Acne Relief

Posts Tagged ‘under-the-skin’

Over the weekend I attended a kind of Tupperware pimple party. Well it was more like a popping zit extravaganza (I’ll have more in a later post). Anyway there were all types of acne info, devices and products that were being displayed, demonstrated and sold. One acne device that caught my eye was something called a zit zapper. I am not talking about skin doctors overnight zit zapper solution.

No, this is a “device” that is about the size of a slim cigarette lighter and according to the promotional material it’s getting rid of zits by zapping them with “thermal heat”, whatever that means. There were two manufactures represented. One was made by Zeno and the other by a company named Thermaclear.

Rebecca the rep that was demonstrating the devices had a zeal for these two things that reminded me of a high school kid bragging on her first boy friend. You would have thought that if wasn’t for these two inventions we would have never discovered water on the moon. According to Rebecca, either zit zapper was the best thing since sliced bread. She was having wonderful success with them on her acne and just couldn’t say enough good things.

My only problem with her presentation was that Rebecca didn’t appear to be having a lot of success with anything as it pertained to her acne. Now granted, I have no idea how she looked before she started on her home acne treatment that included a good dose of zit zapper. Nor did our conversation turn to what her cure for pimples consisted of. But god bless her, she appeared to be an honest person so I can only assume she had some big acne problems if this was wonderful success.

I put my apprehension aside, thinking I may write about this on my blog and gave Rebecca 100% of my attention, becoming her acne guinea pig. Immediately she informed me that these devices were the best treatment for adult acne and perfect for those blemishes that were just under the skin. I’ll give this to Rebecca, her skin may not be perfect but she has the eye sight of an owl. Although I didn’t expect her to mistake me for a teen, I had on my best acne makeup and thought it was doing a good job of hiding those blemishes. I was stunned with how easily Rebecca zeroed in on my imperfections.

She then proceeded to touch the Zeno zit zapper to my face and held it in place for two minutes (actually there were 4 beeps that came at 30 second intervals) during this time I felt a kind of warmth that was not at all unpleasant. As a matter of fact it was somewhat soothing.

She then picked up the Thermaclear zit zapper and placed it against another blemish. This time the device gave me a quick zap. She couldn’t have held it in position for longer than 2 seconds and yippie kay-yay the thing gave me a zap. Rebecca did give me a bit of a warning that it may sting, but I wasn’t prepared for the sting that came. Now it wasn’t a make you want to cry zap but you defiantly felt the difference from the Zeno device.

She proceeded to explain that both zit zappers are battery operated and work on the principle of using heat to destroy bacteria thereby helping pimples to disappear faster. As a matter of fact, she said I should see my zits gone overnight.

While I like the idea behind the products I got quite a bit of sticker shock when informed their cost was in the $150 to $200 dollar range. You guys know there isn’t much I won’t do for the sake of this blog and you. I gave urine acne therapy a try for you guys. But two hundred dollars! Then on reflection, if the zit zapper can do what it claims, the price isn’t bad at all. So here’s my dilemma.

I didn’t fork over the money to buy one of the zit zappers and my only exposure to the devices is what was just explained to you. Now both of the blemishes that I had that day are gone and it’s two days later. But am I giving credit to the zit zapper or were these two under the skin blemishes running their natural course and would be gone anyway. I’d really like to get some input from you guys that have used these things over a period of time. Tell me about your experiences; tell me what you think of the zit zapper?

Many people want to learn about the different types of acne, a condition that affects the skin of mostly the face, chest and back of teenagers and adults worldwide. As you may already know, it can range from mild to severe and appear in various forms.

Acne can be generally categorized into three groups. Acne vulgaris is the most common form that plagues the skin, and is usually considered mild to moderate in severity. Whiteheads, or closed comedones are formed when a pore is completely blocked and the oil (or sebum), bacteria and dead skin cells are trapped under the skin causing a white appearance on the surface.

Blackheads, or open comodones, are formed when a pore is only partially blocked, allowing some of the sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells to escape to the skin’s surface. The dark color is the body’s melanin reacting with oxygen in the air.

Then you have papules, tender, small rounded, red bumps that are inflamed without a head; pustules which are inflamed red circles with white or yellow centers, the common pimple or zit that is most identified with types of acne. More serve types are nodules and cysts. Nodules occupy a larger area of the skin than the other types of acne mentioned above. They are hard bumps under the skin’s surface. Cysts can be painful because they are pus-filled.

