Herbal Acne Treatments That Work

Monday, June 15, 2009

In the United States alone, there are over 40 Million people who struggle with acne. Many of these people treat acne using chemicals such as antibiotics, prescription drugs, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid.

However, there is a growing number of people who choose herbal acne treatments over traditional medications. Usually, herbal medications have far fewer side effects, and are not as dangerous as some of the prescription drugs.

The problem however, is that the United States does very little to regulate the herbal supplement industry. Unlike traditional chemical medications, herbal medications are not required to be clinically proven to work, or even to be safe. An example of this lack of regulation recently came to light with ephedra related deaths, and ephedras subsequent ban.

This lack of regulation results in many different acne products on the market. All of which claim to heal, prevent, or even cure acne with few, if any, side effects.

The truth is, there are very few herbal acne treatments that are scientifically proven to work. Traditional chemical treatments are still the most effective in stopping acne.

There are only 2 herbal treatments that have been clinically proven to help stop acne, tea tree oil and green tea cream.

Tea tree oil is a natural oil, derived from the Melaleuca alteifolia, a particular type of tea tree found exclusively in Australia. While it has been used from hundreds of years by the native aboriginals as a treatment for just about anything, it has only recently been accepted by mode medicine as being a viable anti-bacterial agent.

Even though tea tree oil has been suspected as an anti-bacterial agent for some time, A groundbreakings study was conducted in 1990 by I.B. Bassett, which compared tea tree oil to benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne. It was found that tea tree oil is as effective as a 5% benzoyl peroxide solution. It takes longer (6 weeks) for the tea tree oil to be as effective, but participants in the study reported none of the side effects associated with benzoyl peroxide, such as redness, skin irritation, or dry skin.

This study has helped tea tree oil become a recognized and legitimate herbal acne treatment. However, there is no need to purchase an expensive cream that contains tea tree oil. Just applying several drops of the oil directly on the acne has shown to be the most effective way to apply tea tree oil.

This was the only herbal acne treatment that had been proven to work until recently, when Dr. Jennifer Gan-Wong conducted a study that shows green tea can also effectively fight acne.

Dr. Gan-Wong compared a green tea cream with 3% green tea, to a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution, and found that the results in treating acne where the same for both the tea and the peroxide. These results were recently presented at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

These findings are relatively recent, and are not yet corroborated by additional independent studies. However, this evidence does demonstrate that the natural anti-bacterial properties of green tea can be effective to treat acne.

For those of you who are confused by the plethora of herbal acne treatments available, there really are only 2 that have been proven to be effective in fighting acne. Green tea cream, and tea tree oil. While many other herbal acne treatments may be good to moisturize the skin, or reduce oils, these are the only two that should be considered truly effective acne treatments.

Greg Podsakoff is a former acne sufferer, and editor of http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com

Posted by Kat Turner at 6:46 PM 0 comments  

Common Causes of Acne

What causes acne?

Worldwide there are about 60 million people who are suffering from acne. Most people develop acne during adolescence. It is most prevalent in those aged 16 to 18 years. The exact cause of acne is unknown, but doctors believe it results from several related factors. One important factor is an increase in hormones called androgens (male sex hormones). These increase in both boys and girls during puberty and cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormonal changes related to pregnancy or starting or stopping birth control pills can also cause acne.

The most common reasons for acne are:
• There are higher levels of sex hormones at puberty than in younger children.
• These hormones are converted in the skin to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which stimulates oil glands to enlarge.
• The oil glands, called sebaceous glands, produce sebum. The more sebum, the more likely it is that acne will be troublesome.
• If sebum and keratin (dead skin cells) block the skin pores, comedones can develop.
• The wall of the follicles may rupture.
• Bacteria and comedonal debris cause acne pimples or pustules (inflammatory lesions).

Aggravating factors

Some people have particularly severe acne. This may be because of:
• Genetic factors (family members have bad acne). Researchers believe that the tendency to develop acne can be inherited from parents. For example, studies have shown that many school-age boys with acne have a family history of the disorder.
• Hormonal factors (higher levels of androgenic hormones) due to:
• Polycystic ovaries (common)
• Enzyme deficiency eg sterol hydroxylase deficiency (very rare)
• Excessive corticosteroids (eg Cushing's disease) (rare)
• Psychological stress and depression

• Environmental factors such as:
• High humidity causing swelling of the skin
• Cosmetics especially certain moisturisers, foundation and pomades (watch out for lanolin, petrolatum, vegetable oils, butyl stearate, lauryl alcohol and oleic acid)
• Petroleum oils.
• Pressure from headbands & chin straps (eg: "fiddler's neck").

