Are the lasting effects of acne more than just skin deep?

The teen years are a trying time for any person. Although the worries and cares of adulthood are still far into the future, the teen is not exactly a happy and relaxed person. The carelessness and ignorance of childhood makes room for rebellion and questions about one’s values and place in the world. Looking for their own road through life teens feel insecure and, often enough, misunderstood. Unfortunately, if the search for a place under the sun is not enough, teenagers also have to deal with other problems, such as acne. This unsightly condition is the bane of many teenagers because of the effects it has at psychological level.

It doesn’t take a lot to foster a negative self image in a teenager. Most of them are at least somewhat insecure about their outward appearance because of various real or imaginary blemishes. But a real condition that causes true discomfort and mars a young face is something else altogether. The fragile self image and self respect of teenagers are hard pressed to cope with the pressure exerted by the opinions of others and the comparisons with various role-models that teenagers find for themselves. In extreme cases, the negative self image turns into self hatred and the disfiguring condition is seen as a cruel instrument of self punishment for failing to rise up to some standard or other.

Teenagers live in small worlds. Parents, friends and the amorphous group of half-familiar school mates are the limits of their social lives. Naturally, teenagers tend to attach more importance to the praise or criticism coming from their friends or school mates, on grounds that parents love you anyway and are fatally biased. But, since teens can be very cruel to each other, the criticism of school mates is frequently unkind and meant to hurt. This serves to increase the feelings of anxiety, insecurity and self hatred, resulting in withdrawal from the social environment into a private world of pain and shame.

Teenagers are terribly earnest about outward appearances and criticism. They are still away from the age when human beings come to terms with themselves and are no longer much interested in what others say or think. Hiding one’s body or face and feeling ashamed just because somebody else said that this is the thing to do is a mistake and teenagers should be helped to see this. Acne can be defeated with persistence and by using the right products. However, the psychological effects of acne must also be fought, or else they may never go away. The teenager who hated himself for having pimples on his face will turn into the adult who hates himself for being a little overweight or not making as much money as some co-worker.

The feeling of discomfort and shame with oneself does not always go away in time. Sometimes it just finds a new problem to act as its power source. This is the lasting effect of acne: a poor self image, a lack of confidence and a feeling of being at a disadvantage when comparing oneself to other people. These moods and mindsets can ruin anybody’s social life and often times they also get in the way of professional development. Unfortunately, acne is not just skin deep.

Visit Our Recommended Acne Treatment: ClearPores

Even Your Skin Needs to Take Vitamins

Your body isn't the only thing that needs to be healthy; your skin has to be healthy, too. Some people may not be aware of this, but a lot of vitamins are essential and helpful in improving your skin's health.

Let us start by discussing the Vitamin A. You have probably heard discussions about how good this vitamin, more specifically beta-carotene, is for the eyes, but aside from this, it is also good for the skin. Vitamin A is important in repairing and protecting the skin tissues. A lack or even a small drop in the required amount of this vitamin will immediately be manifested by the body, especially by the skin itself. Flakiness and drying of the complexion is a good example the signs of vitamin A deficiency. To avoid these consequences, it is best to take foods that are filled with vitamin A, such as fruits and vegetables.

Aside from food supplements, the external application of Vitamin A is also a plus. These supplements can be taken in the form of lotions and creams, which help control the fast growth of acne, wrinkles and unwanted facial lines. Aside from these important benefits, Vitamin A also helps us avoid psoriasis, the symptoms of which include the swelling and scaling of the skin. Retin-A, which is a derivative of Vitamin A, is used in the formulation of retinols. Retinol is an over the counter drug that is used as a treatment for aging. Topical retinol with Vitamin C is also found to reverse skin changes, which are caused by photoaging and chronological aging.

The next vitamin on our list is Vitamin B for Vitamin B Complex. The most important "B" to remember in Vitamin B complex is Biotin. This nutrient is responsible for the formation of the nails, hair, and skin cells. Biotin is found in various types of food such as eggs, rice, oatmeal, and bananas. Even the human body creates its own biotin.

