Acne - Breakouts - Pimples - Zits - Cysts

What is Acne and Why Do I Have It?
Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder of the skin's sebaceous glands and hair follicles and occurs when the cells lining the sebum canals are injured or when follicles or pores are blocked or clogged by sebum (oil) and dead cells mixed together. It show as pimples or zits and deeper skin pustules. Different stages of acne and how they form can be seen in the graphics at what is acne.

If acne breakouts becomes severe and bacterial infection proliferates inside the sebum canals you get acne cysts and those can leave permanent acne scars. Scarring is what you want to avoid. Stop popping those zits yourself and read this!

Acne infection destroys collagen and elastin fibers, severs the micro-vascular system and damages and kills cells. When healing occurs, normally after a long time if acne injuries are not properly treated, a scar is left in the skin. The normal functional tissue (skin) is replaced by connective tissue (scar).

Acne breakouts start during puberty and produce multiple skin injuries (inflammatory infections) that place heavy demands upon the skin's components. Areas with recurrent acne infection caused by moderate or severe acne frequently develop deficiencies of essential ingredients, impairing the skin's ability to defend itself and heal efficiently.

Who Gets Acne?
Acne affects about 80% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. During puberty high levels of hormones are produced in both girls and boys. This leads to the production of large quantities of sebum. Sebum is an irritant that can clog the pores and form a pimple which may become infected and form a cyst or a pustule. Hormones don't go away after adolescence. Many women still get premenstrual acne from the release of progesterone after ovulation.

Acne Causes
The sebaceous glands located in each hair follicle produce oil that lubricates the skin and keeps it soft. Sebaceous glands are found in large numbers on the face, back, chest and shoulders. If this oil becomes trapped, bacteria multiply in the follicles and theinside lining of the follicle is injured and becomes inflamed.

Acne is NOT triggered by dirty pores but most likely by over active oil glands. The excess oil makes the pores sticky allowing bacteria to become trapped inside. Blackheads form when sebum combines with skin pigment and plug the pores. If scales below the surface of the skin become filled with sebum "white heads"appear.

Dirt, dust, oils and pollution can clog pores too. Eliminate this problem by washing your skin with an oil-free acne wash. In severe cases white heads build up, spread under the skin and rupture, which eventually spreads the inflammation.

Factors that contribute to acne include heredity, oily skin and hormones. Other factors that contribute to acne are allergies, stress, the menstrual cycle, nutritional deficiencies, over-washing and repeated rubbing of the skin.

Acne Types
Though pimples all start the same way, they may react differently for different people and can take many forms. All acne begins with one basic lesion: The comedo, an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria. Invisible to your eyes, the comedo lurks beneath the surface of your skin waiting for the right conditions to grow into an inflamed lesion. As the skin continues to produce more oil, bacteria flourishes within the swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells fight against the intruders.

NON-INFLAMMATORY ACNE

Closed comedones, or whiteheads. If the plugged follicle stays below the surface of the skin, the lesion is called a closed comedo, or whitehead. They usually appear on the skin as small, whitish bumps.

Open comedones, or blackheads. If the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin, it's called an open comedo, or blackhead. The plug's dark appearance is not due to dirt, but rather to a buildup of melanin, the skin's dark pigment.

INFLAMMATORY ACNE

Papules. The mildest form of inflammatory acne is called a papule, which appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. They can be tender to the touch, and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory skin lesions.

Pustules. Like papules, pustules are small round lesions; unlike papules, they are clearly inflamed and contain visible pus. They may appear red at the base, with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not commonly contain a great deal of bacteria; the inflammation is generally caused by chemical irritation from sebum components such as free fatty acids.

Nodules or Cysts. Large and usually very painful, a nodule is an inflamed, pus-filled lesion lodged deep within the skin. Nodules develop when the contents of a comedo have spilled into the surrounding skin and the local immune system responds, producing pus. The most severe form of acne lesion, nodules may persist for weeks or months, their contents hardening into a deep cyst. Both nodules and cysts often leave deep scars.

Acne conglobata. This rare but serious form of inflammatory acne develops primarily on the back, buttocks and chest. In addition to the presence of pustules and nodules, there may be severe bacterial infection.

Some lesions which appear to be acne are not acne at all. One skin condition that resembles acne is folliculitis, which occurs when the hair follicles become infected and inflamed. Folliculitis can be treated with BIOSKINCARE..

What To Do About Zits?

IMPORTANT: NEVER pop or squeeze a pimple or rub a lession yourself. You don't have the sterile instruments that a dermatologist uses to do this and he/she knows the proper technique. This can give you lifelong scars! (see the section below about "Seeing a Dermatologist"), but read the rest of this first please.

