RichardHammond.Net Professional Health Advisor

25Jul/100

Men’s Acne Facts Versus Fiction

MenScience gives the inside scoop on myths and facts about men’s acne and acne treatments. How much do you really know about breakouts? Take our quiz and see for yourself!

1. Popping acne pimples makes them go away faster.

• True

• False

2. You should wash your face several times a day if you have acne.

• True

• False

3. Eating greasy or oily foods causes acne.

• True

• False

4. Tanning clears up acne in men’s skin.

• True

• False

5. Where you work can affect your skin and cause acne.

• True

• False

6. Benzoyl Peroxide is the most effective ingredient for acne treatment.

• True

• False

7. Glycolic and Salicylic Acids are effective against acne.

• True

• False

8. If an acne medication causes your skin to get worse, you should stop using the acne product.

• True

• False

9. It takes 28 days for new cells to appear on the surface of men’s skin.

• True

• False

10. Acne-prone men should use noncomedogenic products.

• True

• False

11. Perspiration cleanses skin.

• True

• False

12. Teenagers (not real men) get acne.

• True

• False

13. Only men with oily skin get acne.

• True

• False

14. Acne is caused by bacteria.

• True

• False

15. Using a face scrub can control acne.

• True

• False

16. Acne is no big deal.

• True

• False

ANSWER KEY:

1. FALSE: Popping pimples may seem to reduce their size, but it can actually aggravate blemishes by spreading bacteria, causing them to take longer to heal. Not only that, but popping or picking at pimples causes scars and dark spots to form.

2. FALSE: It’s important to have a clean face, but washing your face with force several times a day can cause your skin to produce more oil to make up for the moisture being washed away. Not to mention skin will become red and irritated. Your best bet is to wash once or twice a day with a gentle liquid cleanser that contains Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree extract.

3. FALSE: Pizza, chocolate and junk food have long been labeled “acne magnets,” but there’s very little scientific evidence to back up this claim. However, men should aim to eat a balanced diet full of vitamins from fruits and vegetables, and drink a lot of water for overall well-being.

4. FALSE: When you tan, dead cells build up on your skin’s surface. This can often cause your pores to look tighter and the surface to look smoother. Tanning also masks redness caused by acne. However, once the tan disappears, you’ll be left with greater outbreaks and darker acne scars and marks. Protect skin exposed to direct sunlight by regularly applying sunscreen (especially if using a treatment containing Benzoyl Peroxide).

5. TRUE: Men who work in places that put them in constant contact with grease and oil (restaurants and garages, for example) may find themselves breaking out more because oil creates an ideal environment for bacteria to reproduce. Although there’s no simple way to rectify this, they should clean skin gently at least twice a day and try to keep their hands from their faces at all times.

6. TRUE: Benzoyl Peroxide is an antibacterial ingredient prescribed by dermatologists as the preferred topical medicine for safe treatment for acne. It clears acne-causing bacteria on the surface, absorbs excessive oils and clear pores, while promoting greater cell exfoliation and renewal. Doctors also prescribe Green Tea, Urea and Allantoin to help soothe acne-irritated skin. Because Benzoyl Peroxide has powerful antibacterial and exfoliating qualities, it may take some time for skin to get used to the treatment. Once skin has become accustomed to the treatment however, irritation, redness or dryness usually disappears. The best bet is to apply a small amount only once a day, and then increase frequency gradually over 5 – 6 days. If too much dryness occurs, decrease frequency and gradually increase again.

7. TRUE: Glycolic and Salicylic Acids work very effectively to exfoliate dead skin cells and clear pores. By reducing pore blockage, acne has less of a chance to form and breakouts are reduced. Exfoliation with gentle products that contain Glycolic and Salicylic Acids helps smooth and clean skin, while also reducing instances of ingrown hairs as well.

