Home » All posts

New Discovery May Lead To More Effective Acne Treatments

Posted by Admin Tuesday, 5 June 2012 0 comments

by: Diane Darling, COTA/L
Scientists Discover Genetic Make-up of Acne Bacterium

Scientists have long known that the bacterium Propionibacterium
acnes (P. acnes) plays a leading role in the development of acne
vulgaris, the scourge afflicting some 80% of teenagers and many
adults as well. A normally harmless microbe that lives in the
hair follicles of every person, P. acnes helps cause acne when
the follicles become plugged with sebum, a natural oil produced
by the body.

Recently a team of German scientists, led by microbiologist Dr.
Holger Brueggemann, mapped the genetic code of the P. acnes
microbe. They discovered that it has a circular chromosome with
2,333 genes, many of which had surprising destructive abilities.
"We were astonished to see how many genes were involved in
degrading the human tissue," said Dr. Brueggemann.

For example, the researchers found that P. acnes contains
enzymes similar to those in so-called "flesh-eating" bacteria
that destroy human tissue. It also has enzymes that break down
the skin and use it as its food supply. It contains genes that
secrete substances that kill competitors, like harmful bacteria
and fungi, in much the same manner as pathogens like
tuberculosis and diphtheria. And it uses a defense tactic known
as "phase variation" that helps it escape attack by the human
immune system.

New Acne Treatments May Be Possible

What does this mean for acne sufferers?

Scientists have long believed that acne results when pores
become plugged by bits of dead, flaking skin and sebum. These
plugged pores fill with oil, which the P. acnes microbe then
feeds on while releasing certain chemicals and enzymes. These
enzymes attract white blood cells, causing inflammation, redness
and pimples we call acne. Adolescents are more often afflicted
by acne because during that age period more of this oil is
produced, thanks to hormonal changes in the body at that time.

Most traditional acne treatments today are designed to either
kill bacteria or to prevent pores from becoming plugged.
However, P. acnes has developed resistance to many of the
antibiotics used to treat acne, leading scientist to seek newer,
more effective treatments.

This new discovery by Dr. Brueggemann's research team will lead
to a better understanding of the P. acnes bacterium and how it
operates in causing or aiding the outbreak of acne. This
knowledge may well lead to new approaches to treating acne by
better targetting the enzyme systems of P. acnes and relieving
the pain and suffering of teens and adults with acne.


About the Author
Diane Darling, COTA/L, is a licensed and certified occupational
therapy assistant who works with learning-challenged children.
She also has a keen interest in issues of skin care and acne,
and maintains the Treating Acne website located at
http://www.treating-acne.com

Cystic Acne

Posted by Admin Monday, 4 June 2012 0 comments
Cystic acne — the most severe form of acne — occurs when oil and dead skin cells build up deep within hair follicles. The resulting rupture within your skin may form boil-like infections.



Cystic or nodulocystic acne, is the most severe form of acne vulgaris. Deep, inflamed breakouts develop on the face and/or other areas of the body. The blemishes themselves can become large; some may measure up to several centimeters across.


Although many people use the term "cystic" to describe any type of severely inflamed acne, only those who develop cysts truly have cystic acne. Cysts are the most serious kind of acne blemish. They feel like soft, fluid-filled lumps under the skin's surface. Cysts can be painful.


Cystic acne can affect anyone, but it is more common in teenage boys and young men. Acne seems to run in families. If your parents had cystic acne, you are more likely to experience severe acne yourself.



Causes of Cystic Acne


Cystic acne is caused by the same factors as other forms of acne, which are:



  • overactive oil glands
  • excess dead skin cells within the hair follicle (pore), and
  • a large number of acne-causing bacteria, Propionibacteria acnes.

cystic acne
credit to mayoclinic



Over The Counter Acne Treatments - Do They Work?

Posted by Admin 0 comments

by: Elaine Clay
Over the counter, sometimes referred to as otc for short, products are starting to become an increasingly popular alternative to prescription medication in the treatment of acne.

These products are readily available as you don't need a prescription from your doctor to buy them and for people with mild to moderate forms of acne the best over the counter treatments will be just as effective as the more expensive prescribed ones.

