Archive for the ‘Beauty and Skin Care’ Category

Tips for Skin Beautification

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Foods and Vitamins are playing major role in beautifying your skin. Vitamins will keep your skin healthy, and prevent problems of skin disorder. In this chapter we are going to discuss about the Minerals and Vitamins that help to maintain your skin healthy and beautiful.

Vitamin A

This is one of the Vitamins which keep your skin healthy. Vitamin A helps to refurbish skin tissues and prevent skin wrinkles. You can find Vitamin A in the following food items: Mango, Spinach, Eggs, Milk, Wheat, Carrots and Liver.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B keeps your skin healthy and beautiful. Vitamin B prevents skin problem like eczema which is caused by stress. There are many groups in Vitamin B. Vitamin B1 which plays a role as antioxidant and helps in circulation. Vitamin B2 maintains your skin healthy and avoids acne. Vitamin B3 increases circulation. Vitamin B5 controls depression. Vitamin B6 maintains the immune system properly. You can find Vitamin B in the following foods: Bran, Milk, dairy Products, wheat germ, Liver, Kidney, Eggs, Fish, Whole Brown rice and whole Wheat.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a supplement for healing the wounds and preventing skin damage through revitalizing the skin. Vitamin C regulates the immune system properly to avoid illness. It is advisable to consume the below mentioned food item which contains Vitamin C: Oranges, Spinach, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Lettuce, Grapefruit, Strawberries and Mandarins.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the important antioxidant for Skin Pigmentation. Vitamin D is rich in Milk, Cheese, Tuna, Liver, Fortified Rice, Salmon and Fortifies margarine. It is very important to consume these foods to get the Vitamin D Advantages. The most important provider of Vitamin D is Sunlight.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E plays a major role in preventing your skin from direct sunlight, and damages caused by the sunlight. Vitamin E also acts an antioxidant and prevents skin damages.

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral. It assists for skin beautification and skin care. Zinc supports the development of natural healing process of skin. Zinc controls over-production of sebum. Zinc helps to maintain the immune system properly and helps to clear the acne quickly. You can get the Zinc advantage from the following foods: Yeast, Pumpkin Seeds, Beans and lentils, Seeds, cereals, Nuts and Dairy Products.

Supplements for Skin Types

We are not sure that our diet will fulfill all our needs of Vitamins and Minerals, so we can have some supplements to compensate the skin related problems depend upon the type of Skin.

Vitamin B Complex, Evening Primrose Oil, Beta-carotene, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E and Zinc are the most common supplements, which are really suitable for the all the types of skins like Dry Skin, Oily Skin, Combination and Normal Skin.

Maintaining our Skin is not only possible by consuming Vitamins but also there should be a proper Skin Care.

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Tips for Maintaining Your Healthy Skin

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

Proper skin care and skin protection needs to maintain your skin healthy and glowing. In this busy world nobody will take care of proper skin maintenance. Without proper skin care you will loss your healthy and beautiful skin. When you become aged your skin automatically becomes thinner, and the result is wrinkle. The oil producing organs will not function properly in old age; your skin will become dry. The count of blood vessels in your body will decrease. Finally your skin becomes more breakable, and leads loss of healthy and glowing skin.

Protect Your Skin from Sunlight

Protecting your skin from sunlight is the most essential method of skin care. The ultraviolet rays from sunlight will affect your skin directly. You can avoid dry and rough skin, wrinkles, and liver spots by protecting your skin from direct sunlight. Most of the changes in you skin will occur because of sunlight exposure.

How to avoid Sunlight or Exposure?

The impact of sunlight will be severe normally from 10am to 4 pm, you can avoid outside work during this hours. Protect your body with full-sleeved shirts, long pants, hats and fabrics which are suitable for summer. You can get Sun Protected Cloths from many branded companies, specially designed to protect your body from ultraviolet rays. Select glasses that will keep your eyes cool and comfort, and it will avoid allergies caused by sunlight and ultraviolet rays.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking speedup the aging of skin and enhance wrinkles. Smoking will affect the blood vessels in the outer layer of the skin. The blood flow will automatically decrease. It drains oxygen and nutrients in the skin such as Vitamin A, which is most important vitamin for healthy skin. While smoking your face expressions will change such as tightening your lips and eyes. The skin will damage even by the smoke from the burning cigarette.