However, the fact that our body produces it doesn't mean that you should stop taking food and other supplements rich in Biotin and the entire vitamin B complex. A lack of this important nutrient may result in dermatitis or skin inflammation accompanied by itchiness and redness of the skin. Hair loss is also another symptom for vitamin B complex deficiency.

There are now available creams in the market which contain B vitamins. These creams help restore or bring radiance to the skin as it moisturizes skin cells and improve the entire body' s skin tone. Aside from biotin, Niacin is another B vitamin which helps bring back moisture to the skin in almost less than a week. They work by relieving dry and chaffed skin. It also serves as a skin lightener which can clear up blotchy skin.

Vitamins C and E are also good for the skin. Individually, vitamin C helps protect the skin from skin cancer normally caused by very long and frequent exposures to the sun. Vitamin E, on the other hand, is responsible for the reduction of wrinkles and photo damage. A 400 mg dose of natural Vitamin E every day would help prevent this damage and enhance the skin's texture. Together, these two vitamins work in reducing DNA damages in the skin cells. This fact made researchers come to the conclusion that antioxidants help defend the body's skin cells from further DNA damage. The vitamins C and E also lessen damages brought about by free radicals, which are detrimental byproducts of pollution, smoke, and exposure to too much sunlight. These free radicals gorge down elastin and collagen fibers that are important to the structure of the skin.

There are formulated lotions, which include a combination of vitamins C and E to help restore lost vitamins and to make your skin healthier looking. Good sources of vitamin C include broccoli, bell peppers, citrus fruits, cauliflower, and other green leafy vegetables. There are also a lot of vitamin C supplements available as over the counter drugs, of which it is enough to take a 500 to 1,000mg tablet a day. For Vitamin E, nuts, olives, asparagus, vegetable oils, and spinach are good sources. Unfortunately, you cannot make your vitamin E supply depend only on taking these foods. It can be supplemented by creams, lotions, and pills, of which the required amount is up to 400 units a day. An excessive intake of vitamin E may also be harmful.

Lastly, the skin also needs vitamin K. Vitamin K does not do much for the skin, but it has one major benefit. This benefit is manifested by the reduction of dark circles formed under the eyes and the appearance of bruises. It can also be combined with vitamin A to form a potent formula for lightening the circles under the eye.

The pros and cons of phototherapy

The worst nightmare of every teen-ager going through a more or less severe case of existential angst and rebellion against the system is rejection. For individuals looking for a place to fit in, rejection is the ultimate bringer of mental pain. What’s worse is that the cause of rejection can be pretty much anything, starting at the physical level and all the way up to the realm of ideals. One major cause for rejection is acne, the condition nearly all teen-agers share. They also share a desire to get rid of it and the quest for a cure.

Phototherapy is one of the less known ways of dealing with acne. The basic idea behind this approach to curing acne is derived from the fact that exposure to sunlight burns off the topmost layer of human skin and prevents the formation of new pimples. However, constant exposure to strong sunlight is likely to lead to skin cancer in the long run and also to worsen acne due to UV damage. This is why phototherapy is based on the use of artificial light, and especially intense blue or red light, generated by fluorescent lamps, LEDs or lasers. Phototherapy has been proven to decrease the number of acne-generated lesions by as much as 64-76 percent when used twice a week.

Unfortunately, phototherapy has several major drawbacks that will probably keep it from gaining widespread use. The first problem is that phototherapy is one of the most expensive acne cures. The light generating equipment is not cheap, more so for end users. The second biggest problem is that phototherapy, just like topical retinoids does not cure acne once and for all. The patient has to go through phototherapy sessions every day in order to gain a few weeks of clear skin. Phototherapy does not address the cause of clogged pores, but simply induces the skin to release free radicals that kill bacteria.

