Acne Scars 101
Acne scars have always been the bane of the existence of teenagers, performers, actors, or almost anybody. With the face being the first thing a person fixes their eyes on, it is almost impossible not to shy away from any onlooker.
But what is it exactly that turns acne into acne craters, acne pockmarks and acne scars? And what can people do about them? Is there any truth that acne scars are permanent?
Before diving deep into the effects or the aftermath of having acne, let us acquaint ourselves with the causes of acne first. Acne is generally caused by four different reasons: most common is the extra oil that our face or body produces, clogged pores, bacteria, and inflammation. That is why people who are oily or those who tend to get exposed to pollution or dirt have acne problems, and from acne come acne scars, acne pockmarks, and acne craters.
Acne Scars:
Acne scars are sort of the battle mark that people get for having them. After such time of getting acne, it turns into acne scars because the damage the acne did affected or damaged the deeper layer of the skin, the dermis. The marks that are left behind from the acne are actually caused by collagen, which are fibrous protein that tries to repair the damaged area. However, the collagen can only go so far as to repair the damage done and not resemble how the skin looked before the acne.
For those who fear that it might be permanent, is there any way to get rid of acne scars or at least prevent them from ever happening? Since prevention is better than cure, acne prevention is much easier than actually solving the problem it leaves behind.
– Have acne treated immediately so as to avoid it from becoming too severe or inflamed, making it leave the mark
– Do not touch, handle, pop, or squeeze out the acne as it may actually make it worse and may make the healing period longer
– Use sun block; this is because the suns ultraviolet rays damage the skin making acne and acne scars worse
– Dermatologist prescribed topical cream may also help prevent acne scars
For those who already have acne scars, over-the-counter topical cream, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels prescribed or done by a dermatologist are recommended.
Acne Pockmarks and Acne Craters:
As for acne pockmarks, they occur when the acne is too severe, and when the inflammation has reached deeper layers of the skin. Unfortunately, pockmarks are permanent, but there are treatments that may help to make them less visible.
Treatment for acne pockmarks include non-invasive laser treatment, skin filling, ablative laser resurfacing, dermabrasion or microdermabrasion, and chemical peels which all must be done by a dermatologist so as to guarantee proper treatment.
As for acne craters, it is a depressed acne scar that got its name because the damage it does resembles that of a crater. Though some may be shallow or mild, some may go very deep the reason why people seek treatment.
Surprisingly, even with the permanent physical damage it does, there are some varying treatments. For shallow acne craters, simple over-the-counter treatments can do the trick, however for deeper ones, collagen treatments administered by a dermatologist to plump up the crater or reduce the spot are an option.
An acne herbal hand and footbath
In a book I read by William L. Fischer called Hidden Secrets of Super Perfect Health at Any Age, Book II, 1986, I learn how to do herbal footbaths.
In chapter 10, The F-M Circulizer System, Fischer discusses the use of an herbal footbath. After reading this chapter, I realized how herbs in a footbath could improve your skin and help you eliminate acne.
This book was written in 1986 and Fischer claims herbal footbaths have been in use overseas since 1946!
Now, you can do either a footbath or a hand bath. Once you prepare a container with hot water you can put your feet or hands into it and get the same results.
If you already have foot spa, thank your mother, sister, or whoever bought it because you’re in for a treat. If you don’t, with $20 or $30 you can get one just like I did.
When you use a heated footbath, veins in your feet start to expand. Over a period of 15-20 minute, the warm water affects your entire vascular (blood) system and you get improved blood circulation.
By adding an herbal infusion into the hot water in the footbath, minerals and other phytochemicals from the herbs enter the soles of your feet and into your blood stream.
This means that you can introduce herbal phytochemicals into your blood stream using the footbath. During your footbath, these herbal chemicals quickly circulated throughout your body and get to work neutralizing acid, killing bacteria, and improving your skin circulation.
Here is an herbal combination you can use. This herbal combination was taken and modified slightly from a book written by Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., called The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, 1986. Mowrey says,
-This (herbal) blend attacks external skin disorders from within, purifying the blood, carrying away waste, reinforcing the blood’s ability to ward off infectious agents.-
The herbal combination to use is,
* Dandelion root – purifies blood and improves liver function * Yellow dock root – purifies blood, helps liver, is anti-bacterial * Saraparilla root – has antibiotic action, promotes waste elimination through urine and sweating * Echinacea – increases immunity and promotes skin healing * Licorice – protects the liver so that it can detoxify the blood better * Kelp – provide minerals and vitamins and binds heavy metal that are bad for health * Chaparral – is anti-microbial making effective against acne. * Fresh Garlic – cut up a few cubes of garlic and place them into the hot water. Garlic is has antibacterial properties.
