Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Types Of Acne Scarring

Types Of Acne Scarring
By Matt Anderson

If you have acne then you know how important it is to prevent scarring as a result of acne through your teenage and even your adult years.

If you are left unscathed, then you're quite lucky in that you don't have an ever present reminder of having acne through all those years. But like most people, you may have some permanent scars that you notice.

It's important to realize though that there are several types of acne scars. Why? Because the different types are treated differently. In fact, some of them do reduce or even go away with time.

So what are the different acne scar types? Well, let's have a look at this question here in this article. The most common types include:

1. Keloid

Acne scars caused by deep tissue formation are called hypertrophic or keloid scars. These lesions are associated with excessive collagen. This type of lesion is raised and extremely noticeable, and as mentioned is often hereditary. These lesions tend to last for many years but may become smaller over a period of time.

2. Ice pick

These are the most common acne scars and are deeply pitted and usually quite small in size. These are generally are found on the cheeks. They're named as such, because they resemble jagged edged wounds like those from an ice pick. The deeper the scar, the less likely it is to reverse by itself over time.

3. Box car

These scars are more angular, similar to chicken pox scars, and are typically found on the temple and cheeks. These lesions may be either superficial or deep in appearance and number from just a few, to many. If they are deep or wide, they can be quite noticeable, and can stay for many years.

4. Rolling

These scars are named as they are because they lend a 'wave' like appearance to the skin. This may affect a relatively large area of the skin at times, and are due to fibrous bands in the deeper tissue causing the skin to contract.

5. Pitting

This type of scar is the mildest, and looks like pitting or little indents in the skin. There are usually many of them, and is the result of many minor episodes of acne. They can be anywhere on the face, but are commonly on the temple area. Being mild, these may fade away over time, but if they are still noticeable, can be treated.

So in conclusion, there are various types of scars that can occur with acne. Sometimes scarring is subtle and is not a major problem but others are more severe, and are more likely to need treatment.

Either way, remember that scarring can reduce on their own, so time may be what you need.
But if they don't go away spontaneously, then you may need to treat them specifically. Finally, remember that the best treatment for acne scars is prevention. So if you have outbreaks, see if you can treat the acne itself, which is the underlying cause of the scarring

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Does Drinking Water Get Rid Of Acne Fast?

Does Drinking Water Get Rid Of Acne Fast?

A friend, who was suffering from acute acne and was keeping absent from the classes, asked me the other day, "Does drinking water get rid of acne?" She told me that she is drinking a lot of water these days and was hopeful about getting a relief soon.

My answer made her happy and gave her some hope.

I told her that drinking a lot of water may help gradually improve the situation and may give relief from acne and related inflammation, although it is not the exact cure for acne.

In fact, there is not absolute cure for it at all.

Then how does drinking water get rid of acne? We all know importance of water in the body.

Out of the innumerable essential roles it plays in the body, here are few which concern acne and help get rid of it.

Water is a natural detoxifier and is the most effective one.

It helps remove toxins from the body.

These toxins include certain hormones which trigger acne by increasing sebum production from the sebaceous glands present just below the skin.

The actual function of this sebum is to keep the skin moist and prevent its cracking.

But the problem occurs when the mouth of these glands, opening in skin pores, are blocked with dust and dead skin mixed with sebum.

The sebum cannot escape gets accumulated below the skin, causing red, painful and inflammatory heads called acne.

Situation is aggravated when acne gets infected by bacteria. Sebum production is otherwise natural and normal but is increased in teens due to these hormones.

Water takes these hormones away from body with urine and sweat.

The more you drink water, the more you urinate and sweat more toxins are removed from the body.

Water promotes perspiration which opens the mouth of these sebaceous glands as well as helps remove the blockages thereby helping cure acne again.

Some fats are also lost with urine, promoting the healing further.

Water also helps clear bowels which indirectly gives relief from acne

Monday, April 7, 2008

Acne - In Depth Questions And Answers

Acne - In Depth Questions And Answers
Korbin Newlyn

Acne is a commonplace skin problem for the majority of adolescents and also afflicts a portion of the adult population.

