Acne Home RemediesWritten by Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, Ph.D, ND, DACBN
Diet and Good Nutrition Good nutrition is foundation for healthy skin. A well-balanced diet will ensure that your body receives vitamins and mineral it needs to support and maintain health of skin. Foods rich in sulphur, such as onions and garlic, may be particularly helpful to those who suffer from acne. There are also several nutritional supplements that may be helpful in maintenance of healthy skin. Supplements of b-complex vitamins as well as vitamin C, and A are very important for strength, growth, and vitality of skin. Vitamin E and mineral zinc orotate are also useful supplements as they both contain antioxidants that can help protect skin from damage. And don't underestimate power of water. Water helps to hydrate skin, plump up glands, and move waste and nutrients through system. Plan on drinking at least six to eight glasses of purified water each day to keep skin healthy and deter development of acne. We recommend using a Wellness Water purification system available at www.ghchealth.com.Cleansing In order to prevent or alleviate acne, you need to keep you skin nourished from inside and clean on outside. People who suffer from acne need to be especially careful about methods and products used to cleanse skin. Choose gentle herbal facial cleansers and moisturizers, and use them at least twice throughout day to remove debris, oil, perspiration, and pollutants that have built up on skin. There are several products on market that are made exclusively for acne-prone skin. These products are designed to reduce incidence of acne breakouts. The best product available is Oxy-Skin™. A non-oily face wash that contains tea tree oil or echinacea can also help to slow or halt development of acne. Excessive washing will not help reduce acne, and in fact it can actually aggravate it. Rather, wash your face twice a day in morning and evenings and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Moisturizers and Cosmetics As with facial cleansers, be sure to choose moisturizers and cosmetics that will work well with your skin type. Avoid oily cosmetics or any facial products that contain socetyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, parabens and sodium chloride, as these ingredients can cause acne. Cosmetics are a major cause of acne breakouts for adult women. Wear least amount of makeup you feel comfortable with, to avoid irritation to your skin and allow your skin to receive an ample supply of oxygen.
| | Treatment for Acne ScarsWritten by Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, Ph.D, ND, DACBN
Acne can be very mild, resulting in a few lone blemishes, or it can be severe when it occurs on face, neck, shoulders, chest, and back. Pustules and deeper cysts occur with very severe acne and scarring may result if condition is not cared for properly. These scars may be visible for a lifetime. Here’s what your can do to prevent these scars from forming, and treat them if they do develop.Preventing Acne Scars Never pick or squeeze acne blemishes. This can lead to spread of acne and development of acne scars. Instead, there are a number of treatment methods that can be used to care for acne and prevent development of scars. Herbs such as chamomile, lavender, juniper, bergamot, dandelion root, Echinacea, poke root, witch hazel, and burdock root can be used to reduce toxicity, improve skin’s condition and treat acne. Vitamin supplements can also be helpful as vitamins A, C, E and B6 are vital for healthy skin. Also, avoid exposing your skin to sun’s rays. Initially, sun exposure may dry out an acne blemish, but over time, unprotected sun exposure can damage skin and further aggravate problem acne. Types of Acne Scars Medical professionals have developed a acne scarring classification system that aids in diagnosis and treatment of many acne scars. Scars may be classified as ice pick, boxcar, or rolling. Acne Scars – Ice pick As their name implies, ice pick acne scars are thin, sharp scars. The skin looks as though it has been sliced with an ice pick. These scars are narrow, but deep, extending into deep dermis or subcutaneous layer. Acne Scars - Boxcar Unlike ice pick scars, boxcar scars do not taper to a point. Instead, they are round pits that have sharp vertical edges. Skin resurfacing techniques such as dermabrasion or laser resurfacing may be used to treat shallow boxcar scars. Deeper scars require full-thickness treatment techniques. Acne Scars - Rolling Rolling scars appear to have a rolling or undulating texture. They are result of folds in skin to subcutaneous tissue below. Rolling scars must be treated by breaking up fibrous bands that are causing skin to fold or roll. Subcutaneous incision is method most commonly used to treat this condition. Acne Scar Treatment Dermal Fillers Dermal fillers such as fat, collagen, hyaluronic acid derivatives, and polytheyl-methacrylate microspheres with collagen can be injected into acne scars to raise surface of skin and give a smoother look. The injection of dermal fillers does not permanently correct acne scars. The results are temporary, so further injections are necessary.
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