Wash Your Skin Softly

Purification is very important in skin care. Use only warm water for bathing, and avoid staying long time in water while bathing, because it will remove oils from the skin and your skin will become dry. Avoid strong soaps, use mild soaps that contain cleansing or moisturizing. Avoid perfumes and dyes, because your skin is soft. This kind of perfumes or dies will irritate your skin. The skin in the area of eye is very soft, so remove your eye makeup carefully with soft sponge, cotton cloth or cotton balls. After bathing give some pat dry with towel to your skin, it will leave some moisture on your skin

Shave With Care

To remove unwanted hair from your body, the inexpensive method is shaving. But you have to be very careful while shaving, this will cause skin irritations and damage. Clean your face with fresh warm water before start shaving. Don’t shave in dry skin; apply some gel or shaving cream before shave. Use always new razor, because the used ones will damage your skin. Do not shave in the opposite direction of hair growth. Clean your skin with warm water after shave.

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Oily Skin: Causes and Treatment

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

Causes of Oily Skin

Excess quantity of moisturizer by oil glands is the main cause of oily skin. It makes the skin texture thick and heavy. It is the main cause of pimples, black heads, white heads and blemishes. It results in greasy feeling and shiny on the face that accumulate dirt and grime which was not liked by all the owners of oily skin. Sagging and wrinkles are prematurely appeared. This type of skin that contains the active oil glands tends to age than other types.

Advantage and Disadvantages of Oily Skin

Hormones and genes play important role of having oily skin. The oily skin makes you to look dirty and dull. The advantage of oily skin: It keeps your skin more elastic, because if it’s excess oil. It helps to develop wrinkles at later age than other type of skin.

Oily Skin: Pimples

Most common cause of oily skin is pimple, also called blocked pores. To prevent pimples, wash your face often with a proper face wash, especially available for oily skin. Wash your face after your workouts; don’t wait till you reach your home. Because perspiration that causes pimples will dry on your face. To get a better result wash your face at least twice a day, once in the morning and bedtime. Use gentle face washes like Dove or with plain water.

Oily Skin: Shine

To get rid of the shine, splash water on your face as soon as it starts looking oily. Gently wipe it with a tissue or towel. It is better to avoid face wash when you wash your face more than four times per day. It may produce more oil in your skin. Use oil free from cosmetics and moisturizers till your skin gets complete remedy.

Steps to Care for Oily Skin

  1. Wash your face 2-3 times in a day with cold water using mild soap. If you are unable to wash often, better use premoistened cleansing pad pack.
  2. Use the product that suits your skin; you can get suggestion from your aestheticians and dermatologists before selecting any product.
  3. Bath or shower in lukewarm moderately than steamed hot water. By using hot water it may strip the needed moisturizer from your skin. Cold water may distress your skin.
  4. Avoid cleanser that makes your skin over dry. It may produce more oil than usual.
  5. Use oil free sunscreen lotions and moisturizer products that don’t block pores.
  6. You can have drugs to reduce the production of oil glands according to the dermatologist advice.
  7. Though oil glands are very sensitive, you have to maintain proper diet, so avoid foods that contains rich fat.
  8. These efforts are to clean your oily skin. There are some cases due to hereditary.

Oily Skin: Treatment

If oily skin is not treated properly, it leads to build dead skin cells and black heads. It becomes difficult to maintain the skin. Skin complexion looks sallow and pore turns into visible. Treatment for oily skin takes time and also needs patience. There is no quick solution. It has to be treated internally with professional medical help. Mostly treatment can control your problem but can not resolve. In control case, improvement in skin condition and less greasy can be achieved.

Treatment involves in removal of extra sebum without drying up the skin. More removal of sebum results negative, though it can only motivate the oil glands by producing them more.

Right way is, clean the skin with soft detergent that is less in fatty oils or substances. Detergents containing Alpha hydroxy Acids (AHA) remove the dead cells from the skin and expose a new layer. Regular use of AHA will help. To compensate the dryness due to wash, follow AHA wash with application of water-based moisturizer.

Maintain your diet carefully. Eat low fat diet rich in grains, fresh vegetables and fruits. Intake at least 3-4 liters of water per day, it can be in form of tea, juices or plain water that recommended for good skin tone. More consumption of mineral and Vitamins like vitamin A, B complex and C are important.