Besides being cheaper, these products often have little, or no side effects, in comparison to some of the highly publicised prescribed antibiotic drugs used by doctors.

Although there are lots of over the counter acne products on sale, really there are only two kinds of treatments available - either medicated or natural. Both types utilise basically the same technique by using a drying agent to exfoliate the skin and to combat the acne and pimples.

Usually, in the case of a medicated product, this is either benzoyl peroxide, salycic acid or glycolic acid. Natural products tend to use combinations of ingredients and plant extracts like vitamin E, tea tree oil, aloe vera, witch hazel, green tea extract, cucumber etc.

There seems to be a growing number of different treatments but usually over the counter products come in the form of topical cleansers, soaps, washes, lotions, creams, gels or even pads and patches that are applied onto the skin.

When using these kind of preparations it is important, that you cover all of the area where you have acne because then you will also be treating the hidden blemishes that you can't yet see as well as the acne breakouts that you can.

Expect some trials and errors as you experiment with the different treatments available, it may take you a while before you find the right type or combination of products that work for you. Whatever you do, don't use more than one treatment at a time, particularly with medicated products, discontinue one before you try out another.

When you are trying a new product give it enough time to start working before discarding it to try something else. Typically you may need to use it for six to eight weeks before you notice any real progress but, of course, this depends upon the severity of your acne and your skin type, some people see improvements after only a few weeks.

After you have found the perfect skin care products that suit you and are providing good results, you may find that you will need to continue your treatments to keep your acne in check. This is because acne is a chronic (meaning long-term) skin disorder and it is possible that once you stop using your treatments the acne could reoccur.

To get the best out of any over the counter acne products you need to use them consistently and correctly. This may be common sense but do read the labels and make sure you use them in line with the instructions given! If you don't you risk causing damage to your skin and doing more harm than good, this is especially true if you have sensitive skin.

The over the counter products that are available, whether medicated or natural, do successfully treat most forms of acne. Unfortunately, there are always exceptions to the rule and there are some types of acne that will not respond to these type of treatments. If this happens to you and nothing you try is helping your condition then seek the help of your doctor or dermatologist.

Elaine Clay is the owner of Acne Treatments Online.com :: Get articles and information to help you find proven and effective acne solutions available online to treat and get rid of your condition safely and naturally

Possible Acne Messages

Posted by Admin Sunday, 3 June 2012 0 comments

by: Naweko San-Joyz
There are over ten forms of acne a person can experience, from chloracne to acne mechanica. Just as acne can take on varied forms, there are a variety of reasons why one may have acne.
Acne formations act as messengers from the body, suggesting beneficial changes to your lifestyle and areas of your life to which you should pay more attention. You know when you have found an acne message because using the information from the message actually improves your health and deepens you level of self-awareness.

Below is a sampling of the some of the needs or unresolved issues that may be exposed by an Acne Message.

Needed diet alteration

Poor level of self-love

Reduction in over the counter

medications

Internal detoxification

Need for more exercise

Move to a different relationship or end

a current one

Need for more personal challenges

Poor stress management

Uncontrolled emotions

Social anxiety

Boredom

Un-addressed personal fears

Unmeet goals

Unexpressed Feelings

Bodily neglect

Unadjusted to new settings

Contact with new environments

Poor understanding of cleansing agents

Misuse of hair care products

Excess hormones in foods

Weak organs

Extreme sensitivity to criticism

Acne is not a superficial condition. It strikes deep into the heart and psyche of everyone suffering with this disease. Once your acne trigger(s) is unveiled and dealt with, you, your health and self-esteem reap all the benefits.

Prevention Is Time-Tested Prescription For Acne

Posted by Admin Saturday, 2 June 2012 0 comments

by: Mildred Donato Villapando
The American Academy of Dermatology has revealed that taking pains to have a clear, blemish-free complexion should no longer be considered vanity. Rather, people should see it as a preventive measure for the most common skin disorder affecting some 20 million people worldwide---- acne.