8. FALSE: During acne treatment, skin often seems to take a turn for the worse before it begins getting better. This is due in part to the need to become accustomed to a treatment and the exfoliating process of shedding dead skin cells. The important thing is to keep usage regular. If, however, skin remains irritated for a long period of time, stop acne treatment and consult a doctor.

9. TRUE: It takes new cells 28 days to form and move through the epidermal layer of skin to finally appear on the surface. This is why results are not always immediately apparent. Using a product with Glycolic Acid may accelerate this process and help clear away dead skin cells.

10. TRUE: Noncomedogenic means ingredients in the product do not clog pores or provoke acne. Although it’s definitely recommended for men with oily skin, you should use non-irritating, noncomedogenic products no matter what skin type you have. All MenScience products have been developed by doctors and are noncomedogenic.

11. FALSE: Perspiration helps flush toxins from the body and maintains body temperature, but it does not cleanse skin at all. In fact, leaving sweat on your body can actually cause acne breakouts. Because of this, remember to take a shower or wash your face immediately after sweating heavily with a gentle cleanser several times a day.

12. FALSE: If only this were true! While acne outbreaks are often strongest during teen years (due to hormonal imbalances and improper skincare), acne can affect men their entire lives. Good skin health needs to be regularly maintained to avoid falling prey to blemishes.

13. FALSE: Acne can affect guys with any skin type, from dry to combination and even normal. Men with oily skin might be more susceptible to outbreaks, but they are by no means alone.

14. TRUE: Bacteria (P. acnes) play a big part in the creation of acne. Once a skin pore becomes clogged, acne bacteria begin to grow, causing blemishes to form. Benzoyl Peroxide is the most effective treatment for acne because it introduces oxygen into the bacteria, which kills it.

15. TRUE: Using a gentle exfoliating face scrub that contains Salicylic and Glycolic Acids can help clear pores of dirt and blockage, cutting down on the instances of acne. However, do not use a scrub if your acne is severe; it could aggravate your skin further.

16. TRUE….and FALSE: Acne is a painful, annoying condition, but it doesn’t need to negatively affect your lifestyle. While healthy skin is something we should all aim for, an occasional pimple or breakout is nothing to freak out about and can be treated with the right acne products. Remember: almost everyone is affected by acne. By using the most effective acne products and skincare techniques, there’s nothing to stop you from attaining a clear, healthy complexion.

SCORING:

13-16 Answers Correct: Acne Expert

9-12 Answers Correct: Good job! Add to your acne know-how with more tips.

5-8 Answers Correct: Knowledgeable, but check out our articles for more info.

0-4 Answers Correct: Needs work. Discover how to treat acne with our expert advice.

25Jul/100

How To Alleviate Your Acne Problem

How To Alleviate Your Acne Problem by: Charlene J. Nuble

Acne brings huge problems to teenagers. Teenagers who have acne feel isolated, ugly, and insecure. Who wouldn't when everywhere you look, only clear skinned people are put on the pedestal.

You tried every acne product out in the market but nothing seems to work. At this point, you feel that your social life is doomed but fret not because acne won't stay forever if you take the proper actions early.

First step to take is to understand what acne really is and from there you can take the necessary actions in curing or at least reducing your acne problem.

Acne is the term for plugged pores (whiteheads and blackheads), pimples, and deeper lumps (nodules) that happens in the face, neck, chest, back and upper arms. Acne is caused by build up of excess oil and dead skin in a pore. The causes of this are natural hormones, clogged skin and bacteria.

The onset of acne happens between the ages of twelve to seventeen. Almost all teenagers had acne. Many of them used non-prescription treatments to alleviate acne but more than 40% of teenagers in their mid-teens have severe acne cases. Normally, it goes away in the early twenties. Then again, there are many cases wherein acne starts or continues into adulthood.

It is interesting to note though that young men who are more likely to have severe acne, don't consult dermatologists as much as young women do. But then again, young women are more likely to have irregular acne due to hormonal changes during menstrual cycle or due to the cosmetic products they use. This kind of acne may afflict women even into adulthood.

The ultimate question now is how do you reduce acne?