Use oil free makeup products particularly for foundation and flush. Water based products won’t clog your pores. Choose the foundation that absorbs oil to avoid shiny or oily look. It is better to use non-oil based sunscreen. Especially gels are recommended though they are non greasy.

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Tips for Skin Care

Monday, July 28th, 2008

To maintain your skin healthy and beautiful, you need to care your skin externally and internally. Eating proper food and maintaining balanced diet is the best treatment than taking medicine. Eat lot of foods that contain vitamin A, orange and yellow vegetables that contains beta-carotene. Skin Softener Cream is the best one for skin problems.

Dry Skin

You need to take special care for dry skin. You can make facial mask with following ingredients: one ounce avocado oil, one ounce sunflower oil and two ounces of sesame oil. Mix all the oils and apply on your skin. Smash apricot, apply on your clean face and leave it for 30 minutes. Clean your face with warm water and just give blot dry. This is the best facial mask to prevent dead cells. To get best result, apply daily. Mayonnaise massage is the best treatment for dry skin.

Oily Skin

Oily skin always has moisturizers in it. Smash one tomato and mix it with fuller’s earth to get a nice paste. Apply this paste on your skin and leave it until it dries completely. Clean your face with warm water and then with cold water, then give blot dry. You should not apply it on the eye area.

Common Skin Care

Take a teaspoon honey, lemon juice, mix with half cup of water, and apply this mixture on your body after your bath. You can make your own skin lotion with the mix-up of lemon juice, egg and sunflower oil. Apply this mixture on your skin frequently. It is advised that for pores or holes in the face, do not use commercial products such as soaps, cleanser, better use home made creams and cleansers.

Cornstarch is the main relief for rashes, chicken pox, insect bites and measles. Rub cornstarch on the affected area and clean with warm water to get quick relief. Avocado oil is the best medicine for softening your skin. Avocado oil contains all the vitamins particularly Vitamin A, C and E. Vitamin E plays a major role to develop your skin complexion.

Most of the people have fungal infections in the nail. The best treatment for fungal infection is Tea Tree oil. Apply this oil on the fungal affected area twice a day, morning and bedtime. To cure ulcers and burns, apply honey on the affected area regularly.

Acne

Acne is caused by deficiency of Zinc. Eat more foods that contain zinc, such as sunflower seeds, soybeans, whole grains and raw nuts in small quantity. Zinc works as antibacterial. Zinc is essential for oil production in skin.

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Stye: What is it?

Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

Living on everybody’s skin are millions of bacteria. Most of the time they live harmlessly on our bodies, but when they get into the wrong place they cause infection. If certain bacteria get into the glands on the eyelids at the base of the eyelashes, the resulting infection is called a hordeolum, commonly known as a stye.

Styes are usually caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, also known as Golden Staph. These bacteria are often present in the nasal membranes. They can cause skin infections, food poisoning, blood poisoning and pneumonia. Skin infections caused by staph, including styes, look like pimples or boils.

Symptoms of a stye include pain, redness and swelling of the area. There may be white or yellow lump, called pointing. Styes may point along the edge of the eyelid or inside the eyelid, but not usually on the outside of the eyelid. Swelling may be localized to the stye, or it may affect the whole eyelid.

In most cases styes do not require medical treatment. Left alone they are often self limiting and go away on their own. Home care treatments include warm to hot compresses three or four times a day. Most important is hygiene, being careful not to rub the eye as this can spread the infection. Squeezing or popping the stye is definitely not recommended. This can spread the infection not only to the rest of the eye but also to the skin of the face, with possibly serious consequences.

Styes can be spread from person to person by contact, so hygiene for the whole household is very important. Anything that touches the eye, like facecloths, towels, bedding, should be washed separately in hot water.

You should seek medical care for a stye if it does not begin to improve within a few days of home care treatment, or if it does not heal within a week or two. Other indications you need to see a doctor are if styes recur, you experience excessive pain, the white of the eye becomes red, the entire eye is swollen shut, or if you experience any change or disturbance in your vision, including double vision. Children with styes who have raised temperature, loss of appetite and complain of a headache, tiredness or feeling unwell should also be taken to the doctor.

Styes will usually be treated by an ophthalmologist. Medical treatment may include topical antibiotic cream to be applied to the eye. For people who have more than one stye at a time, or styes that recur, or get styes along with another condition such as blepharitis or rosacea, the doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics. A large or painful stye may be lanced and drained by the ophthalmologist.

