How to Get Rid of Acne




Posted on January 27, 2012 by

Your came to this site for one reason, you want to know how to get rid of acne. Extreme cases of acne can be damaging, both in a physical sense as well as an emotional one. Untreated or improperly treated, acne can leave scars on the body as well as (and maybe more importantly) scars on the psyche. For those with severe acne, it is often the foremost thought on their mind. Even those who only suffer with mild to moderate acne can also feel the social stigma of the skin disorder.

Acne typically makes its appearance as you enter puberty and clears by the time you leave your teens. Adults, however, do get acne and those with severe acne can suffer throughout their lives. Acne pimples typically appear on the face but they can also be found on the neck, back, arms, chest, legs and even on the genital area.

Acne is a disease of the skin that involves the oil glands under the skin. These glands produce a substance called Sebum. Sebum carries dead cells to the surface of the skin for removal from the body through the follicles. When the follicles get blocked, whiteheads and blackheads are formed. If the wall of the blocked follicle ruptures below the skin, zits or pimples are formed. Blocked follicles can be caused by hormonal changes (puberty, menstrual cycle, etc.), stress, chemical imbalances and even a person’s genetics.

How to get rid of acne

There are many treatments for acne. These treatments fall into two categories: those that you must get from a licensed physician and those you can obtain or make without a prescription. Since we imagine that you would not be reading this blog if you were under the treatment of a physician, we will concentrate on giving you the best non-prescription methods of to get rid of acne in this post and the posts to come.

In this post, we will provide you with a few basic tips. In future posts, we will offer more tips and recommendations of specific products, diets and treatment plans.

1)    Drink lots of water. Drinking an adequate amount of water (64 ounces a day for most people) will help flush toxins out of the body that may cause the follicles to become clogged and, resultantly, acne to form. Water also keeps the skin moisturized.

2)    Keep the affected areas clean. Dirt and oils clog the pores and can lead to acne outbreaks. Make sure you wash with a mild soap and don’t overdo it. Abrasive soaps and over-cleaning can lead to dry skin which, in turn, causes the body to produce more Sebum and increases the likelihood of blocked follicles.

3)    Resist the temptation to “pop the zits” or “squeeze the blackheads”. Doing either can make the acne less noticeable for a short period of time. However, more often than not, popping a zit results in irritating or infecting the follicles and creating more acne.

4)    Exercise regularly. Exercise is great for increasing blood circulation. The better your blood circulates, the fewer problems you will have with clogged pores.

5)    Eat foods high in antioxidants. It has been shown that persons consuming a high amount of antioxidants have lower instances of acne. Blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are so called “superfoods”. Among the many miraculous properties they are thought to have, being high in antioxidants is one that has been verified.

The tips above are sound fundamentals that you should follow in addition to any specific treatment plan or product you ultimately decide to use. All of the suggestions made in this post and which will be made for treating acne in future posts on this blog have been successfully used. However, every person is physiologically different and what works for one person may not work as well for the next person or may not work at all for a third person. You may have to try several acne treatment plans before you find the best one for you. In the days and weeks ahead, as we add to this blog, we hope we can provide you with your own personal answer to the question of how to get rid of acne.

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HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE: CYSTIC ACNE



Posted on February 5, 2012 by

This post about how to get rid of acne is concerned with getting rid of cystic acne. Cystic acne is one of the most severe forms of acne. It is characterized by inflamed breakouts of fluid filled lumps just under the skin. This form of acne is found most often in teenage boys and, due to its severity, is usually accompanied by scarring. The outbreaks are found most commonly on the face and neck but acne cysts can be found anywhere on the body.

Because of the severity of cystic acne and the damage it can do to healthy cells, a visit to the dermatologist may be required. The dermatologist may treat the acne with oral antibiotics, corticosteroid injections directly into the cyst or surgical incisions directly into the cyst to drain off the infected fluid.

Many people, however, lack the financial resources to be treated by a dermatologist or simply prefer to try natural methods first. For those people, we offer the following suggestions for at home treatment of cystic acne.

Dietary Change:

The first step to a natural treatment for cystic acne would be to alter your diet. Many people believe that certain foods contribute to various forms of acne including nodular or cystic acne. Therefore, it is believed that removing caffeine, red meat, cola products and dairy products will aid in reducing or eliminating the acne cysts or nodules. In addition, sufferers have reported acne improvement by adding fish, dried nuts and seeds, fruits and fresh vegetables to their diet.

