Acne Relief

Posts Tagged ‘acne-treatment’

Acne conditions and treatments; I’ve been writing about them for some time now and I thought I’d covered most every angle and possible form of skin malady and irritation. The truth is I have only begun to scratch the surface.

Something important I’ve stumbled upon based again on personal experience is perhaps something none of you have ever heard of or encountered before. I know I hadn’t, dog acne!

This actually started for me almost five years ago and while most of my posts have referenced my skin and my own face, this involves another member of my family. This particular family member is actually quite hairy and small. No, I didn’t give birth to or adopt a feral child; the creature to which I’m referring is our little pet dog and his dog acne. Now I’ll bet you’re thinking exactly what I thought the first time I heard this expression, “dog acne” there’s no such thing! Well, you’d be wrong, as wrong as I was! Dog acne does exist and my little guy suffers from it in a big way.

Let me back up a bit and tell you a little about my experience and what it taught me. As I said, this odyssey began years ago and to be honest, I had no idea what I was dealing with at first. Neither did several Veterinarians across the state where I live. In fact, I could have saved myself a lot of time, trauma, frustration and a couple of thousand dollars because frankly and ultimately, I was the one who diagnosed the problem and found a solution that worked.

The first sign of dog acne was relatively small and began as tiny patches of dry skin across his coat. This eventually spread and became worse. The second stage resulted in hair loss where the patches of dry skin originally were. The third and worse stage resulted in large areas of hair loss characterized by extremely flakey skin and matted, greasy short hair that grew then subsequently came out in small clumps over two thirds of this tiny dog’s 4 pound body. Needless to say it was horrible and he looked pitiful! He was also miserable and scratched and bit at the areas as I am sure they itched like crazy! All the time, I’m working to find not only a cure but what the heck this may be. He was checked for everything from mange to vitamin deficiencies but nothing seemed to help and none of the doctors ever seemed able to offer a diagnosis.

I researched online looking for a solution but couldn’t find anything that quite fit this problem. Then one day I’m watching a show on television featuring several doctors and dermatologists. They’re talking about a wide variety of health subjects and skin conditions. One of the dermatologists begins to speak and I notice the skin condition he’s describing sounds exactly like the condition my dog is suffering from. I listen intently to his description and his recommendations. He talks about the sebaceous glands and how they can be over productive. The over production of sebum can cause several problems; many which we’ve covered and I’ve discussed with you here on this forum; acne, blackheads, pimples, etc. It can also create the greasy, matted hair environment my dog was experiencing. His suggestion was applying salicylic acid as this dries up and decreases the production of the excess sebum.

The problem with my dog wasn’t stress, his problem was dog acne!

I had already purchased several topical treatments for my dog. Some containing conditioning ingredients and some of them contained medicated ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. None made significant difference. Once I heard this information I began to search hoping to find a dog shampoo containing salicylic acid and eureka, I found one! I looked specifically for a shampoo made for dogs as I wanted to be certain it was safe and wouldn’t harm my little guy should he lick his coat. Shampoo made for humans may work too, but I haven’t tried that yet. Anyway, after ordering the shampoo it arrived and I began using it immediately. The difference has been remarkable. Our little guy now only has a couple of small stubborn areas where his skin still shows signs of a problem. The majority of his skin and coat is vastly improved and I learned that we’re not the only ones who suffer from acne. Our pets can suffer from acne too!

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.

It could not have been more than five minutes after I posted best way to get rid of acne, that I received an email from my friend Clark who was writing to tell me about chocolate as an acne treatment. Since it wasn’t a good time for me and Clark is somewhat of a practical joker I didn’t pay much attention and put it off to the side to take a look at later. Clark lives in Hershey Pennsylvania so my first thought was this is his way to boost chocolate sales in a downturned market. Well today I finally around to following up (actually it totally slipped my mind) and clicked on some links in the email that takes me to information for a company in England called Frutel’s. I poked around some of the company literature and sure enough they are pitching chocolate as a way to get rid of acne.

Let me preface myself here. I am by nature a very critical person. It probably started when I was a little kid and took thinks apart for no other reason than to put them back together. As I got older and started to see things through more educated eyes, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was living in a world where people were constantly selling and being sold to. When I developed acne issues I got a front row seat on the consumer roller coaster.

Initially I thought I’d go to the doctor and bada bing I would get rid of my acne. When the results were unsatisfactory to say the least the Doc tinkered around with some more pills and potions, told me to lay off the fried foods and candy and my mom and dad were now making the doctor’s car payments. It was starting to appear the doctor was not trying to cure my acne as much as setting me up on the acne product purchase plan. I just wanted to let you know a little something before I get back to the Willie Wonka acne chocolate bar.

From a promotional advertising point of view I love the idea of a chocolate as a way to get rid of acne. With the exception of all fried foods, I can think of no other food that is more associated with the cause of acne than chocolate. To take that perception and twist it as a way to get rid of acne is brilliant in my humble opinion. I also can appreciate what appears to be their company philosophy that acne has to be treated from the inside out. Pimples and zits are the symptoms of an out of whack hormonal and dietary system. Acne isn’t the problem it is the result. The question becomes whether adding vitamins and minerals to chocolate is the solution.

While chocolate will not cause acne I am at a loss to find its nutrition specific acne fighting benefit. Without getting all technical on its molecular structure and its nutritional value there really isn’t a specific reason to include this food per the discussion of this post. While I grant eating chocolate has a certain emotional and euphoric benefit it would appear that in the case of getting rid of acne, its main reason for being are promotional and commercial. The other aspect of these products is vitamin and mineral supplements. While vitamin and mineral deficiencies can and do causes hormonal change as well as a host other problems. Is it really necessary to put it in chocolate and charge a premium? Can’t I just run down to the corner and grab the latest Flintstone chewable’ and be done with it. Also I would be interested in how the heat in the processing of this chocolate delectable affects their potency.

