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Natural Treatment for Acne

Ok, let have a look at what kind of treatments are available and work for Acne.

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What is Acne

First of all what is Acne?

Acne breakouts are often thought of as a passage through adolescence, brought about by the changes in the bodys hormones.

Getting a bad case of acne has long been considered a rite of passage that every person goes through during puberty. In reality, anyone is susceptible to suffering from an acne disorder, even adults who have long passed puberty.

While this still remains to be true, acne is a problem that is no longer limited to pre-teens and teenagers.  In fact, some of the more severe types of acne are the types of acne that are experienced by adults.

Acne, known in the medical world as Acne vulgaris, is a skin disorder that is caused by changes in the skin structures around the face and neck region.  This region contains hair follicles and sebaceous glands.  In some cases, people develop acne on other parts of the body such as the neck, back, and shoulder region.  

This skin disorder commonly found among adolescents and young adults is brought about by the development of blockages within the skin pores.  One such blockage is known as hyperkertinization, and this is the development of keratin and sebum that causes the skin pore to become clogged.

When this happens, bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes develops. This bacteria causes inflammation and lesions to develop on the clogged skin pores, followed by redness and scarring in many instances.

Treatment for Acne

Depending on the severity of the acne affecting an individual, a dermatologist may prescribe any of the three types of treatment: general acne treatment, prescription drugs, or specialized treatments.

The dermatologist may also prescribe a combination of any of the three treatments mentioned in order to speed up the whole treatment process.

General acne treatments are often prescribed by dermatologists to treat the least severe types of acne disorders.  These types of treatments are those that are able to medicate acne disorder in three ways.  First, since general acne treatment products are also categorized under general skin care products, they aid in the normalizing of the shedding of skin cells by helping you get rid of dead skin cells.

They eradicate the dead skin cells that can eventually get into your skin pores and cause irritations and blockages.  The second method used to treat general acne treatment helps fight acne by implementing an anti-bacterial solution. This solution eliminates the presence of the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria surrounding the skin pores.

The third treatment provides an anti-inflammatory medication on the entire skin area in order to reduce inflammation and redness.

There are a number of different general acne treatments that you can choose from.  These may come in the form of soaps, facial washes, moisturizers, creams, or toners.

Over-the-counter acne treatments are available in most pharmacies. Your dermatologist may also recommend you general acne treatments that have been specially designed and sold in your dermatologist’s clinic.

It is important to follow the prescription provided to you by your dermatologist, even if you are just asked to use general acne treatments.  Following directions is important because some individuals experience allergic reactions that can cause an acne condition to worsen.

Natural Alternatives

Whats the Alternative?

When we reach the good old age of puberty, a number of different changes occur within the body. These changes are brought about by elevated hormone levels within the body.  Some of these changes are pleasantly welcomed, especially in female adolescents, since the changes in hormone levels often bring about the curving of the hips and the development of breasts.

Other changes within the body are not so pleasant. One particular change brought about by puberty that every adolescent dreads is an acne breakout.

The Acne infection occurs because of the presence of a type of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes. This eventually causes the redness and inflammation commonly seen among individuals who are inflicted with acne.  While it may affect individuals at any age, acne disorders most commonly affect adolescents and teenagers. As their bodies go through puberty, changes in their hormonal levels can cause the sebaceous glands in their skin pores to increase the production of sebum and keratin.  This eventually leads to the blocking of the skin pores and provides a perfect place for Propionibacterium acnes to thrive.

The ideal situation in this case is to consult a dermatologist, however, this can turn out to be quite expensive. The medications that they prescribe are usually not very cheap and often adolescents and teenagers that are struggling to cope with acne will look for effective over-the-counter treatments.

Natural acne treatments have become extremely popular among teenagers and adolescents for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that natural acne treatments are hypoallergenic. They are normally made from herbal and plant extracts that contain medicinal properties that have been proven to help reduce the redness and inflammation caused by acne.

These treatments can also contain natural anti-bacterial properties to help get rid of the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes. Since these treatments are made out of all natural ingredients, they can be used on the extremely sensitive skin that is often found with teenagers.

Another benefit of using natural acne treatments is that they usuallly do not hamper teenagers enjoyment of some of their favorite activities out in the sun. Chemical treatments developed to help fight acne can make the skin very sensitive to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight can actually aggravate the acne condition even if treatment is currently being applied.

Natural acne treatments do not generally contain any of these chemicals, and as a result, users do not have to constantly worry about keeping themselves in the shade during the treatment process or immediately after applying the lotion.

Natural treatments are available over-the-counter in pharmacies at a fraction of the price of their chemical counterparts. Sufferes can also find natural acne treatment 'recipes' on the Internet. They can make these treatments at home using commonly found and natural ingredients such as honey and oatmeal.  

Although the development of acne does not lead to more complicated health conditions, the effects of having to suffer from an acne disorder can be just as debilitating as any health ailment.  The unsightly appearance of the acne on the face and neck region can make the person feel extremely self-conscious and withdrawn from other people. They might begin to be the subject of constant staring and ridicule.

Useful Tips

In order to help speed up the recovery process through medication, here are some helpful tips that you should do to help combat acne:

Cleanse Your Face

Always make sure that your face is clean before applying any form of acne medication.  Cleansing your face will rid your skin of dead skin cells, oil, and dirt. These things could prevent the acne medication from penetrating into the infected skin pores.

Follow the Instructions

Your dermatologist will advise you just how often you need to apply the acne medication on the skin.  The misconception of many people suffering from acne is that if they apply the medication more frequently, the faster their acne problem will go away.  This is not at all the case.  If anything, it could cause your skin pores to become immune to the medication that you are applying.  This could cause the treatment to become ineffective entirely.

 

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Thursday, 11 March 2010
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