In this article, I want to help you explore why taking antibiotics will not aid you with your acne problem. In contrast to what your dermatologist or most people would say, acne bacteria are not the ones to blame for your acne.
In fact, Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes bacteria is considered to be essential for our skin. It has a crucial role in maintaining our inner balance and our skin health. Just like any other life form, these bacteria fight to keep their life, but they are only a small part of the "acne equation". So what's its connection with acne?
These bacteria are not contagious and people with or without acne have them on their skin. Consider for example Streptococcus bacteria, which naturally exist in our throats, but we don't get strep throat or tonsillitis all the time. In other words, unless the right environment or condition is created, acne bacteria (or Streptococcus bacteria in case of a strep throat) will not cause acne.
It is important to note that until acne bacteria are in balance with your inner system, they will defend your body from harmful bacteria. To put it in other words, as long as your biological state is balanced, you don't have to worry about a thing, because acne bacteria will help keep your skin flexible.
However, acne bacteria feed on sweat and a secretion from our sebaceous glands, called sebum oil. And due to hormonal imbalances, an excess of sebum on the skin occurs and when it mixes with toxins that are expelled through your skin, a favorable environment is created that lets P. bacteria to invade the hair follicles and multiply mainly by feeding themselves on sebum oil. This process produces free fatty acids that irritate our skin. For this reason, our bodies react by calling on the white and red blood cells for defense causing inflammations resulting in all the well-known symptoms of acne, such as swelling, pus, whiteheads, nodules, etc.
In short, taking antibiotics will not cure your acne instead it will cause destruction.
3 reasons why taking Antibiotics is unhelpful:
1. They disturb the natural balance of the P. acnes, destroying the good probiotic bacteria and allowing harmful bacteria to enter your skin
2. Constantly taking antibiotics causes P. acnes bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, in the long run.
3. Taking antibiotics will never help cure acne, because they don't prevent the environment that helped multiply P. acnes.
If you need to permanently cure your acne, all you have to do is to counterbalance the acne environment (that helped in the multiplication of bacteria due to blood toxins and excess sebum oil production). To do this, you must balance the secretion of oil and rid your body from built up toxins by controlling the nutritional, psychological, hormonal, and environmental factors.
For more information on how to find a balance in your life and permanently cure your acne Click Here!
Showing posts with label acne treatment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acne treatment. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, November 22, 2010
Hormonal Acne
Acne is a common problem, not just in teenagers, but also in adults. In fact, a lot of researches show a devastating increase in the occurrence of acne in adults for the past few years. Even though, definite or specific cause of acne are still considered uncertain; however studies are more and more being focused on the hormonal factors as being related to acne. Whether during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, the human body is subjected to an imbalance of hormones that play their role in stimulating sebaceous glands and triggering acne.
Hormonal acne is for the most part distressing, since no over-the-counter treatments could help cure it (even the ones that were helpful to treat some of the acne during teenage years).
Hormonal Acne and Age
Hormonally inclined acne generally starts in early to mid twenties and could continue till late adulthood. This being said, however, it does not mean that teenage acne could not be hormonal as most often it is related to puberty, at 11 to 14 years of age (when androgen production is at its full). Hormonal acne is associated to androgen, the hormone that stimulates the sebaceous glands, and as a result of the overstimulation of these glands, as I mentioned before, acne occurs.
Hormonal Acne in Women
Women are on average twice as likely to have acne as men are, because they are twice as likely to be subjected to hormonal imbalance. It is no secret that women frequently suffer from acne as a common symptom of PMS (Premenstrual Symptoms). However, there is also a serious condition that is related to acne as one of its symptoms, and it is called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormonal disease that causes irregular or lack of menstruation, infertility, hair loss and so on. Another similar condition includes Adrenal Hyperplasia.
Also, women approaching menopause (mostly 35 years and above) might find themselves having acne flare-ups, even though they never had any in their teenage years. This is because menopause also induces hormonal imbalances that help trigger acne.
Stress and Hormones
When we talk about hormonal imbalance as being related to acne, we need not forget to mention stress. During stress, our bodies produce cortisol increase the rate of processes that take place in order to help us cope with stress causing agents. Such processes include the conversion of protein to energy, and the release of glycogen; also cortisol represses cell regeneration, endocrine regulation, and digestion. Therefore, instead of focusing on the latter processes, the body under continuous stress constantly deals with high levels of cortisol, and the result is much to our dismay such symptoms like fatigue, depression, acne, etc.
Treatment for Hormonal Acne
There are treatment options that doctors prescribe for those who suffer from hormonal imbalance and thus acne; such treatments include oral contraceptives, oral corticosteroids, anti-androgens, and so on. However, one should be careful in using such treatments, because they are most likely to induce side effects, and some actually could make the condition even worse. It is therefore far more convenient and safe to choose natural ways to treat hormonal acne.
