Acne, the Scourge of Youth

Plan a date; get ready for the prom, set the date for your senior picture or just want to look nice. What always happens; you know, acne, a zit as big as a cabbage lands on your face or on your nose. You feel like an alien in a land of smooth skinned movie stars. Why don’t the popular kids get acne? What are they doing that you aren’t doing. Why me; why me; why does this always happen to me. I’m a good person; why am I plagued with acne. No one knows for sure why people, especially teenagers, get acne. In the fifties and sixties, teens were told that chocolate caused acne or eating too much fried food caused acne. No one really knew anything to do except use Noxzema and pray. There were only acne treatments, no cures. Having acne was seen as a rite of passage.

Today we know much more about acne and acne treatments. Some people have acne so bad that they take prescription medicine so strong that they must sign that they will not get pregnant while taking the drug. Other people take natural acne treatments because the idea of using potentially harmful treatments scares them more than the acne. The major problem with acute acne is that it can cause acne scars so bad that people have to seek acne laser treatments to improve their skin. Still others go to the grocery store and find over the counter acne products. As anyone who has ever suffered from acne will tell you, acne can rob you of your dignity and your feelings of self-worth. Our outward appearance, especially during the teen years, is so important. I know, “Pretty is as pretty does.” Well, pretty never seems to have acne.

People can be so cruel to acne sufferers. They can call you tomato face, pimple face, scar man or hundreds of ugly taunts. Because teens need to look good to feel good about themselves, the market for acne treatments is enormous. Commercials on television are always advertising the latest in acne medications especially during teen shows. The kids on the show always have smooth, blemish free faces and look exactly like every teen wants to look. Teens want to buy whatever acne medication is new and different in the hope that this new acne treatment will work better than others.

There are even infomercials about acne treatments and acne cover-ups. These infomercials show adults who are looking for make-up to cover-up acne or acne scars. This heavy make-up does seem to cover up scaring or acne on the people doing the infomercial. There are also infomercials about adult acne solutions. Unfortunately, some adults do still get acne. There is a huge market of acne medications or acne treatments for adult acne, not on just the face but also for people who suffer from acne back. Shame makes these people fear others seeing their acne.

One truth remains. There is no cure for acne but there are steps that can be taken to help prevent it. People who think that youth is wasted on the young probably never had acne.

After years as an educator and more degrees than she can count, Frances Coleman now writes professionally. She is a prolific reader with an advanced degree in research techniques. Learn more ways to prevent acne.

Body Acne Questions & Answers

What Causes of Body Acne?

Body acne can range from the relatively harmless forms of acne mechanica to the rare, yet debilitating forms of acne fulminans.

Body acne can arise from series of acne triggers. For instance, excessive rubbing or constriction by clothing can cause acne mechanica. On the other hand, body acne can result from pores on the back getting clogged by sunscreens or hair products that dribble down onto the back.

Acne fulminans is a systemic acne disease with far reaching side effects. Triggers for acne fulminans are varied and could include a weak immune system or liver. This rare condition appears suddenly and predominantly affects young males with previous episodes of acne.

Acne lesions may appear on the face and other areas of the body.With acne fulminans, the patients body may be covered with inflamed nodules that can develop into painful ulcers.

People with acne fulimans can suffer from bone pain and various forms of arthritis. In some cases, acne treatments with isotretinoin may aggravate acne fulminans as explained by Dr. Guy Webster of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.

In a Skin and Allergy News article, advised that Dr. Webster patients most likely to have this type of response to isotretinoin are those with moderate or severe acne already on the trunk or severe nodular acne anywhere on the body.

How Can I Reduce My Chances of Getting Body Acne?

You can easily avoid acne mechanica by showering immediately after physical activity. Also, by paying attention to everyday clothing and how it rubs against the skin can reduce acne mechanica.

For instance, some women experience shoulder acne simply because when putting on their bra, the bra straps rub too forcefully against their skin. This is easily corrected by not allowing the elastic to pull the skin.

If your back feels excessively waxy, it’s most likely that residue from your hair agents have slid onto your skin. To prevent this form of pomade acne, wash your back with a soap to remove the waxy build-up.

Will Acne Face Products Help?

