A beautiful clear skin is considered a sign of internal good health and charm. Hence we all aspire to have clean skin by using acne cleansers. Having a clean skin is an important aspect of acne treatment.

There are many specialized acne skin cleansers designed for skin that is prone to acne. You need to decide on your skin type before choosing a cleanser. Many have combination skin which means some parts are dry areas and other parts of the face are oily. Cleansing the face in order to remove make-up, dirt, oil, dead skin cells and sweat is an important part of any skin care regime.

Over the counter products contain the necessary ingredients to control the sebaceous glands of the skin and killing the bacteria that causes acne. Mild to moderate pimple problems can be cured when the acne cleansers are regularly used.

Benzoyl peroxide: Products containing benzoyl peroxide kill the bacteria that cause the acne to spread. Depending on the severity of the problem, this cream comes in varying strengths.
Antibacterial product: these products kill the bacteria on the surface of the face.Triclosan is the most commonly found ingredient in these formulas. These face washes or soaps are used to treat mild acne.

Salicylic acid: Pimples are prevented from breaking out by loosening the clogged pores. It also lessens the amount of dead skins the skin so that once you stop using this as a cleanser, acne may again reappear.

Drinking eight to ten glasses of water and eating a healthy diet will flush out toxins by acting as acne cleansers.

There are millions of people affected by acne and the scars caused due to it. People want to get rid of this skin condition as soon as possible so that they can have a clear skin. The most common of all is the microdermabrasion acne treatment. It is one of the most effective treatments for controlling and reducing acne.

The treatment may vary from person to person because of the varied skin types of every individual. In this process tiny crystals of aluminum bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate are used to peel off the skin layers. It stimulates the production of collagen and elastin which decreases the aging effect of skin.

Benefits of microdermabrasion acne treatment mainly includes

• It effectively reduces the growth of acne
• It is a painless and non-invasive treatment
• It prevents your skin from sun damage
• It prevents uneven pigmentation
• It helps to treat the delicate skin below the eyes
• It helps to resolve macules
• It helps the congested and dull skin to open up
• Comparatively cheap than other methods

In this treatment anesthesia is generally not given to the patient. Acne is caused due to the bacteria which get clogged in deep skin pores. This treatment kills the bacteria and unblocks the pores.

Earlier microdermabrasion acne treatment was performed by dermatologists or spa aestheticians. These days there are lot of creams and gels available in the market which can help you to get rid of acne. It is important to find the type of skin you have and use the microdermabrasion creams at home.

Considering severe acne treatment, acne treatment is not linked to your diet at all. Formation of cyst is a severe form of acne that is plugged with bacteria, white blood cells and dead skin. Acne cysts can be very delicate and painful and goes inside the skin destroying the skin tissue.

In the form of nodulo-cystic acne, cysts and nodules go hand in hand. In severe acne treatment, acne cysts are an exceptional task. These acne cysts constantly form scars, they need to be cured as soon as possible and before they damage and destroy large skin cells.

Stages of acne formation:

Treatment of acne starts with blocked skin pores and progresses in stages. At first, severe acne starts in the form of blackheads and whiteheads due to blocked pores. The formation of blackheads is called open comedones. The developed whiteheads are called closed comedones. The whiteheads and blackheads are the starting stage of acne. The next stage is pimples formation.

Pimples are known as pustules. Pimples develop when the acne gets inflamed. The third stage of serious acne, called as nodules formation stage. These develop into very big and deep lumps of acne. The superficial skin develops scars if acne moves to second and third stages.

Severe acne treatment program for cysts:

The severe acne treatment program includes physical, oral and topical retinol treatments. The treatment options may include oral antibiotics, isotretinoin, injecting corticosteroid in the lesions and surgical procedure. Potent acne treatment with isotretinoin is available for severe form of acne. In substance used in the treatment of acne isotretinoin is a retinoid substance which is a form of vitamin A. Isotretinoin helps cure excess oil, inflammation, plugged pores, and bacteria P.acne. The minimum course for isotretinion is two pills daily for 20 weeks.