As we all know a lot of dermatologists would tell you diet does not cause acne, but many who have tried to exclude refined sugar, carbohydrates, Trans-fats from their diet will tell you otherwise. In fact, a healthy lifestyle is crucial in balancing hormones and successfully dealing with acne. Click here for the best proven natural way to treat acne!
Hormonal acne is for the most part distressing, since no over-the-counter treatments could help cure it (even the ones that were helpful to treat some of the acne during teenage years).
Hormonal Acne and Age
Hormonally inclined acne generally starts in early to mid twenties and could continue till late adulthood. This being said, however, it does not mean that teenage acne could not be hormonal as most often it is related to puberty, at 11 to 14 years of age (when androgen production is at its full). Hormonal acne is associated to androgen, the hormone that stimulates the sebaceous glands, and as a result of the overstimulation of these glands, as I mentioned before, acne occurs.
Hormonal Acne in Women
Women are on average twice as likely to have acne as men are, because they are twice as likely to be subjected to hormonal imbalance. It is no secret that women frequently suffer from acne as a common symptom of PMS (Premenstrual Symptoms). However, there is also a serious condition that is related to acne as one of its symptoms, and it is called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormonal disease that causes irregular or lack of menstruation, infertility, hair loss and so on. Another similar condition includes Adrenal Hyperplasia.
Also, women approaching menopause (mostly 35 years and above) might find themselves having acne flare-ups, even though they never had any in their teenage years. This is because menopause also induces hormonal imbalances that help trigger acne.
Stress and Hormones
When we talk about hormonal imbalance as being related to acne, we need not forget to mention stress. During stress, our bodies produce cortisol increase the rate of processes that take place in order to help us cope with stress causing agents. Such processes include the conversion of protein to energy, and the release of glycogen; also cortisol represses cell regeneration, endocrine regulation, and digestion. Therefore, instead of focusing on the latter processes, the body under continuous stress constantly deals with high levels of cortisol, and the result is much to our dismay such symptoms like fatigue, depression, acne, etc.
Treatment for Hormonal Acne
There are treatment options that doctors prescribe for those who suffer from hormonal imbalance and thus acne; such treatments include oral contraceptives, oral corticosteroids, anti-androgens, and so on. However, one should be careful in using such treatments, because they are most likely to induce side effects, and some actually could make the condition even worse. It is therefore far more convenient and safe to choose natural ways to treat hormonal acne.
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| geninv.net |
Monday, November 15, 2010
Types Of Acne
Acne Development
Sebaceous glands (oil glands) in our skin that connect the hair follicles or pores are responsible for producing sebum (oily substance that lubricates the skin). While sebum is being distributed unto the surface of the skin, dead cells are getting driven out; however, if too much sebum is being produced some of the pores get blocked, preventing the dead skin cells from leaving these pores. To a further complication, as bacteria get built-up the result is acne. I will elaborate more on the latter in the paragraphs to come.
Unfortunately, we do not know what the exact cause of acne is, but some elements that are thought to have an effect in its development include: heredity, oily skin or hair, hormonal imbalances (especially in women during menstruation and sometimes pregnancy), stress, oily and highly chemical cosmetics, etc.
Types of Acne
1. Acne Vulgaris
Acne Vulgaris is considered to be the most common type of acne. Acne Vulgaris includes mild to moderate (blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules) to severe (nodules and cysts) lesions.
Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris
- Blackheads (open comedo): they are the result of partially clogged pores. The black color that appears is not because of trapped dirt, it’s the reaction of Sebum and Melanin (skin pigments) with oxygen.
- Whiteheads (closed comedo): they are the result of the complete blockage of the pores. Once the partial blockage becomes complete the excess Sebum cannot get out at all, and together with bacteria called “Proprionibacterium Acnes” or “P. Acnes” that are normally present on the skin get trapped in the pores; an enzyme is produced and causes the Sebum to break down into “free fatty acids”, which causes irritation, swelling, redness, and pus formation that we call whiteheads.
- Papules: they are inflamed, red, and tender bumps that do not have heads. It’s important not to squeeze or press a papule to get rid of it, because as a result scarring may occur.
- Pustules: they are inflamed red circles with a whitish or yellowish center. Again we should not mess with a pustule, since possible scarring is likely.
Severe Acne Vulgaris
- Nodules: contrary to the aforementioned lesions, nodules are much larger, more painful, and last longer (it might take months to heal). Nodules are characterized as hard bumps under the skin. We must absolutely resist the temptation to squeeze nodules, because pressing them causes severe trauma to the skin, causing the lesion to take an even longer time to heal, and scar.