People of all different age groups and backgrounds have had to deal with acne at one point or another.

Thus, there has long been a long standing desire to prevent it or even cure it.

We will take a look at some of the various causes of acne in addition to some of the various ways in which people are treated.

Our hope with this article is that you will gain a better understanding as to the reasons why people get acne and what they can do for prevention and treatment.

What is acne?

For many thousands of years, people have wrestled with acne.

Acknowledged in some cultures as a kind of curse from the gods for immoral behavior, acne has mostly been misunderstood.

Only within roughly the past century has the medical field been able to distinguish the true causes of acne.

As some might expect, this has permitted those who are afflicted with blemishes to gain a certain sense of relief.

An inflammatory disease of the skin, acne is the consequence of serious changes in the skin's structure.

Acne is considered to be the body's unique response to a relatively natural production of testosterone, a male hormone.

Instead of a sign that one's skin is not clean, acne is more closely related with the hormonal and bacterial activity underneath the skin, which finally leads to the irritation of the skin.

The end result is the red swelling that we know as acne.

What is The Most Common Type of Acne?

One may think that all acne is the alike, but in fact it is not. As with all irritations of the skin, there are several forms involved.

Some are believed more serious and harder to eliminate than others.

The most usual kind is acne vulgaris, which only means "common acne," ordinarily signified by a red swelling of the skin.

Soon after the initial signs, the white or yellow pus that people associate with acne becomes evident.

This is the type of acne that the majority of teenagers get, caused when excessive amounts of oil from the sebaceous gland combine with dead skin cells to end up clogging the pores of the skin.

Since the skin's pores are blocked, oil continues to build up, hence permitting bacteria and yeast to spread.

This surplus of bacteria and yeast is what finally does tons of damage to a persons skin.

What Are The Mental Effects of Acne?

Acne might show a body's failure to properly deal with hormonal changes. Acne can suggest that a person is not handling stress in an effective manner.

It might be an indication of a potentially serious allergic reaction to a medication or other type of element.

It is not these effects of acne that tend to do the most damage, though.

Acne is more than a health issue, acne is known to cause people (mainly teens) a sense of shame as well as embarrassment.

Acne is incorrectly associated with being unclean.

Clear, healthy skin is associated with cleanliness, while severe forms of acne are frequently thought to be the effect of sanitary neglect.

Not just that, acne can be ugly and turn people away.

The majority of people who experience severe acne are emotionally scarred by the social rejection, contributing to adolescent emotional insecurity and a sense of self-doubt.

Because of this, acne should be treated as rapidly and as thoroughly as possible.

Isn't it True That Staying Clean Helps Prevent Acne?It is always a healthier alternative to rid your skin of toxins as well as dirt that accumulate throughout your normal daily routine.

So yes, to some extent, it is true that washing your skin can help prevent or decrease acne. Acne is a chemical element, and it is something that occurs beneath the surface of the skin to a greater degree than on the skin itself.

Both cleansing on a daily basis as well as care of one's skin will help in reducing the bacteria that resides on the surface of the skin, but these actions cannot decrease the testosterone levels below the surface of the skin that help to create acne.

Recognizing this underlying fact should help to reduce some of the stigma that is accompanied with acne. It should also allow people who are enduring their acne to take some degree of comfort in understanding that they are not necessarily less clean than other people.

The truth is that they have very little actual control over what is going on beneath their skin.

What Are Some of The Other Elements Involved That Increase the Probability of Getting Acne?

That is a good question, and one that is likely on everyone's mind. The tough part about acne is that there is not one single element that can prompt it. Several factors help cause acne.

Some of them can be circumvented, while others cannot.

For instance, one cannot change their family history, but this is one very important factor in influencing the development of some form of acne.

Hormonal activity is another. Women who are pregnant or who are menstruating have been known to abruptly acquire bad cases of acne.

Other elements, such as stress and certain medications, can also bring about acne. Bear in mind, acne is based on the hormonal changes that occur within the body.

Any life-changing or stress-inducing occurrence is likely to alter a person's chemical makeup. Lastly, the accumulation of dead skin cells often contributes to increased acne