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Sunburn – Basics You Need to Know

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Attitudes to sun exposure, tanning and sunburn have changed greatly over the past few decades, mostly in recognition of the damage done to skin from excessive exposure to the sun. Once an accepted part of a day in the sun, sunburn is now a major cause for concern and actively avoided by many people.

Sunburn results from damage to the skin by ultraviolet (UV) rays. There are two frequencies of UV radiation, UVA and UVB. Sunburn is caused by UVB rays, while UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are responsible for premature aging and skin cancer. Limited sun exposure can be beneficial as the skin is triggered to produce Vitamin D. Ten to fifteen minutes sun exposure two to three times a week is sufficient for this production of Vitamin D.

Although sunburn can be sustained in as little as fifteen minutes, the symptoms take several hours to develop. Some drugs including certain antibiotics, tranquilizers and contraceptives can increase susceptibility to sunburn. Symptoms vary with the severity of the sunburn, beginning with redness and heat in mild cases. The sunburned skin will be tender to the touch and may blister and peel.

Sunburn is often accompanied by dehydration and heat exhaustion. Symptoms of these conditions include nausea, dizziness, rapid pulse or breathing, and extreme thirst with little urine output. These are serious conditions and require immediate attention.

The best treatment for sunburn begins with prevention. If you are going to be in the sun, make sure you protect as much of your skin as possible. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen which blocks both UVA and UVB rays. This is most effective if applied before sun exposure, and then reapplied at regular intervals especially after swimming or sweating. Each sunscreen product will have recommendations on the label for the timing of reapplications.

Covering skin with clothing, wearing a broad brimmed hat and wrap around sunglasses will also help protect from sunburn. Where possible avoid the sun during the middle of the day as UV radiation is strongest from about 10 am until 3pm.

Once skin is sunburned, there is no cure but time. The skin will have to heal itself. Treatment is aimed at reducing pain and discomfort. Work on hydration, both of the body and the skin. Drink lots of water and apply hydrating lotions to the sunburned area. Aloe Vera is very good for this, and there are many lotions and sprays you can use after sun exposure which contain Aloe.

Much of the discomfort of sunburn comes from the heat of the affected area. This can be reduced with cool baths or showers, or cold compresses. Taking over the counter pain relief such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen can help. Stay out of the sun until the burn is completely healed to avoid further damage.

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How to Prevent Skin Discoloration in Acne

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Acne is a very common skin disease. Most of us may suffer from this disease at some point of our life. There are two varieties of acne – Acne vulgaris and Acne rosasea. Acne vulgaris is the predominant form of acne. It usually occurs in the adolescents and teenagers. Acne rosasea mostly occurs in the middle aged women.

Acne vulgaris is usually benign and does not leave any kind of scar or discoloration. But sometimes, the lesions fuses together to form an ugly looking scar. Acne rosasea occurs in those persons who usually blushes or flushes. It also leaves some kind of scar at the site of occurrence, although that is lesser than Acne vulgaris.

By adopting some simple measures, we can be able to minimize the skin discoloration to the area it develops.

a) Cleanse the surface thrice a day with a mild non detergent cleanser

Thoroughly wash your face using the tip of finger only. Do not use whole of palm. Do not rub too much also. You may open up those lesions which may never been lead to scar formation. Use a mild foaming face wash. Make sure it is non-detergent based. If you do not wash your face properly, detergents may leave some particle to the face which is irritating in nature. It flares up the inflammation procedure in case of acne. If you find any red colored itchy area, choose a cleanser which contains Benzoyl peroxide. Do not forget to wash your face thoroughly after cleansing. Then repeat the procedure once more. Lastly, pat dry your face with a cotton towel.

b) Always use an astringent or toner

Apply a good quality astringent lotion in a piece of cotton and gently slide along the area you have just washed. It will take out any cleanser residue and oil. If your skin is dry in nature, go for an alcohol free astringent.

c) Application of the medications

It is the time to apply the acne medication. When the astringent dries completely, gently make a coating using the index finger. Use it as per the direction of your doctor. Do not rub it harshly and allow sufficient time to gat it absorbed.

d) Application of an oil free gel

Now you can use the oil free gel or moisturizer you use regularly. Always buy a good quality oil free gel.
There are some home remedies for the acne also. These are tried and tested for centuries and it is sensible to give a try. Some of the home remedies are mentioned below which considerably lowers the skin discoloration. They are easy to prepare and the method of application does not require anything complication.

