Get Rid of Summer Acne

Is your acne getting worst this summer? It seems like it is proliferating all over your body: face, neck, and back. The backne is noticed to be severe and larger; is a lot harder to cure because it has more oil-sebaceous glands, which is larger those of on the face. Thus, this season needs a thorough, keen attention to take care of your skin. Here are some of the surest way to get rid of acne:

Seek expert help for severe acne  - A short course of oral antibiotics may be needed to treat severe acne, so it’s better to see a doctor. “Antibiotics will reduce bacteria and fight inflammation. However, for deep cysts, Isotretinoin, a powerful medication may be needed but strictly under a doctor’s guidance. Oral contraceptives that balance your hormones can also help, but they may have other side effects,” says Dr Navin Taneja. If you are ready to splurge, you can also opt for advanced corrective treatments such as laser and light therapies. “Laser treatments damage the oil glands, causing them to produce less oil, while light therapy targets the bacteria that cause acne inflammation,” adds Dr Taneja.

Work out your way to acne-free skin - Exercise can help control acne by taming the testosterone hormone that cause excess production of sebum. Cortisol or the ‘stress hormone’, produced by the adrenal gland just above the kidney, is also linked with acne. Cortisol secretion increases when a person is under stress, starving or sleep-deprived. Exercise helps tame cortisol levels. “A 30-45 minute long brisk walk or slow jog several times a week may help reduce acne by normalising the hormones that contribute to those ugly bumps and pustules,” says Dr Anju Ghei of VLCC Healthcare.

Walk, jog, cycle - Outdoor exercises pamper your skin with fresh air and a bit of sun. One of the best exercises is swimming, as water keeps your skin hydrated.

Feel good -  Find an activity that you love doing. It can be yoga, Pilates or anything that helps you feel better from within, thus triggering secretion of the feel good hormones. Regular physical exercise helps release endorphins that can boost your confidence and self esteem. 

Home remedies

Cucumber - The cooling effect of cucumber soothes the skin and in turn, prevents acne outbreaks. Cucumber is also a source of natural astringent, and hence is very effective when it comes to tightening skin pores.

Lemon juice - The acidic property of lemon is quite beneficial for acne treatment. Take a slice of lemon, rub it on your face, leave it for a few hours and rinse off with cold water. Lemon cleans the dirt accumulated on the pores, and hardens the sebum.

Tea tree oil - Tea tree oil acts like an antiseptic and helps in removing damaged skin cells by slightly irritating the skin. This oil is like a solvent and cuts through grease and dirt, thus unblocking the pores. Its antibacterial properties prevents further outbreaks. You can even add a few drops to your bucket of water for bathing.

Aloe Vera juice - Aloe Vera cannot cure acne but its natural healing and soothing properties reduces swelling and redness of acne. Just pick a thick leaf from an aloe vera plant, wash and process in a juicer, and dab the juice with a cotton ball on the affected area, twice daily.

Neem extracts - Neem kills the bacteria that often cause acne. Make a paste of neem leaves by adding little water, and apply it on the affected areas. Leave for about 30 minutes and rose off with cold water. To treat back acne, boil a bunch of clean neem leaves in water, and let the water cool, bathe twice daily with this water.

Right Diet to Fight Acne - Fibre plays an important role in getting rid of body toxins. Eat cereals and fibre-rich food and vegetables such as blueberries, grapefruit to detoxify body and clear your skin. Include Vitamin A in your diet as it is a good source of carotenoids that reduces sebum production. Carrots, papaya, spinach,and tomato juice are all rich sources of carotenoids. 

Avoid processed foods as they are high in saturated fats and transfat, and can lead to an increase in sebum production, thereby triggering acne. If you have a persistent acne problem then food items like deep fried chips, French fries, pakodas, aloo tikkis etc are a strict no-no for you. The saturated oil content also increases cholesterol in the body, leading to poor blood circulation, and this can worsen your acne problem.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Wellness/Get-rid-of-Summer-acne/Article1-1056940.aspx

Tx for Pediatric Acne Gets New Guidance

Don’t you know that acne is also present among children and infants? Therefore, the treatment should be well-chosen to fit their delicate skin types. Baby acne is extremely common and customarily starts by about three weeks of age. The bumps occurs and temples.

