Acne Relief

Archive for February, 2010

In the past I used to wake up in the morning with the fear of going to the mirror and discovering a new pimple. Today, while my acne is under control for the most part, I wake up and discover some new development in technology has just set me back two steps even though I gained a step yesterday. If you are confused let me try to explain.

When I was young, if apples and acne were mentioned in the same breath, it would have immediately brought to mind an image of the apple cider vinegar bottle that was the main ingredient in my number one treatment for bacne. Unfortunately, vinegar having the acidic content that it does, made it too harsh for my facial acne. Oh, sure I could have diluted it with water down to a 9 to 1 solution but at that cut it was just ineffective for me.

As I got a bit older and began to understand that my acne is really the result of an imbalance that is taking place within my body. I started to learn what foods to avoid and more importantly those foods that were beneficial in my acne fight. The lowly apple came to my attention for its content of vitamins and minerals and especially the natural antioxidants that are packed in its peel.

Then the other day, I stumble upon an NYT article that professes a new apple acne cure in the form an Apple i Phone app. That’s right, you heard me. No need to continue popping pimples or spending tons of cash for some over the counter acne treatment. For $1.99 you can get rid of your acne while talking on the phone. According to the AcneApp description you can use the antibacterial blue light and or the anti-inflammatory red light to cure your acne. Of course not everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, according to Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas “In studies we’ve done, data has shown that both blue and red light have a low efficacy range in acne treatment,” I tend to agree, but as always will keep an open mind and would love to hear your comments on Apple’s AcneApps.

Your journey of getting rid of acne should begin with that old saying we’ve all heard our entire lives; “you are what you eat!”

What you put into your body not only provides the sustenance you need to live but it is also a reflection of your existence both literally and figuratively. It comes through in the shine of your hair and the glow of your skin. What you put into your mouth not only says something about who you are, but it affects the way you look and how you will look and feel tomorrow. In your fight to get rid of your acne this is probably the one area where you have total control yet it’s probably the least advanced. Let’s change that right now.

Starting immediately, commit yourself in your fight to getting rid of acne by declaring that you will drink lots of water and introduce a varied assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

Water cleanses and refreshes your body. It flushes toxins from your system and is essential for your overall health. Not enough water and the toxins build up which can result in breakouts. If you don’t get enough water you can actually poison yourself in your own metabolic waste. Eight to ten glasses a day should be enough to promote clear skin.

An intelligent, balanced diet goes a long way in helping you get rid of acne, but did you know that there are certain foods that produce a powerful punch of acne ridding vitamins and mineral

Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin and found in abundance in dairy products and liver. It’s also found in carrots and cantaloupe as well as oatmeal, sweet potato and pumpkin .

Vitamin B is necessary to maintain an optimal metabolism. Several excellent sources are avocados, eggs and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C is necessary for you to maintain healthy collagen levels. Collagen is a structural protein in the skin. Without this protein your skin would simply fall apart. Excellent sources in your fight to get rid of acne are strawberries, citrus fruits, green peas and tomatoes.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps slow the aging process and slow the oxidative damages to your body. Excellent sources are nuts, seeds, vegetables and liver oil.

Finally Zinc. Use Zinc to boost your immune system and promote optimal health. It is necessary for the function of over 300 enzymes responsible for biological processes too numerous to mention and talk about here. Excellent sources for you fight in getting rid of acne are: turkey, port, seafood (especially oysters) as well as whole grain breads and cereals.

Pay attention to the foods you put into your body and you will be rewarded in your efforts to get rid of your acne with clear skin.

Acne is a problem just about everybody “faces” in their lifetime. The desire for clear skin drives a billion dollar industry and people are willing to do anything or pay any price to achieve clear, beautiful skin. I’m someone who’s always thought it’s possible to find a home remedy for just about anything right in your own home or garden; kitchen or medicine cabinet.

Why pay money for something you probably already have sitting in a cabinet or under a sink? Even better, you can probably find the ingredients you need growing in your garden or that of friends.

Interestingly enough, there are probably just as many home remedies for acne as there are acne products lining the shelves of the local drug and discount stores. When you start to learn more about the actual ingredients that actively fight acne and its causes you begin to see they are usually very in-expensive, easy to procure and a natural approach to you fight with acne.

When comparing home remedies to those remedies you will find in the drug store or your local discount store, you will come to see the difference between them regarding the results you will see is minimal. You may even find home remedies rival those of prescription medications in some situations. They will certainly cost you a lot less time and money.

One of the first things to realize is that skin is relatively sensitive and responds quickly to stimulation. Many times people will actually aggravate skin break outs by using harsh medications, scrubs and cleansers. The gentle approach is always best. If you’re not careful, not only will you make a bad situation worse, you will often create new problems. Also it’s always best to find the gentlest approach, using the least amount of medicine to achieve a good result.

One of the best home remedies for breakouts is a product most of us already have in our home. We normally use it to treat minor cuts or abrasions and some people mix it with baking soda as a way of whitening their teeth. I’m speaking of course of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best treatments and preventative treatments of acne. It acts as an astringent, a bleaching agent, and a drying agent. Not to be confused with Benzoyl Peroxide, which is also a very good preventative and an excellent tool in the fight against acne, Hydrogen Peroxide is much cheaper and accessible to everyone.

