Acne is an inevitable experience for most teenagers. It’s a universal enemy of most young adults and ironically a result of growing from child to adult. While it’s not entirely avoidable, there are ways to reduce one’s acne.
Dermatologists worldwide have been battling acne for years – most of them are consulted after the acne has started. And what they contribute is great expertise, medications, tips on good hygiene, and emotional support that confirms that some acne is a normal part of life. None of this helps the self-esteem or confidence of the teenager who consistently deals with a face in the mirror they don’t like. So consider some additional ways to limit the affect of acne in your life. Primarily, take care of your body. What type of food are you eating? How much sleep do you get? Do you wash with a hypoallergenic soap? These considerations are important ones. Food, for example, plays a big part in acne. Consult your dermatologist or online guide for more tips but be aware that fruits and vegetables are great for more than just healthy bones and teeth – they also lead to healthy skin. Similarly, watch your intake of sugar and manufactured products with heavy oil or fat.
Another preventative measure is to review and sample Proactiv, Clearasil, and other acne prevention or removal products and see if any of them work for you. Depending on your skin type, the type of acne you have, or how your body responds to different forms of medication, these products may have a selective benefit for you.
Finally, take care of your insides. No matter what effect acne has on your outside appearance during your teen years, only you can determine how you feel about your appearance and your looks. I’m not trying to minimize the emotional affect of acne, especially if some of the scars are permanent, but appearance alone is still only one factor that contributes to one’s confidence and ultimately their enjoyment of and success in life. If you can regularly look in the mirror and say “I like myself” or “I like who I’m becoming”, acne will never determine your sense of self. Do your best to prevent or reduce acne’s affect on your physical appearance, and don’t forget to take care of your inner self as well.
Acne has three stages of diseases – mild, moderate and severe. If acne can be treated during the first stage itself, you can save tremendous amount of effort and protect yourself from the agony of bad looking scars that form after third stage of acne. Catch acne in the mild stage itself and do not let it grow to second and third stage.
Mild acne does not need more intensive forms of treatment. Many acne sufferers treat themselves with OTC medicines for acne. Some patients prefer to consult a doctor at this stage itself to protect themselves from any flare up of acne.
Let us discuss the common treatment available for mild acne. Over the counter medications consisting of salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide can control mild acne that is mainly whiteheads and blackheads. While using these medications, wash your acne prone area with mild sop/cleanser and warm water twice a day to remove excess oil and dead skin.
Some times these products may cause dryness, redness or peeling. Use an oil free moisturizer if the peeling is present. The skin takes some time to adjust to the acne medication. If irritation occurs, you should consult your doctor. Please remember that acne medication takes time to treat acne. Many time up to eight weeks to work. Keep patience and wait for the results to get acne cured. If you do not get results after that, you should consult your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe other medicines to treat acne.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
In this kind of acne, a large portion of face or other affected areas get affected with whiteheads, blackheads, pustules and papules. A dermatologist should preferably treat this acne and the treatment should begin as soon as you observe the outbreak. If this kind of acne persists it can cause scars. Scars can be of two types- pockmarks or pits or raised thick tissue. To prevent the formation of scares and to prevent progression to sever form, consult your doctor as soon as such acne appears. If you are prone to scar formation, you should consult a dermatologist immediately. For those who are prone to keloid formation, it is more essential. Treating scars can become a trouble some process. Do not let acne grow to severe form so that scars can be prevented.
To treat moderate to severely moderate acne your doctor may adopt many methods. One choice may be physical treatment. Your doctor may remove the comedones physically or give blue light to treat acne. This physical treatment may be combined with topical application or oral medication.
Oral medication for acne treatment may include use of antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, oral isotretinoin or any other medicine your doctor feels suitable. The choice will depend upon the severity of acne and your skin. Your doctor may also prescribe topical medication that may include antimicrobials, retinoids
and OTC medications. Women may be prescribed Oral contraceptives to treat acne.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article
What Is Isotretinoin
Isotretinoin is a retinoid. That means that it is derived from Vitamin A. The chemical name of Isotretinoin is 13-cis retinoic acid. Isotretinoin is a very effective drug for acne. It is normally prescribed for severe acne when other therapies fail. Isotretinoin should be taken very carefully because it can produce birth defects in fetus. While taking Isotretinoin, you should be always in contact with your doctor and report any side effect. You should also discuss about any possible pregnancy with your doctor if you are sexually active. Isotretinoin generally gives relief in severe acne and is a drug of choice for acne patients who may have lost hope about cure of their acne.
Prescription
Isotretinoin is prescribed for acne treatment. Isotretinoin works in treating acne by shrinking the sebaceous glands and reducing sebum production. Isotretinoin is anti-inflammatory and removes comedones. The treated skin is dry and inhibits the growth of acne bacteria. Isotretinoin is prescribed in case of severe acne, scarring acne, moderate acne that is not responding to other medication and every case of acne where doctor feels that Isotretinoin should be prescribed to get rid of acne. Isotretinoin may also be used for some other conditions that include- folliculitis, seborrhoea, chloracne and other diseases that look like acne.