Knowing the facts that debunk the myths and misconceptions about acne may help you alleviate your acne problem.

Myth 1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene.

This may be true if you don't wash your face at all. But if you resort to frequent and vigorous washing, it will definitely cause scarring which will worsen acne. The best approach is to gently wash face twice a day with mild soap and use appropriate acne treatment after.

Myth 2: Acne is caused by diet.

Scientific studies debunked this having found that there is no connection between food and acne.

Myth 3: Acne is caused by stress.

Stressors are not important factors in acne. Only severe stress that needs medication can cause acne as side effects.

Myth 4: Acne is just a cosmetic disease.

Acne does affect how people look but there's no serious threat to physical health. However, acne can result to serious scarring which can affect how these people live their lives.

Myth 5: You just have to let acne run its course.

The truth is, acne can be cleared up using acne products available in the market today. If they don't work for you, then try seeing a dermatologist.

According to Thiboutot (2000), cure of acne lies in knowing three things:

* That resolution to cure acne takes time;
* That what works for one may not work for another;
* and that a dermatologist's help may be needed if all actions you take to cure your acne fail.

Remember that acne responds well to early treatment. So to prevent scarring have your acne treated as soon as acne starts showing up on your face.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR'S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
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©Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about acne, please go to: http://acne.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

24Jul/100

Acne Diet – is There an Acne Cure Diet That Works?

Ask any medical doctor if there is a connection between diet and acne and almost all of them will claim there is none. Quoting from the Journal of the American Medical Association: "Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients…even large amounts of certain foods have not clinically exacerbated acne".

With years of medical education and clinical experience behind these claims, how can we the simple folks who suffer from acne challenge these statements and think otherwise? The answer is: doubt. Doubt, if its stays in the borders of reason, can open many doors otherwise will stay forever shut. Believe it or not, doubt can change reality. Doubt can cure your acne and doubt can even save your life.

Fact is, countless of acne sufferers have reported that their acne seemed to get worse when they consumed certain foods and saw dramatic positive change over their acne condition when they eliminated the same foods from their diet and when certain foods with specific nutritional value were incorporated into their diet.

So why do dermatologists so stubbornly insist that diet does not cause acne? The answer: you can't make a profit promoting a healthy diet. At least not as much money as you could make by selling drugs and over the counters. There is a huge pressure upon doctors coming from the drug and pharmaceutical companies to prescribe expensive medications and lotions that create dependency. The truth is, that your doctor is in a way, a hostage by the trillion dollar drug companies. Did you know that the drug companies, who have no interest in producing something that they cannot control financially, sponsor most medical schools?

The right diet, although not a solution by itself, can, in many cases, dramatically reduce inflammation and even completely clear one's acne (if you're one of the lucky ones who's acne is triggered by allergic response to food). Promoting a clear skin diet simply means less profits for the drug and pharmaceutical companies.

The truth is that conventional medications will never cure your acne, simply because they are pre-designed NOT to fix the internal cause of acne. They are pre-designed to deal with the external symptoms of a disease as they create more and more dependency and more dependency means making more money all at our expense and ignorance.

The Theory That Diet Doesn’t Cause Acne Is A Myth

The dogmatic theory that diet does not cause acne and that acne is merely an incurable genetic disorder was based upon two dated researches published in 1969 and 1971 that were aimed at studying the connection between diet and acne.

These studies were the foundation of the ‘acne symptoms treatment strategy’, meaning, because acne is a genetic disease that cannot be prevented, the only way to deal with acne would be to tackle its symptoms (bacteria, inflammation, puss, redness, greasiness), by applying creams, antibiotics, taking prescription drugs and over the counters.

Surprisingly enough, years after the above studies were published, clinical trials and in depth researches experimenting the acne diet link have found that the studies from 1969 and 1971 had came to the wrong conclusions and were in fact seriously flawed.