Washing:

Wash the affected area twice daily, using a mild, perfume free soap (either a soap like Ivory or special antibacterial soaps made acne). Bacteria are the single biggest cause of cystic acne. Therefore, it is crucial that you keep the area free from makeup, sweat and excessive oils. In addition, you should try to keep your hands off the area as much as possible so as not to irritate the area as well as to keep from spreading bacteria from the hands to the inflamed area. [A note regarding makeup: trying to hide the acne with makeup is counter-productive. Applying more makeup to cover the acne will clog the pores beneath the makeup and cause the bacteria to remain within the skin causing more outbreaks].

Drink LOTS of water:

Water is important for skin health. Not only is it important for the skin itself, it is essential for the body to be able to efficiently remove the toxins from the body’s cells. Efficient removal is especially important when your body has an excess of bacteria such as when it is experiencing an acne breakout.

Exercise regularly:

Exercise helps to reduce stress and stress, while not the biggest factor in the development of acne, certainly has been shown to contribute to its formation. Not only will exercising help lower your stress, it will help your body run better so that it more efficiently eliminates toxins in the body.

Sleep:

Make sure you are getting the proper amount of sleep. Your body needs sufficient rest to run properly. When you deprive your body of that rest, it stops running the way it was designed to run. Many people have reported improvements in the severity of their acne merely by getting increasing the amount of sleep the got each night.

No smoking:

If you smoke, stop. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that smoking contributes to the severity of cystic acne. So, getting rid of your acne is just another in a long line of reasons why you should stop smoking.

Many of these suggestions sound too simple to be of any effect on your acne but there is evidence that they all work (at least to some extent and at least for some people). If you can’t (or don’t want to) be treated for your cystic acne by a dermatologist, these suggestions for how to get rid of acne may just be your ticket to clear complexion.

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HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE MARKS



Posted on January 30, 2012 by

Learning how to get rid of acne marks is the goal of every person whose acne has left a reminder of the outbreak on their skin. Acne marks are external mementos of the outbreaks most people suffer during puberty and, for some, throughout their lives. Perhaps more significant is that the marks on the skin are usually less significant than the scar it leaves on a person psychologically. There are many options, however, that can help you reduce or eliminate those marks. Smaller, lighter marks can be treated at home with over the counter products and natural remedies. Larger, deeper marks can be removed (or lessened) by a dermatologist.

The home remedies and OTC/natural products listed below have all been proven to work to various degrees for those who have tried them. Some of the suggestions are fairly temporary solutions while others offer permanent relief. Since you are a physiologically unique person, you may have to try several (or all) of them before you find the one(s) that work best for you. The list below is alphabetical and, therefore, not in any particular order of effectiveness or permanence.

Aloe Vera: Aloe vera gel is one of the better non-medical treatments for acne marks. Apply the gel directly to the affected area. Pure aloe vera works better than aloe vera with additives.

Cocoa butter: Cocoa butter can be purchased in almost every drug and grocery store. Cocoa butter works well for reducing the mark and healing the skin (smells better than a lot of these other remedies too). Just follow the directions on the package.

Drink lemon juice: Drinking lemon juice (daily) will help lessen the marks left by acne as it increases the body’s efficiency in shedding dead skin cells.

Drink lots of water: Most people do not drink enough water to keep their bodies hydrated properly. This is especially significant when you are trying to get rid of acne marks as water is essential for the body to rid itself of dead skin cells. Drinking plenty of water also helps the unaffected areas of the skin to look better and helps to prevent acne outbreaks from occurring.

Egg whites: Apply slightly beaten egg whites to the affected areas before bed. Let dry and wash off the next morning. Works both to prevent acne as well as reduce marks.

External lemon juice: Apply lemon juice directly to the affected areas. Lemon juice lightens the mark and will erode, over a period of time, the top layers of skin comprising the marks. You can clean your entire face with lemon juice if you like: it does a great job of unclogging your pores. If the lemon juice burns, you can dilute it slightly with clean water before use.

Garlic: Garlic does a wonderful job of preventing acne as well as fading acne marks. Crush fresh garlic and apply to the affected site. You need to try to keep the garlic on the areas for 30 minutes, longer if you can. Wash thoroughly. This method works fairly quickly with some people claiming significant improvement in as little as four days to a week.

Honey: Honey does a great job of fading marks. Apply to affected areas and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash thoroughly.

Ice: Applying ice to the area for 10 to 15 minutes daily will reduce the inflamation and redness and generally lighten the mark. Never apply ice directly to the skin; wrap the ice in a thin cloth before application.