Witch hazel is another home remedy which used to be in everybody’s home at one time. It acts as an excellent astringent and works to fight the bacteria which help cause breakouts. Witch hazel is also an excellent help if you have sunburn and want to sooth the pain. Keep a bottle in the refrigerator and apply liberally to a cloth or paper towels then drape lightly over affected skin. You will gain instant relief. Witch Hazel also helps ease problems with swelling so if you have a particularly irritated skin breakout witch hazel may be the way to go.

Another home remedy in aiding the fight against acne is good old H2O. Water is one of the best things you can use in your fight against acne. We all know humans are mainly made up of water and our bodies are in constant need of hydration. If you’re experiencing problems with skin breakouts try drinking double the amount of the daily recommended quantity. Simply doing that will help flush your system and hydrate your skin which will aid tremendously in your fight against acne. You should see results almost immediately.

Go ahead. Open your kitchen cabinets and find a home remedy that will help in your battle to get rid of acne.

I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent looking in the mirror squeezing blackheads out of my nose, forehead and chin. I’ll never forget the first time I noticed those horrid blackheads! Not that it was so difficult to see them; my nose looked like the checkered black and white tiled floor in the Beverly Hillbillies. They were everywhere and I was in a panic. With my curious first squeeze these little cork screw white cream tarts with a black top hat released from their cradle. Oh my gosh, what a disgusting sight! I didn’t help matters any with my initial horror and shock!

Over time I learned that blackheads were simply the product of my skin pores not draining properly the sebum oil that’s naturally produced. Before you know it a blockage can occur. The bacteria start to do its thing and viola, the pore gets completely clogged and your new best friend on the tip of your nose is a whitehead or a blackhead.

I don’t care how beautiful your eyes are, it’s not going to distract anyone from noticing anything but the pimple that’s taken up residence on your face.

Now the question becomes how do you get rid of that blackhead? You want it gone, plain and simple.

Blackhead removal: Comedome (Blackhead) Extractors – These little handy devices are a much safer method for blackhead removal than squeezing with your fingers. There are any numbers of cosmetic companies that manufacture these blackhead removers and they can be quite inexpensive, around $5.00 or so. You simply apply a little circular pressure with the extractor over the affected area and that little bit of force will push the comedome to the surface. It’s best to do this after a warm shower or maybe apply warm water compresses to help soften the skin and the affected area. After the offending blackhead has squirted to freedom, use an antiseptic to disinfect the area as well as your new found best friend the black head extractor. A little alcohol and hot water should do the trick.

Now that the blackheads have been removed and are gone, we need to take a proactive approach so they don’t return. A little preventative action to keep the blackheads away goes a long way!

If you are using oil based make-up get rid of it. These products are going to make it a lot easier to clog your pores. They are non-comedogenic (wow listen to me getting all technical and all) what that boils down to is, it will clog your skin, and that’s what you’re trying to avoid! So use water based make-up. It’s that simple.

When washing your face, put down the harsh chemical washes and abrasive pads. They’re only irritating your skin and forcing your skin to produce more problems as it attempts to combat the harsh treatment. Gentle cleanser and warm water washing using your hands should be fine to get rid of and keep those blackheads away. A little Benzoyl Peroxide should be O. K. in helping keep your breakouts at bay. As the anti-bacterial properties should do their job. Blackheads like all types of acne require different methods for their prevention and removal. These all depend on the individual. The trick is to find what works for you and what gets rid of your blackheads.

You know that getting rid of pimples by popping them is a no no. Everything you know goes against that urge. But you have it in your head that that pimple has to go and you are going to take it upon yourself to pop that bad boy.

Well let me take a stab at changing your mind. Why not head over to the dermatologists’ office and let him/her have a wack at popping the pimples for you. Those guys have the experience and proper tools to do those zits justice. Most important, they know which pimples to leave alone when popping. I mean how expensive can it be. When you are talking about permanent acne scaring. When it comes to getting rid of pimples, these guys are professional pimple poppers.

Ok. So you are still determined to pop you pimples. Please keep these common sense tips in mind.

If the pimple hasn’t made it to your skins surface and have a “head” leave it alone. Whiteheads and pustules are candidates for self popping but papules should are in a category all by themselves and self popping should not be attempted.

If you are going to squeeze be clean. Get rid of the dirt and makeup on your skin with a good wash before you go to town. Make sure your hands and any instruments are clean and disinfected.

Never use your fingernails or just your fingers alone. Use a Kleenex or better yet gauze pads to apply gentle pressure on the pimple and to remove the pus from a successful squeeze. If the gentle pressure doesn’t get the pimple to pop it’s probably too imbedded in your skin. Squeezing should be discontinued as this is a high risk candidate for acne scarring. You can try mixing a salt water solution (½ tsp salt per ½ cup water) apply to the area and leave on for about 10 minutes then wash off. You can reattempt another round of gentle pressure in a couple of days.

I n closing, popping pimples is not a recommended course of action to getting rid of your pimples but I fully understand the desire and urges to do so. If you decide it’s a course you want to pursue please err on the side of caution and use gentle pressure and no more. Good luck