Although pediatric acne reportedly affects up to 87% of teenagers, a 1994 study found acne in 78% of 365 girls, ages 9 and 10, stated Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, of Rady's Children's Hospital in San Diego, and colleagues in Pediatrics online. 

Even babies get acne with 20% of newborns affected, they added."It is essential to have a broad understanding of acne at different ages and to be aware of the differential diagnoses for each age group," the authors stated in an evidence-based evaluation of more than 150 dermatology-related studies.

• In neonates, pustules on the face and upper body represent acne or acne-like conditions, and are best treated with 2% ketoconazole cream. Physicians should consider underlying endocrinologic diseases, tumors, or gonadal/ovarian pathology in the presence of significant acne.

• In infants to 12 months, acne is predominate in boys. Treatment can include topical antimicrobials, topical retinoids, noncycline antibiotics (erythromycin), and, occasionally, isotretinoin. None of these medications are indicated by the FDA for use in this age group, they cautioned.

• In mid-childhood up to 7 years, acne is rare, so an endocrine abnormality should be suspected and investigated. Oral tetracyclines are not an option because of the risk to developing teeth and bones.

• In preadolescence, best defined as up to the age of menarche, acne on the T-zone of the face may be the first sign of puberty. With severe acne, polycystic ovary syndrome or other endocrinologic abnormality should be considered, but pelvic ultrasound is not useful in this diagnosis.

Physicians should treat to reduce sebum (oil), prevent microcomedones (pimples), suppressP acnes (bacteria), and reduce inflammation that causes scarring, the recommendations advised.

The guidelines, endorsed by the the American Academy of Pediatrics, are segmented based on age:

Among over-the-counter remedies, benzoyl peroxide appeared to be "somewhat effective" for mild acne and remained the overall go-to treatment, either alone or combined, Eichenfield and colleagues wrote. Salicylic acid was less so, they stated. 

Too harsh cleaners can aggravate the condition as children strive to scrub away the acne, the authors stated. However, they pointed out that cosmetics and poor hygiene do not contribute to eruptions, and, make-up may increase patient well-being.

Source: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/38869

More Adults Battling Acne Breakouts

When you hit in adolescent period, you will at some point have acne. Sadly, this continues when you become an adult. So, what you have to do is prepare and take care of your skin. There many products guaranteeing protection of your skin and simple ways to keep your skin healthy. And if you are to spend, there are some promising acne treatments that are on horizon from sub-antimicrobial treatments -- low-dose antibiotics -- to vitamins and light therapy. 

Research by a joint team at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California at Los Angeles has found that the "good" bacteria and "bad" bacteria found on people's skin and in their intestines can determine whether they have acne or not.  

But don't expect a miracle cream just yet, said Huiying Li, one of the lead researchers in the study. 

"We've still got years of work to do before anything appears on the market," she said. There are, at any one time, 40 million to 50 million people suffering from acne, and it's not clear why the number of adults are growing, said a report from the American Academy of Dermatology -- perhaps just more adults seeking treatment. 

Adult acne affects 45 percent of women aged 21 to 30, 26 percent of women aged 31 to 40 and 12 percent of women aged 41 to 50, according to a Massachusetts General Hospital study in 2012. 

Moreover, acne vulgaris, driven by hormones, mostly disappeared by age 18, but these days lasts on average to about age 28, said Lisa Pawelski, a dermatologist based in Monroeville.

For some women, that type of acne never goes away, but it does become less severe. For others, it comes as a nasty surprise just when they're preparing to battle aging skin. 

Jean Camp was lucky enough to have a clear complexion as a teenager but now, at 32, is suffering from a different type of acne known as papulopustular rosacea -- pink bumps, or papules, and pustules, more commonly known in acne lingo as whiteheads. 

She even remembers the date she realized she had it: March 1, 2010.

"I have people asking me what's wrong with my face," said Ms. Camp. "I can never wear makeup, because it doesn't cover up the pimples and only irritates me more. I don't think it's fair." 

These two different kinds of acne can be determined by location: teenage acne vulgaris can be all over the face and back, while the adult version is mostly along the jawline. And the rosacea form can be found mostly across the center of the face, on the cheeks and around the nose. 

