Natural Acne Treatment

Ok, lets take a closer look at what Natural treatments can really help to alleviate Acne once and for all.

What is Acne

First of all what is Acne?

Acne breakouts are often thought of as a normal part of adolescence, generally brought about by hormonal changes.

• Getting a bad case of acne has long been considered a rite of passage that every  teenager goes through during puberty. In reality, anyone can suffer from an acne condition, even, adults who have long since passed puberty.
  
  
• While this is true, acne is nevertheless a problem that is not limited to pre-teens and teenagers.  In fact, some of the most severe types of acne are those that are experienced by adults!
  
  
• Acne is commonly known in the medical world as 'Acne vulgaris', a skin disorder caused by changes in the skin structures often around the face and neck. This region contains a large amount of hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Some people develop acne on other parts of the body such as the back and shoulder region. The over use of steroids can often present itself as a breakout of acne on the face and particularly the back in men who use the drugs for body building.

Acne commonly found among adolescents and young adults is normally brought about by blockages within the skin pores. One such blockage is known as 'hyperkertinization', this is as a result of the development of keratin and sebum which subsequently causes the skin pore to become clogged.

When this happens, a bacteria called 'Propionibacterium acnes' develops, which then causes inflammation and lesions to develop on the clogged pores, often followed by redness and scarring of the skin which is very unpleasant for the patient.

Treatment option for Acne

Depending on the severity of the acne, a dermatologist may prescribe any of three standard types of treatment:

• general acne treatment
• prescription drugs
• specialized treatments

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

General acne treatments

These are often suggested by dermatologists to treat the less severe types of acne.  These treatments  tend to work in three ways:

• Since general acne products are also categorized under general skin care products, they aid in normalizing the shedding of skin cells by helping the user to get rid of dead skin cells. These products eradicate the dead skin cells that would normally get into your pores and cause irritation and ultimately blockages.

• The second method involves the use of an anti-bacterial solution. This solution aims to eliminate the presence of the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria surrounding the skin pores.
  
  
• The third treatment is normally an anti-inflammatory medication which when used on the skin can reduce inflammation and redness.

There are also a number of generic freely available acne treatments that you can try. These include but are not limited to soaps, facial washes, moisturizers, creams, and skin toners. Evidence of their effectiveness is quite limited however, so use is more down to a personal choice.

Over-the-counter acne treatments are available in most pharmacies, and your dermatologist may recommend acne treatments that have been specially designed and sold in your dermatologists clinic.

We must stress how important it is to follow the prescription provided to you by your dermatologist, even if you are just asked to use a general acne treatment. Following their guidance is very important because some individuals experience allergic reactions that can cause the acne condition to become much worse so do take care with those instructions.

Natural Alternatives

Whats are the Natural Alternatives for Acne?

Visiting a dermatologist can be quite expensive, and the medications they prescribe are not usually very cheap.

Often adolescents and teenagers that are struggling to cope with acne will look for some form of effective over-the-counter treatments, and more people are looking towards natural ways to treat and ultimately try and cure their condition.

'Natural acne treatments' are becoming extremely popular among teenagers and adolescents, this is for a number of good reasons:

• The first is that natural acne treatments tend to be 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.
  
  
• They often contain 'natural' anti-bacterial properties to help get rid of the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes. Since the treatments are made out of all 'natural ingredients', they can generally be used on extremely sensitive skin; common with teenagers.
  
  
• Another benefit of using natural treatments is that they usually don't interfere with teenagers enjoyment 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 treatments' don't normally contain any harmful chemicals, and as a result, users don't have to constantly worry about keeping themselves in the shade during the treatment process or just after applying the lotion.

Over the counter natural treatments are available in pharmacies  often 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 natural ingredients such as honey and oatmeal.

Although acne does not generally lead to more complicated health conditions, the effects of acne disorder can be pretty debilitating. The unsightly appearance of the acne on the face, neck and even back region can make a person feel extremely self-conscious and withdrawn from society.They might also be subject to staring, ridicule and bullying.

Useful Tips

Just a final few tips which may prove helpful in combatting 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 could prevent the acne medication from penetrating into the infected skin pores.

Follow the Instructions

Seems pretty obvious, your dermatologist will advise you just how often you need to apply the acne medication on the skin. A common misconception of people suffering from acne is that if they apply the medication more frequently, the faster their acne will disappear. 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 and this could lead to the treatment becoming ineffective.