Wash your hands before and after caring for skin lesions to reduce the chance of infection. Don't rest your face on your hands. This irritates the skin of the face. Identify and avoid anything that aggravates acne. This may include foods, lotions and make-up. Avoid comedogenic cosmetics, those which can aggravate acne.

How to get rid of acne
Once you've cleaned your skin, it's time to work on fighting pimples before they start. Pimples begin when oil and dead skin cells get trapped in pores. So you've got to use products that work inside the pores to help keep them clear. The key is regular daily usage even when your skin looks great. Only using this stuff when you get a pimple won't do your face justice.

Doctors and companies selling chemical products for acne will tell your there is no single medicine or acne treatment. They add that treatment should be designed according to your own personal skin type and its needs. The will also tell you that the only way to know for sure which product will work best for your skin is to try it. And they may remind you that no matter what you use the most important thing is to stick with it. We do not agree and thus we invite you to ponder a different perspective on how to get rid of acne

Acne Treatment
Treatment is designed to prevent formation of new lesions and complications and aid the healing of old lesions.

Treatments Include:

Topical medications that dry up the oil and/or promote skin peeling may contain benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acids, sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid, tretinoin, or retinoic acid (Retin-A). Many of them have unwanted side effects; they may irritate your skin.

You may have to experiment with acne treatments before you find the right OTC products for you. You are using this product to reduce the bacteria on the skin and to exfoliate. Exfoliation works by applying the lotion or wash to dry up the skin and help the dead cells and debris come off.

Natural home treatments may lessen the effects of acne:
Clean the skin gently but thoroughly with soap and water, removing all dirt or make-up. (Beware of cosmetic acne) Wash as often as needed to control oil, at least daily and after exercising. Use a clean washcloth every day to prevent bacterial re-infection.

A small amount of sun exposure may improve acne. However, excessive exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet rays is not recommended because prolonged exposure increases the risk of skin cancer.

Acne often improves in the summer, so some foods that aggravate acne may be tolerated in the summer but not in the winter.

Seeing A Dermatologist
A dermatologist, or his/her associated nurse will use small surgical instruments to open and remove the content of pustules, cysts or pimples directly. This is done before they burst and cause deeper damage and scarring. It is a quick procedure and can result in dramatic improvement in the skin's appearance after a couple of days of healing. It is not very painful at all. Sometimes it is done on a weekly basis. Talk to your parents about this treatment. It is usually covered by most insurance companies.

Acne medicines

Acne Antibiotics
A doctor or health care provider may provide an antibiotic. Some antibiotics are to be used on only your skin. Oral antibiotics have an antibacterial effect as well as an anti-inflammatory effect. They all have side effects, so talk to the person prescribing these medications about those. If they do not mention side effects... ASK, you need to know, after all you are the one taking them.

IF you are taking birth control pills -- antibiotics WILL interfere with the effectiveness of the pill. Tell the health care provider what medications you are on, or if you are taking the birth control pill.

The use of antibiotics for a long time can create bacterial resistance.

Prescription Hormone Treatments
Sometimes your health care provider or a dermatologist may prescribe oral contraceptives for girls to help clear up their skin. Hormones may clear up acne by slowing down sebaceous gland function. They work to treat acne by decreasing androgen ("masculine") hormone levels and thus decreasing sebum production. Oral contraceptives may be an effective treatment option for women with moderate acne, but it takes three to six months to see their full effect.

Oral contraceptives, including a combination of norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol (Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Estrostep), have been shown to improve acne in women. Talk to your parents about this and be sure to ask the dermatologist or your health care provider what they think of the idea. It is very important to discuss this with a medical professional who knows you and your medical history.

Oral contraceptives can be used as long-term acne therapy; however, this medication should not be prescribed to women who smoke, have a blood-clotting disorder, are older than 35 or have a history of migraine headaches—without the advice of a gynecologist.

Spironolactone, a synthetic steroid, may be used in combination with oral contraceptives to treat acne in adult females. Spironolactone inhibits androgen production. Side effects include irregular menstruation, breast tenderness, headache and fatigue.

Acne Drugs and Other medications
Synthetic vitamin A analogues (isotretinoin, Accutane® and other brands of the drug) have been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of severe nodular cystic acne. However, pregnant women and sexually active adolescent females should not take this medication for it can damage your child.

Acne Facts - Acne FAQ - Is there a Cure for Acne?

BIO SKIN CARE ACNE TREATMENT PRODUCTS

Our skin care products contain a natural organic serum that acts as a support of the immune system at the site of skin lesions and is packed with antioxidants, enzymes, natural antimicrobial peptides and natural skin repair substances that prevent and heal acne and acne skin lesions and scarring.