Make a paste by mixing one tsp of cinnamon powder and three tablespoon of best quality honey. Apply the mixture over the dark spots. Leave it for 1 hour, and then wash with lukewarm water.

Take one tsp of cinnamon powder and one tsp of freshly prepared lemon juice. Mix them well and apply all over the face.
Garlic paste is known for its depigmentation property. You must use a freshly prepared garlic paste. After half hour of application of the paste, wash with lukewarm water.

Alternatively, you can use fresh tomato pulp also. First remove the skin of tomatoes and using the pulp, make a thick paste. Apply it similarly.

Take 50 ml of un-boiled milk in a cup. Add 1 tsp of Nutmeg powder to it. Make a thick paste. Apply it similarly.

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LASER Treatment for Acne

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Acne is a disease of the skin and is of two types – Acne vulgaris and Acne rosasea. Acne vulgais is the principal form that we most commonly see in our surroundings. In some cases, there is extensive scarring. For this ultramodern treatment like LASER ablation has been invented. But first, we need to have some idea about the formation of acne.

Acne vulgaris is a self limiting disease of the skin among the adolescent and the teenager. Nevertheless, it has noticed among the adults also. Acne occurs because of increase in the sebum production from the sebaceous glands after the person attains puberty. Sebaceous gland is a special type of gland present in the epidermal layer of the skin. Comedones which are tiny cystic lesion appear in the hair follicles because of obstruction in the follicular opening. This is due to retention of sebum and other keratinized materials. After that, because of some bacterial action (Propionobacterium acnes) inside the cyst causes discharge of some inflammatory stuff from the sebum – which is free fatty acid in nature. This acids cause continuous irritation within the cyst wall. Sooner or later the cysts break down and the resulting condition is what we can see is acne. Acne vulgaris can be seen most commonly over the face. Nevertheless, chest and the back side can get involved also. In most of the cases, acne remains docile and does not essentially lead to scar formation. In some patients, it is seen that the tiny cysts collapse together and there is major scarring.

LASER ablation technique is one of the noteworthy methods that have been invented today to get rid out of scarring.

Dermatologists are applying LASER for treatment of any black spot or scar including removal of birthmarks and hairs present in unwanted places, sharpening of wrinkles and most certainly removing the scarring of acne.

In the past, when LASERs were initially prescribed as a treatment option for acne scarring, the outcome was not persuasive as the dermatologists anticipated it. In fact, some of the persons having dark complexion were criticizing excessive scarring because of increase in the pigmentation. Nevertheless, the condition is not like that today.

In the November 1980, Dr. Tina S. Alster, MD Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery and Georgetown University conducted test using pulsed dye LASER to the condensed overgrown scar. She stated that long lasting improvement in the appearance of the majority of the scars. “Clinical assessments and skin surface texture analyses using a computer image analyzer showed that the laser-irradiated scars approximated normal skin characteristics,” Dr. Alster remarked.
Scientists have proved that combination therapy involving Carbon dioxide laser vaporization along with pulsed dye technology was prominent to sustain the improvement in less inflammatory, minimally thickened scars. 1450 nm diode laser was used for the treatment. The procedure was pointing of short spurts of laser in and around the scar. The scar marks were treated with non-overlapping, single pulses at the power of 1 and 14 Joules per cm2, with a 6 mm spot and 40 millisecond of cryogen spray cooling. The procedure was conducted under local anesthesia in a outpatient situation. Few days of convalescence and some soreness were observed in some of the cases. The result was extremely acceptable. After one sitting, total scar number were reduced to 37%, 50% after two sittings and more than 80% after three sittings. The pain of the surgical procedure was nominal and patients tolerated it very well.

Now the conclusion could be – different therapeutic methods for the management of acne scar are on the rise. Two accepted mechanisms of action might clarify the consequences of LASER treatment. They either lower the numbers of Propionibacterium acnes present inside the glands or reduce the size of sebaceous glands by charring.

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Common Forms of Acne

Friday, April 18th, 2008

You have notices a cystic lesion over your face and you are thinking whether it can be acne. Well, let me tell you yes, most probably it is acne.

