Taking the Fear Out of Cystic Acne

Cystic Acne is the harshest form of acne. It is painful and severe and there is no surprise why so many are afraid of developing it. Once a person has cystic acne the process of clearing it up can be long and difficult. However, once a person understands cystic acne they will be better prepared to fight it. With knowledge the fear of cystic acne can be banished forever.

Cystic Acne Explained

Cystic acne is an infection. It is the result of an infection down in the skin pore. The pore fills with pus and become swollen, which then becomes visible as a cyst on the skins surface. They are usually red in color and often have a white center where the pus is visible.

The actual reason why cystic acne forms is that the pores get blocked, usually with excess oil. Once the pore is blocked the stage is set for bacteria to grow easily and causes an infection.

The cause of cystic acne can vary. It is mainly believed, though, that hormonal changes are the main reason for the development of cystic acne. It most often occurs in teenagers and in pregnant women, which are situations where there are often great hormonal changes. Additionally, excess dirt on the face and dirty skin, in general, can also contribute to the acne.

Treatment Methods

Most people assume that squeezing out the pus is the best way to combat the infection. This is not a good idea, though. Squeezing a cyst can cause permanent scarring which can be quite difficult to clear up.

The best treatment for a severe case is through a dermatologist. The dermatologist will try several treatment methods, but the most common and most effective method is medication. The medication of choice is usually isotretinoin, which is a retinoid.

Isotretinoin is taken orally and helps to reduce oil production in the skin which is what leads to the blocked and infected pores.

Home methods of treatment include the basics of skin care:

- Wash you face morning and evening.

- Use an astringent that is formulated for your skin tone daily.

- Spot treat acne with over the counter acne medication.

- Moisturize skin daily.

Cystic acne is something that will eventually go away with treatment. You just have to keep your mind focused on what causes it and be prepared to fight against the causes by keeping your skin as clean as possible. If you have a severe case of cystic acne then you should seek help from a dermatologist to help clear up the problem.

Adult Acne: Causes and Treatments

I am an adult! Why am I still battling acne? Adult acne can be frustrating and embarrassing but more than half of adults suffer from acne at some point in their adulthood. Since it is so common, what can be done about it?

Acne usually occurs when oil and dead skin cells get clogged in a pore and mix with bacteria. Adult acne can be caused by stress, hormones, birth control or bad cosmetics. This is why women are more likely than men to suffer from it. First, take a close look at your make-up. If you suffer from acne outbreaks avoid make-up that is oil based. Choose products that are labeled noncomedogenic. Certain medical conditions and prescription medications can also cause acne. If you have other symptoms of a hormone imbalance or if your acne began when you started a new medication, consult your physician.

Adult acne often manifests itself differently than teenage acne. Adult breakouts are often mild or moderate and do not usually result in scarring. Blackheads and whiteheads are less common. Adult facial acne is usually seen on the chin, lower cheek and below the jaw line rather than all over the face as is common in adolescents.

As an adult with acne, you might choose to visit your dermatologist. A dermatologist can diagnose the condition on your face as acne or a very similar appearing skin condition called rosacea. Rosacea often appears with acne and can be caused by some acne medications. However, it is a separate condition and needs to be treated differently. A dermatologist can prescribe an effective topical or oral treatment for both acne and rosacea.

If you are confident that your skin condition is adult acne, you might chose to visit your local drugstore and try some of the over the counter treatments available. There are many kinds available and it is worth doing a little research either by talking to your friends or searching the internet to find one that is worth trying.

No matter which acne treatment you try first, be sure to wash your face twice a day with a cleanser that contains salicylic acid. Also, use moisturizer and sunscreen daily for good healthy skin.

Adult acne can be embarrassing. It is not a life threatening medical condition but it may have significant ramifications. Suffers of adult acne may have low self esteem and lack the self confidence to succeed. With all of the products available to treat adult acne, there is no reason to suffer. Visit your favorite drugstore or dermatologist soon and get the help you deserve.

Acne Products for Fighting Blemishes

There are many acne products that you can use when trying to fight blemishes. You may have seen many brand name skin care products on the shelves that tell you that you can get clear skin in a week. Some of these acne products work for people and some of them do not.

Whether these acne products works for you all depends on how your body reacts to medication. If you take the acne product and use it, you may see improvements right away. On the other hand, you may use it and see no change except that your face looks irritated and dry. This irritation and dryness that occurs with medication can even cause you to have more outbreaks.

You can try to use moisturizer to help the problem with the dry skin. This could help your blemishes as well since many times acne is fueled by dry skin problems. A healthy skin is one that is well moisturized and clean.