• Pressure from sports helmets or equipment, backpacks, tight collars, or tight sports uniforms
• Stress can also cause the production of hormones, such as cortisol, which can aggravate acne. Stress brings upon different hormone levels. With hormone changes the body prompts the skins oil glands to enlarge, secreting more oil. Which causes white heads, black heads and pimples.
• Certain medications. Vitamins are good for your body, But an excess of vitamins B1, B6 and B12 can cause acne flare-ups. These vitamins are good for the skin, but avoid overuse.
• Picking and squeezing can actually send the infection deeper into the skin and can cause scarring.

For more information, please visit http://www.skincarereviews.net

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Keith Wolfe is the associate editor for www.skincarereviews.net For more information on acne and skin care, please visit www.skincarereviews.net

Posted by Kat Turner at 6:47 AM 0 comments  

Effective Treatment Options Available for Moderate to Severe Acne

Suffering from even a minor acne flair up can wreck your week, but suffering from continual moderate to serious acne can ruin your self esteem. There are options that can help you if you have moderate to severe acne.

One of the most common treatments for acne is a topical cream. The primary ingredient in many acne creams is benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl Peroxide helps acne by killing acne bacteria and by reducing oil production of the skin. You'll find benzoil peroxide products available in creams,gels,and cleaning pads. There are also other topical acne applications with different active ingredients. You'll find sulfur, salicylic acid, and resorcinol products. These are all available as over the counter treatments at your local drugstore.

Other more potent topical acne treatments are available by perscription. These are generally antibiotic based. They help stop acne by keeping the pores open and uninfected.

Sometimes a topical treatment alone cannot do the job and your dermatologist may recommend an oral antibiotic as well as a topical treatment.

While there is no known cure for acne, there are a number of acne treatments and treatment combinations available today to help you keep your acne under control. In some cases acne prevention and treatment will be a life-long endeavor,for others it's a problem only during the teenage and young adult years. Regardless of the severity or duration of your acne problem a trip to the dermatologist for proper diagnosis based on your skin type and circumstances is highly recommended. Your doctor will work with you to come up with the best acne prevention plan for you.

For more information about acne treatments, acne causes and acne prevention visit http://www.acnefreezone.com

Posted by Kat Turner at 12:43 AM 0 comments  

How Does Acne Affect Us Emotionally

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Acne can often strike an individual at the worst time possible.

You usually get your first case of acne in your teenage years. There aren't many things that can affect a teen more emotionally than acne.

Teens are very self conscious, especially about their looks. Usually the onset of acne has nothing to do with anything the teen has done, like failed to wash their face properly or eating too much junk food.

It is just a case of the hormone androgens enlarging the glands and the oils getting blocked, that causes the acne. It can be traumatic for teens just starting to notice the opposite sex and hoping they are getting noticing themselves when they suddenly get a pimple on their nose.

This makes the teen even more self conscious of their appearance and can cause embarrassment and depression. Some teens are even tormented by peers over their appearance. Even the mildest case of acne can cause emotional distress for a teenager.

If your teen has acne, try to help them find the correct treatment to help alleviate it.

Mild cases of acne can usually be taken care of with over the counter topical medication, but more severe cases may require visits to a dermatologist for further treatment.

Be sure to monitor your teen's emotions if they are taking prescription medication for their acne.

Although studies have shown that drugs like Accutane don't involve a risk of depression, some parents are still conceed about it effects.

Also remember that the first treatment used may not help. You may have to try several different brands of medication before finding one that works.

Pregnant moms are also subject to acne due to all the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy. This can cause the mother-to-be quite a bit of stress and anxiety.

Many expectant mothers already feel unattractive due to weight gain and if you add acne on top of that, it makes them feel even more unattractive. While this is form of acne will usually subside after the pregnancy, it can still cause a great amount of emotional and physical pain before the birth.

