Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Truth to Know About Anti-acne and Anti-aging Skin Care Solutions

The actual truth that no one can run from is that for those who are afflicted with skin problems or are having a hard time facing the threat of growing old and getting wrinkles, there are actually products that can help them. There are lots of Anti acne/anti aging skin care products out there right now that help or at least claim to help people with these problems and they include acne problems and worrisome creases on the side of the eyes an or mouth. These anti acne anti aging skin care products are actually meant to treat skin problems, acne and wrinkles. Some are even advertised as multi-purpose in nature. That is they ca take care of a combination of these problems. The big question then is - How does one know the right products?

To set your mind totally at rest as to whether you are using the right anti acne anti aging skin care treatment, it might be your best option to seek the help of your Dermatologist. Aging skin and Acne are two different kinds of skin problems. So you might need if only to be sure, to consult with an expert to help you determine if really the treatment you are considering which claims to be able to deal with both problems is worth the effort.

There are a whole variations of these Anti acne anti aging skin care multi-purpose products in your local drug store and all over the internet. As is normal with advertising, we are constantly bombarded with their promotional claims leaving not a few of us in a state of serious confusion. They all claim a whole lot of things, but whatever these claims, you have to be able to read the "fine prints" and look out for the word "may". Most of these products always after their claims, include this little disclaimer to state that the product may not have the desired effect. So if you are choosing a product, you would have to decide if the cost is worth it especially if you are paying more for the supposed extra service.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would have to go back to my first advice about seeing a doctor who has a good knowledge of skin care and their associated products. It is true that there are some of these products that actually do what they claim. Having said that, it is good to add that the involvement of a qualified licensed skin doctor. Why, he knows what caused the breakout or the skin problem in the first place so he can recommend the actual treatment be it a multi-purpose treatment or individual treatments that would help solve both problems.

Here's to an Acne free, younger looking skin.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Birth Control Pills - An Oral Contraceptive Method For Treating Acne

Birth Control Pills which are also known as Oral Contraceptives can successfully treat acne, a bad skin condition, in many women. Before an approval of FDA, doctors used birth control pills for the acne treatments. But now there are many contraceptive pills, which are FDA approved, available for acne treatments. These pills include Estrostep, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, and Yaz.

These contraceptive pills are not utilized as a primary or an initial treatment against acne. A doctor always tries for other options for acne and still if he/she hasn't got the result then he/she moves toward the oral contraceptive options. Even in some situations the patient wants to have a form of contraception then the doctor provides her this solution. However for most exceptional result, birth control pills are used with other solutions, like benzoyl peroxide or topical reinoids, for acne treatments.

The way it works:

Birth Control Pills are generally composition of hormones, estrogen and progestin. They change the hormonal prototypes and natural reproductive sequence of a female. As the oral contraceptive pills decrease the quantity of testosterone in body, they habitually improve acne breakouts which are hormonal-based. As the production of testosterone is reduced, it also reduces the oil which is caused by the 'sebaceous glands'. So the possibility of pore blockages by oil is also decreased.

For a female with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, the birth control pills can be quite helpful in treatment of acne caused by this situation. The contraceptive pills like Yasmin and Yaz include progesterone which can help to control the quantity of androgen hormones in body and thus dropping breakout goings-on.

The level of testosterone may be lifted up by some birth control pills. It depends on the structure of the contraceptive pills. Instead of treatment, in this condition the situation may go worst and acne increases badly. So if you are planning for using a contraceptive pill to decrease acne breakouts, you should first consult your doctor. The doctor will recommend a brand which will help you in treatment of acne.

Take birth control pills at the same time day by day. It may take time more than three months or sometimes longer than it to see any changes after you start taking birth control pills. It is quite common for acne to go downhill before it gets better.

Probable Side Effects:

As the birth control pills help you in treating the acne, it may create side effects also. Some of the side-effects are common and minor. They include weight gain, nausea, breast tenderness, mood swings, and menstrual spotting too.

Some other side-effects are not minor and common; they may create major problems in your health and routine life. These types of side-effects include stroke, blood clots, depression, headaches, gallstones, and high blood pressure.

Thus these birth control pills can be useful in acne treatments for females who in addition want a birth control too. But only thing to keep in mind is before taking the pills, visit your doctor and get the pills from his/her prescription. So, you may not have to suffer from side-effects.


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Looking for the Best Acne Scar Treatment?

Treatment of Acne Scars

There are a number of treatments out there to battle acne scars. While none of them really give instant results, they can significantly decrease scarring or eliminate them over time, depending on the severity. The idea behind acne scar treatments is that new cells will replace old damaged cells. There are some topical scar treatments that start this process through the creation of healthy skin cells. There are many over the treatements, but it is best to consult a doctor if you are looking for a deep acne scar product. Determining the best acne scar treatment varies from person to person depending on a lot of factors, including the severity of the scar, allergic reactions to treatment, availability of funds and their own body's response to the treatment.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is an intensive exfoliating procedure in which a patient's skin is frozen and then removed using a high-powered rotating brush. This procedure can be very painful and requires anesthesia. The skin is also extremely agitated by the intensity of this procedure and can take several months to heal.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion, similar to Dermabrasion is an exfoliating technique, but it is much gentler and less invasive. In this procedure, the goal is to remove the superficial layer of skin called the epidermis. This procedure works well with more recent or superficial scars.

Chemical therapy

Chemical peels are acidic solutions that are applied to the skin. The solution acts on the outermost skin layers, causing them to disintegrate and peel away to reveal the underlying skin. Chemical peels vary from mild to deep penetration, depending on the severity of your acne.

Both microdermabrasion and chemical peels can be done at home, your local salon or a doctor's office. Over the counter products tend to be milder than what are available in a doctor's office and may prove helpful for less severe scarring.

Laser therapy

There are basically two types of laser therapies used in acne scar therapy. This includes ablative (resurfacing) and non-ablative.

Ablative lasers burn away scar tissue, causing dermal collagen to tighten and reduce the scar's visibility. This can be fairly invasive and can take months to heal. The non-ablative repairs without injuring the epidermis. This type of therapy is becoming more popular and has been referred to as the "lunchtime" form of acne laser therapy.

Surgical therapy

Deep rolling scars caused by acne can be treated with subcision. This process works by separating the skin tissue from the scar tissue allowing blood to pool underneath. This allows the deep rolling scars to level off with the rest of the skin. This can then be followed up with other treatments like resurfacing, microdermabrasion or chemical peels.

As you can see there are many different choices available when it comes to acne scar removal. If you have mild or recent scarring, you can try an over the counter product to see if it will work for you, but you should consult a physician, if your scarring is severe to determine what other options are available to you.