There are two major types of acne – Acne vulgaris and Acne rosasea. Acne vulgaris is the most common form of acne. It begins with a cystic lesion, and then it ruptures and ultimately gets infected. Although Acne vulgaris is a self limiting disease mainly of the adolescent and teenagers, 10-15% of the adults continue to suffer some form of this disorder. The primary cause of the disease in teenagers is increased production of sebum when they attain the age of puberty. Sebum is secreted from a specific type of gland, called the Sebaceous gland present in the epidermal layer of skin. Tiny cyst like lesion named – Comedones, emerges in the hair follicles as a result of blockage of the follicular opening due to retention of sebum and many other keratinous materials.

With favorable conditions, bacteria continue to infect these lesions. The most common bacterium responsible for the lesion is ‘Proprioniobacterium acnes’. The action of this organism inside the comedones releases some material from the sebum which is mainly acidic in nature – in fact these are different free fatty acids. All these materials lead to inflammation of the skin. When inflammation occurs within the cyst, there is rupture of the cyst wall. An inflammatory foreign body type reaction (type II hypersensitivity reaction) as a result of discharge of the oily and keratinous residues from the cyst. The cysts may be open, it is then called the blackheads; and sometimes closed – called the whiteheads. Blackheads are consists of easily expressible high colored oily debris. Whiteheads are tiny cystic lesions that are accentuated when the skin is stretched. This is the precursor of the inflammation in case of Acne vulgaris. Comedones generally exist with other types of inflammatory lesions – papules, nodules and pustules. The lesions seen in the adolescent and teenagers in the beginning are usually mildly inflamed whiteheads. There may not be presence of redness even. This is predominantly seen in the middle part of the forehead. As a result, more distinguishing inflammatory lesions develop on the nose, chin and the cheeks. Most common area affected by this cyst is face, however extensive lesion in the back, trunk and chest are also seen.

It is to be noted that acne is self limiting. In some cases which involves large area and becomes resistant to the different medications, scarring do occur leading to an ugly look.

There are some aspects that may change the end result of acne. External trauma and rubbing of the inflamed skin may rupture the existing benign cyst. Thus, the lesions which may not rupture at all in normal circumstances become exposed to the deleterious action of bacteria and deep scarring occurs. Application of irritable tropical creams, cosmetics and hair care preparations or constant contact to certain industrial compounds, which are comedogenic in nature may bring out or worsen the condition. Moreover, there are some medicines like lithium, glucocorticoid cream, isoniazide, halogens and phenytoins which may produce comedones or may exacerbate existing acne.

So, should you find any cyst like wound over your face or on the back, do not forget to pay attention and rush to your doctor for an expert opinion.

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Birth control pills and acne

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

You are taking birth control pills for a long time. One fine morning you notice a tiny cyst like lesion on your face. You ask your friend, what it could be. And she says it may be acne. Can it be true? Well, let me tell you yes, most certainly it could be acne. Birth control pills have potentiality to promote the formation of acne.

At times we do not consult our doctor before buying or taking a low profile medicine which is readily available over the counter. After a couple of days or months, we discover some kind of disease process has started within our body. Because of this, we have to accept many other complications and our purse loses weight.

Birth control pills, Oral Contraceptive Pills or simply OCPs, are one of the most infamous medicines in this class. OCP is actually a combination of two major naturally occurring hormones – progesterone and estrogen. Interestingly, doctors frequently prescribe estrogen creams for the treatment of acne. Estrogen is a gonadal hormone and it benefits the outcome of acne by suppressing the production of androgens from the ovary. The mechanism involves inhibition of a specific hormone secretion from the pituitary gland situated in the skull – called gonadotropin. Cyclical treatment along with added progestin is quite effective to manage the case.

Now let us discuss the matter in depth. How does acne formed and what is their outcome. Acne is of two types, Acne vulgaris and Acne rosasea. Acne vulgaris is the predominant form of Acne and most commonly found. It is mostly seen in the adolescents and the teenagers owing to increase sebum production from the sebaceous glands present in the epidermal layer of the skin. The production of sebum increases during puberty, reaches its highest level during adulthood and then gradually decreases with age. Androgens like testosterone accelerate its production from the sebaceous gland. Small sized cystic lesion, named comedones, become visible in the follicles of the hair due to blockage of the follicular opening. This is because of the deposition of sebum and other keratinized materials. Then some bacteria play their role. Bacteria dissolve these sebum and other materials to produce free fatty acids which are corrosive to the already vulnerable skin. This in turn gives rise to inflammation inside the cyst and in due course the cyst ruptures. The end result is what we see as acne.

