Acne Relief

Posts Tagged ‘problem’

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!

The causes of cystic acne are an overproduction of sebum and a buildup of bacteria in the skin, which may be influenced by the male hormone androgen. Similar to common breakouts, acne is considered cystic when it is severe and causes deep, inflamed and painful legions.

Increased oil production and hormonal changes, such as are found in teenagers, prove too much for the skin to handle and the problem often becomes uncontrollable. Heredity can play a part in just how pronounced the problem is. If a parent suffered from severe acne, most likely the children will be more prone to cystic acne also. Nodules and cysts that produce inflammation and pus on the skin are common symptoms. These lesions can last for months and cause pain and damage to the skin.

Sufferers wonder how to get rid of cystic acne. A good starting point is getting medical assistance and guidance from a dermatologist. He or she might recommend acne surgery, which entails draining and extracting acne lesions. A dermatologist uses sterile instruments to extract imbedded lesions that have not responded to traditional treatments. Another answer to how to get rid of cystic acne is Interlesional Corticosteroid Injections. A dermatologist will inject a mild corticosteroid directly into an inflamed legion. This causes elimination of the cyst slowly over a period of a few days.

No matter what the causes of cystic acne, Isotretinoin can also work to clear up problem skin. Sold as Accutane, it is a prescription drug derived from a man-made form of vitamin A. It is a pill, taken orally, for a range of about 5 to 6 months that lessens the production of sebum in the pores. Accutane has many benefits as well as many side effects, so it’s important to learn about these before beginning treatment. But, this drug may be one answer to how to get rid of cystic acne. Accutane’s benefit is clear skin that lasts for years, sometimes with only one treatment. A second treatment may be taken if results are not as positive as the patient desires.

Another potential cystic acne cure is a product called Acuzine, which is a natural alternative to prescription meds such as Accutane and Retin-A. This is a special herbal formula with antioxidants that can treat problem skin from the inside out.

While the exact causes of cystic acne remain unknown, there are ways to safely and effectively treat the problem if you or your child experiences it. Speak to your dermatologist and find out how to get rid of cystic acne once and for all.

Did you know that there is such a thing as baby acne? Actually it is more common than you might think. Many newborns show signs of acne within two weeks of birth. This doesn’t mean that your baby will have blemishes forever; it just needs to be recognized and treated.

Baby acne is one of the most difficult forms to understand. Many scientists still do not know the answer to why your newborn gets blemished skin. Some believe that the hormones received by the mother at birth could be the cause of baby acne. Others believe that medications that the mother is taking while breastfeeding might be the reason. Unfortunately there is no right or wrong answer as to what gives your newborn acne, but there are ways to help prevent and treat it.

There may be no clear answer as to why newborn acne develops, but there are a few ways to help relieve this problem. Be sure to use mild detergents that have been washed thoroughly. This is to prevent irritation. A baby’s skin is much more sensitive to strong detergents than ours and may cause the acne to worsen or even cause a rash. Be sure to clean any milk or food from your baby’s face gently. Just like with adults, baby acne does not get better if you try to scrub it away. A baby is easily scarred from the smaller things, and acne is no exception, so please do not try to scrub your baby’s face. These preventative methods are the best acne baby treatment.

Sometimes the best answer for how to treat baby acne is simple…have patience. Many newborns will close their pumples within two weeks, perhaps a little longer. It is vital that you keep you baby’s face clean and to not apply moisturizer or any other acne treatment medications that you have used for yourself. These types of medications are much too strong and can cause irritation to an infant’s skin.

Many people may be concerned at first sight of the rash-like appearance. You may even be tempted to take your baby to the doctor to find an acne baby treatment. The reality is that there really isn’t any medication for blemishes that is safe for using on a baby’s delicate skin.

If you have kept your child clean and laundered their clothes and blankets properly and the problem hasn’t gotten better, then it may be something else. There are many different types of skin rashes that are more predominant in babies than in adults, which means if it doesn’t look like tiny pimples, then it is best to get it checked by a doctor just to be safe.

You may be concerned about how to treat baby acne, but the only medicine is patience and cleanliness. An acne baby treatment more than likely will never be prescribed because as of today, there isn’t a market for such medications. Baby acne may be a nuisance, but it will most certainly go away within a few weeks.