Lavender Oil: Lavender oil does a good job on the marks left by acne. Wash your face with warm water to open the pores (make sure the water is warm, not hot), apply the lavender oil directly to the mark and rub in gently.

Olive Oil: Olive oil is a superfood. It is a great addition to any diet. As far as marks on your face, apply a small amount of oil to the areas (or entire face if you wish) before bed and massage in well. Leave on overnight. The oil should be fully absorbed by morning so just wash as normal. Olive oil does a very good job at lessing the visibility of the marks.

Sunscreen: Sunscreen won’t do anything to remove a mark or make it fade. However, failure to cover the mark with sunscreen before going out into the sun will cause that mark to become darker and more noticeable. Don’t undo the progress you make using some of these methods by failing to use sunscreen.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes have great healing properties for skin damage. Tomatoes also have a bleaching quality. Slice a fresh tomato and keep it on the mark for about 15 minutes. Wash thoroughly. Repeat daily until mark has faded.

No one should have to live with life-long reminders of an acne outbreak. No one should also have to spend hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to get rid of that reminder. One of the suggestions above (or a combination of several) will work for most people. Try these first before you spend your hard earned money on (sometimes) painful medical procedures. We would appreciate hearing back from you on which method(s) you found worked for you (or didn’t work for you). We would also appreciate it if you would share this article, How to Get Rid of Acne Marks, with those who may need these suggestions.

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HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE OVERNIGHT



Posted on January 29, 2012 by

How to get rid of acne overnight? That is the question everyone asks. No one ever wants to know how acne can be slowly cleared. The reason for this is that moderate to severe acne is one of the most, if not the most, socially stigmatizing disorders a person can have. It is the extremely rare person who does not avoid social situations when suffering with a breakout of acne. That being said, extremely severe acne simply is not going to be cleared up overnight. However, mild to moderate acne can see significant improvement (and in some cases, complete clearing) within a day.

Acne is caused by the blockage of the follicles in the skin that carry dead cells to the skin surface. When this happens, you get whiteheads or blackheads. If the follicles rupture under the skin, you get what people refer to as zits. Hygiene plays a important role in the development of acne and you should keep your skin as bacteria and oil free as possible without drying out or irritating your skin. However, good hygiene isn’t always enough to prevent a breakout of acne.

When you need to get rid of acne overnight, try the following steps:

Step One:

Wash your face. Sounds simple enough, you probably do this every night. The key here is to wash your face correctly. First you need to make sure your hands are clean and bacteria free. Wash them well before you put the first bit of soap on your face.

Next, splash water on your face to loosen the dirt (make sure the water is lukewarm, cold water is not used but water that is too hot will damage the skin).

Wash your face gently, scrubbing too hard can irritate the skin or cause a blocked follicle to rupture under the skin. (Ruptured follicles under the skin are what actually cause “zits”). There are soaps specifically formulated for washing your face; however, if you are not using one of these, you should use a mild soap such as Ivory.

Lather the soap fully and then splash the soap off of your face. Pat your face dry—do not rub it dry. (Note: use a clean towel, not one you used before).

Step Two:

Ice down the affected area(s). Make sure you wrap the ice pack in a clean towel or other cloth to form a barrier between the ice pack and your skin. The cloth should been thin enough that it does not insulate your face from the cold. The cloth barrier is important for two reasons: 1) It protects the skin from damage from the cold (frostbite) and 2) it absorbs the oils on your face, preventing them from being transferred from one area of the face to another. You need to use either a gel type ice pack or a homemade pack made with crushed ice. This is to make sure that the pack makes good contact with the affected skin.

The purpose of the ice pack is to close up the pores so tightly that the oils, dead cells, dirt and bacteria are forced out of the blocked follicle and can be removed from the skin. You should keep the ice pack on for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step Three:

Immediately after removing the ice pack, was your face again, exactly as you did it in step one.

Step Four:

After your face has been patted dry, apply an acne product like Clearasil or Noxzema or other acne prevention product of your choice.

If you do not have access to these types of products (or cannot afford them), you can make a solution of one aspirin with about 4 ounces of lemon juice. Crush the aspirin and mix it with the lemon juice. Dab the solution on the affected areas with a clean gauze pad or cotton ball. If the solution burns, you can dilute it slightly with clean water.

Having properly followed all of these steps, you should find your acne outbreak has significantly cleared in a few hours. If your acne was severe or if your face hasn’t cleared to your satisfaction, repeat the entire process again in four to six hours. Try the steps above and you will see that you now know how to get rid of acne overnight.

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