Acne Blog - Information & Doctor Advice

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Will Fish Oil Supplements Help Cure Acne?


	What started off as a very niche product, fish oil supplements have become a daily ritual for millions of people across the country. While studies have shown fish oil supplements high in omega 3 fatty acids can help with cognitive health, can they help get rid of your acne too? Despite the great number of studies conducted on the benefits and effects of fish oil, there have been very few studies researching how it relates to skin care and acne prevention or treatment. Like with most dietary supplements, the effects of anything can vary drastically from person to person and there’s no way of knowing beforehand what will happen to your body or skin. Some people might be allergic or sensitive to fish oil and that can cause their skin to become dry and develop a rash, which can lead to long-term damage to your skin if not treated correctly. Others might notice some benefit from the fish oil with regards to alleviating inflamed skin that can result in acne, but there is no evidence shows this is a direct correlation and it may not provide any skin care benefit at all. Fish oil is highly recommended for everyone to take, but in addition you need to do what you can to make sure you keep your skin healthy, which includes getting plenty of exercise and using high quality acne products that are formulated with professional grade ingredients that won’t dry out or worsen your skin.

posted @ Thursday, June 25, 2009 1:09 PM | Feedback (0) |

Friday, June 19, 2009

Will Too Much Caffeine Cause Acne?


	Whether it’s from coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks, tea, or a number of other sources, it’s been estimated that as many as 90% of adult Americans consume caffeine each day. While the effects of caffeine on energy levels are well known, could it have a deeper effect on your body when it comes to clear skin? Many people might increase their daily intake of coffee, soft drinks, or energy drinks and suddenly notice an acne breakout, but can caffeine really be the cause? Unfortunately, the answer is very unclear and the effects of caffeine on the body can vary greatly from person to person, so there may never be a concrete answer. But just like with other foods, if you start to consume more and notice that your skin may be getting worse, it’s a good idea to halt consumption and see if your skin clears up. It’s very possible that you may be sensitive caffeine and it could affect your skin, which can lead to acne developing or worsening. In addition, it’s also very important to make sure that no matter how much or little caffeine you consume each day you wash and cleanse your face each day with professional grade acne products that will prevent dryness and stop acne from forming.

posted @ Friday, June 19, 2009 4:18 PM | Feedback (0) |

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Does Shaving Cause or Worsen Acne?


	Whether it’s their face or legs, countless people shave everyday in order to get rid of unwanted hair. While shaving methods and technology have advanced greatly over the past decades, it’s still impossible to avoid potentially damaging your skin. While electric razors will make it far easier to avoid cutting your face, neck, or legs, you are still at risk no matter what type of razor you use, electric or disposable, of doing deeper damage to your skin. What makes razors so good at getting rid of unwanted hair also makes them culprits for drying your skin or causing any present acne to worsen. This is the result of the blade, while still relatively smooth, being harsh on your skin and causing irritation. You do not need to draw any blood to irritate your skin, so just because you avoid cutting yourself doesn’t mean you’ve avoided harming your skin. This dry skin can easily cause acne to develop as the result of oil glands producing additional oil to try and moisturize the skin, but this just makes your pores clog and cause acne to develop. If you try shaving over acne that is already on your skin, you are greatly running the risk of making the acne worse by accidentally popping zits or drying out the already irritated and damaged skin even more. This doesn’t mean you should quit shaving all-together to try and avoid causing or worsening acne, but what it does mean is you need to take certain precautions to prevent either of these possibilities. First, make sure you use a shaving gel or lotion that’s formulated to moisturize your skin and prevent irritation or dryness (these may cost slightly more than the cheap, generic brand). Next, make sure you avoid shaving too much or too hard if you have any existing acne on that area of your skin. Finally, it’s important to wash your skin daily with acne cleansers and moisturizers that are designed with only the highest quality ingredients, such as aloe vera, that are designed to be sensitive on your skin and not cause further breakouts.

posted @ Wednesday, June 10, 2009 2:38 PM | Feedback (0) |

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Will Eating Too Many Carbs Cause Acne?