Recent studies have clearly found a significant connection between diet and acne. It appears that the wrong diet is now thought to be one of the leading acne contributing factors that can negatively affect hormonal regulation and the natural process of toxic elimination, which can seriously aggravate one’s existing acne.

Diet Shapes Who You Are (Including Your Acne)

In the same way that crashing waves shape beach cliffs and just like the wind shapes the canyon walls, slowly and methodically over time, so does eating shapes and effects our physic, our internal system, our physical and mental being, from the organ down to the cellular level.

The idea that an object foreign to our body that is inserted by the food that we eat, has no effect on us, or has no impact on chronic conditions such as acne is absurd. Diet is the primary thing that affects and shapes who we are.

Diet has cumulative effect on our bodies, and that includes our skin condition and acne, which is a manifestation of a chronic internal problem slowly shaped and built by the wrong daily dietary choices over the years.

Acne Diet and The Kitavan Islanders

While in the U.S, more than 80% of teenagers between 16 and 18 have acne and more than 17 million Americans suffer from some form of acne, there is an interesting evidence that native people that live and eat in traditional ways, have significantly lower to no occurrences of acne.

In 2002, Dr. Cordain and his colleagues published a landmark study that examined 300 people living in the Kitavan Islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea that showed that none of the islanders had even one blemish on his or her face. Similar to the Kitavans, no case of acne had been observed when the same experiment had been conducted upon the South American Indians called the Ache, living in a remote jungle in eastern Paraguay.

The natives of Kitavan and the South American Indians had no access to the latest over the counters, topical creams or conventional acne medications and they had no dermatologist to consult with. The only vast difference between them and American or European citizens is their diet.

Acne Diet and Sugar: The Sweet Poison

Aside from the fact that sugar is a 100% pure chemical with zero nutritional value, recent studies have clearly shown a connection between the consumption of sugar and the aggravation of acne.

When you consume any form of refined carbohydrates (white sugar, white flour, white rice) here's what happens: right after you insert that 'sweet poison' into your body, it rapidly spikes up your blood sugar levels. Your body needs to bring those levels down so it secrets a surge of insulin, other male hormones and an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1. The excretion of these hormones overwhelms your liver and your internal system in general. The excess of male hormones encourages the skin to excrete large amounts of sebum oil: The greasy substance that encourages the p.acne bacteria to grow, resulting in the aggravation of your acne.

Acne Diet and Dairy Products: Got Milk? Got Acne

If you thought sugar can aggravate your acne, here's another major nutritional player in the formation of acne: behold the miracles of milk. Milk (all dairy products included) is the most harmful, mucus forming, allergenic and acne aggravating food you can find. Surprised? I thought so. After years of constant brainwashing by the media, who can blame us for thinking milk is good for strong bones and healthy teeth? The truth is: every sip of milk contains 59 different raging hormones, (which trigger the hyper-production of sebum oil resulting in more acne), saturated animal fat, steroid hormones, dead white blood cells, and cow pus in abundance!

Did you know that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows 750 million pus cells in every liter of milk (about two pounds) produced in America? Think about it, the next time you pop a pimple.

Scientific studies already point the finger at milk as one of the worst acne aggravating foods: "As pointed out by Dr. Jerome Fisher, 'About 80 percent of cows that are giving milk are pregnant and are throwing off hormones continuously.' Progesterone breaks down into androgens, which have been implicated as a factor in the development of acne...Dr. Fisher observed that his teenage acne patients improved as soon as the milk drinking stopped."

If there's one element you should remove from your diet in the quest for clear skin make it this one. Not only will you see an immediate improvement over your acne, you'll feel a huge weight has been lifted from your body. If you worry about calcium intake, don’t! Milk being acidic forming food creates a leeching effect where calcium is taken from your bones to balance the acidity. Milk actually deprives your body from its calcium resources. Green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds are not only excellent sources of calcium they also have the powers to help you fight your acne symptoms.