All in all it seems to me to be a big waste of time and money. The best way to get rid of acne is to get your vitamins and minerals by eating a healthy diet. If you want chocolate there is always the Hershey bar.

When putting together an acne home remedy supply list; a must have in your house at all times products list. Milk of magnesia needs to be right up there at the top. You know, that stuff you grandmother had in her medicine cabinet for upset stomachs and constipation. Well it turns out this little gem can go a long way in helping with getting rid of zits and blackheads as well as that tummy ache.

Now if you are one of those bright people that actually listened and learned things from you elders I am probably not telling you something you don’t already know. My grandma, bless her heart, always had an ample supply in her home. I can close my eyes and vividly picture it, bright as day. A heavy blue glass bottle with the name Phillips Milk of Magnesia embossed in raised letters across the front. The bottle was never empty and always reached for whenever I had a rash or pimple outbreak of any sort, as well as the occasional upset stomach. She would slather it on the affected area and send me back out to play. Isn’t it funny the things you remember as a child.

Now while the primary purpose of milk of magnesia may be to make you poop. (Its active ingredients; magnesium hydroxide – Mg (HO2), Brucite in its rock form – and sodium hypochlorite – NaCIO, you know it as bleach.) There are beauty professionals that swear by its antibacterial properties . Its ability to draw impurities from the skin drying out excessive oil leaving skin smooth and tight. Making it a perfect acne home remedy.

A Great Acne Toning Mask

Simply apply a thin coat to the face or other affected area and allow to dry. While you may experience some tightness, that’s to be expected. To wash off, simply rinse with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Acne Spot Treatment

Put a couple of drops of milk of magnesia on a cotton ball and dab on the afflicted area. You can apply makeup after.

Mild Acne Cleanser

Use like you would body soap in the shower.

While the manufactures of milk of magnesia say it will keep for three years in an unopened bottle. Once opened, it will probably retain its potency for six to nine months and should never be refrigerated. Give milk of magnesia acne home remedy a try. It may be just the natural acne cure home remedy that’s right for you.

With teen acne outbreaks popping up left and right, Americans are beginning to take notice and becoming more conscious with what they eat and how it affects their bodies. Acne clear free skin treatment is giving way as expensive acne fads rage. Everything from chocolate skin care to Kangen water. Despite everything we know, some people still just can’t seem to make the effort to get back to nature and start living a truly natural chemical free acne free life. While not only beneficial in helping alleviate acne it can transform your life in a manner that can be rich beyond measure.

To help you, I’ve decided to give you a starting point on your road to your acne clear complexion.

Quit smoking and if you don’t smoke great, don’t start. Smoking is an addiction, there is no truth to the rumor that people can pick up the habit just for a little while and quit whenever they want. Once cigarettes get you hooked. That’s it, it’s not that easy to let go. Look you have seen all the studies that tell you how bad tobacco is for you. There is really no need to rehash what you already know. But let me leave you with this little tidbit. Scientific studies have shown that 42 percent of smokers suffer from acne while only 10 percent of non smokers do. You do the math.

Stop eating that fatty, greasy, sugary; over processed stuff you call food. How can you expect to look your best when you are running you body on a fuel that consists of chips and candy. You have to come to that corny realization that you are indeed what you eat. Give your body what it deserves; fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains .Get your proteins from dairy and fish instead of red meat that is more difficult for your body to process. Enjoy foods like beets, almonds and cashews that are high in oxalic acid. Many people believe oxalic acid to be God’s poison with a purpose and have attributed its beneficial properties to nothing less than a cure for cancer. While I don’t know about curing cancer a lot of folks swear by the foods that are high in oxalic acid when it comes to helping to get rid of pimples. The idea is to consume foods that help your body remove toxins and not allow it to become a platform that is conducive to acne, pimples and zits getting a foothold. And the only way to find those foods is to educate you.

Drink water and then have some more water. It’s unbelievable the amount of soda pop, coffee and energy drinks we here in America consume. I am not suggesting you cut these things out all together. Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored. But it’s also an endeavor that requires us to make choices. So expand your choices. Try Kombucha tea, it will increase you energy and helps with acne by being an excellent bodily detoxifier. Get yourself a juicer and drink fresh juices right from the source. Nothing processed or altered. Next time when you look in the mirror and that third eye pimple on the end of your nose winks at you. Realize you are an active participant in your life. It is an accumulation of the choices and paths you decide to follow.

Get plenty of exercise and be active. This is your life. It’s not a dress rehearsal. Do you want to be an active participant in it or are you willing to watch it pass you by while you sit on the couch watching others live theirs on television? Studies conclude that exercise not only is good for your complexion but is beneficial in your over health and is a giant factor in the reduction of stress in your life. Get up move. How’s that Nike commercial go? Just do it.

Look, I realize I am not breaking any new ground here. You know all this stuff and know it to be true. Yet day in and day out people continue to ignore what is right in front of them and head off on a search for an expensive acne magic pill that hasn’t yet been discovered. Why not spend your time educating yourself on matters that can make a difference in the way you look and the life you live. Life is a journey not a destination. Acne clear skin is the destination. But the journey of getting to that destination is the experience of your life. I’ve been dealing with acne in one form or another my entire life. It wasn’t until my last post that I ever dreamed urine curing acne was even a remote possibility.

Maybe next time you look in the mirror. That third eye on the tip of your nose won’t just wink at you. Maybe it will have the same conversation with you we are having right now. And maybe just maybe, you can also put the free back in acne clear free skin treatment.