In general, acne facial treatments are not strong enough for body acne conditions. The skin of the facial area is much more delicate than the skin covering the rest of the body.

Plus, over the counter medicines applied to the face are more readily absorbed than topical medicines applied to the body. That’s because the face has the greatest concentration of pores of any portion of the body.

Used consistently however, over the counter washes containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide will help remove the waxy build-up on the body that can provoke acne.

When Should I See a Doctor About Body Acne?

See your doctor if your body acne is painful and getting increasingly worse. Forms of body acne like acne fulimans can develop into debilitating ulcers if left untreated. Moreover, diseases like Crohn’s disease and bowel infections can accompany acne fulimans.

In the end, body acne can be avoided with giving more attention to what you do with your body. But when the acne formations get too painful, see a doctor to ensure that you are not experiencing any underlying diseases or health threats.

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About Acne Scars

Acne is an inflammation of the skin that affects people from every country and every culture around the world. In the US, acne is predominantly thought of as a teenage dilemma, as more than eighty percent of teens and preteens will develop some form of acne. However, the condition certainly affects a large number of adults and even infants. The scientific name for the condition is acne vulgaris because acne usually strikes in plainly visible locations such as the face, neck, chest and back. There are various types of acne that range in annoyance, severity, and healing time. The most severe type of acne may even lead to scars that if not treated properly, may be visible for a lifetime. If you or a loved one is troubled by severe acne, here's what you need to know about acne scars and what you need to do to avoid and care for them.

How Does Acne Form?

Contact with an oily substance such as mineral oil, vegetable oil, or petroleum is a potential cause of acne, as is the use of certain medication and steroids. However, acne is most often cause by the secretion of androgens. Acne is also aggravated by milk or dairy products, red meat and fast food. Androgens are sex hormones that are initially secreted at the onset of puberty. They are male hormones but they are secreted by females as well. Androgens stimulate the production of oil from the skin's oil glands. Acne occurs when these overactive oil glands become blocked, causing the oil to build up in the gland and swell. A bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes normally colonizes this swollen gland causing the development of inflammation and pus. In particularly severe cases, the glands may burst into the skin and produce cysts.

Types Of Acne

Acne blemishes are categorized into four grades, ranging from mild to very severe.

Grade I: Mild acne falls into this category. People with grade I acne generally have blackheads and whiteheads but pimples are not present.
Grade II: The condition is considered moderate acne when blackheads, whiteheads, and small pimples are present, but they are confined to the face and the inflammation they cause is minimal.
Grade III: Severe acne includes blackheads, whiteheads, and deeper pimples with more pronounced swelling.
Grade IV: acne is considered very severe when it occurs on the face, neck, shoulders, chest, and back. Pustules and deeper cysts occur with very severe acne and scarring may result if the condition is not cared for properly.
Preventing Acne Scars

The most important rule for acne sufferers to remember is that you should never pick or squeeze acne blemishes. This can lead to the spread of acne and the development of acne scars. Instead, there are a number of herbal, homeopathic, and traditional formulas that can be used to treat acne and prevent the development of acne scars. Herbs work naturally with the body to reduce acne blemishes and prevent the development of acne scars. Echinacea and poke root are often used for their anti-inflammatory properties and red clover may be beneficial for its estrogenic action. Witch hazel has excellent astringent properties and may be very effective on acne.

Relieving Acne Scars

Acupuncture: Stagnant of Chi in the channels of the face is said to be the cause of acne. Acupuncture performed on these points of the face may help relieve acne, and prevent the development of acne scars.

Surgery: In moderate to severe cases of acne, doctors may use surgery to open up the blemishes and remove blackheads and whiteheads. Unlike medication treatments, the effects of acne surgery are usually more immediate. And surgery is also effective in reducing the development and visibility of acne scars.

Cleaning the intestinal Tract: Acne can be a by-product of a filthy intestinal tract and colon. In most cases when the colon is clean the acne will go away. I recommend the intestinal cleanser Oxy-Powder.

Other remedies include the skin rejuvenation program including 3 products: Oxy-Skin, Oxy-Zap and a strong Aloe Vera concentrate available at http://www.acne-answers.org. These products should help prevent acne scarring.

Dr. Group is heads the research and development division at http://www.acne-answers.org.