Diet Is Only One of The Factors That Cause Acne

Dairy products and sugar are not the only acne aggravating foods. The two above cannot sum up the list of western made acne triggering foods. There are several other foods you should clearly stay away from if you ever wish to clear your acne. The good new is that there are tons of other foods such as essential fatty acids that are not only excellent for your skin, they can actually help you clear your acne, by re-balancing your body and promoting to an acne-free environment.

The right nutrition plays an important part in the complex process of acne formation. When doctors claim there is no link between diet and acne because certain individuals can eat specific foods and get acne while others eat the same foods and don't, these doctors have failed to realize that there are several factors involved in the formation and aggravation of acne and diet is only ONE of them.

The Final Verdict On The Acne Diet Connection: How To Finally Overcome Your Acne Challenge

Acne is a complex condition that is triggered by several underlying factors. The only way to neutralize your acne condition is to tackle all these acne-contributing factors-holistically. Since the wrong diet is only one of these acne-triggering factors, in most cases no special diet can cure acne.

There is a however, a tight connection between diet and acne formation. Dietary factors can trigger and aggravate your existing acne. Avoiding the wrong foods such as milk, sugar and hydrogenated oils, and eating cleansing and hormonal balancing foods such as green leafy vegetables and essential fatty acids, can help your skin heal itself from the inside out and dramatically reduce your acne symptoms.

There are also several important dietary principals that you must understand and follow if you ever want to cure your acne for good.

Taking responsibility over your body and adhering to these dietary principals along with taking the necessary steps to tackle all acne contributing factors, holistically, will not only cure your acne permanently and give you the flawless acne free skin you deserve, following these principals will also significantly improve your overall health, mental well-being, look and feel.

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23Jul/100

Adult Acne – Getting Rid of It!!!

If you were part of the majority of people that were unlucky to be plagued with teen acne, just think of all the snickers, jests and humiliation you had to go through, then it easier for you to understand why most adult acne sufferers go through a lot of hassles to remove adult acne from their lives. We both know that adult acne is not a terminal disease (you can't die from having it, I guess you knew that uhhh?). The major thing acne gives us are ugly scars and sometimes they could be really ugly, like mine was at a certain time.

Most of we adults afflicted with acne are usually on the look out for the magical cure that would gives us the fresh and smooth face or skin we had when we were eleven years old. Before we go on a wild goose chase looking for the magical acne medication that would rid us of adult acne lets understand why and how these little annoying monsters grow on our faces.

Why do so many adults still have acne?

It seems from all the amount spent on all those expensive research they still tell us the same thing that we were have all read in encyclopedias, the major cause of adult acne always has something to do with our hormones running wild and also genetics (my dad had a very bad case of acne when he was younger, more severe than mine was). The genetics part simply means that your biological family history has a large chunk of the blame of why you are suffering from adult acne. But aside those there are some other factors that are responsible for worsening your acne condition, some of them include:

*Side effects from some drugs - (such as corticosteroids, androgenic steroids, and lithium)

*Picking at or squeezing at the pimples

*Harsh scrubbing of the skin

*Oil based cosmetic products - (I guess you know this one already)

*Stress, illness or exhaustion

*Heat and moisture

*Diet has a some amount of influence on acne - (and please eating chocolate does not cause acne, where the heck did you hear that from)

*Pregnancy

*Menstruation

*Menopause

How does Adult Acne form on the Skin?

The formation of adult acne as we all know has something to do with sebum, follicle and all those big words that I read in some 21 inches thick encyclopedia. In simple words it is formed when oil (also know as sebum) that is produced underneath the skin surface is blocked from reaching the skin surface where it always flows to, through a hair-containing canal called a "follicle".

The follicle wall sheds cells often and the canal is used to remove dead cells, which sort of become sticky and block the opening as they attempt to leave the follicle. The blockage results in increased bacteria growth in the follicle, which turns the trapped sebum into a very irritating substance and results in an inflammation that is widely known as acne.

Pheww!!! All that explanation reminds me of high school biology (so painfully boring to me).