Severe acne treatment second program includes oral antibiotics. Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics can minimize the bacteria P.acnes much evidently. Prescribed oral antibiotics are given with a combination of retinol topical treatments. These form an efficient form of treatment in decreasing the inflammation and passing out the bacteria from the affected areas. These forms of oral antibiotics should be used with caution of their side effects. Antibiotics used in over dose results in a failure of severe acne treatment.

Severe acne treatment third program include injecting corticosteroid. In this form of treatment a mild steroid is shot in the cyst. The steroid decreases the acne apparently within a week or two. This form of treatment also prevents scars as it reduces bursting of an acne cyst and heals it fully. This treatment involves cut opening the acne and draining it.

Severe acne treatment lies in curing the underlying cause. The cause is mostly developed within us due to the hormones and the other factors like diet, cleansing and a bit of genetics. Severe acne treatment works from within and cures from the inside and involves with the real problems of acne.

About 85% of teenagers are affected by the acne. Acne affects men and women alike. The appearance of acne varies from person to person. It can appear like pimples or cysts, or sometimes as small dark spots known as acne blackheads. Therefore the blackheads are nothing but a form of acne.

The blackheads look awkward, they are excruciating and dreadful. They can appear on face, back, chest.

Causes
They do not appear overnight. Since the process of formation of blackheads takes place under your skin roots, you cannot see them taking shape. The sebaceous glands present in the skin secrete oily substance known as sebum. Sometimes these glands produce excess oil during puberty and the pores of the skin are blocked or clogged leading to emergence of acne blackhead.

Turn to natural home products
Acne blackheads can be reduced by using home glycolic acid peels. You should use only those products that have natural ingredients in them. Daily exercise is a good way of improving blood circulation. Use only those products on your skin that have coconut oil or jojoba oil. This will not only improve your natural beauty but also keep you away from many skin diseases.

It is in your hands to stop the blackheads. You can easily stop your skin from getting clogged.

Diet
The kind of food you take also becomes one of the causes of appearance of acne blackheads. Therefore avoid spicy oily food; increase the daily water intake to your body; include fresh fruits and vegetables in your food. Similarly, cooked carbohydrates and fats should be avoided. Lead a stress-free life. Avoid greasy and junk food, soda, milk, chocolate. Have plenty of sunlight and fresh air.

Oil-free make can help
Avoid excessive use of cosmetics. Chemicals present in cosmetics damage your skin. Use no or less makeup, this will help reduce the acne blackheads. If you have to use makeup go for those makeup products which are oil-free. Do not scrub or over-dry your skin. Avoid hot humid weather since it increases oil secretion by skin glands. Use facial masks to clean the pores.

Removal by light squeezing
A gentle or light squeezing of acne blackheads can help not only in their removal but it also prevents any further damage to your skin. Whether squeezing harms or benefits your skin depends upon how you squeeze. A gentle approach is certainly beneficial. Do not forget to wash your hands before squeezing the blackheads as not doing this may cause infection.

Medication
Resort to medication if blackheads persist. The main aim is to control micro bacteria and open the clogged pores. You can use creams that have AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids). These creams help clear away dead cells. You can also use a drug known as adapalene which is very useful in reducing the blackheads formation. Use adapalene gel once daily before bedtime.

However it is always better to consult a specialist before resorting to any kind of medication for acne blackheads reduction.

Many teenagers suffer from acute acne problem. Pimples and blackheads are also known as acne. Though acne can appear on many parts of the body but the most affected areas are the face and upper neck. The scars left behind by acne not only look awkward, they cause low self-esteem and confidence amongst the adolescents who suffer most from this problem.

Parents struggle to find a suitable match for their children suffering from acne. Acne laser treatment can come to their rescue. It is an effective solution to fix acne. It saves you from the burden of applying ointment or taking daily dose of medicines. However, many people are not clear about the laser treatment to cure acne.

