead cells can cause acne breakouts by clogging extremely active oil glands, especially those on your face.  Exfoliating can also make you skin much smoother, softer, and healthy.  However, some exfoliating agents can be very harsh, so a new exfoliating product should first be tested on a small area for reactions before using on your entire face. 

Some products for acne control have a dual purpose. Exfoliates not only remove the dead skin cells from the surface, they also offer the benefits of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory products. Both of these ingredients can help to treat the existing acne and reduce the redness and swelling that often accompanies a breakout. Other common ingredients are sulfur and Azelaic acid. One ingredient to be cautious of using on the face is salicylic acid. While this ingredient can help to prevent the pores from clogging, it is too irritating to facial skin.

Some people with severe acne may need to consult a dermatologist for help with their acne control.  A dermatologist may suggest a cleansing regime, use lights or lasers to treat and prevent breakouts, or prescribe medication.  If you are prescribed medication, you should be wary of the side effects, as most acne medication is very harsh, even toxic.  Some of these numerous side effects are somewhat discomforting, but others are very permanent.  A few acne prescriptions have even been linked with depression, sometimes resulting in suicide. 

Dermatologists may feel like a last resort for acne control, and the prescription medications do have their drawbacks. If you feel that you're not ready to take that step, over-the-counter treatments for acne care, such as products containing benzoyl peroxide or Azelaic acid, might help you best. Should those solutions not be of help, visit a dermatologist before scarring occurs.

What is the most common type of acne?

One might think that all is acne is the same, but it is not. As with all skin irritations, there are several forms. Some are considered more serious and more difficult to eliminate than others. The most common type is acne vulgaris, which simply means "common acne," usually indicated by a red swelling of the skin. Soon, the white or yellow pus that people associate with acne becomes apparent. Tis is the type of acne that most teenagers get, caused when extraordinary amounts of oil from the sebaceous gland combine with dead skin cells to help clog the skin's pores. Because the skin's pores are blocked, oil continues to build up, thus allowing bacteria and yeast to spread. This excess of bacteria and yeast is what eventually does tons of damage to one's skin.


To learn more go to Acne Treatment Minocycline and at Back Acne Treatments also Acne Care Treatment

# posted by NeilG @ 5:47 PM