"Wrinkles and acne are the diabolical duo," said Suzan Obagi, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the UPMC Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Health Center. Certain treatments present a special challenge with older skin, she said, which is thinner and drier and can respond poorly to the high concentrations of benzoyl peroxide teenagers slather all over their faces. 

Sitting in her sunlit offices in Shadyside, she sees no shortage of older women patients "who are not going to outgrow this kind of acne," and, perhaps fittingly, she is turning to light as one of her options.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/more-and-more-women-are-battling-breakouts-that-they-might-have-imagined-was-just-an-adolescent-scourge-685441/#ixzz2S1wHbCpo

Good Bacteria May Offer Hope for Acne Sufferers

It’s our problem having acne. We have tried various treatments  and spent a lot of money just to remove acne, still, it is there! It is a problem of many of us (80% of Americans) especially teenagers. Acne can leave people scarred for life. Never give up! Acne cures could just be around the corner. 

Did you know that acne-causing bacteria live on everyone’s skin?

So, how is it that some complexions are lucky enough to avoid those problematic pimples while others… aren’t?
Well, that same question has helped local experts uncover what could be the secret weapon in the battle against blemishes.

“I am the most self-conscious person about my acne, video blogger Cassandra Bankson.
When 14-year-old video blogger Cassandra Bankson braved her bare face for her YouTube followers, her complexion confession went viral.
“I’m going to show you guys what my face looks like without makeup:  this is my face.”
“This is probably the most nerve-wracking thing that I’ve ever done because it’s my biggest insecurity, said Bankson.

For 19-year-old Jeffrey Shen…
“I didn’t really have high self-esteem,” said Shen.
His condition improved slightly over the years, but the obstacles were more than skin-deep.
“Sometimes I think it could make other people uncomfortable so I hesitate sometimes to join into social events,” said Shen.
No matter how severe or subtle… no matter how young or old… at any stage and any age, acne can be kryptonite for your confidence.
“Acne is most prevalent in teenagers, but still, about 11% of adults have acne,” Huiying Li, Ph.D.

But a dose of derm relief may be on the horizon for zit zappers everywhere thanks to a recent UCLA discovery.
“Bacteria is not necessarily all bad,“ said Li.
For years, the treatment to take down acne was centered on killing *all* bacteria on the skin.
But for the first time, researchers learned there is some bacteria that might actually help protect pores.

“In the people with clear skin we found a 3rd type of strain which are hardly found in any acne patients so we think this one is highly associated with clear skin,” said Li.
Experts now hope increasing the body’s ‘good bacteria’ can have sufferers saying bye-bye to blotches, for good.
“I think it could potentially change maybe the approach of the drugs hopefully so that they work and that’s really exciting,” said Shen.
More targeted research still needs to be done, but the UCLA team is working with companies to potentially develop a pro-biotic cream that could be sold over the counter within three years.

Source: http://ktla.com/2013/05/01/good-bacteria-may-offer-hope-for-acne-sufferers/#ixzz2S1vzGwXZ

Chocolate Could Cause Acne

I eat chocolate and you eat chocolate. So, we all eat chocolate. Who doesn't love chocolate? No one, of course! Some people I know, they cannot even live without intake of chocolate. They really crave for it because of its sweet and luscious taste. Sadly, What they do not is chocolate may be a cause of acne. It can lead to breakouts.

This news isn’t so sweet for your skin: Eating chocolate may trigger acne, finds a new study from the Netherlands. 

Researchers took two blood samples from participants before and after they ate chocolate, and exposed both samples to bacteria associated with acne. People’s blood cells showed indicators of increased inflammation in their immune systems after chocolate consumption. 

While the link is hardly conclusive—the study was very small—it’s not a bad idea to swap sugary candy and empty carbs for foods that are low on the glycemic index, says dermatologist Tara Kaufmann, M.D., of SUNY Stony Brook. Those include high-fiber, unprocessed foods like whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and lean proteins. 

Past research suggests that increased insulin can cause inflammation in the skin, leading to breakouts, while low-glycemic diets stop sugar spikes connected to acne, Dr. Kaufmann says.

 Source: http://news.menshealth.com/this-food-could-cause-acne/2013/04/26/