- Cysts: they are somewhat similar in appearance to nodules, but are pus-filled and a bit bigger (5mm in diameter or more). Do not squeeze cysts as this causes deeper infection and therefore a more painful inflammation will result, and will take longer to heal.
2. Acne Rosacea
This type of acne is very similar to Acne Vulgaris, which makes it confusing for us to distinguish them from one another. It affects mostly women (but when found in men it’s usually more severe) and those aged 30 and above. It appears as red rashes on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. People with Acne Rosacea end up having pimples, bumps, and skin blemishes, but blackheads are unlikely with this type of acne. It can also cause Rhinophyma (bulbous nose) if not treated.
3. Acne Conglobata
This is considered to be the most severe type of acne, and it is more common in males. It appears as multiple large lesions, which seem to be interconnected across the face (found also on the back, chest, upper arms, and thighs); also a large number of blackheads are common with this type of acne. Acne Conglobata causes harmful damage to the skin along with extreme scarring.
4. Acne Fulminans
This type of acne is usually found in young men. It is associated with severe cysts and ulcer-like acne. It could cause extreme and disfiguring scars.
5. Gram-Negative Folliculitis
This type of acne is considered to be a bacterial infection associated with pustules and cysts, believed to be the result of complications from longtime antibiotic treatment for Acne Vulgaris.
6. Pyoderma Faciale (or Rosacea Fulminans)
This type of acne is usually found in females (between the ages of 20 to 40), and is associated to large painful nodules, and pustules that may leave scars. Also it may take place on the skin of a woman who has never had an acne condition before.
For information on how to cure acne, please check this link.
 |
| healthproductsreviewed.org |
Types of Acne
1. Acne Vulgaris
Acne Vulgaris is considered to be the most common type of acne. Acne Vulgaris includes mild to moderate (blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules) to severe (nodules and cysts) lesions.
Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris
- Blackheads (open comedo): they are the result of partially clogged pores. The black color that appears is not because of trapped dirt, it’s the reaction of Sebum and Melanin (skin pigments) with oxygen.
- Whiteheads (closed comedo): they are the result of the complete blockage of the pores. Once the partial blockage becomes complete the excess Sebum cannot get out at all, and together with bacteria called “Proprionibacterium Acnes” or “P. Acnes” that are normally present on the skin get trapped in the pores; an enzyme is produced and causes the Sebum to break down into “free fatty acids”, which causes irritation, swelling, redness, and pus formation that we call whiteheads.
- Papules: they are inflamed, red, and tender bumps that do not have heads. It’s important not to squeeze or press a papule to get rid of it, because as a result scarring may occur.
- Pustules: they are inflamed red circles with a whitish or yellowish center. Again we should not mess with a pustule, since possible scarring is likely.
Severe Acne Vulgaris
- Nodules: contrary to the aforementioned lesions, nodules are much larger, more painful, and last longer (it might take months to heal). Nodules are characterized as hard bumps under the skin. We must absolutely resist the temptation to squeeze nodules, because pressing them causes severe trauma to the skin, causing the lesion to take an even longer time to heal, and scar.
- Cysts: they are somewhat similar in appearance to nodules, but are pus-filled and a bit bigger (5mm in diameter or more). Do not squeeze cysts as this causes deeper infection and therefore a more painful inflammation will result, and will take longer to heal.
2. Acne Rosacea
This type of acne is very similar to Acne Vulgaris, which makes it confusing for us to distinguish them from one another. It affects mostly women (but when found in men it’s usually more severe) and those aged 30 and above. It appears as red rashes on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. People with Acne Rosacea end up having pimples, bumps, and skin blemishes, but blackheads are unlikely with this type of acne. It can also cause Rhinophyma (bulbous nose) if not treated.
3. Acne Conglobata
This is considered to be the most severe type of acne, and it is more common in males. It appears as multiple large lesions, which seem to be interconnected across the face (found also on the back, chest, upper arms, and thighs); also a large number of blackheads are common with this type of acne. Acne Conglobata causes harmful damage to the skin along with extreme scarring.
4. Acne Fulminans
This type of acne is usually found in young men. It is associated with severe cysts and ulcer-like acne. It could cause extreme and disfiguring scars.
5. Gram-Negative Folliculitis
This type of acne is considered to be a bacterial infection associated with pustules and cysts, believed to be the result of complications from longtime antibiotic treatment for Acne Vulgaris.
6. Pyoderma Faciale (or Rosacea Fulminans)
This type of acne is usually found in females (between the ages of 20 to 40), and is associated to large painful nodules, and pustules that may leave scars. Also it may take place on the skin of a woman who has never had an acne condition before.
For information on how to cure acne, please check this link.
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