Archive for October, 2009

Scars are indications that the body has repaired itself in one way or another, either due to injury or infection.  Once these events occur, white blood cells from the body accumulate at the site to fight further infection and repair the damage that has taken place. 

Once that process is complete, scars often form.  This process can be compared to a seam being sewn into a piece of torn fabric.  The skin (or seam) will never be quite as smooth as it was before the damage. 

There are different types of acne scars and different degrees of each type.  Some people may develop worse scars than others, depending on their individual tendencies.   

Types of acne scars

There are two different types of scars caused by acne.  The first type, depressed scarring, is caused by tissue loss and the second type, keloids, is caused by tissue formation.

1) Depressed  Scarring

This type of scar is caused by the dermis being attacked by toxins escaping the skin.  Once a cyst ruptures, it expels pus, oil, bacteria, and other poisons into the surrounding areas. 

White blood cells rush to the site of infection to repair the skin and, in the process, valuable collagen is lost, causing skin recesses or depressions.  The skin above the injury will then develop scars most commonly called ice pick scars.  Other scar types are soft, mascular, and fibrotic. 

2) Keloids

This type of scarring results from fibroblasts being triggered by the body during the repair process.  Once collagen starts decreasing, the fibroblasts produce excessive collagen, resulting in tissues called keloids.  They usually form on the male body and are sometimes called hypertrophic scars.   

Treating the scars of acne

Consult your dermatologist about the best treatment for your individual scars.  Be prepared to discuss your feelings about the scarring, the cost of treatment, and what you want the end result of the treatment to be.  The physician will need to consult with you regarding the severity and location of the scars, as well as what type of treatments are available. 

Commonly requested scar treatments include laser, collagen, and dermabrasion.  Skin surgery and/or grafting are also considerations if the scars run deep.  Keloids are sometimes left alone if the physician feels that treatment will cause other keloids to form.  

In this event, keloids can sometimes be effectively remedied by using steroid injections.

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If you think acne affects only teenagers, then think again.  It commonly strikes adults on a daily basis.  It can be overwhelming to start noticing breakouts of pimples, blackheads, or zits all over your face and you might not know what to do first.
 
Before you do anything else, visit or call your local, trusted pharmacist.  Licensed pharmacists are always knowledgeable about skin products and will know which products will bring acne relief and which ones won’t.  Most pharmacists are very willing to help.  If you don’t already know one, try your local Wal-Mart.

While you are at Wal-Mart, check out some of the available natural remedies and products they have displayed near the pharmacy.  Many natural products claim to completely cure your acne.  Any good drugstore will also have displays of various supplements claiming to help with acne relief.

Educate yourself on the different causes of acne and you may discover what is causing your own skin to break out.  Acne research is lengthy and still ongoing so experts are not absolutely certain about the precise causes of acne.  There are a few possible causes, however, that everyone seems to be in agreement on.

Medications   

Some medications, such as steroids, barbiturates, and anti-seizure drugs, are thought to contribute to skin disorders.  Don’t stop taking your prescribed medications, though, before first checking with your physician to see if they could be causing your acne.

Emotional Stress

Increasing evidence suggests that stress may contribute to acne and other skin problems.  If you are stressed, try developing an exercise program and following it regularly.  Exercise is a proven stress-buster. 

Chocolate

Chocolate has not yet been proven to cause acne.  Many people insist that eating chocolate will make you break out in pimples but no amount of research has ever proven this theory to be true. 

Cosmetics

Since acne is triggered by plugged or blocked pores, we can safely assume that make-up and other cosmetic products containing oil will contribute to acne.  Even “safe” products (those that are hypoallergenic and oil-free) may contribute to blackheads or zits because they cover up the skin.  Any cosmetic product applied to the skin has the potential to clog the pores and interfere with acne treatment.

Frequently Scrubbing your Face

Acne-prone skin should always be kept clean, but only mild products should be used

to wash it gently.  Many people are under the impression that they should scrub their skin using harsh soaps when they have acne but this only aggravates and worsens the condition.

Pollution

High humidity and other unnatural environmental conditions (i.e. smog, fog) can promote acne as well as other disorders.  If skin is exposed to humid conditions for a prolonged period of time, swelling occurs (which blocks the pores, thereby contributing to acne).  

Dietary habits

Many people notice that certain foods they eat cause their acne to flare up.  Your dietary habits can certainly contribute to breakouts and you should note the products causing the most problems so that you can avoid them in the future. 

Common food culprits thought to worsen acne include fats and dairy products.  Diets rich in zinc should be beneficial if you have acne.  Taking zinc supplements is one alternative you might consider for the relief or treatment of acne.

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No one in the world is immune to acne.  It affects people from all walks of life and from any age category.  Acne does not show preferential treatment to males, females, rich people, or poor ones.  Because everyone’s skin is different, they all have different contributing factors that cause their particular kind of acne.

The most important part of your acne treatment understands what skin type you are and the most effective acne treatment to use on it.  If you have oily skin, you would not want to use cleansing products, moisturizing products, or cosmetics that contain oil.  

You should buy products that are oil-free.  On the other hand, if you have dry skin, you would not want to use the oil-free products because your skin could use a little extra oil.  

Both oily and dry skin need to be moisturized daily.  Just because skin has extra oil does not mean it doesn’t need moisturizer.  Plenty of good oil-free moisturizers are available to use on oily skin.  Dry skin has its own specific problems and should be moisturized with a product made especially for dry skin. 

Topical skin treatments are designed to keep pores from clogging while getting rid of excessive dirt and oil on the skin’s surface, as well as acne-causing bacteria.  Certain oral medications exist that will keep your body from producing so much oil.  Prescription creams and ointments will help keep your breakouts dry and will even promote fast cell replacement in those areas of your acne-infected skin that needs it.  Other medical and natural remedies exist that help in the treatment of acne.  

Before you understand how to develop the proper acne care skin treatment for your skin, you should try to understand what is causing the acne in the first place.  

Causes of Acne   

Acne has many causes and all of them aren’t fully understood or substantiated yet.  Here are some of the most common causes: 

• Hormones play a major role in acne development.  The early teen years bring many hormonal changes to the body and those changes often cause constant breakouts of pimples, pustules, and even cysts.   The adult years bring changes, too, especially for women.  Premenstrual and pre-menopausal difficulties cause breakouts in alarming numbers of women.  Because of the excess oil produced during hormone-caused acne, products that help to eliminate and reduce oil will be most helpful for this type of acne.
• Stress is certainly a common factor to the development of acne.  When the body becomes tense, it releases chemicals and hormones that eventually turn into toxins and waste that the body must expel.  Some of these waste products will be excreted through the skin and will contribute to acne.  
   
• Some people still believe that chocolate, sugar, and other foods can cause acne to form.  Most experts deny that food has anything to do with acne’s development but the subject is still widely debated and researched so we can’t be absolutely certain that particular foods don’t contribute to acne.
   
• Cosmetics and skin-care products can also contribute to acne if the products being used are not for the correct skin type.  Using oily products on oily skin can certainly contribute to outbreaks so it is important to choose your personal care products very carefully when deciding on the best acne treatment for your skin. 

Other factors, such as lifestyle and environment, can also affect your skin.  The best things you can do for your skin is learn how to properly care for it, keep it hydrated, keep it moisturized, and try to eliminate the factors that are causing your skin to have acne.

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