Clean does not mean that you need to wash your face many times a day. This will actually cause acne to get worse. However, you need to clean your face two times a day to remove any oil, pollutants from the air or make up. If you do not what is left on your face could result in bacteria that seeps into your pores.

There are always bacteria in your pores; this is actually what the acne products are trying to rid of when you put the lotion on your face. The cream will go into the pores and start to eat at the bacteria. If it is able to get through it you will end up with a pimple free face.

Bacteria are not the only cause of acne. Hormones play another major role in having acne. This is why adolescents have a difficult time with their skin. Hormones are raging during this period and the result is blemishes. Acne products are usually quite effective for those who have zits caused by hormones. Usually the zits last for a short time and once they have gotten over the hump of being a teenager, their blemishes are gone. Until that time, topical medications that you find over the counter seem to help dry up current pimples and help prevent future outbreaks.

If outbreaks continue to happen then some people will forget the acne products in the store and seek out the advice of their dermatologists. Dermatologists are able to prescribe medications that you take orally to help fight the bacteria in pores. They also have stronger medications that may work better than the ones in the store.

Start your Acne Free Life Today

Living acne free is a dream fro some people. For the majority of people acne is a phase they go through during adolescence. For others, though, acne is something that continues to plague them through adulthood. Living acne free is about adopting a lifestyle that will allow you to create good conditions for your skin and prevent the further development of acne.

The Dirt and Grime Acne

Dirt and oil are the two biggest culprits that lead to acne. Freeing your skin from dirt and oil is essential in your fight to be acne free. Acne is caused by clogged pores. It can be visible on the skin’s surface as white heads, black heads or cysts. In order to be completely acne free a person has to make sure their skin is as free from dirt and oil as possible.

This can be difficult because you skin actually produces oil to help keep it healthy. However, it is excess oil that is the problem and must be handled. Dirt is easier to keep from the skin since that is an external problem, not internal like oil.

With these things in mind your road to acne free skin can be easier.

Baby Steps

The first thing you have to start doing is a skin care routine. You have to develop a good skin care routine that use daily. It should include cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturizing.

In addition to these steps you also need to have spot treatment plans. You may need to do spot treatment for dry skin, oily skin and when you have a breakout.

Dry skin needs to be moisturized with a non-oil based moisturizer. Dry skin encourages the skin to produce more oil and therefore can easily lead to acne.

Oily skin occurs when excess oil is produced and is the breeding ground for acne. Using the correct products in your daily skin care routine can really help to cut down on excess oil production.

Acne can be treatment with topical creams. Be sure to follow the directions on the package closely. Many of these OTC treatments contain ingredients that dry out the skin and can cause more trouble than good should you experience drying.

Additional Advice

Besides your regular routine and treatment methods, there are other things you can do to help keep your skin acne free. One of the biggest things is to not touch your face. You should avoid touching your face, especially with dirty hands. This causes you to transfer dirt and debris form your hands to your face which can clog pores and cause acne.

You should also choose make up that is not going to clog pores or introduce extra oil to your skin. Also make sure to not use things that irritate your skin, like shampoos and perfumes.

Getting acne free skin is a process. If you are plagued by acne it can be a long process, but it is something your can do. If you have severe acne you may even think about consulting a dermatologist to help you with prescription treatments.

Treatment, Acne Loses the Fight

When you have blemishes, there are many options for treatment; acne can be cured during outbreaks. Some treatments can even prevent you from getting pimples. You will need to be consistent when using these options for treatment; acne can come back quickly depending on your cause for outbreaks.

Explanation behind Outbreaks

If your outbreaks tend to appear during certain times of the month if you are a woman then it is probably due to hormonal changes. Options for treatment, acne can be beat with vary. Some topical medications work well with hormones because it dries up the pimple quickly and you only need to treat it once a month.

Outbreaks can be caused by stress. When under stress and using treatment, acne can usually overcome it. Stress will not leave once you start taking medication for your blemishes unless the pimples are the cause of your stress. You will need to take steps to relieve your stress so your outbreaks become less severe.

Blemish Treatment, Acne Options for you

So you have acne and now you want to get rid of it with treatment. Acne can be stubborn to cure but with perseverance and continued use of medication, your pimples will go ahead and stay away. The first thing to remember is that you didn’t do anything to your face to cause your acne. This is usually due to internal physiological processes.