	We’ve previously discussed whether or not a diet full of chocolate and greasy foods will cause acne, but could eating too many carbohydrates be the reason behind acne breakouts? The effects of carbs on skin clarity has been studied before and while no definitive answer has been reached, there is some evidence to show that carbs may cause acne in certain people. The reasoning behind this is that when the body has to digest too many high carb foods, it will increase glucose levels and that will cause the more insulin to be produced, which in return promotes epidermal hyperplasia. This can cause your skin to experience changes in its condition, such as dryness, which will lead to an increase in oil product from glands and that can clog pores and make acne develop. The chance that consuming a large number of carbs may cause acne to develop does not mean you should stop eating carbs completely, it just means use moderation and make sure to take care of your skin. Make sure that you use sensitive skin care products that are designed to be tough on acne, but gentle on your skin so that your skin will not dry out even further. This should be a very important part of your daily skin care routine and will help ensure that skin blemishes are limited and controlled.

posted @ Tuesday, May 26, 2009 10:39 AM | Feedback (0) |

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Taking Care of Your Skin in the Summer


	With summer right around the corner, countless people across the northern hemisphere are saying goodbye to winter clothes and hello to long days in the bright sun. While in addition to avoiding the harmful (and even deadly) effects of too much sunlight, it's also important to make sure you take the proper precautions to avoid drying out your skin. The most important thing to be remember is to never stay in direct sunlight for extended periods of time without enough sunscreen to prevent your skin from becoming dry and causing acne to develop. You can still get a tan while wearing sun block, but if you decide to venture outside without any sort of sunscreen, make sure you never stay in direct sunlight for more than 15 or 20 minutes depending on the temperature. In addition, make sure you wear a cap or visor to help shade your face and keep it cool - this will prevent both sunburn and your skin from drying out. Another smart way to avoid getting dry skin or acne from hot summer days is to make sure you use skin moisturizer that is also formulated to help prevent clogged pores. Acne moisturizers with ingredients like aloe vera will nourish your skin and prevent dryness or oily skin.

posted @ Thursday, May 21, 2009 4:05 PM | Feedback (0) |

Monday, May 11, 2009

Bacne - How to Treat Back Acne


	While most people with acne are most concerned about the way it affects their face, there are also a great number of people who have to worry about acne in other places – mostly commonly on their back. Back acne, commonly referred to as “bacne” or “backne”, affects people of all ages and can range from a few pimples to severe acne, including blackheads, pimples, pustules, and maybe even cysts in severe cases. Back acne generally is worse in teens during puberty, where the pores and glands are being affected by hormones and clogging up easily. While the exact cause of back acne can differ from person to person, it is believed that external irritants can greatly affect how severe and how much develops even if the back acne originated from genetics or hormones. To prevent and treat back acne, it is recommended to avoid long exposure to the sun because this will only dry up your skin and make it worse. In addition, making sure you use bleach free laundry detergents can also help trying to limit how dry your skin becomes. The best way to get rid of back acne is to make sure you use an acne cleanser that is formulated to be tough on acne, but gentle on your skin so that it will not inadvertently make your back acne worse. This means looking for acne products that are aloe vera based so that it will soothe your skin and not dry it out even more.

posted @ Monday, May 11, 2009 9:08 AM | Feedback (0) |

Monday, May 04, 2009

Does Chlorine Get Rid of Acne?


	One very popular acne myth, especially during the warm spring and summer months, is that chlorine from swimming pools can cure acne. Many people will claim that zits or pimples they have will start to get better after regularly swimming during the summer months, but this is not entirely true. While the chemical chlorine can make your acne temporarily get better, too much exposure will make any blemishes even worse. The reason chlorine can make your skin a little clearer is because it dries up oil produced by the sebaceous gland, which is responsible for a large number of acne breakouts. The amount of skin improvement people see can vary greatly, but many people might not see any improvement and immediately see their acne get worse. While many people can experience temporary acne relief from chlorine found in swimming pools, this will not be a long-term solution and it can even make your acne worse if you have too much exposure. As a result of the oil from your sebaceous gland being dried out, your skin will become dry and therefore itchy or irritated. This will make your skin red and can lead to scarring if you scratch dry areas or current blemishes. So while many people might claim chlorine is a miracle acne cure, that is not the case and even short-term results have their drawbacks and can lead to long-term problems like acne scarring.