Now, we must know that estrogen has its own side effects. These include decreased sexual desire (libido), increase in the size of the breast and others. Sometimes the enlargement of breast occurs in the male also (feminization). Women, those who have stopped menstruation, have a 5-10 times increased risk of developing cancer of the uterus. Even there is information of breast cancer also. Long time therapy with birth control pill increases the risk of formation of gall stone by twice. Use of estrogen cream in the men is out of question. Estrogen has the power to suppress the growth of the children if prescribed. Breast tenderness is very common during long term use of birth control pills. In addition, there are various other grave complications if birth control pills are used for prolonged time. There is episode of heart attack due to blockage of the blood vessels that supplies nutrition to the heart muscle, obstruction of long veins of legs, arms and lungs, increase in the blood pressure, increase in the cholesterol level – to name a few.

For the treatment of acne, you need to use the estrogen cream for a long time. So consult your doctor and do accordingly to his advice.

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Acne prone skin

Friday, April 4th, 2008

Acne is one of the commonest nagging skin diseases. It attacks mainly face and back side. Most of us may have suffered from this pesky problem in some part of our life. The main reason for prolongation of acne is our lack of knowledge as to how to handle the problem. Let us discuss something about acne prone skin.

Acne is of two types, Acne vulgaris and Acne rosasea. Acne vulgaris is more commonly seen than the second one. Both of them are having their characteristic properties. Acne vulgaris mainly affects the young age group and the Acne rosasea targets the persons of middle age. It is a fact that the skin condition of both these groups are not common, the skin of younger ones has lot more firm owing to the abundance of fibrofatty tissue. There are much more sebaceous glands in the epidermal layer (the layer of the skin which is situated just below the upper thick layer).

Now let us have an idea of the skin conditions of Acne vulgaris -

Persons whose skin is oily in nature and those who are prone to sweating mostly suffer from Acne vulgaris. The principal etiology of this disease is the increase in the sebum production from the sebaceous glands, which are abundant in the epidermal layer of the skin. The secretion of sebum is much less during infancy. It is highly increased during the time of puberty, reaching its highest level during adulthood and then slowly decreasing with age.

The black heads and white heads form in the hair follicle due to retention of sebum. Retention is due to blockage of the follicular openings. The persons who are having oily skin tend to experience more of this blockage as oils jams the opening. Moreover, dust particles from the environment get adhered to this oil and are deposited. All of these cumulatively block the opening of the follicle. Persons who experience too much sweating are also prone to Acne vulgaris. The excessive sweating is called ‘Seborrhea’. This is a disease where there is hyper secretion of the sebaceous glands of the skin and the scalp. It causes the skin turn out to be extremely oily. Again, some hormones also take part in the release of sebum also. Among them, Androgens takes the leading role. Our diet rich in saturated fatty acids also jeopardizes the condition. Persons who are having thick skin are more acne prone. Thick layer of skin contains more sebaceous glands. This in turn leads to more available oil for the hair follicle.

You need to do something to counteract your oily skin. You can not change your skin type. But you can surely do the following -

Increase your daily water intake. You must take 2-2.5 liters of water everyday. Your diet should contain plenty of green leafy vegetables and fruits. Try to avoid junk foods as far as possible. It contains much oil. Do not shampoo your hair daily. Do not use any toiletries, which aggressively remove oil from your face. It will cause rebound production of oil. Wash your face 5-6 times daily. You must Pat dry with a clean cotton towel.

Now let us be familiar with the skin conditions of Acne rosasea -

It is mainly noticed in adults. People whose skin is generally flushes or blushes are extremely prone to Acne rosasea. Actually, it is an inflammatory condition of the facial skin. Classically, Acne rosasea affects middle aged women. Bright red colored papule erupts over face with surrounding flush and crowned by tiny pus forming areas characterizes this disease. Avoidance of sunlight, any kind of alcohol, hot spicy food is favorable.

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Acne complex

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

Truly, Acne is a complex type of disease. Both the sexes have to suffer from this irritating problem. Let us discuss about acne and its treatment in detail. I shall try to simplify the medical terminology as far as feasible.

