acne

What is Acne?

2010-11-11T01:46:00.003+02:00

by: Lana Hampton

What is acne? Acne is a term attributed to plugged pores, commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads, pimples, and even cysts or nodules, occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms. Follicles, often called pores, often get blocked with sebum (oil), which normally drains to the surface, and a bacteria propionibacterium acnes, begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a "microcomedone" which then become skin blemishes called comedones. Acne can be upsetting, disfiguring, sometimes leading to permanent scarring.

There are different types of acne. A white head is a lesion where trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface. A blackhead, on the other hand, is a lesion where trapped sebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to the skin pigment melanin.

A papule is a small solid lesion slightly elevated above the surface of the skin. A pustule, again, is a dome-shaped skin elevation containing pus: a mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells, and bacteria. It often has a hair in the center. A macule is a temporary red spot left by a healed acne lesion. It is flat and pinkish, with well-defined borders that can persist for days to weeks. A number of macules can contribute to the "inflamed face" appearance of acne. A nodule is a solid dome-shaped or irregularly shaped lesion, characterized by pain, inflammation and extending into deeper layers of the skin. It may cause tissue destruction resulting in scarring.

A cyst is a sac-like lesion containing white blood cells, dead cells, and bacteria. It may be severely inflamed and painful, extending into deeper layers of the skin and can result in scarring.

Who gets acne? Acne affects teenagers mostly; however it can occur in adults of all age groups also. Acne starts between the ages of ten and thirteen and usually lasts for five to ten years. It normally goes away on its own in the early twenties but can stretch into the late twenties or thirties or even beyond. Some people get acne for the first time as adults.

The treatment of acne is not difficult at all. Following a clear regimen helps considerably. Gentle cleansing plus plenty of 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide gives a clear skin as Benzoyl peroxide kills the acne bacteria well. A little itchiness after an application is quite normal, and some people also experience redness of the skin for the initial couple of weeks. However, this will definitely get better because it will cure the acne and prevent any new outbreaks.

About the Author
Lana Hampton is the webmaster of www.theacnecenter.com. Visit her site today for the latest acne information, treatments and product reviews.

What exactly is Acne?

2010-11-11T01:45:00.001+02:00

by: Ratliff J

What causes acne?
Acne occurs when the hair follicle pores become blocked. The oil called sebum builds up inside the pore and becomes infected with bacteria. When the infection remains under the skin surface, it develops into a whitehead. When the infection partly reaches the surface and changes color, it develops into a blackhead.

Shouldn't I just try to eliminate sebum from my body?
No. When it isn't blocked in your pores, sebum helps keep your skin healthy.

Why does acne usually start at puberty?
No one knows for certain. What is known is that the sebaceous glands that produce sebum get much larger at puberty than they were before.

Why does the skin around a pimple turn red?
This redness is caused by the body's inflammatory response. Inflammation is a sign that your immune system is working to fight an infection. However, the inflammatory response doesn't always work perfectly, and can even be the cause of scarring.

If my skin turns red, does that mean that I'm going to have scars?
Usually, no. Even when there will be no permanent scar, the aftereffects of the inflammatory response can leave the skin red for months, sometimes for more than a year.

What are free radicals?
Free radicals are byproducts of oxidation in your body. We all need oxidation to occur as part of our life process, but there is concern that the buildup of unrecycled free radicals contributes to many conditions, including skin damage.

To learn more about treating Acne, visit Acuzine.
About the Author
J. Ratliff is a health writer. This article may be reprinted as long as it stays intact with the links included.

Natural smoothie formula to stop constipation and acne

2010-11-11T01:44:00.001+02:00

by: rudy silva

Here is how to build a natural smoothie that can stop constipation, relieve acne, improve your skin and give you more energy. The smoothie base is a liquid slurry that can be used to add more natural ingredients.

The liquid base can be made from various fresh juices or rice, oat, or almond milks. I stay away from milk since milk creates mucus along the gastrointestinal lining. Choose and mix any of the following liquids and pour them into a blender.

Juices - apple, pineapple, orange, tangerine
Milks - rice dream, oat milk, almond milk

I use a combination of 40% rice dream, 40% almond milk, and 20% apple juice. You can use the combinations you like. Sometimes I might just use all rice dream. Other times I will mix 75% almond milk with 25% fresh apple juice.

All of these juices provide liquid to your colon to help your stop constipation.

Sesame Milk

You can also make sesame milk and use this in your smoothies.

In his book, Blending Magic, Bernard Jensen, Nutritionist, has a real nice recipe for sesame milk.

