Acne
From WikiBody - The Owner's Manual For Your Body
Acne is a skin disorder characterized by red bumps, whiteheads, and blackheads. Also called pimples, zits, and blemishes, these skin irritations are the result of oil-clogged pores becoming infected due to the inability to clear themselves of dirt and bacteria.
Though acne is often associated with adolescence, adults are frequently afflicted with the disorder. The face, chest, shoulders, and upper back are areas that are commonly affected by acne, but acne can occur anywhere you have a pore.
[edit] Prevention
When it comes to acne, an ounce of prevention is worth a faceful of cure. These guidelines will help you avoid the buildup of acne-forming substances on your skin.
Wash Your Skin Daily. Maybe Twice
Excessive oil is the enemy of clear pores, so gently cleansing your skin with a gentle soap and lukewarm water.
If you have particularly oily skin, you may consider washing your skin twice per day. But continually scrubbing your skin will only irritate pores, which can cause an acne outbreak.
Keep Your Skin Moisturized
When your body senses that your skin is too dry, it will often compensate by ramping up oil production. Unfortunately, the oil glands tend to create more oil than is necessary, which causes pores to become blocked and inflamed.
Land a preemptive strike against harmful dryness by covering your skin in cold and dry conditions. You can also help rehydrate your skin with moisturizing soaps and lotions. Just be sure you pay attention to the next guideline.
Know What You're Putting on Your Skin
Seek out water-based creams and lotions, and look for cosmetics and skin-care products that are labeled "non-comedogenic," which means an item is specially designed to avoid clogging pores.
Keep Oils Where They Belong
The naturally occurring oils in your hair can wreak havoc on your face. And the dirt and grease that is ok for your fingers can spell trouble for your pores. Keep your hair away from your face and back to prevent the oil from your mane from clogging your skin. And avoid transferring oils to your face and other acne-prone areas by touching them with your hands.
No Picking, Prodding, or Poking
You should avoid the temptation to "pop" a zit. It seems like it would be a good way to clear the infection from your pore, but the squeezing action actually drives the infection deeper into your skin, which will allow the infection to worsen.
Using a needle or other object to "lance" your acne is an equally bad idea. You run the risk of transferring germs from the needle to your skin. You can also tear your skin, causing further infection and aggravating the original blemish.
[edit] Treatments
Some people are genetically prone to acne, and even the most diligent skin care regimen can be thwarted by the occasional pimple. So when preventative measures are not enough, there are a number of acne remedies available, ranging from at home treatments to out-patient procedures.
Topical Treatments
A variety of lotions and creams are available over the counter and by prescription.
Retinoids are one common class topical acne treatments. Retinoid-based salves work by forcing clogged material out of the pores.
Antibiotic creams are another type of topical acne treatment. These creams work by attacking the bacteria that cause pores to swell.
Oral Antibiotics
Like their topical cousins, oral antibiotics fight acne by reducing the amount of bacteria in the pores and by reducing the body's inflammation response.
Light and Laser Treatments
Diode laser treatments, pulsed light and heat therapy, and blue light therapy are all targeted at killing the bacteria responsible for acne infections.
By directing particular wavelengths of light and pulses of heat at the infect areas, doctors can fight the inflammatory microbes and decrease oil production, resulting in clearer skin.