If you have tried all of the over the counter options, you may need to seek other treatment. Acne can be also cured with prescription medications that only a physician or dermatologist can prescribe. Your dermatologist will ask you some questions to see why you have outbreaks and then rule out any potential environmental causes. Sometimes acne can be caused by washing your face too much or humid weather.

Your dermatologist will then prescribe you an oral medication or a topical medication and sometimes both if your case is severe. The oral antibiotic will help get rid of bacteria that is living and multiplying in your pores. This treatment, acne will begin to slow down because this bacterium is the major cause for blemishes. The topical medication will have higher concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide or Sacillyc Acid that you normally find in the store. Some people respond to these higher levels of medication better than the lower doses. There are also other types of acne fighting medications like Differin so you doctor will probably let you know that if the first medication doesn’t work you will have to make another appointment to receive further evaluation.

Explaining Baby Acne

Baby acne can be scary to some parents who have never had a baby before or have not had a baby with acne. You will find that acne in babies looks a lot like a rash. You will see pimple like bumps with red skin around them. You shouldn’t see your baby itching at them because they normally do not itch or irritate the baby in anyway.

Ask your Doctor

The acne usually presents itself about a week after the baby is born. It can last for a couple of week to a month. Usually, it is nothing to be concerned about because they are just pimples and not an allergic reaction to anything. If you suspect that it could be an allergic reaction, ask your doctor to look at your next well baby visit or call your doctor on the phone.

You doctor will simply look your baby to diagnose if it is an allergic rash or baby acne. Doctors usually do not have to do a blood test or other type of allergy test to determine what it is because baby acne is distinctive. Your doctor will simply ask you to keep an eye on it or any other symptoms and reassure you that it should disappear in a couple of weeks.

Baby acne will not leave any scarring and will vanish as quickly as it appeared. You will not be able to tell that your baby had acne. This is just one thing that baby’s first get when they are born.

Reason for Acne in Babies

There is no real medical cause for acne in babies except that some experts believe its from the hormones they receive from the mother at birth. These hormones much like the hormones in women, which cause adult acne, are transferred to the baby. The baby’s body then reacts to the hormones the same, which produces acne in babies.

Do not do anything to treat baby acne. This is not something you need to put creams on or scrub. It is not caused by dirt or unclean pores. It is untreatable. All you need to do is wait it out until it goes away on its own.

Baby acne might worry you but there it is really nothing to be concerned about because it is just a normal result of birth. Your baby is completely fine and the acne is not a rash from an allergic reaction. Your child will not have this acne for long and it will clear up as quickly as it came. Of course, if you see other signs associated with the acne you will need to let your doctor know to exactly know for sure.

Popular Acne Treatments

There are many types of acne treatments on the market. So many, in fact, that you might be wondering how to decide which acne treatment is the right one for you. Some common types of topical treatments include: alcohol based solutions, creams, foams, gels, lotions, and ointments. Some acne treatments are available over the counter and some are available by prescription.

Key ingredients in Over the Counter Medications

If you have mild acne or only occasional outbreaks you may find an acne treatment easily and quickly in your local drugstore. The following ingredients are often found in over the counter medications and are effective in treating acne:

• Sulfur: Sulfur helps to unclog pores and remove bacteria. It also reduces inflammation.

• Tea Tree Oil: Tea Tree Oil kills acne and is a common ingredient found in cleansers and toners.

• Benzoyl Peroxide: Benzoyl Peroxide provides oxygen to the pores causing the acne to die. However, it is very drying to the skin.

Prescription Medications

If you want to have clear skin quickly and take the guess work out of finding the right medication, consult with your dermatologist. Your dermatologist may prescribe you certain medications to clear up your acne. The following prescription medications are often effective acne treatments:

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics can be effective in treating acne but be careful not to use them for too long so that you do not build up a resistance.

• Retin A: This prescription medication is derived from Vitamin A and applied topically. Retin A is highly effective and can be used for extended periods of time. However, it does thin the skin so be sure to use proper sun protection at all times.

• Accutane: This is a prescription form of Vitamin A that is taken internally. While it is highly effective, it also has dangerous side effects including severe birth defects. It is best to only use this for short periods of time when you have severe outbreaks.

• Differin: Differin is similar to Retin A in that it is a topical prescription medication derived from Vitamin A. It is less drying than Retin A and a good alternative if you find that your skin is irritated by the Retin A. As with Retin A, be sure to use proper sun block.

You may find that you have to use different acne treatments at different times in your life. This may be because the severity of your acne has changed or a once useful treatment is no longer effective. There are so many acne treatments on today’s market that you should have no problem quickly finding a suitable treatment for your particular needs.