"I believe that sesame seed is one of our best. It is a wonderful drink for gaining weight and for lubricating the intestinal tract. Its nutritional value is beyond compare, as it is high in protein and minerals. This is the seed that is used so much as a basic food in Arabia and East India.

Blend for 1- 1 1/2 minutes to make smooth,

·2 cups of distilled water
·1/4 cup of Sesame Seed
·2 Tablespoons Soy Milk Powder"

In place of 2 cups of distilled water use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of low fat rice dream and leave out the 2 tablespoons of soy milk powder. This will make this drink less fattening. I prefer not to give children soymilk or soy products because of their estrogen mimicking characteristics.
Banana Base

Next I always put in a banana. This gives the liquid a bit more thickness. Also bananas are high in potassium and other minerals. They contain little fiber and yet do not create constipation when used with other fiber fruits. Use bananas that are not spotted since at this point they are quite ripe and are more fattening.

I freeze bananas so when I am out of fresh ones I can use frozen ones.
Main Ingredients

Next I choose a fruit that will be the main ingredient. I use strawberries when they are in season, if you have fresh organic fruit, then this is the best way to create your smoothie. What I do is freeze fruit during its season so I can have some of this fruit a bit long than its seasonal run. If the fruit is organic, use the whole fruit without peeling. Whole fruits contain a lot of fiber that will help you stop constipation.

Choose from fruits that are in season.

·Avocado
·Cantaloupe
·Peach, mango, papaya
·Pineapple, apricots, apples
·Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
·Figs
·Dried prunes, peaches, apricots, figs

Nutrients to Add to Your Smoothie Base

Once you have your basic smoothie, you can add other nutrients that will provide you with additional fiber, oil, vitamins, minerals and many other nutrients.

Here is a shortlist of some of the ingredients you can add to your smoothies. Add only 2-3 other ingredients so your smoothie taste doesn't get to complex or unusual. But can experiment with the different nutrients you wish to add.

·Almonds
·Beet Juice powder
·Black strap molasses
·Capra mineral whey
·Distilled water Ice cubes
·Fig Juice syrup
·Flaxseed and flax seed oil
·Honey, rice syrup
·Lecithin granules
·Powder vitamin C
·Raisins
·Rice or oat bran
·Sesame seeds
·Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
·Wheat germ

Making smoothies is fun and nutritional. Once you create the base slurry, then you can add many other natural ingredients the will give energy, stop constipation, clear acne, and provide many other health benefits.
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He writes a newsletter called "natural-remedies-thatwork.com " His information can be seen at http://www.remedies-for-constipation.for--you.info

