Having Acne Problems?

One of the worst things that can happen to a growing teenager is having a face full of acne. Though it happens to most young men and women, it still is embarrassing and can be down right annoying. The article below discusses acne problems and some solutions to this widespread problem.

acne problems

When I was thirteen years old, I had what could be described as “acne problems.” That's the understatement of the year! I was a “pizza face”, I looked like the surface of the moon. I felt insecure all the time about my appearance. I was practically afraid to leave the house.

It was that which made the acne problems so embarassing. My friends, most of whom were also guys, didn't really care if I had acne or not. To them, all that mattered was that I still hung out to ride bikes and play video games and pickup football. But with the girls, it was another matter. It's just hard to feel confident at that age as it is, and even harder when you're not confident about your appearance.

Of course, feelings of insecurity are a common part of adolescence. It's a difficult period of one's life. The body is changing, different hormones are racing through the blood stream. Suddenly, the adult world, the real world, doesn't seem so far away. And of course, for the first time I was noticing the ladies.

At first, I used cleansers and exfoliants, but these only seemed to make the problem worse. I'd put on the cleanser and the skin would turn red and dry, and begin to peel. Now even the parts of my skin without acne looked puffy and irritated!

I begged my mom to take me to the doctor, but she insisted I was fine just the way I was. I sure didn't feel fine. Finally, she took me into the dermatologist. She barely looked at me, and handed me a prescription for my acne problem – a cream which I was supposed to put on my face. I took this to mean that it was a miracle cure-all, so effective in treating acne that it was obviously the right choice for everybody. And it did start working, almost immediately, but after a couple days, my skin problems were back, as bad as ever. I began to despair of ever finding a cure for my acne problem.

The strange thing is that, in all this time, no one had ever told me about the roll of nutrition in both causing and preventing acne. Fortunately, I had a friend who's mother was a nutritionist. Almost overnight when she was thirteen, she developed terrible acne – even worse than mine. Then, a week later, as if by magic, it was almost completely gone. I asked her what was her secret, and she told me – it was as simple as avoiding greasy foods, and eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I was skeptical at first, but I figured it was workth trying.

I eliminated all unhealthy foods from my diet. It took longer than I would have thought, but I stuck with it. Within a month, my acne problems were mere acne inconveniences. And a few weeks after that, they were gone. I don't know if this solution will work for everyone. Probably, for some people, even with a healthy diet the cleansers and medications are necessary. But if acne is making your life miserable, eating balanced, nutricious meals is certainly worth a try!

So, do you know what to do now to help controal and prevent acne? If this article wasn't what you wanted, then the other ones might be. Go check them out if you want to.

What to Look For in a Acne Cleanser

Having trouble with acne? Acne cleansers are some of the most mainstream effective fighters against acne. They should be your first step in trying to get rid of those blasted things. The following article discusses some of the best acne cleansers and what they will do for you.

In searching for an acne cleanser, many people begin at their nearby Long's, Walgreen's, or Rite Aid. The aisles are full of various popular brands of cleansing bars, deep cleansing lotions, scrubs, toners, masks, black head removal strips, and more. Each person who buys one or more of these products buys them with hope, thinking perhaps they will help give them skin like that of the models on the cover of the packages. Sometimes these products work, and sometimes they don't. If they don't work for you, it gets very expensive going through the various acne cleansers in search of the one that will bring you the clear skin you've been dreaming of.

One alternative is to go to Costco. They often sell Neutrogena and other acne products at a big discount. You have to buy several bottles or at least one great big bottle, but if you've already tried the acne cleanser and you know it works for you, and want to keep using it, it makes sense to buy it in larger quantities at a store like Costco and save some money.

Some people think paying big bucks for a product that's promoted specifically as an acne cleanser is a waste of time. Do you ever wonder what people did before all these acne products were produced and sold? Some just used regular soap and hoped for the best. Some used various herbal applications and had good results.

What sorts of herbs or other common ingredients might make a good acne cleanser? Here's one: oatmeal and cornmeal mixed with plain yogurt. This makes a gentle cleanser that has a bit of exfoliating action. For this gentle acne cleanser, use 1/2 cup of either oatmeal or cornmeal and mix it with enough plain yogurt to turn it into a paste. Then apply to the face (avoiding the eye area) and wash off with water. Oatmeal tends to absorb things (such as oil and dirt) and it also helps soften the skin.

A facial mask to use after your acne cleanser is a combination of apples and honey. Grate one medium-size apple and mix it with about five tablespoons of honey. Apply it to your face (avoiding the eyes) and leave it on for about 10 minutes. Then splash it off with cool water. This is a great treatment for oily skin, and certainly costs less than a mask on sale at the drug store.

Well, I hope you found this article very helpful. Make sure put the information to use! If you have other questions, be sure to check out the other articles on this website as well. They will help you!

Is Accutane for You?

Accutane is a very powerful medicine for serious cases of acne. Though it can be very effective, it can bad side effects as well. The article below discusses Accutane, what it does, when it should be used, and some of the side effects. I hope you will find it very helpful.

Accutane is the brand name for a isotretinoin. It isn't for wimps. It's controversial. It's effective for some in the treatment of acne, but you pretty much have to be desperate to try it. There can be side effects. Serious side effects. If you're a parent, and your child's dermatologist is telling you that accutane is the next step in a series of treatments that haven't worked, think very carefully before you try it, and consider alternative approaches offered by non-traditional practitioners such as naturopaths. They can offer a regimen of high doses of vitamins, herbs, gentle topical treatments and changes in diets that can eliminate acne for some without harmful side effects. It's not very expensive to try, and certainly worth a try if it means sparing your child the risks associated with accutane.

What are the side effects? The biggie, the really scary one is that there is a high risk of severe birth defects if you become pregnant while taking accutane. Some teens are sexually active; some aren't. Some are responsible about birth control; some aren't. If you have a daughter who is not sexually active, she'll have to take birth control pills along with accutane. What could this medication be doing to someone who takes it if it causes birth defects? Is it worth taking the risk?

Other side effects can include dry and itchy skin, chapped lips, muscle and joint pain, irritated eyelids, decreased night vision, nosebleeds, skin rashes, intestinal discomfort, urinary symptoms, headaches, increased susceptibility to sunburn, and depression-even thoughts of suicide.

Now, some people with very bad acne have suicidal thoughts too because it is such a difficult experience for a young person to be disfigured by acne.

Another potential side effect is liver damage. This is serious enough so that if you take accutane, you have to get regular blood tests to monitor the level of fat in your blood to make sure your liver isn't failing.

Another thing. It might not work. And for some people, it'll work only while you're taking it and as soon as you stop taking it, back comes the acne. But you're only supposed to take accutane for a limited time. So, for many it's taking a serious risk for a solution that's only temporary.

There are people who have had success with accutane. Otherwise dermatologists wouldn't be subscribing it. It's just a good idea to make sure all less invasive options have been exhausted before stepping into a treatment that has potential to do so much harm.

As you can see, accutane can be an effective weapon against acne. If used with caution and knowingly of the risks, this medication might be the thing for you. If you are unsure of using it, please check out my other articles on how to get rid of acne.