Acne is of two types – Acne vulgaris and Acne rosasea. Acne vulgaris is the principal form that we see regularly. We shall know about both of them, but first Acne vulgaris.

It is a self-limiting disorder primarily of the adolescents and the teenagers, though there are some adults who face the same disease. The etiology of the disorder is increased production in the sebum from the sebaceous glands which is situated in the epidermis (the part of the skin just below the keratinized layer of the skin). This excess production is usually seen when the child attains puberty. Comedones, a tiny cystic structure form in the opening of the hair follicles as there is obstruction due to retention of sebum and some keratinized debris. This is the time when the normally occurring bacteria turn hostile and play some deleterious role. They dissolve the sebum and other materials inside the comedones. This releases some free fatty acids which are irritable to the skin. Ultimately the cyst ruptures. The end result is what as we as acne.

Acne vulgais most commonly occur in face. But the chest and the back side can also be involved. In most of the cases, acne remains mild and does not necessarily cause scar formation. It is notices in some patients that the tiny cysts collapse together and major scar formation occurred.

Now let us discuss about the treatment of acne. The affected area of the skin must be kept clean and dry. You should clean our face three to four times a day. Any brand of good quality oil free face wash will suffice. However, there is no need to scrub actively. It may aggravate the situation by opening up the cysts that would not rupture in normal course. Specific antimicrobial creams (which contain Azelaic acid, Benzoyl peroxide, Clindamycin or Erythromycin cream) are the first line of medicine. It should be applied over the whole affected area three times a day after washing with oil free face wash. The technique should not involve rubbing, only gentle laying keeping a thin layer will do. Some topical creams such as Benzoyl peroxide and Retinoic acid are also helpful. They act via changing the pattern of desquamation of skin, as a result lowering the formation of comedones. The dose of these two creams is also same – three times a day. In women, synthetic estrogen cream or oral contraceptive pills are prescribed. Estrogen acts by inhibiting the production of androgen in body. Low level of androgen will reduce the chance of production of sebum. In resistant cases of acne, use of synthetic retinoids is extensively prescribed. Only drawback of synthetic retinoids is that it can not be used in the pregnant women as there is chance of fetal anomaly.

Now let us discuss something about Acne rosasea –

Acne rosasea is mostly seen in the women although most severe cases are found in the men. Persons, who suffer from flush or blush, are prone to develop the disease. After a prolonged and active flushing period, rosasea develop. The other triggering factors are alcohol, spicy food, emotional stress and hot drinks.

It responds well to sodium sulfacetamide or metronidazole cream. More severe and resistant cases may require oral tetracycline.

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Aloe Vera: Acne Treatment

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

Aloe vera has been used for medical purposes for centuries. It has long been know that it can be something effective for acne treatment. In fact, it can even use to heal burns and wounds on skin. When acne treatment is considered, it can even be consider an immune booster!

Aloe vera gel can be used to treat acne. In most cases soaps containing the gel will be used. It is suggested that it the soaps have to be used twice everyday. There are even some cream which contains aloe vera gel. It can be applied on the infect areas. As a matter of fact, acne cannot be cure with this method but the symptoms of it will decrease when aloe vera is constantly applied.

If you would like to remove the excess oil on your face, you can also use aloe vera. In this case it will usually in the form of liquid. Again, you will wash your fact with the soaps discussed previously. Then you will also apply the aloe vera cream on your face. As you may probably be well aware, the excess oil on the skin, especially on the facial skin, can be a cause of acne. The possibility of having acne will be lower if you can remove the excess oil.

You may also be interested in the history of using aloe vera for medical purpose. In fact, the use of it for healing skin or hair damages can be dated back to 74 B.C in Greece. It is really an ancient kind of medication. Yet modern medical also reinforces the healing properties of it.

The first report on the medical quality of aloe vera was published in 1935. In the report, it is said that it can be effective for healing the skin of patients who are burnt. After that, there were even more studies on the medical quality (such as the quality on treating acne) of it. And more researches and findings are reported everyday.

Lastly, you can apply aloe vera on your skin with confidence, there is no know side effect. However, you should stop using it for your acne treatment if there is any irritation after applying it.

There are no known side effects to using aloe vera externally. If any irritation occurs simply discontinue use.

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