Pregnant women had additional stress to deal with in that because of the baby, their choice for acne treatment are limited. Many older adults who may have experienced acne as a teen are shocked to have their faces breakout when they get older.

While older adults may not be under the same amount of peer pressure as teens, the acne can still cause emotional distress.

Adults whose careers are spent in front of people – speakers, doctors, actors, businesspeople – may find acne especially embarrassing.

Adults may also suffer stress when thinking about going to see a doctor for acne treatment because many see acne as a "teenage" problem.

No matter your age, acne can cause temporary or permanent emotional scars as well as physical. Anyone experiencing acne should seek treatment as soon as possible.

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Posted by Kat Turner at 7:05 PM 0 comments  

Acne Treatment With Oral Antibiotics

Oral antibiotics work by removing the p.acne bacteria and decreasing inflammation. However there is a big challenge today in using mode antibiotic – that is, over-prescription of antibiotic. The result is a growing resistance to these drugs which means that diseases that once could have been wiped out with a course of antibiotics may now have dire potential.

We are not suggesting not to use antibiotics. In fact, they should be used as long as they are prescribed for the right reason. For example, antibiotic should be used on patients with moderate to severe acne. Two of antibiotic that we feel are safe and effective are doxycycline and minocycline. They are easily absorbed form of tetracycline which has been used for decades to reduce acne inflammation. Tetracycline has very few side effects however there is an emerging resistance to this drug.

Another effective antibiotic for patient with moderate to severe acne is erythromyclin. Unfortunately it has been overly prescribed which resulted in 50 percent of the people are resistance to it. Still erythromycin and eteracycline are very useful because of their anti-inflammatory potential. Other oral antibiotics include sulfa drugs such as Bactrim and Septra. They are effective orally but can cause worrisome reactions such as skin allergies and bone marrow suppression.

Clindamycin taken orally has been use for over forty years and is a second-line antibiotic, prescribed when the tetracyclines or erythromycin medications fail. The most significant, though rare adverse reaction associated with clindamycin is pseudomembranous colitis, which is a bloody diarrhea that required treatment by a gastroenterologist.

When prescribing antibiotics to patient, it is important that the dermatologist set a timetable to its use. The average course of antibiotic treatment is about one to six months.

After the end of the course, the dermatologist should schedule an appointment with the patient to assess the acne condition. If the condition improves and there is no side effect, the treatment is to be continued until the skin is clear. Usually topical medication is to be used concurrently and some time Differin or Retin-A is prescribed to aid in further improvement or addresses other problem such as post-inflammatory pigmentation.

A second appointment is to be arranged with the patient after six to either weeks into the treatment. If the acne condition improves, then the dermatologist is likely to lower to stop the oral antibiotic dose and just continue with the topical treatment.

There is no miracle antibiotic cure for acne. Just like you don't get acne over night, neither will it goes away over night. Sometime if the condition does not improve with the use of one type of antibiotic, another type may have to be prescribed.

For female patients, they can use birth control pills and spironolactone (Aldactone) for acne treatment. However if the condition does not improve and the acne is severe enough and likely to create scar, then the dermatologist may even issue Accutane as the next remedies. In our opinion, it is better to have five months of Accutane treatment than months or years on antibiotic that does not help in solving the acne problem.

Alvin Poh shares more ideas and articles like this on the very popular website "Ask About Acne" at http://www.askaboutacne.com

Posted by Kat Turner at 3:24 AM 0 comments  

Hormones and Adult Acne

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Are you experiencing problems with hormones and adult acne? Hormones and adult acne can be an annoyance but there are things you can do to alleviate the situation.

Acne is a hormonal problem. Hormones and adult acne have to do with the maturation of our oil glands. Hormones and adult acne make sense in that way which is why children don't usually have acne.

Hormones and adult acne occur at different times as we mature and there are things that can make the acne even worse. Often we experience hormones and adult acne working against us because of puberty or the use of certain birth control pills. Other things that can set off cases of hormones and adult acne are pregnancy or menopause.

Hormones and adult acne problems are not limited to women. Males can also be affected by hormones and adult acne. This is because acne can be caused by the androgens that are male hormones everyone has.