There is a better solution to your acne problem and we are glad to be in a position to recommend it. The ClearPores system is designed to keep your skin free of excess sebum, to unclog the pores and to kill bacteria, thus striking the pimples generation process in three parts at the same time. It also protects your skin throughout the day in order to avoid further breakouts. ClearPores is by far the better solution to your problems so go ahead and give it a try.

EXFOLIATION - SKIN CARE

Acne is the common enemy of almost all teenagers and of a good number of adults, too. Although acne involves physical pain only in the most severe cases, the condition has a negative psychological impact because of its high level of visibility. Acne is right there in your face, where everybody can see it. Every mirror is a reminder that your skin is working against you and that you cannot escape it. In a world obsessed with physical perfection and social interaction, acne is not a burden easily born. Early breakthroughs in the use of various substances and the large number of patients willing to try anything has been the basis of finding new methods of curing acne, whether permanently or temporarily.

One of the best ways to fight mild cases of acne is to speed up the natural exfoliation process of your skin. Exfoliation is the process by which the topmost layer of your skin, which contains many dead cells, is removed by mechanical or chemical means. Clearing away dead skin helps prevent the clogging of pores by a combination of excess sebum and dead cells. Exfoliation is not meant in the visible sense of the word, since you won’t see skin peeling away as in the case of shedding. The topmost layer of your skin is too thin to be seen with the naked eye.

The recommended procedures for speeding up the exfoliation process feature the use of mechanical means (abrasive cloths or liquid scrubs) or chemical means (Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid). Salicylic Acid is actually the most recommended exfoliation agent, since it also helps to unclog pores whose openings have already been obstructed by sebum and dead cells. In this manner, your skin will be pimple-free for a longer period of time. Over-the-counter Salicylic Acid solution or cotton pads soaked in Acid should be available in every pharmacy or drugstore. You can safely and easily use these at home to take care of acne flare-ups.

However, if you are interested in employing a better solution to your acne problems, you can try the ClearPores system. This amazingly-effective system combines the cleansing power of the Salicylic Acid and Alcohol SD with herbal pills and a protection cream in order to rid you of acne now and also to prevent future acne flare-ups. The herbal pills kill bacteria which tend to thrive in clogged pores, the deep facial and body washes open up the pores and cleanse the dirt and grime and, finally, the protection cream acts as a shield for your skin. As you can see, ClearPores is not a single product, but a full solution designed to destroy acne with the utmost effectiveness.

Alternative Treatments for Acne

Alternative acne treatments – a review

The high percentage of people suffering from acne all over the world has led in recent times to an increase in the number of treatment alternatives available to people suffering from this condition. The classic antibiotics and creams have been supplemented by hormonal treatments, phototherapy and laser surgery. Others are trying to develop still more types of cures, such as diets built to avoid the consumption of dairy products, the use of chromium and zinc supplements and home made cures from various sorts of spices. Many of them haven’t been scientifically proven yet.

Laser surgery is the latest technique developed for alternative acne treatments by doctors to reduce the scars left behind by acne. Doctors use laser beams to burn out scar tissue, which allows the skin to generate new, healthy tissue instead. This technique is still in the early, primitive stages since it is used after follicles had turned to pimples and pimples were reduced to scars.

Still, new research shows that laser surgery could be used in the future to prevent acne from even happening, instead of just dealing with the consequences. Medical grade laser may soon be used to burn away the follicle sac where the hair grows or to burn the sebaceous gland in those parts of the skin that were subject to acne outbreaks again and again. Another approach currently being studied is the use of laser to induce the formation of oxygen in the bacteria in order to kill them. However, at this time, laser is still too dangerous for acne prevention since the extreme heat is known to cause long-term dryness of the skin and even spots.

Other research efforts focus on whole-genome DNA sequencing as a tool for identifying the genetic reasons why some people do not suffer from acne or develop only light forms of this condition. However, gene sequencing is still one of those techniques that belong to the future and are unlikely to become available soon.

