Is ACNE Ruining Your Life???

Did you look like this on your first date? At your senior prom? On your wedding day? At your last job interview? Do you look like this now???

Just say NO!!!

Because you can! I can tell you this from personal experience. I used to look like this guy, too. But like you, I kept digging and trying things, trying anything to find a way to clear up my skin. Think about it. Clearly, you haven’t given up yet, or you wouldn’t be reading this, right? Well, read on, fellow acne sufferers! Help is on the way!

It’s easier than you think…

I know that on days when it seems that you can’t see any clear skin between outbreaks, it’s hard to believe that anything could ever help, but the truth is that these days, nearly every case of acne, even severe ones, can be treated and at least controlled, if not cured entirely. With a little reseach, you will find that there are several fantastic acne treatments available to you. Here are a few:

How Acne Develops

The Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu once said, “Know thine enemy.” And make no mistake about it, acne is the enemy. People who have never had it, or whose idea of it is one lonely little pimple that pops up for two days once in a blue moon and vanishes, really have no idea what some of us go through. So, before we go any further, let’s take a moment to meet the enemy:

It comes in all sizes…

There are many types of acne. Whether you’re dealing with whiteheads, blackheads, cysts or pimples, it all starts out the same. All acne is the result of clogged pores in the skin. The clogging is the result of sebum (an oil produced in the skin by the Sebaceous gland) mixing with dead skin cells. During times in our lives when we produce more hormones, such as during puberty (in both males and females) and menopause (in women), the amount of sebum we produce increases and we are more prone to developing acne. What we know as whiteheads occur when excess amounts of sebum and dead skin cells combine to clog the pores and also block its opening, with the blockage appearing white in color. Blackheads are similar, except that while the pore itself may be clogged, the opening is not, so the blockage that we see looks black instead of white, and is thus called a blackhead. Pimples result when bacteria that alway lives on the skin multiplies rapidly in a clogged pore and the pore becomes inflamed. Cysts are the worst variety. They occur when inflammation goes deeper than the surface level of the skin, forming cysts. This is the type of acne that most often leaves scars. Which brings us to the big question: Now that we know what causes it…

Does anyone really know how to get rid of acne???

Well, lots of people think they know how to get rid of acne… Let’s face it, we have all heard from someone who heard from someone who heard from somebody else that some really weird thing worked almost instantly as an acne treatment, and the person who tried it lived happily ever after, right? So just for fun, let’s start with the tried-and-maybe-true:

Acne Home Remedies:

And I do mean home. Chances are you won’t even have to go to the drug store. Some of the more colorful acne home remedies that I turned up in a quick internet seach include:

Lime Juice - Mix almond oil and glycerin with lime juice to make a lotion. Not only is this a great acne treatment for blackheads, but should also knock out any discoloration on your face. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Let’s see, what household products contain glycerin? Another quick search turned up a long list of possible glycerin sources, including soaps, shampoos, coconut oil, car care products, household cleansers, an amazing number of inkjet printer refill cartridges, at least one ant and termite killer, various types of cosmetics, petroleum jelly and more. So pick one and let me know how it goes. Good luck.

Egg Whites - Amazing how many of these acne home remedies involve food, isn’t it? This one calls for you to apply egg whites to your face, cover the application with 2-ply toilet paper (don’t skimp, please), let it all dry, and then peel it off, if you can. Rinse with warm water. You may not want to try this if you have pets.

Tomatoes - Rumor has it that cutting tomatoes into pieces of various shapes and sizes, placing them around your nose and over other trouble spots, leaving them there for 15 minutes and rinsing with warm water will do wonders. One can only imagine that you can’t do much else while you’re doing this, so again, best of luck.

These are just a few of the home acne treatment possibilities I found. I decided it was probably best not to keep digging. In that spirit, what can you do to try to avoid acne all together?

Common Sense Tips for Avoiding Acne

(or at Least Not Making It Worse):

Try to avoid greasy foods and sweets. Grease and sugary foods aggravate acne.
Try to avoid touching your face.
If your hair tends to get oily quickly in between washings, try to keep it out of your face.
Wash your face every night before bed. Use a good cleanser, not soap, which can dry out your skin or irritate it.
Do not sleep with your face directly on your pillow, as oil from your hair may transfer.
Try not to wear makeup if you can avoid it. It only adds to the clogging of your pores.
Don’t squeeze or pick your pimples. It doesn’t really work, increases inflammation, and can leave ugly scars.

Speaking of which, here’s some advice on…

How to Get Rid of Scars

Cheer up! If you have scars from bad acne, it’s not hopeless. Treatment for acne scars runs from all-natural and home remedies to a handful of minor medical procedures. Let’s look at the all natural and home remedies first:

All Natural and Home Remedies for Acne Scars:

Lemon juice – Apply lemon juice to your scars. If you find the tingling sensation that it produces to be uncomfortable on your skin, try diluting the lemon juice a bit with water before you apply it. Leave it on your scars for approximately two hours.

Olive oil – Wash your face with warm water before you attempt this. Apply olive oil to your acne scars and massage it in over about five minutes’ time.

Sun – Apply some good sunblock and let the sun shine on your face during the warmest part of the day. This will go a long way toward healing scarring caused by acne.

Medical Treatments for Acne Scarring:

Punch Elevation/Excision – In Punch Elevation, the base of the acne scar is lifted, making the skin surface look more level. Punch Excision involves the cutting out of the scars with a small surgical instrument. This does leave a minor wound, which is usually patched with an adhesive suture.

Dermabrasion – This involves freezing and “sanding” the scarred area, which causes a whole new skin layer to grow in place of the affected layer. This requires a local anesthetic. Some people experience side effects.

Subcision – Subcision separates fibrous bands that hold up the scar tissue. It is invasive. A sharp needle is inserted into the skin at 1 to 2 cm away from the target scar. The needle’s tip has an upward slant. The dermatologist will move the tip back and forth, which separates the scar tissue from the rest of the skin.

Laser Resurfacing – This is exactly what it sounds like: Scar tissue is burned away one layer at a time with a non-abrasive laser until the unaffected skin under the scars is reached.

Other medical treatments – More severe Keloid or Hypertrophic scarring is usually treated by means of cortisone injections and creams.

Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? So do yourself a favor! Now that you know more about what causes acne, which acne treatments work and which ones don’t, how to avoid acne if you can, and even what what your options are if the worst happens and you end up with scarring, save yourself a LOT of time, money and heartache. Take another look at some of my favorite acne treatments and…

Just say NO!!!

Comparison of Popular Acne Treatments:

	HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Exposed Skin Care	ALSO RECOMMENDED ClearPores	ALSO RECOMMENDED Clear Skin Max
Websites:	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website
Target Users:	Teen/Adult	Teen/Adult	Teen/Adult
Speed:	Exceptional	Very Good	Very Good
Overall Effectiveness:	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional
Long-Range Effectiveness:	Good	Good	Good
Price Range:	$29.95 and up	$43.19 and up	$69.95 and up
Guaranteed?	Yes 30 Days+ 1 Additional Year	Yes 90 Days or 100% Money Back	Yes 30 Days or 100% Money Back
Ranking:	Exceptional	Very Good	Very Good
Read More:	My Review	My Review	My Review