posted @ Monday, May 04, 2009 10:40 AM | Feedback (0) |

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Skin Exfoliating - Removing Dead Skin Cells


	Many skin care products and advertisements like to use words such as: exfoliating, exfoliation, or exfoliant, but what does "exfoliating" really mean? Dating back to the ancient Egyptians, skin exfoliation has been used to remove dead skin cells from the epidermis, the skin’s outermost layer. This skin care practice became popular in the United States as a result of spa and skin care clinics offering chemical peels, a technique that has become the symbol of a trip to the spa. Advancements in technology have made it very popular for people to do at home via chemical exfoliants designed to “scrub” the clean skin of dead skin cells. The reason these dead skin cells need to be removed is because after a skin cell develops and travels to the surface, it will eventually become acidic and this can dry out the top layer of skin. When your skin becomes dry, not only will it become very itchy, but it will try to make your glands produce more oil in an attempt to moisturize the skin. This does not always work because if the pores are clogged, which dead skin cells can do, the oil will backup and a blemish will form. This is why regularly exfoliating your skin with a high quality skin exfoliant that won’t damage your skin even further is very important and should be a regular part of your skin care routine.

posted @ Wednesday, April 29, 2009 2:25 PM | Feedback (0) |

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Do Blackhead Nose Strips Really Work?


	I see countless commercials featuring girls with clear skin using “papier-mâché like” strips that supposedly remove blackheads from your nose. Do blackhead nose strips really work? Are they good for your skin over a lengthened period of time? The answer is that blackhead nose strips are only a temporary fix that can potentially lead to long term problems. Blackhead nose strips work by adhering to wet skin and suppressing the skin in order to grab hold of the blackheads that are immovable. The result is a dried up blackhead nose strip with only the head of the blackhead successfully removed and open pores that are exposed to bacteria. Blackhead nose strips do successfully remove the head of a blackhead, but blackhead nose strips do not remove the core of the blackhead that is buried deep below the surface of the skin. Blackhead nose strips achieve the same result as manually popping your pimples, but with only one motion. By using blackhead nose strips, you leave your pores very exposed to bacteria and further infections. There is a reason that the labels on the boxes of the blackhead nose strips recommend that blackhead nose strips be used weekly, it’s because a week after using the blackhead nose strips, the blackheads return. The only way to see significant results and considerably clearer acne free skin is to cleanse your skin with high quality acne products.

posted @ Wednesday, April 22, 2009 4:03 PM | Feedback (0) |

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Do Tanning Beds Cause or Cure Acne?


	With tanning beds becoming an exponentially growing fad, the myths surrounding the effects of this type of tanning on your skin also continue to grow. The most recently developed myths revolve around the effects of tanning beds. As was discussed in a previous blog entry, the sun can be damaging to the skin and worsen acne, but is it true that tanning beds have less harmful effects on the skin? The answer is undoubtedly false. Tanning beds actually have worse effects on you skin than the natural sun. The main difference between natural tanning and tanning beds deals with the amount of UVB rays your skin is exposed to. Recently, tanning beds have eliminated the use of UVB rays in an attempt to minimize the hazardous effect overexposure to the sun can have. In doing so, they have indirectly increased the activity of the sebaceous gland which causes skin to become oilier due to the gland blocking power the UVB rays possessed. The myth that tanning beds more effectively treat and even cure acne could not be further from the truth. If you are going to use tanning beds, make sure that the beds that you thoroughly cleanse your face before and after in order to cleanse the skin and minimize the increased amount of oil your skin produced due to the tanning beds. Instead of trying to find miracle cures for acne, such as tanning beds, which can be more harmful than helpful, make sure to wash your face with high quality cleansing products that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

posted @ Thursday, April 16, 2009 4:52 PM | Feedback (0) |