For more info on Alternative Acne Treatments, Adult Acne or Acne Products

Keeping your skin free from acne scars

Many people suffering from acne are familiar with the problem of acne scars. While acne is enough of a problem on its own, the issue of more or less permanent scars makes everything even more complicated. Pimples are a tempting target for squeezing or picking open in what may be seen as a futile attempt to get rid of them. However, squeezing and picking is exactly what you should refrain from doing because it will only make everything worse.

I know that you heard this advice a million times, but do try to keep your hands away from your face. For one thing, your hands have a lot of germs and bacteria, mainly because the hands are the most exposed part of the body, the limbs with which you grab and use all manner of not very clean objects. This means that bringing your hands in contact with your face skin is guaranteed to transfer a load of germs and bacteria from the hand to the face. Worse, all these germs and bacteria are transferred exactly in the area where your squeezing is opening a breach in the skin. In other words, you are bringing the enemy right to the gate.

Depending on the type of acne you are suffering from and on your face skin type, pimples that have been picked or squeezed open can turn to scars, leaving an unpleasantly looking skin behind. While squeezing pimples is not a good idea, but tolerable within certain bounds, you should absolutely refrain from trying to remove scars yourself. This is definitely a job for a trained physician who uses the right tools for the job. Tampering with scars will make matters worse. If you feel you cannot live with them, then make an appointment with a dermatologist and have them removed.

Alternatively, you could try to buy an acne treatment in order to keep your skin clear and prevent pimples from even forming. The best anti-acne system around is the ClearPores system. Featuring deep facial and body washes, herbal pills and a protection cream, ClearPores makes sure your pores are clean of grime and sebum and that bacteria don’t get the chance to start multiplying in a clogged sebaceous follicle. This system is the absolute best at stopping acne from being a problem

How to Have Clear Pores

Everyone wants clear, impurities-free skin. Unfortunately, not all of us were blessed to have the model- look beautiful skin that we always wanted. People are always bombarded with those various skin disorders and we are always flocking to our drugstores to buy the latest miracle cure for that naturally beautiful skin.

Fact number one. The cosmetic industry makes billions of dollars from the public quest for great skin. They use the money to advertise and perpetuate their products. Do not be fooled by the hype.

Fact number two. There are many factors that contribute to the clogging of pores: like dehydrated skin, improper cleansing, excessive oil production, excessive build-up of dead skin cells, hormones, excessive sweating, dirty work or play environments, genetics, makeup, fingers on the face, allergic reactions, a diet high in sugar content and many others.
Fact number three. Most skin impurities are due to clogged pores, so the best way to have that beautiful skin is to unclog your pores.

1. Avoid oil-based products such as facial lotions, wash and cosmetics. Look for products that are “non-comedogenic,” it means it will not clog your pores.

2. Do not wear tight headband, baseball hat, and/or helmet when you exercise or play sports, and make sure you wash the sweat-soaked things each time you wear them.

3. Keep the skin hydrated and moist so your cells can function properly. Moisturize your face with mild, non-comedogenic moisturizers to keep it hydrated. Moisturizing is a necessity. Again, the product with the least amount of chemical additives is the best. Always use a light moisturizer on your face after cleansing.

4. Cleanse your pores with an alcohol-free toner or skin conditioner on cotton balls. Do not try to scrub harshly or you will strip and damage your skin. Even after rinsing your face, if you do not remove the remainder of cleanser and loosened debris residues, you are only going to imbed that debris deeper into the pores as you layer serums and moisturizers on top. The absolute best way to perform this deep pore cleansing is with an alcohol-free toner or skin conditioner on cotton balls. There's no need to harm your skin by vigorous scrubbing or harsh acids, simply wipe with toner damp cotton balls until the last cotton comes away perfectly white.

5. Astringents, Salicylic Acid, retinoic acids, and glycolic acids all work to prevent pores from clogging. Be aware of some active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, these ingredients can cause major side effects.
So there, those are ultra easy steps to eliminate or lessen your problem, start today. Beauty starts with your skin.