The second of the major types of acne is acne rosacea. It appears similar to acne vulgaris but affects most people over the age of 30. These types of acne cause a red rash on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. Papules and pustules can also accompany it, but blackheads are not categorized with this condition. Women seem to be affected by these types of acne more than men. If this left untreated, it can disfigure the nose causing swelling and the growth of excess tissue caused rhinophyma.

The last group is the most severe form and is rare and disfiguring. Acne conglobata is a condition that appears mostly in males from ages 18 to 30 years old. Numerous large lesions that are interconnected beneath the skin’s surface characterize the most severe form of acne vulgaris. This is accompanied with blackheads that are found not only on the face, but also on most of the body. Acne fulminans is a type of acne similar to acne conglobata but it includes a fever and aching of the joints. Pyoderma faciale is a severe type of acne that affects females from ages 20 to 40 years old. It is characterized by large, painful nodules and pustules and is confined to the face. Though it only lasts about a year, it can cause severe scarring and skin damage.

Mild types of acne can be treated with over-the-counter formulas that clear the pores of the skin, such as salicylic acid. Benzoyl Peroxide fights the acne bacteria in the skin and is also effective at controlling mild to moderate types of acne. A dermatologist might prescribe a prescription medicine such as Erythromycin to work at killing bacteria from the inside.

For severe forms of most types of acne or if other treatments have not worked, Accutane or Isotretinoin is prescribed. It is a pill taken orally that decreases the amount of sebum that the glands produce. It is taken for about 6 months and is known to clear skin of virtually all types of acne. But, severe side affects can occur, including birth defects; close observation by a physician during treatment is required.

Home remedies for acne scars exist for those who have embarrassing scarring following a breakout and do not want to deal with an expensive and painful surgical procedure. Although there is no foolproof way of completely eliminating the scars, there are ways to lessen the severity and create a more even-toned appearance.

Acne is a condition where the pores become clogged, preventing the natural oils from escaping to the surface of the skin the way they are supposed to. This buildup under the skin becomes infected as it mixes with bacteria that is naturally present beneath the skin’s surface. Severe cases of cystic acne or less severe acne that has ruptured can cause scarring. The sensitive tissue and cells in your face become torn and the scar is formed as a part of the healing process.

If this happens you will want to know how to lighten red acne scars so that you can restore your skin to its normal condition. You might want to speak to your dermatologist first to see what your options are. Common methods for fading acne scars that they may recommend are: dermabrasion, collagen injections, and laser treatment. Dermabrasion is a painful procedure that is done under local anesthetic. The dermatologist will remove surface skin, which may leave your pigmentation uneven and require more than one treatment. Collagen injections may cause an allergic reaction and the results are only temporary. The most controversial option is laser treatment because it has yet to be determined what the long-term side effects will be.

Since all of these methods come with potential complications, many people like to try natural ways of fading acne scars before considering medical procedures.

There are existing home remedies for acne scars that are safe and effective. Collagen is a natural substance that is found within the body already. There are many different face washes that increase the amount of collagen to reduce wrinkles and make skin appear younger. These work effectively in reducing the appearance of acne scars as they make the tissues in the face fuller. If your concern is learning how to lighten red acne scars, you might want to try Vitamin E oil on your skin. For some people this has been effective method for fading acne scars over time.

Home remedies for acne scars are cheaper, safer, and in many cases just as effective as invasive procedures done in a doctor’s office. It’s just a matter of finding the one that works for you.

A wonderful new treatment that contains hydrolyzed collagen and vitamin E in its formula is a product called Acuzine. It is a natural formula that contains all of the home remedies for acne scars in one comprehensive supplement.

Acuzine is a once-daily capsule that can be taken for fading acne scars as well as reducing the potential for future breakouts. The best part is that because it is an all-natural mix of of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and herbal extracts, you don’t have to be concerned about side effects as you would be with a surgical treatment or prescription medication.

Knowing how to lighten red acne scars with natural treatments can be helpful to those who were under the impression that a costly visit to the dermatologist was the only option. For severe acne scarring, you may just need a more powerful treatment, but for mild to moderate cases, home remedies for acne scars just may be the solution.