Hormones and adult acne act up together when the oil surplus created by the androgens clog up our hair follicles. This is where the bacteria grow and we then see acne flourish.

You can work through hormones and adult acne by keeping your skin clean and watching what you eat. Sometimes hormones and adult acne are even worse when we eat things high in fat and sugar. Putting a limit on caffeine may also help deal with the problems caused by hormones and adult acne.

There are many products on the market that may assist you when you are trying to cope with hormones and adult acne. You could also talk to your doctor or dermatologist if hormones and adult acne are problematic for you.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Clear-Skin-Solutions.com. He provides more acne clearing solutions, remedies and acne skin care products that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Posted by Kat Turner at 3:53 AM 0 comments  

How To Acne Best Treatment Program

Friday, June 12, 2009

Despite acne treatments and medications having improved dramatically over the years, acne still seems to take a firm hold on many people. If your acne has not improved within 4-6 weeks following treatment with such products, you should consult your doctor. Current understanding of the different presentations of acne allows for individualized treatments and improved outcomes. Also, treatment must be given constantly to all acne-prone areas, and not just to individual existing pimples.

Severe Acne: Antibiotics given by mouth, including tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, and erythromycin, are reserved for the treatment of severe acne. It's essential that teens with acne be given an appropriate treatment regimen. However, acne scar treatment available today cannot only wipe out the infliction(in many cases), but can also deliver smooth, refreshed skin. Even if outbreaks of acne cannot be eliminated, conventional treatment can provide relief. Even dermatologists cannot cure a severe case of acne but can only provide an acne treatment regimen. We have a growing impressive line of therapeutic quality natural herbal based treatments to keep your acne and oily skin healthy. Little is known about how personality and emotional traits affect acne and its impact on quality of life and treatment.

Objectives To evaluate the relationship between TA and acne severity, skin-related quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, and adherence to treatment. Unfortunately, 60% of these women either do not respond to standard acne treatment or build up a tolerance to frequently used medications. You can then build up your use gradually.7 No home treatments for acne will work immediately. Unfortunately, about 60 percent of these women either do not respond to standard acne treatment or build up a tolerance to frequently used medications. Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products. For healthy skin, Americans spend billions of dollars on acne treatment and anti-aging skin care products every year.

Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products. And no matter what a drug ad says, acne treatments alone will not help you win the battle against acne. CEighty percent of inflammatory acne cases clear up after four weeks of twice-weekly treatments, Leal says. "Basically if someone with mild acne presents for treatment, your first line of defense will be a topical regimen," says Dr. Alteative therapies continue to gain new respect in acne treatment. Even after blemishes disappear, you usually must continue to use an effective acne treatment to keep new blemishes from forming.

Once you've got your acne cleared up it's important to continue with the treatment that's working so it does not retu. Cryotherapy is another treatment for acne scars, using repeated freezing to gently shrink scar tissue. Here you will find information about acne scar treatment. An individual can either use any generic mild facial soap or a soap made especially for acne by major treatment brands. We are particularly interested in how Alabu soap may have helped with acne treatment and other acne skin conditions. (17) In the 1800s dermatologists used acne treatment such as sulfur in which this dried out the skin. Although long used in treatment of acne, it is not known how sulfur acts on the skin to influence the development of acne. Sulfur is less frequently used by itself as an acne treatment due to its unpleasant odor. What is known as an anti-inflammatory treatment for acne is embracing a certain lifestyle.

When choosing a treatment for your acne condition, it is important to know about acne treatment lifestyle changes. A wide range of (lifestyle) treatments can give you control over your acne. Objectives To collate and evaluate the evidence on the clinical efficacy of minocycline in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris. The review found that there was no reliable evidence that minocycline was better than any other acne treatment and that more research is needed. Objective To review the best evidence available for individualized treatment of acne. Shaw JC: Low-dose adjunctive spironolactone in the treatment of acne in women: a retrospective analysis of 85 consecutively treated patients.
http://www.acne-proactive-treatment.com/acne-best-treatment/

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Ampo Saechin is the webmaster of the Acne Best Treatment, Proven Techniques Help You Acne Best Treatment - Guaranteed! www.acne-proactive-treatment.com

Posted by Kat Turner at 9:17 PM 0 comments