Easy Skin Treatment

Archive for June, 2011

What are blackheads? How are they different from regular zits? Do they go away as regular acne does, or do they stay longer? I’ll answer all of these questions in this article and show you how to best get rid of them so they no longer plague your face.

Blackheads, in their most basic description, are comedones that clog your pores. They’re just like a regular zit in that they are pores filled with trapped sebum. But the difference is, this sebum is out in the open, rather than pinched under a layer of skin. So the sebum gets oxidized, basically, and gets hard and crusty. Once that happens, it’s hard to remove it from in between the pores.

So what are blackheads, and what do they look like? These sebum suckers look like darkish yellow freckles – tiny freckles – that pop up primarily around your nose. If you look closely (but not too closely!) on the noses of most teenagers, young adults and even mature adults, you’ll see an entire sea of blackheads. In many cases, you can’t see them unless you’re standing only a foot or so away.

So do blackheads go away like acne does? In most cases, no. The benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid that generally take care of pimples do virtually nothing for blackheads. The problem is, the skin around the blackheads is so tight that even if the benzoyl peroxide had much effect, it couldn’t “pop” it out or make it disappear. The sebum is already dried out, so it needs to actually be removed.

What are blackheads removal types, then, if regular removal methods don’t work? That’s a good question. You can remove blackheads using a couple different methods.

1. A blackhead removal tool: a blackhead removal tool looks like a stick with two heads. The end with the loop is designed specifically for extracting those nasty blackheads. When you want to remove a blackhead, slide the looped end over top of the pore. Gently press down, but not hard enough to leave a red mark or impression, or you’ll get a scar. As you slide it over the pore, you should see the yellowish head pop out.
2. Steaming: Steaming actually goes hand in hand with the blackhead removal tool. Steaming opens up the pores, making it easier for you to extract the blackhead. Cool off your pores with ice or cool air after removing the blackheads so they don’t trap even more bacteria in the too-open pores.
3. Blackhead “vacuum” cleaner: Never ask “what are blackheads” again.. . you just won’t have them! The Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner works especially well on people with very large pores, as it more noticeably cleans them out and shrinks their size.

Sometimes, though, your “what are blackheads” question can be answered with more than just a treatment – it requires a small lifestyle change that can greatly enhance the possibility of getting rid of the blackheads in the first place, before they ever appear. I highly recommend Acne No More, which is also an all-natural treatment, but gives your blackheads a little more oomph in shoving them out the door and off your skin.

Getting rid of acne scars is a battle that’s hard to win. But you can fade out or eliminate your scars in some cases; you just have to know which treatments to choose. Picking just one never guarantees success, however. I will help you choose which treatments are most effective and worth the money.

Getting rid of acne scars is an uphill battle for many teens and adults. It’s already bad enough that you have the acne in the first place, but then once you get rid of it, you can’t take away the red marks and scars your pimples left behind unless you shell out for some pretty expensive treatments.

Now granted, some of these treatments are very effective. If you have severe acne scarring, it takes more than just some scar treatment cream to reverse the damage or reconstruct new skin. However, if they are mild or moderate, you can get by with less drastic (and less expensive) treatments.

Let’s take a look at some of the scar treatment options you have available to you.

1. Chemical peels: Getting rid of acne scars with chemical peels requires at least four treatments, spread out by a few weeks or even a month apart. Basically, a chemical peel sort of “burns” away the top layer of skin, exfoliating it, and then regenerates new skin to take the place of the scars.
2. Microdermabrasion: This process involves a small, hand-held tool with a crystal-covered head that spins at high speeds across your face. It removes and sucks off the top layer of skin, exfoliating the dead scar cells and encouraging new growth. Like chemical peels, you’ll need a treatment every couple of weeks or once a month until you see results.
3. Laser treatment: This slightly painful process feels like a rubber band snapping your skin as it moves across your scars. There are varying levels of this treatment as well, depending on how bad your scars are. This is one of the most expensive treatment options available. Some laser treatments cost around $100 apiece while others charge $1200 for a package of four or five treatments. You’ll need several treatments, especially if your scars are severe.
4. Scar treatment cream: Getting rid of acne scars with scar treatment cream is a bit of a long shot. However, you can lighten and fade red marks – which are a type of scar, almost – using this cream every night. Granted, this cream isn’t cheap either – some run about $50 per bottle – but when you think of the benefits you’ll receive from using the cream, you’ll realize it’s worth it to get your normal skin back.

You can also use creams to help prevent scarring with your current acne. This is one of the best ways to keep from having the problem in the first place.

Sometimes, though, getting rid of acne scars requires more than just a treatment – it requires a small lifestyle change that can greatly enhance the possibility of getting rid of the acne in the first place, before scars ever appear. I highly recommend Acne No More, which is also an all-natural treatment, but gives your zits a little more oomph in shoving them out the door and off your skin.

Have you ever tried an “acne diet” to get rid of your acne? Some acne sufferers swear by it, but others are more skeptical. If you’re smart, you should be skeptical, too, as an acne diet is generally nothing more than a gimmick.

The whole idea behind the “acne diet” method is that, what you eat will eventually effect what comes out on your skin. And while this is a logical idea, it’s not medically sound. Most doctors and dermatologists discredit the idea as needing much more research.

Why would a diet for acne possibly work? Because the foods that go into an “acne diet“, like leafy greens, carrots, fish and nuts, contain ingredients or supplements that may fight acne in some respect. However, most of these foods don’t contain enough of each supplement to make it worth your while.

Additionally, taking out foods that might be acne triggers, like greasy fried chicken or drinks high in caffeine, is thought to get rid of acne as well. Thus, by removing “bad” acne foods and replacing them with “good” acne foods, it’s plausible that one could control or get rid of acne this way.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually work like that. However, there are some supplements you can take that act almost the same as if you were on an acne diet – except they deliver more of the needed supplement and don’t require you to make a huge lifestyle change.

1. Vitamin A: Vitamin A is perhaps one of the most popular topical supplements to treat acne. If you’ve heard of retinol, tretinoin or Retin-A, then you’ve heard of some very popular acne treatments that really do have a positive effect on ridding your skin of imperfections. By taking it internally (albeit in small quantities, as it is rather potent) you can potentially help rid your skin of acne. But you might want a Vitamin A cream from your doc to treat it topically as well.
2. Vitamin C: This supplement is great for your overall health too, not just your acne. Taking it internally can help kill germs in the body before they make their way to your skin. You can take it in several different quantities, but if you’re an adult, you’ll probably need at least 1,000 mg per day to notice a difference.
3. Vitamin D: This vitamin helps with hormone balance. Since acne is generally related to a hormonal imbalance, it goes to reason that it can help acne as well. You can get vitamin D in the plain old sunlight, but taking it internally will reduce your risk of skin cancer.
4. Zinc: Zinc supplements, coupled with using a Pyrithione zinc shampoo like Head and Shoulders, helps rid your skin of acne, since it’s a potent antibacterial agent in the body. I’ve been using zinc for several years now, mostly for acne and good immune system health, and I’ve noticed a great difference in how much acne I get.

Before you get snookered into paying for some kind of high-priced acne diet program, consider scaling back and just taking the supplements designed to help acne. But unless you know what to look for, you might just be wasting your time. The free supplement guidelines at Acne No More tell you exactly which affordable supplements to look for, and how they can help you get rid of your acne from the inside-out.