How does acne laser treatment work?
Laser is an abbreviation used for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Before starting the laser treatment, the areas that are affected by acne are numbed by using anesthetics. The treatment of acne by laser is done by using a strong beam of light that is absorbed by the red pigment under the skin.

The radiation produced from the strong beam kills the acne forming germs and bacteria present in the pores of skin. It repairs the damaged skin tissues thereby reducing the expansion of oil-producing glands, one of the main causes of acne. The laser treatment stops the blockage of the passages which in turn lessens the acne growth.

Painless treatment
The acne laser treatment is comparatively a painless procedure. You should ensure that this treatment is done under the close supervision of qualified dermatologists and cosmetologists. You may have to undergo this treatment in a number of sessions depending upon the acuteness of problem and type of your skin. Generally there is a gap of five to six days between the two sessions.

Side effects of acne laser treatment
Along with the positive effects of laser treatment, in some cases there may be swelling, irritation or redness on the skin that has been subjected to laser treatment. There may be skin-discoloration or roughness. These side effects don’t last long. The latest technology like carbon dioxide laser therapy ensures that there are no significant negative effects of acne laser treatment.

It is not expensive
Contrary to popular opinion, the acne laser treatment is not expensive, taking into account its long-lasting results that save you from the ordeal of daily application of ointment, skin moisturizes and taking the medicines. All this saves you plenty of money that you spend on various products and on other conventional acne treatment methods over the years.

Be informed
It is imperative to have full knowledge of the acne laser treatment. Talk to the people who have undergone this form of treatment and take their feedback. Ask your dermatologist questions and clear your apprehension about the treatment. Familiarize yourself with the detailed knowledge by going through the literature on the laser treatment for acne.

It is also important to adhere to the post-treatment instructions given by your doctor. Though the laser treatment for acne is comparatively new, more and more people are opting for it considering the long-term positive results that it provides.

‘Man skin care’ would seem like an alien topic to some men. It would have been even more alien a few years back. However, more and more men are now realising the importance of man skin care (and hence you see markets flush with man skin care products too). Even though the male skin is very different from that of a female, ‘man skin care’ is very similar to the skin care for women.

‘Man skin care’ too starts with cleansing. Water soluble cleansers are preferred. Cleansing helps remove the dirt, grease and pollutants from the skin and helps in preventing pore clogging. The inherent oily nature of male skin makes cleansing an important part of man skin care procedure. Cleansing should be done at least once every day, even better if it is done twice a day. Using soap on the face is discouraged.

‘Man skin care’ revolves a lot around shaving. Shaving foam/gel/cream and after shave lotion are one of the most important man skin care products. Serious ‘man skin care’ requires a proper selection of shaving related equipment and products. One of the main considerations in choosing shaving products should be the skin type (since the degree of oiliness differs from person to person). Alcohol-based aftershaves should be avoided. Proper ‘man skin care’ also mandates the use of good quality razors. Here, swivel-head razors are preferred since they are known to reduce cuts. Besides these products and equipment, it is also necessary that you use them properly. Be gentle when using your razor. Do not scratch it against your skin; use a soft and smooth action (after all it’s a matter of removing hair, not the skin itself).

Male skin is generally thicker and oilier, owing to larger pores and more active sebaceous glands. However, due to regular shaving, the skin can get dehydrated quite easily. Hence moisturisers too form an integral part of man skin care. Moisturising gel or cream should be applied after shaving. In fact, some shaving foams/ gel have an in-built moisturising effect too. Moisturisers should be patted gently over the face and massaged gently using upward strokes.

Though a man’s skin is less susceptible to skin cancer caused by UV radiation, using a sunscreen is also an important man skin care measure. You can use a moisturiser that combines sunscreen with the moisturising effect.

Another good option for ‘man skin care’ is to use man skin care products which have natural ingredients like aloe vera, sea salt and coconut etc. Naturally antiseptic oils e.g. lavender, tea tree etc also provide good means for man skin care.

Man skin care is not as difficult as a lot of men think. It just asks for a few minutes every day, in order to give you a healthy skin for present and for future.