With BIO SKIN CARE products you can avoid acne complications such as cystic acne, skin abscess, permanent facial scars, keloids or abnormal scars and post-inflammatory dark skin pigmentation.

The topical application (which means applied to a localized area of the skin) can effectively replace the use of topical antibiotics that can create bacterial resistance. Among them: clindamycin or erythromycin that are used to control the infection, and oral antibiotics (such as tetracycline or erythromycin) that are sometimes prescribed if the skin lesions appear infected.

BIO SKIN CARE products are made with a serum gathered from live creatures (land snails, without any harm to them). The natural substance is a complex compound that combines natural antimicrobial peptides that keep bacteria at bay, enzymes that open clogged pores, dissolve and vanish red marks, shrink scar tissues and prevent and repair scarring; vitamins that halt inflammation; glycosaminoglycans that restore the natural moisturizing capacity of healthy skin; antioxidants and skin regenerating peptides that regulate the orderly layout of collagen and trigger healthy skin renewal.

The natural antimicrobial action of the serum is effective against growing bacteria and without the pitfalls of pharmaceutical antibiotics or the side effects of harsh chemicals.

BIO SKIN CARE products also help to get rid of the chemical inflammatory promoters (i.e. interleukin-6, hydrogen peroxide, histamines, bacterial toxins) that are significantly increased by acne infection.

The antimicrobial peptides in the serum act decisively within minutes. These peptides are thought to punch holes in the membranes of bacteria much like the complement proteins do in our immune system. But what is really exciting about these antimicrobial peptides is that the target bacterium may not be able to mutate and defend itself against their action.

Bacteria have survived for millions of years by developing resistance to new stressors including natural antibiotics like penicillin. What simply happens is that the bacteria, with a high rate of mutation, ends up modifying one or more of its enzymes that are used to break the link between a target protein and the antibiotic. As a result, the antibiotic does not work.

But to adapt to an antimicrobial peptide that punches a hole in the cell membrane is a different story. To protect itself, the bacterium would have to change the entire composition of the cell membrane. And to change the composition of a membrane would mean changing many of the enzymes that are responsible for making the complex membrane in the first place.

Antimicrobial peptides respond within minutes. Part of the reason for this rapid response is how the peptide acts on the cell membrane. But to destroy a cell, the peptide must also quickly find the bacterial membrane. How does this happen? The answer lies in the construction of the cell membrane.

The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is much different than the membrane of a prokaryotic cell. Eukaryotic cell membranes are constructed of a phospholipid(*) bilayer and cholesterol. Consequently, these membranes have a low negative electrical charge. On the other hand, a bacterial membrane is made up of fats and sugars. This difference in construction means that bacteria have a high negative electrical charge that quickly attracts the antimicrobial peptides.

Fortunately we do not have to wait to get the benefits oantimicrobial peptides when fighting acne, for acne can be addressed with BIO SKIN CARE products.

We have decided not to pursue a drug approval for our natural skin care products because we do not need to market them as drugs, and because bringing a drug to clinical trial is time consuming and expensive and since the product is basically a natural substance it can not be patented. Also because it can take $300 million to bring a drug to market. This cost covers every thing from discovery, identification, synthesis and clinical trials. This process may also take 10 or more years to accomplish.

BIO SKIN CARE products- unsurpassed for skin repair and regeneration!

In the skin, BIO SKIN CARE products help to:

BIO SKIN products also increase the skin's regenerative processes - in addition to accelerating removal of damaged protein in the skin, it stimulates skin renewal without harsh exfoliation or the use of expensive laser procedures, and helps to produce a better skin renewal with milder exfoliation or various controlled skin damage methods.

BIO SKIN products enhance the skin's natural regenerative responses by stimulating new capillary formation (angiogenesis), increasing the biosynthesis of collagen, elastin and the water-holding proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans.

Clinical studies have found BIOSKINCARE to be more effective in restoring the skin's collagen than Vitamin C or retinoic acid (retin-A). Collagen and elastin are rebuilt, giving you a firmer, more elastic skin.

In a nutshell: BIOSKINCARE helps your skin regenerate itself! It is also anti-microbial, thereby helping to prevent skin infections. Their is nothing like them! And you can use the products for treating a wide variety of skin problems - acne, scarring, wounds, burns, sunburns, rashes, cracked and dry skin. It works great on post-surgical scars. It has been used on age lines, age spots, abrasions, athlete's foot, boils, chilblains, diabetic sores, diaper rash, infected nails, insect bites/stings, skin allergies, skin ulcers and stretch marks with incredible results. It is just excellent for helping the skin to repair itself. Wounds heal with minimal scarring. It also helps shrink old scars.

Last modified: July 20, 2009

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Over The Counter Acne Medication
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Hormones and Therapy for Acne
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