Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Products To Avoid When Treating Acne

There are many over-the-counter products available for treating and helping to prevent acne. Some are developed specifically for this purpose, and contain acne medications and substances designed to unclog pores and reduce the chances of acne from developing. Others are simply cleansers, designed to do nothing more than cleanse the skin and remove excess oils and dirt, which helps control breakouts.

So which products are helpful, and which could actually be harmful to your skin? Soap is one of the most basic products used to cleanse the skin, and for some people is okay to use on acne afflicted areas. It can, however, aggravate these areas depending on one’s skin type, skin sensitivity, and actual acne condition. That is why it is important to use a cleanser that will work best with these factors. This will help you avoid further irritation to the skin and will promote faster healing. If you have sensitive skin, stay away from fragrant soaps, as the chemicals in them can cause breakouts. If your skin is oily, use soaps that are virtually oil-free, as products containing a substantial amount of oil will add oil to your skin, causing the pores to become clogged and subsequent breakouts to occur.

Cosmetics can cause acne to worsen. Certain makeup products contain chemicals that while on the skin, clog the pores and irritate the skin, causing breakouts. If you are suffering more breakouts than normal, or if you feel something is irritating your skin, you may want to find out what is in your cosmetic products that might be causing this to occur.

Instead, use cosmetics that are non-cometigenic, meaning they won’t clog your pores. If a product irritates your skin, stop using it and find one that doesn’t. Product containers now contain information about what is in the product, and what it should be used for, and often times, what skin types it works best on. You can gain information by reading these labels.

As mentioned above, remember not to over wash your skin, as this can cause it to become irritated and breakouts to occur. Also, wash gently. Harsh scrubbing will not remove any more dirt and oil than gentle scrubbing, and will also cause irritation.

Do not squeeze pimples, as this causes the bacteria to go deeper within the skin, and the area around the pimple to become irritated and inflamed. Instead, cleanse the area and use a toner to alleviate the problem and bring out the pus.

Be sure to choose your acne products carefully. You might even try sticking to one brand for your daily regimen, as this will help you be consistent. Often times, a specific line of products is engineered to work together, and will promote healing and prevention in the same way.

Stay away from harsh products that can irritate your skin, and change products if what you are using is not working for you. Consult a physician if use of over-the-counter hygiene products isn’t doing the trick.

Over The Counter Ideas For Treating Your Acne

There are many products designed to treat acne. Some of these products are formulated to serve a specific purpose while others are dedicated to treating the general symptoms of acne.

This article discusses some of the basic products sold over-the-counter that can help prevent and combat acne. Remember, if products sold in most drugstores aren’t helping your condition, it may be advisable to seek medical attention.

Soap and water is the most basic product to help fight acne. Depending on your skin type, sensitivity, and possible allergies, you may want to choose a soap carefully so as to prevent further breakouts or irritation.

When you wash your face, you are removing excess oils that build up on your skin, clogging pores and causing pimples to form. Although it is strongly recommended that you not wash your face too often, and that you don’t scrub vigorously, as this can remove too much oil and irritate the skin, washing your face twice or even three times daily can remove unwanted dirt and oils and help control your breakouts.

Benzoyl peroxide is another very common remedy that can be purchased over-the-counter to help fight acne. It is often recommended by physicians, it is usually used to treat mild forms of acne. It is present in many acne treatment products, and was the first product to be proven effective in treating acne.

Benzoyl Peroxide is helpful in fighting bacteria and stops excess oil from clogging pores. It is available in the forms of a lotion or a cream.

Salicylic acid is commonly used in many over-the-counter acne cleansers and treatments, and when applied to the skin, helps to correct the abnormal shedding of cells. In milder forms of acne, it helps to unclog pores and prevent lesions we know of as pimples.

Salicylic acid does not stop oil production. Like Benzoyl Peroxide, it must be used continually in order to see its effects.

Sulfur is also another common product found in many over-the-counter acne treatments. It has been used for years in conjunction with other products to help combat acne. Due to its unpleasant odor, sulfur is less often used by itself to treat acne.

Although it is widely used, and common in many treatments, it is not known exactly what characteristics help heal acne. Nevertheless, results have been shown and it continues to be used.

Herbal and natural products are often available for purchase over-the-counter to treat acne. Most of these products are organic, and have not been tested clinically to determine their effectiveness. In spite of this, they are sometimes preferred, and their usage is said to be increasing.

There are many over-the-counter options available to help heal and prevent acne. Different products react differently to different skin types, and the effects are different for everyone. It is important to find what works for you and stick to it.

Laser Treatments To Help Cure Acne

There are many different acne treatments, designed to treat different types of acne. Mild forms of acne can often be treated by over-the-counter products and natural remedies, while more severe forms of acne require mediclal attention.

In recent yeatrs laser treatments have proven to be a faster, and sometimes more efficient means for treating many conditions. Acne is one of them.

Acne is rarely misdiagnosed, and is easy to analyze. It can leave lasting scars, which are more prevalent in forms of severe acne, while those left with milder forms of the condition are easier to treat.

One of the most successful treatment alternatives for treating acne scars is the use of lasers such as Erbium. Acne should be treated as early on in the course of the condition as possible, so as to prevent further scarring. This can also reduce the severity of the scarring.

One of the newest ways to treat active acne is with micro dermabrrasion using aluminium hydroxide crystals. These crystals abrate the skin, removing the top layers. This serves to remove excess debris associated with acne. This type of treatment is not necessary or recommended with milder forms of acne as it can be hard on the skin. However, this treatment has proven to be very effective in clearing up active acne.

This type of treatment is also used to clear acne on the back and chest. This can be helpful since back and chest acne is often more dificult to treat than facial acne.

Treating acne scarring requires a series of treatments before visible results are seen. Unfortunately, this treatment isn’t very effective in treating deep scarring caused by severe or pprolonged acne.

The downfall of micro dermabrasion treatment is that it is operator dependent. Over pealing the skin can lead to such side effects as hypopigmentation or scarring. So, in effect, if not done properly, the treatment you are using to clear up acne scarring could actually cause additional scarring.

Because of this, it is recommended it be done by a physician or qualified therapist who knows how to make it be effective without causing more damage to your skin.

Erbiuim laser treatment as a means of treating acne and the scars associated with it is painless, bloodless, gentle, and very effective.

The actual therapy is simple, fast, and accurate, and more severe scarring can be treated during several sittings if preferred.

Though the side effects of such lasting treatments are few, and may not occur, but they are still possible. Discuss this treatmet and its possible side effects with your doctor before deciding whether or not it will be the best treatment for you. Remember, there may be other options available that might be more highly recommended.