In one sentence on how acne forms it is simply put as "Dead skin cells clog the pores, and bacteria cause inflammation which results in acne on the skin".

Although so many adults like you have tried many acne medications and cosmetics to combat acne, we tend to wonder why they seem not to get rid of the problem once and for all but still they re-occur. It seems that acne forms when one or more of these conditions occurs:

*A blockage in the follicle

*There is an over production of sebum (oil)

*Increased bacteria growth within the hair follicle.

Researchers have found out that the hormone responsible for acne, which is called "testosterone". Yes you have heard of it before it is the male hormone (it is found in both males and females but it is produced in high levels in males). Testosterone is responsible for increasing production of sebum (oil), which results in more pimples. Since testosterone is an androgen and is more in males than females, this explains why men tend to have more severe cases of acne than women (at least that explains why I used to have more pimples on my face than my elder sister although she started having pimples on her face before I started having mine).

Adult acne occurs as visible bumps on the surface of the skin usually on the face, although body acne is also common. Adult Acne is seen as pus-filled blisters; small reddish bumps, ugly looking thick red skin on the nose, cheeks and forehead, and small reddish blood vessels all seen on the skin surface. Acne outbreaks usually occur on the face, neck, chest, and shoulders and back. A highbrow term for adult acne is "acne rosacea".

For so many folks stress seems to be one of the major factors in aggravating their acne condition. When I was in college towards the end of the semester when the amount of work we had to do increases, I tend to have more break outs of pimples maybe as a result of the stress or because I had lesser time for acne skin care. It seems aside the fact that you have to contend with hormones and genetics being the major cause of you acne condition you also have things like stress to worsen it.

Achieving Acne Control with the best Acne Medication

The first step in treating your adult acne condition has to do with proper acne skin care.

First of all AVOID the temptation of SQUEEZING your PIMPLES. Most of the time this results in the scars you see on your face. The bigger a pimple is the higher the chances it will leave a scar if you "pop" it.

Remember to wash your skin gently only twice a day; this is very helpful in removing surface dirt and excessive oil, which could worsen your acne condition by clogging the pores. Also please do not use abrasive soaps. They could damage your skin pores and leave your skin too dry.

If you currently use oil-based cosmetics it's time you switch to water-based, non-comedogenic cosmetics as oil-based creams or lotions irritate oily skin and cause further breakouts and blemishes.

You should also make it a habit to always remove your makeup before going to bed.

Consider applying an oil-free moisturizer to your skin after washing. This helps your skin replenish its own moisture and keeps the oil glands from over producing.

Always remember to shampoo regularly. This prevents oily hair from rubbing off on your skin.

Like we learnt in biology class, a balanced diet is necessary for optimum health. A balanced diet and drinking 10-12 glasses of water a day can help keep your skin healthy. There are some physicians that believe that an increase in iodine consumption aggravates acne and recommend a reduction or elimination of fish and iodized salt.

Relax a little to reduce stress and try planning out your activities so you are not under a lot of pressure from your daily activities.

In case you are looking for a more aggressive adult acne treatment to totally banish those little monsters of your face/body you should try using a combination of treatment like that offered by clear pores system which consists of a facial/body wash, facial/body protection cream and a herbal supplement which fights the acne from the inside and the outside. This triple combination is guaranteed to get rid of acne from your life.

Another very impressive acne treatment available is acnezine, which has natural ingredients that work to take care of the skin. They help control free radicals that cause skin damage, aging and wrinkling, and that can contribute to infection. Acnezine limits inflammation, helping take care of the ugly redness, and working to limit the inflammatory response that can cause scarring. And, Acnezine promotes healing. Acnezine consists of skin anti-Oxidant Capsules and acne Moisturizing Crème which ensures acne is combated from both inside and outside the body.

For more information on how you can permanently get rid of Adult Acne from your life and look more youthful and beautiful visit adult acne treatment a brand new blog that gives information, tips and advice on how to solve the problem of acne.

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