Buy one ounce of each herb and mix them.
Here’s how to do the herbal footbath,
* Place 2-3 tablespoons of herbal mix into 1 cups of water * Boil the water with herbs – use only a glass, porcelain, or stainless steel container * After water starts to boil, pull the container off the stove * Let tea sit for 15-30 minutes. The longer the tea sits the stronger the tea and its effects * Prepare your foot spa with water * Strain the tea to remove leaves and roots * Poor tea and cut garlic into the foot spa * Place your feet or hands in the hot water for 15 – 30 minutes.
I have been using a foot spa for many different conditions for my family and myself. I really like using the footbath. It is a convenient way to by pass your digestive system and get more nutrients into your body
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He writes a newsletter call -natural-remedies-thatwork.com.- More acne hints and information on his acne e-book can be found at: http://www.acne-remedies.for–you.info
[Top]Acne Concealers Ten Best Cosmetic Concealers For Bad Skin
Cosmetic Acne Concealers Overview
When choosing cosmetic acne concealers, skin care experts generally recommend the use of makeup that is mineral based, in simple terms this refers to that fact that the ingredients which form the product base are not synthetic and occur naturally on planet as an organic compound.
The main minerals used for cosmetics are usually mica, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide and these generally form the basis of loose powder makeup foundation, or just foundation, as it is commonly referred to.
One of the reasons mineral makeups are recommended is that, the minerals themselves usually have good opacity, and therefore they do not require any other synthetic chemicals to make them so, in addition several of the compounds used, notably zinc oxide and titanium dioxide may also prevent irritation and inflammation to skin owing to their inherent properties, it should also be noted that these two compounds are generally to be found as
ingredients in sun creams and lotions as when they are applied their high opacity may help shade the skin from harmful UV sun rays.
Mineral based cosmetics are also generally non-comedogenic, meaning that will will not block the pores of the skin and this is very important for the prevention and cure of acne.
Cosmetic manufacturers seeking to cash in on the current trend toward anti-acne products, are now offering some acne concealers as being totally natural or organic, and while this may be true in the majority of cases, they are not officially classified as organic in the US unless they have official USDA certification.
Criteria For Good Acne Concealers
It can be hard to find a really good concealer if you have acne skin, you may to search long and hard to find one suitable for your particular skin type. A good concealer must have the following attributes:
It must not cause any irritation to the skin
It must not block the skins pores
It needs to be as light as possible
It should have high opacity, meaning you will need to use less
It should match as close as possible your natural skin tone
Be aware that some cosmetics sold as being medicated, and thus suitable for acne sufferers, while these products are used with good results for some people, they may contain the compound salicylic acid which is an acne treatment in its own right, this compound can cause irritation to sensitive skin types. Most of the best concealers are not medicated and do not cause any chemical lightening of the skin, the medicated varieties often have a poor texture to them, and can be hard to apply, they may not contain enough pigment therefore requiring more than one application which can lead to a caked appearance, the colors may also be less than ideal making matching more difficult.
Strictly speaking you should only be using a cosmetic concealer to do just that, do not be tempted by trying to use a medicated concealer as an acne treatment alone as you will most likely just be wasting money.
Summary of Products
Find a brand that meets the above criteria and stick with it, you may find that some of the better carry the biggest price tags, but because of their superior covering power you will need to apply a lot less so they will last a lot longer.
Of course there are hundreds of products available from dozens of different makers, but the ones shown here are the products that have the best ratings overall by consumers that have actually used them as researched for this article.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Some of these products may only be available in the US.
Murad Acne Concealer
Black Opal Cover & Clear Acne
CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless
Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus
The Body Shop Tea Tree Concealer
Neutrogena On-the-Spot Blemish Wand
Dermalogica MediBac Clearing Spot Treatment
Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing
Neutrogena Skin Clearing Liquid Makeup
Judith August Everything Pencil
Clinique Acne Clearing
Dermablends Smooth indulgence
[Top]Cystic Acne Home Treatment
Cystic acne is a kind of localized infection that occurs when the pores and oil ducts in the skin gets choked and infected with bacteria. This is the worst form of acne, as the acne in this type develops into small cysts, which causes pain and discomfort. Like many others, you would never prefer to suffer from cystic acne and spoil your skin with ugly scars. However, if you have developed it anyhow, there are a number of cystic acne home treatments to provide you with cystic acne cure.