The dosage of Isotretinoin will depend upon the severity of acne, body weight, other treatments being used at the same time etc. Your doctor is the best person to decide about the dose. Normally the treatment begins with small dose and as body adjusts to Isotretinoin the does is increased. Doctors also monitor the cure during this period and if they find that patient is not responding, they may stop the therapy. As Isotretinoin needs fat to help its absorption in body, it is taken after food. Please follow your doctors advise about these.
Side Effects- The common side effects of Isotretinoin are dry mouth, dry nose, thinning of hair, fatigue, dry skin, red itchy eyes, sore lips etc. If you experience any other side effects such as muscle aches, difficult walking, depression vomiting etc. please talk to your doctor immediately. Please discuss about side effects with your doctor before beginning of the treatment with Isotretinoin and report any expected or unexpected side effect immediately. Please note that you may not be able to wear your contact lenses for some time in the beginning of treatment with Isotretinoin. You are also not supposed to donate any blood while you are taking Isotretinoin and for one month after you stop taking it. Please talk about dos and do not with your doctor. You also must tell your doctor about any medicine or Vitamins that you are taking. You are not supposed to take any medicines without consulting your doctor while taking Isotretinoin.
Isotretinoin and Pregnancy
Isotretinoin can cause serious defects in the fetus. Therefore you should inform your doctor if you are pregnant. You should also tell your doctor if you plant to become pregnant or breast-feeding. You have to test yourself for pregnancy before you begin Isotretinoin and continue getting tested while taking Isotretinoin. Your doctor will explain the details to you. If you get pregnant while taking Isotretinoin you should stop taking it and call your doctor immediately. You must adopt two reliable methods of birth control for one month before taking Isotretinoin, continue while taking Isotretinoin and till after one month of stopping Isotretinoin. You should talk to your gynecologist and dermatologist in detail before taking Isotretinoin.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
Basic skins care for acne can help you control aggravation and stop scars to a certain extent. Please take the following care -
1. Do not pick acne. Trying to squeeze out blackheads or whiteheads may lead to further infection. Picking up acne at second stage may lead to scarring.
2.There is a misconception that excessive sweat or dirt can cause acne. In blackheads what you see black is not dirt but oxidized sebum. Please do not be harsh with your skin. That will aggravate the acne condition. Gently clean your face with mild soap or cleansers formulated to care for acne and warm water. Pat dry, do not rub.
3. Use noncomedogenic cosmetics and skin care products. Noncomedogenic products are certified to not cause or aggravate acne.
4.Protect your skin with sunscreens. Avoid getting tanned. If you are under treatment for acne, consult your doctor about sun exposure as some medicines make your skin more sensitive to sun.
5. Facials may aggravate your acne. Avoid any kind of facial if you have an acne outbreak.
6. Do you have the habit of touching your acne frequently? Avoid that. Also avoid any bangs coming on the forehead.
7. If you think that more than recommended dose of cream/lotions prescribed for your acne will cure acne faster, it is time to change your thinking. That may harm you rather than helping you.
8. Keep your face free of make up as much as possible. Let the skin breath fresh air. Acne prone skin needs fresh air.
9.Avoid using any oil or oil rich product for your hair. Use oil free hair care products. Oily hair may worsen your acne.
10. Do not get worried if your medication does not produce immediate result in treating acne. Consult your doctor and find out the time during which you would get relief from acne. Do not worry till then. Acne medication takes time to treat acne and produce clear skin.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
Acne is one of the most common skin disorders that can cause damage to skin. Acne not only may disfigure skin, but it also affects the psychology of the sufferer. Acne that begins with plugged skin pores develops in stages. Let us find out more.
Acne development stages- In the first stage acne normally begins in the form of whiteheads and blackheads caused by plugged pores of the skin. Blackheads are also called as open comedones and whiteheads are called as closed comedones. The blackheads and whiteheads are the first stage of acne. The second stage is pimples or zits. They are medically known as papules and pustules. Pimples form when the acne gets inflamed. Some people suffer from very large acne that is called nodules and cysts. These are very large and deep lumps of acne.
Where does acne develop- acne develops on all the places of the body where sebaceous glands are found. Skin produces an oily substance called sebum. This sebum is produced by sebaceous glands. With the clogging of these glands, acne develops. Sebaceous glands are attached to hair follicles and the sites are mainly – face, neck, chest, back, shoulders neck and upper arms. So you can expect to get acne on all these sites. face is not the only place for acne.
Who gets acne – Any body can get acne. Though most of the teenagers suffer from acne. It can occur in the higher age groups of thirties, forties or above. Even if you did not get acne during your teenage , you can get it later in life.
Why should we worry about acne – acne can disfigure the skin permanently. It causes lot of mental stress and affects confidence by spoiling the looks. Though acne can clear without medication in few years, treatment can cure acne quickly and stop this irritating condition.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