Creating A Healthy Skin and Clearing Acne Naturally

2010-11-11T01:43:00.001+02:00

by: Lena Sanchez

Creating A Healthy Skin and Clearing Acne Naturally © By Lena Sanchez
Acne affects more than 20 million teenagers, and hundreds of adults according to the AAD (American Academy of Dermatology). It is the most common problem in the United States. Many over the counter remedies exist and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent yearly on them. I have come up with some inexpensive home remedies that work perfectly well and are healthier for the skin.
ACNE Symptoms: Persistent, recurrent pimples or skin blemishes on the skin. Acne is commonly found on the face but can also occur on the chest, shoulder, neck and upper portion of the back.
What is going on? Usually because of clogging of the pores in the sebaceous hair follicles, from oils and dead skin cells that build up bacteria in the blocked follicle, thus causes inflammation in that area.
Prevention: Keeping the area clean, eating less fatty foods and sugars will most times prevent acne.
Cleanse::
Cleanse (not scrub) your face at least twice daily with a gentle natural anti-microbial herbal soap such as calendula (Calendula officinalis), lavender (Lavandula officinalis) for both treatment and prevention.
After cleaning, apply one drop of tea tree oil - a natural anti-microbial - to each blemish. *For an overnight treatment that will dry and heal, use a clay poultice, worn all night. Use either green clay or bentonite as a base. (Can be obtained at most health food stores). Combine 1 teaspoon of clay with enough water to make a paste the consistency of toothpaste. Mix in 3 drops of tea tree oil and apply to blemishes. Rinse off with warm water in the morning.
Facial Steam:
Give yourself an herbal facial steam treatment twice a week to gently and deeply clean pores. Into a heat-proof bowl pour 1 ½ quarts of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of dried lavender, which is both and anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. Cover your head and the bowl with a large bath towel, steam your face for 10 minutes, taking care not to burn yourself with the steam.
Natural Alpha Hydroxy:
From your own kitchen comes a great natural alpha hydroxy healer.
~ Wash well and put into a blender: 2 or 3 ripe unpeeled pitted apricots, ~ 2 large or 3 medium sized fresh Strawberries preferred, but frozen will work as well, ~ ¼ of a medium to large avocado (equivalent to a 3"X 2" piece,
~ 1 heaping tablespoon of honey. Put in blender and liquefy until frothy. Apply to face, leave on for about 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse with warm herbal soapy water. Then open a capsule of vitamin E and apply to face.
If leftovers, store in a glass jar for no more than 7 days. Use this facial twice weekly for soft blemish free skin. To remove small wrinkles leave on overnight.
Natural Blemish Healing Astringents:
Apply Lemon juice and let dry, apply as often as you wish. Acts as an astringent and a healer. Lemon has a drawing affect and will help heal blemishes as well as prevent pores from becoming clogged. For abscessed pores apply a piece of lemon peel directly on the spot, skin side out. Can be left on up to three hours.
My sister and I had this favorite thing to use as teenagers.
Take 1 raw egg and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, whip until frothy and apply to skin, let dry then wash off with herbal wash and cool water. Egg is a great drawing healer. Do this two or three times a week, will help keep your face free of blemishes and blackheads. I have never experienced the black heads and acne others have, could it be due to this habit as a child and teenager and the fact that I don't ingest dairy foods?
Natural Preventions;
*Lotus Root tea two or three times a day will improve blemishes.
Take 30 to 45 mg of zinc a day and Antioxidants helps the regeneration of skin tissue!
If you, like me, tend to have very dry skin you have probably spent lots of $$$ on lotions and potents that don't give lasting effects. Well I live in a very arid part of the world, which does nothing to help my dry skin but rather made it worse until I discovered something to nourish and restore it:
Bath in a luxurious 15-minute bubble bath two to four times a week with 1/4 cup Life Transfusion Liquid Ionic 84 Minerals. Such softness and smoothness you can not imagine as well as the relaxation it does for my mind. If you don't know where to obtain liquid minerals mailto:health@antibiotic-alternatives.com?subject=LocateIonicMin
Oriental medicine has a teaching.blemishes or pimples on the different body areas correspond to specific organs or parts of the body before they actually show up. Areas being:
A) Forehead indicates a problem with the intestinal tract. B) Cheeks indicate lung or breast problems. C) Nose indicates heart area. D) Around the mouth indicate reproductively area. E) Jaws indicate kidney area. F) Upper back indicates lung area. G) Shoulders indicate digestive area. H) Chest indicates both lung and heart area. Not to panic anyone but this only indicates that people with blemishes/pimples should improve their overall health as the road to ridding the body of blemishes!
A good start is by eliminating some of the dairy products saturated animal fats and sugars, ad daily minerals and vitamins. The medical profession for the most part, says diet has nothing to do with it. Do you want to believe that? There are far more studies and histories that prove otherwise!
Take charge of your own life and treatments for your own optimum health.
Go out and get healthy Now!
*** Lena Sanchez Author of "Handbook Of Herbs To Health & Other Secrets," "Antibiotic Alternatives To Preventing Mega Bacteria," & "Dangers & Secrets Doctors Refuse To Tell You." Found online at http://www.antibiotic-alternatives.com and Editor of "Natural Environmental Health Facts & Your Home Business Coach" ezine subscribe at http://www.envirodocs.com/newsletter.htm
a retired Medical Office Administrator/nurse and Medical Office consultant
editor of "Natural Environmental Health Facts & Your Home Business Coach" ezine http://www.envirodocs.com/newsletter She continues her goal in life of helping people regain their health and wealth. A brief bio at http://www.antibiotic-alternatives.com/experiences.htm

Acne Rosacea - A Blush You Can Do Without

2010-11-11T01:42:00.001+02:00

by: Alicia Caldelas

What do former presidents Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin have in common? A condition called acne rosacea, a chronic inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin, which causes a ruddy complexion and small acne-like eruptions on the cheeks, forehead and nose.
In men it can often cause the skin on the nose to thicken and swell, leading toa condition called rhinophyma.
Nobody know what causes it but the list of potential triggers is endless. The main culprits are alcohol and rich, spicy foods.
Because its roots are unknown, there's no permanent cure either, so management is the key. This is partly achieved by identifying what makes the rosacea worse through a process of exclusion and by the use of topical antibiotics - usually metronidazole. A GP's diagnosis is vital since the symptoms can be similar to more serious conditions such as lupus. Rosacea can last a lifetime, especially in men, but often clears up on its own.
About the Author
Alicia Caldelas for ultimate-cosmetics.com
Find more info about rosacea symptoms, triggers etc. on http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/skin_disorders/rosacea-treatment.htm
alicia@ultimate-cosmetics.com

Shoulder and Back Acne

2010-11-11T01:40:00.004+02:00

by: Ratliff J

If you suffer from shoulder and back acne, I have found a treatment that may help. Acuzine is a new non-prescription acne treatment.