Acne vulgaris is predominantly a genetic disease that involves the skin's sebaceous (the oil-producing) glands. It is characterized by both non-inflammatory lesions (blackheads and whiteheads) and inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules and nodules). It usually appears on the face but it also occurs on the neck, upper arms, back and legs. Acne generally begins at puberty and may continue throughout one's adult life due to higher levels of sebum or oil that is produced by the body as one matures.

Those who have oily skin are more prone to pimple or acne which is why proper care must be exercised. Acne, when mishandled or mistreated, will develop to more serious problems like embarrassing scars that are oftentimes difficult to treat.

But pimples or acne can be prevented. All it takes is a professionally-prescribed or traditionally-approved beauty regimen that is religiously followed.

Caring for the skin

Acne can be controlled by developing a good skin regimen. Washing the face with clean warm water and mild soap or facial wash will cleanse the skin, but dermatologists usually recommend products that are "non-comedogenic" as these do not clog the pores that may cause irritation to the skin.

For dry skin, apply a moisturizer to retain the skin's moisture. This will also ensure a smoother feel and easier glide when applying make-up.

Eat a hefty amount of Vitamin A and E-rich foods. These vitamin food groups are the skin's best friend. Drink lots of water, too.

Lead a healthy lifestyle. Give your skin the chance to rest especially at night when cell renewal is at its highest level.

Get professional advice

Avoid self-medication when dealing with skin problems. Consult a dermatologist and follow their advice. Remember that a dermatologist has less of a vested reason to guide your skin care program unlike the woman working behind a cosmetics counter.

Caring for the skin is a must since when the skin is given little attention, it shows.

About the Author: Mildred Donato Villapando earned her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Communication at Centro Escolar University Manila. She was a media practitioner for 5 years, covering mostly political beats. She now works as a copywriter for a topnotch PR firm in the Philippines. 

Proactive Facial Cleanser For Acne

Posted by Admin Friday, 1 June 2012 0 comments

by: M.D. Stacener
Acne can be a tough problem to fight but it can be done. The question always becomes what is the best acne treatment? The answer is always the same, the product that works for you is the best treatment. One product that many have had success with is the Proactive facial cleanser.

For those that are lucky enough not to have suffered from acne they tend to think it's just a minor problem, or that it's just a teenage problem. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Acne can be can cause emotional turmoil and play on the one's self esteem. Teens are especially hit hard. In no other time in our lives is the way we look so important to us and the comments made by other teens can be really hard on ones self esteem.

For some the acne disappears as they leave the teen years behind only to reappear the occasional zit. For others they continue to suffer sometimes into their 50's. Acne sufferers will tell you that the problem is not so trivial as some might think.

This is one of the reasons that The Proactive line of skin care products has met with such anticipation. Especially the gentle proactive facial cleanser which has proven to be a real solution for many acne sufferers.
Most acne sufferers have spent years trying one cleanser after another, sometimes having good results, other times failure. But the proactive facial cleanser seems to be something different. It works at attacking the acne at the root of the problem or should we say the follicle of the problem. Several testimonials and reviews seem to indicated that many users have had excellent results with the Proactive facial cleanser.

If you want to hear it from the users, you need only do a quick search online for acne sufferers' forums and discussion groups. There you can read for yourself how a group of people all had found results from different products yet when this group all tried Proactive Facial Cleanser they all reported good results. Even for those that did not see their acne disappear found their acne reduced to a level they could deal with in no time at all.

For years acne patients have searched the globe to find a product that worked and worked well, while enduring the physical painful and the mental anguish. Acne can be socially debilitating. Finally here is a product that seems to make a real difference in the quality of their skin and as their skin improves so does their self confidence. It appears Proactive might found the magic mix of ingredients.

The main products in the Proactive acne line are the cleanser, the toner, and the repairing lotion. Proactive says this is a unique combination therapy with the ingredients in each element of the acne solution working together to improve the condition of your skin. Not only does it eliminate the acne skin develops a healthy youthful glow. Now that's magic! This could be a brand new day in acne treatments!


About The Author

MD Stacener from The Acne Cure has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing valuable information to keep you beautiful and healthy. Please visit us at http://www.acnel.com/. 

Copyright © Acne Remediation.

Design bySuper SEO