Acne vulgaris is commonly known as pimples. Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disease. Acne affects human body at the beginning of puberty. The intensity of the disease generally lowers down after crossing teenage. The disease equally affects both men and women. Face and neck are those part of the body where acne prominently can occur however, it can also affects chest, back, arms and upper parts of legs. The disease is associated with hair follicles and sebaceous glands. People of western countries are most vulnerable to this problem as imbalance in gene also can be a cause of acne.

At reaching puberty sebaceous glands secrete excessive oil which blocks hair follicles. This is the heaven for the skin bacteria Propionibacterium acne. These bacteria rapidly increase their strength by multiple cell divisions in these oil accumulated pores. This forms cyst beneath the skin; the skin above these cyst becomes bulged and deformed. Acne leaves permanent scars on the skin whenever better treatment is not done for this.

Unbalancing in the level of those hormones which are secreted to attain puberty is supposed to be the prime factor causing acne. There are many other factors which are supposed to affect occurrence of acne. Most prominent causes are stress, irregular menstrual cycles, allergies, use of steroids, accumulation of dead skin, and side effects of iodine, chlorine, bromine, lithium based medication.

Acne is not initiated or stimulated by the consumption of chocolate, fried food and sugar rich diet. Though excess iodine can cause acne but its incorporation with sea food is not established. Myth stating masturbation increases impact of acne has no scientific ground.

The quest for searching a better treatment for acne is going on for millenniums. Hot water treatment, mineral water treatment, and sulphur treatment, were the common ways by which people tried to cure acne. Only in early twentieth century, efforts were made to cure acne with the help of antibiotic like benzoyl peroxide. Since then many development in medical treatment of acne have been noticed. Supplementing diet with vitamin A pills, laser treatment and light therapy are most prominent and relatively advanced techniques for acne treatment.

The new techniques for curing acne are expensive; it is not possible for everyone to afford the cost of laser and light therapy. Doctors still prescribe benzoyl peroxide based topical cream to be applied on acne affected area. Benzoyl peroxide dissolves dead skin and opens pores of skin. Creams containing Azeliac acid are also beneficial for the acne treatment. Oral antibiotic like tetracycline and doxycycline can also accompany topical creams for effective acne treatment. Acne in female is generally treated with hormone therapy. These hormonal pills are alike contraceptive pill containing progestogen which acts against acne causing testosterone. Acne generally takes two to three month to flatten down after starting treatment for it.

Medication for acne must be taken on doctor’s prescription as these medicines may have some side effects.

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Proper skin care is important any time, but it’s particularly important if you’re dealing with acne. One of the “secrets” to controlling an acne problem is to keep your skin as healthy as you can. This includes keeping it clean and avoiding things like sunshine and harsh cosmetics that can damage the skin.

Cleaning Your Skin

Use a specialized skin cleanser or a gentle soap daily, according to the directions. Don’t scrub your face as this can aggravate acne and actually make the problem worse.

Moisten your face with a soft cloth and apply the cleaner to your skin, from your hairline to your neck. Rinse it with plenty of water and dry your face by patting it with a soft towl (again, avoid scrubbing it dry).

If you have oily skin you may need to use an astringent, however do so with care. Only use it on problem spots and stop if it irritates your skin. If you think you may need to use an astringent, you should consult with your dermatologist first.

Hair care is also related to acne and skin care. Shampoo your hair regularly and do your best to keep it off your face. If your hair is oily, it can lead to acne if not kept clean and away from your face.

Sun Protection

It has long been thought that exposure to the sun can help acne, but this isn’t really the case. The sun can dry out your skin and a tan can make your acne less obvious, but it’s really a temporary solution.

Once your skin acclimatizes itself to the sun, your acne will return plus the sun exposure carries other risks such as skin cancer.

Some acne treatments can also make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and in turn more likely to burn. You should always wear sunscreen when you’re out in the sun, whether you’re dealing with acne or not.

Makeup & Cosmetics

Ideally, wearing no makeup is the best choice but if that isn’t an option be sure to choose a makeup that won’t clog your pores.

These cosmetic products are labelled as noncomedogenic, although some people may still have problems when using them. Be sure you choose makeups that don’t use an oil base. Read the ingredients before choosing anything.

Shaving

There is no hard and fast rule when choosing between electric razors and safety razors. Some people will find one more comfortable, some with find the other.

If you choose to use safety razors, don’t shave with dull blades. You might have to shave around serious acne lesions, and make sure you soften your beard with water and shaving cream before you shave.

If you’re having a particular bad day with acne breakouts, it’s probably best to skip shaving altogether.

Avoid Touching Your Skin

It’s tempting to squeeze pimples, but don’t give in! It can lead to more serious problems because squeezing them can cause the bacteria that causes acne to spread. It can also cause permanent scarring in some cases.

It’s also a good idea to avoid touching your face because your hands tend to be dirty and oily and they can spread germs.

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do u keep it on over night. its not a wask its an acne treatment. it doesnt say how long.

What I do is I put my treatment on before i got to bed and wait maybe 15 min before i go sleep with it on. I just wash it off in the morning. I’ve been doing that for the past 4 years with many different products and its always worked. My brother does the same thing.

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The past year I’ve been using Pro Active and it has cleared up my skin but then it stopped curing my skin when I had little acne left. I didn’t have a lot of acne left so I thought i would try and use Murad. I have used it for a month and I’m getting more acne. I get a lot of whiteheads out of no where like everyday.

I would try going to Facial Excellence and reading a bit. That site has information on all types of acne.

http://www.facialexcellence.com

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