Acne is caused from imbalances and impurities within the body, and that's why we treat the problem an internal cleansing treatment that goes right to the source and fights acne before it even begins. Acuzine provides antioxidents that can help eliminate the free radicals that are dangerous to skin and promote infections. It also fights inflammation, to reduce redness. And it works to heal damaged skin, naturally!

Learn more about Acuzine
About the Author
J. Ratliff is a health writer and webpage designer. See his web design website at http://www.jamieratliff.com

Splash Your Acne Supplement Expenses with Food

2010-11-11T01:40:00.003+02:00

by: Naweko San-Joyz

Twenty-one year old Lydia Garcia faces an imminent dilemma- poverty or acne. Lydia religiously uses three herbs to keep her skin clear and she's always on the prowl for supplements to augment her health. Just last week she read that the Chinese herb astragalus enhances the immune system. And now, Lydia ponders, "I think I want to take dandelion root and ginseng to ease my menstrual cramps." Yet Lydia's salary as a receptionist barely covers her fanatical consumption of supplements.

You don't have to spend a fortune on supplements when food provides all the nutrients you need to have clear skin. Herbs and supplements that provide support for clean skin typically offer the following benefits:

Boost the immune system
Enhance stress management
Cleanse the blood and liver, and
Aid in skin repair

A well-chosen diet can prove just as advantageous as supplements and herbs.

Foods that boost the immune system
-Vitamin C
Oranges, grapefruits, papaya, green peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli

-Vitamin E
Almonds, sunflowers seeds

-Zinc
Wheat germ, black-eyed peas, lean beef, crab, oysters

Foods that enhance stress management
-Vitamin B6
Legumes, whole grains, chicken, pork, bananas

Foods that cleanse the blood and liver
-Garlic, onions, turmeric, cayenne pepper, aloe vera juice, watermelon

-Bulk-producing foods
Oatmeal, apples, oranges, bran cereals

Foods that aid in skin repair
-Protein
Nonfat dairy, beans, meat, poultry, fish, nuts

-Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Sardines, herring, salmon, tuna, walnuts

-Selenium
Onion, garlic

Although herbs and dietary supplements offer a broad spectrum of benefits to the skin, it's no fun looking fabulous if you can't afford to go anywhere. So, save some cash and eat you way to clear skin.

About the Author
Health author and Stanford University graduate Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include "Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne" (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work "Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we're still not getting this dieting thing" (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005. For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com

Prevention Is Time-Tested Prescription For Acne

An acne trigger is any thought, location, feeling, food, emotion, response, drink, drug, memory and/or experience that sets off a series of hormonal reactions in your body that ultimately result in an acne formation.

If a food or drink is the culprit behind your acne breakouts you may actually be addicted to your preferred culinary delight. The allergy addition could stem from the body's response to frequently consumed allergens. During an allergic response, the body releases endorphins. These endorphins in turn create the feeling of a natural high. Any substance that promotes this fleeting state of euphoria may be additive. So, you may be eating a food that you are allergic to just to get high, and as an after blow, you get acne. Ouch.

Surprisingly, eating a lot of any particular food, even a "healthy food", can incite an allergic response. Though still unexplainable, the food creates an immune response and/or stresses specific digestive enzymes. Poor digestion can irritate the body in multiple ways, generating an allergic response. One way to decide whether or not you are allergic to a certain food is to examine the foods your most often crave. Are you eating the food to experience a gastronomic high? Foods containing chocolate, dairy, wheat, corn, tomatoes, and soy are common sources of food allergens.

Sources and additional reading:

The Inflammation Syndrome: The complete nutritional program to prevent and reverse heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, allergies, asthma. Jack Challem. John Wiley & Sons. 2003.

Stop Inflammation Now! A step-by-step plan to prevent, treat, and reverse inflammation- the leading cause of heart disease and related conditions. Richard M. Flemming, M.D. with Tom Monte. G.P. Putman's Sons. 2004.

About the Author
Health author and Noixia campaigner Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include "Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne" (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work "Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we're still not getting this dieting thing" (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005.
For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com.