1. Take a small potato, and peel it off. Grate it to squeeze out its juice. Apply this potato juice on the skin area damaged with cystic acne. Put it on for about 15 minutes. Potato juice provides alkalinity that breaks down the oil in the skin pores. In addition to this, it has vitamins that help in reducing redness and swelling on the skin. When the given time is up, wash it off with water. For best possible results, do it before going to bed. You can try out this cystic home treatment in alternate days. You will notice the disappearance of cystic acne within a couple of weeks’ time.
2. Neem leaves (Margosa) are used for a lot of purposes in the Eastern countries for their medicinal properties. Crush these leaves and mix a pinch of turmeric powder in it. Then apply this thick paste all over the face. It will take away the oil and cure the pimples.
3. Food to eat, with the Conservatives, additives, dyes or food can also cause acne in the body is of the view that these things are toxic. Your body will then try to turn away from these toxins, as far as possible, mos twill Through your digestive system, but some are in the pores. If that happens, the bacteria from acne.
4. Milk whites are another great cure for acne. Dab egg whites on your pimples to draw out impurities from the skin. You can also spread a thin layer of milk of magnesia over your face. Allow it to dry and then wipe it off with a warm, damp washcloth. Milk of magnesia makes for an inexpensive face mask. Put 2 cups of water in a pot on the stove. Add three to four drops each of peppermint oil and lavender oil to the water. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Drape a towel over your head and hold your face over the steam. This type of herbal mask will help soften your skin and refresh your face.
5. Grate a raw potato and use put the pieces in a cloth. Make a pad and press the pad onto the pimples in a circular motion. This is one of the best ways to get rid of acne scars as well.
6. This is one of the simplest cystic acne natural remedies. You need to prepare a face mask with oatmeal. You can do it in two ways. First is to cook the oatmeal and cool it down in the refrigerator. The second method is to mix oatmeal with cold and purified water. Apply the oatmeal paste all over your face, or any other part affected with cystic acne. Allow the mask to dry for 30 minutes. Wash it away with plenty of water. Oatmeal works by drying out the oil in the skin. When you rub it off with water, it exfoliates the upper layer of skin, and thus removes the dead cells.
[Top]Coping With The After Effects Of Acne Scarring
It may not be instantaneous, but the good news is that you can choose from a number of different methods for getting rid of the scars. The treatments for acne scars differ in terms of effectiveness and quickness as well as in terms of costs so you have to consider each one carefully.
The most basic and least expensive means are the various home remedies, which in many cases will improve your appearance more and more over time. You can help by not exacerbating the problem by not creating additional scarring, such as squeezing any pimples with your hands. You should also continue to clean your face deeply every day. The use of a nourishing moisturizer with a high SPF is also helpful for the fast recovery. In addition, you might also want to use any of the special antibiotic ointments for the fading of the scars and for the prevention or reappearance of acne.
eyond home remedies, the dermabrasion procedure is one of the most effective ways to get rid of scarring caused by acne. This is a procedure performed by a dermatologist in their office. The top few layers of your skin are removed so that new cells can be generated. This procedure requires some numbing and the recovery might be marginally painful, but it is effective for getting rid of acne scars that are relatively shallow. It is said to work best for people with very light or very dark complexions. The downside to dermabrasion treatment is that it can be expensive, and more than one procedure may be necessary for complete results.
Alternatively you can have a chemical peel performed. It is generally about half the cost of dermabrasion, but you will have the top layer of your skin removed only. Still, this method also works well for shallow scars. The recovery period is similar to that of the dermabrasion procedure. Another alternative to dermabrasion is the laser resurfacing. It works in the same fashion the top and some deeper layers of the skin are removed. This type of treatment is considered to be more effective and less painful, but it is around two times more expensive than the dermabrasion. Also, its side effects on the skin are not fully studied yet.
For severe acne scarring, the punch technique is considered to be the most effective for the removal of deep ice pick scars. The dermatologist punches the area with the scar and then replaces it with a skin graft taken from another area of the body usually behind the ear. This is a serious invasive procedure, but it is not extremely costly. Still, if you get this type of treatment, you will have to undergo another one usually dermabrasion. The total costs will be high, but you will get the results you want.
It goes without saying that curing acne should be the first step in treating acne scars. It can be both costly and very disappointing to go through cosmetic treatments only to have new scars appear in place of the old ones. But at least you can take comfort in knowing that you dont have to live with the unsightly scarring and pitting are left behind from pimples.
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