Acne and Skin Care

Although correct skin care practices play only a minor role in whether or not an individual gets acne, they are vital when it comes to treating it.

It is often thought that giving your skin a good scrubbing will help to prevent acne but, in fact, washing has little if any effect on whether or not you develop acne. It can however have a significant effect once you have developed acne.

This said, particularly harsh scrubbing can expose the lower layers of the skin making them susceptible to attack by airborne and contact bacteria.

The best course of action is to wash your face thoroughly, but gently, morning and evening using a mild cleanser. Also, because acne can occur on the neck, shoulders, back and chest these areas should also be washed with care in the shower. Mild cleaning from below the jaw line up to the hairline in the middle of the day and perhaps early evening can also be helpful.

Natural skin oil (known as sebum) plays a role in the development of acne, but removing all traces of it is not as a good idea as sebum helps to keep your skin flexible and stops micro cracks (which can serve as a pathway for bacteria) from forming. Sebum also stops the skin from getting too dry, which can again result in small cracks appearing in the outer layers. For this reason, astringents that remove oil should be used sparingly and you should look to over-the-counter acne products which are formulated to achieve the correct balance.

For men, shaving presents a challenge although electric razors can help to solve the problem. Even so, electric shavers can nick the skin, particularly when it contains blemishes, and so should be used with slow and careful movements. You will also find that a pre-shave softener can help. Men can also use of a manual or safety razor but you should not shave against the direction of hair growth and should soften your beard before shaving with warm water and soap.

For women, makeup selection is a lot simpler these days and there are many formulations that specifically designed to cope with acne. Go easy on the foundation and make subtle use of such things as cheek blush. Also, look for makeup labeled 'non-comedogenic', which means that it is specifically formulated for the most common types of mild acne including both blackheads and whiteheads.

Over-the-counter antibacterial products can also help prevent acne, but is more helpful if used after acne has developed. You should however follow the directions and do not over medicate as this can result in clogged pores and damaged skin, which are precisely the conditions which promote acne.

The key to good skin care and minimizing the outbreaks of acne is to keep your pores open to allow for the natural movement of skin oil and the shedding dead skin cells.

Acne Cream Retin-A Retin-A, or Retirides, is the brand name for tretinoid or vitamin A acid and is used to control, but not to cure, acne. Retin-A works by improving the blood supply to the skin and promoting the peeling of dead skin cells from the acne affected areas and unclogging the pores of the skin. Read more

The Use Of Cold Laser Treatment For Acne Scars For mild cases of acne scarring it is often possible to treat the problem either with cream or by using a chemical peel and, where this doesn't work, then the next step is to try a slightly more aggressive treatment such as dermabrasion. Read more

Laser Acne Removal Laser acne removal treatments have been around for some time now but it is only in recent years that they have been used not simply for more severe cases of acne, but also for mild to moderate acne. Read more

Some Common Over-the-counter Acne Medications Most cases of acne are either mild or moderate and it is normal to treat these yourself with over-the-counter non-prescription medications and there are many available including a number which are widely used today. Read more

Cystic Acne Requires Special Care The trouble with acne in general is that, if it is not treated correctly, it can result in scarring which may or may not be easy to deal with and this is especially true when it comes to cystic acne. Read more

What Can I Eat To Get Rid Of Acne As a fourteen year old boy I had more than my fair share of problems with acne and had a face which resembled the surface of the moon. Of course everyone said that it was quite normal at my age and was nothing to worry about, but I felt very embarrassed by my appearance and for a while didn't even want to go out of the house. Read more

Using A Natural Furuncular Acne Treatment Search for furuncular acne and you might find it difficult to find what you are looking for because this is an uncommon term for what is normally referred to as cystic, nodular or nodulocystic acne. Read more

What Is Meant By Acne Vulgaris Acne vulgaris is simply the full name for what we commonly call acne. Read more

The latest news about acne:

New Acne Cream with Manuka Honey by Honeymark - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

New Acne Cream with Manuka Honey by Honeymark PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 10 hours ago Manuka Honey is the first breakthrough in the area of acne treatment in many years. This special type of honey is produced by bees that feed on the nectar ...

Say Goodbye To Acne With Obagi - PRLog.Org (press release)

Say Goodbye To Acne With Obagi PRLog.Org (press release), Romania - 11 hours ago PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 19, 2008 – There is no other better way on how to describe the embarrassment from acne than how Sulzberger and Zaldems (1948) ...