We all know the importance of ‘personal skin care’. The opinion on how-to (for personal skin care) differs from person to person. Some people believe that going to beauty parlours every other day is personal skin care. Others believe that personal skin care is just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin, every now and then. Then there are people who think that personal skin care is an event that happens once a month or once a year. Still others busy themselves with ‘personal skin care’ all the time. However, personal skin care is not that complicated and neither is it that expensive (considering how beneficial it is). Personal skin care is following a routine or a procedure for attending to the needs of your skin.

Even before you start with a routine, you need to determine your skin-type (oily, dry, sensitive, normal etc) and select the personal skin care products suitable for it (you might have to experiment with a few personal skin care products). Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.

The first thing on personal skin care routine is ‘Cleansing’. The three main ingredients of a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants (wetting agents). Oil and surfactants extract dirt and oil from your skin and water then flushes it out, thus making your skin clean. You might have to try a couple of cleansers before you find the one that suits you the best. However, you should always use soap-free cleansers. Also, you should use Luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin). Take care that you don’t over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the process.

The second thing on the personal skin care routine is exfoliation. Skin follows a natural maintenance process wherein it removes the dead cells and replaces them with new skin cells. Exfoliation is just a way to facilitate the skin in this process. Dead skin cells are not capable of responding to personal skin care products but still consume these products, hence preventing them from reaching the new skin cells. Thus removing dead skin cells is important in order to increase the effectiveness of all personal skin care products. Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing. As with any personal skin care procedure, it’s important that you understand how much exfoliation you need. Exfoliate 4-5 times per week for oily/normal skin and 1-2 times per week for dry/sensitive skin. Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.

Next thing on personal skin care routine is moisturizers. This is one of the most important things in personal skin care. Even people with oily skin need moisturisers. Moisturisers not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture (from air) whenever needed. Use of too much moisturiser can however clog skin pores and end up harming your skin. The amount of moisturiser needed by your skin will become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturiser. Also, applying the moisturiser is best when your skin is still damp.

The last thing on personal skin care routine is sunscreen. A lot of moisturizers (day-time creams/moisturisers) come with UV protection – so you can get double benefits from them. Such moisturisers are recommended for all days (irrespective of whether it is sunny or cloudy).

Again, experiment with various personal skin care products and also with the amount you need to apply. What gives you best results is the best personal skin care recipe for you. However, if you have some kind of skin dilemma, it is best to consult your dermatologist before you actually start using any personal skin care products.

Dry skin cannot be ignored. Dry skin leads to cracking of the upper layer of skin and gives it a real bad appearance. The main causes of dry skin include: dry climate, hormonal changes, too much exfoliation and treatment of other skin disorders. Moreover, dryness could be the inherent nature of one’s skin. Whatever be the cause, ‘dry skin care’ is very important (but not very difficult).

‘Dry skin care’ starts with moisturisers, the most effective remedy for dry skin. Generally moisturisers are classified under 2 categories based on the way they provide ‘dry skin care’.

The first category includes moisturisers that provide ‘dry skin care’ just by preserving the moisture within the skin e.g. Vaseline. These moisturisers are relatively inexpensive and are readily available (even at grocery shops).

The second category includes moisturisers that work by drawing moisture from the environment and supplying it to the skin. This is a very effective way of ‘dry skin care’ in humid conditions. The moisturisers that provide ‘dry skin care’ in this way are also called humectants. For proper dry skin care, you must use a non-greasy type of moisturiser, as far as possible. Humectants fall in this category. The ingredients of humectants include propylene glycol, urea, glycerine, hyaluronic acid etc

‘Dry skin care’ is not about just using moisturisers but also using them properly. The best ‘dry skin care procedure’ is to cleanse the skin before the application of moisturiser. You can make your ‘dry skin care’ even more effective by applying the moisturiser while the skin is still damp (after cleansing). Also, make sure that you use soap-free products (especially on your face, neck and arms). Exfoliation does help in dry skin care, by removing the dead skin cells. However, don’t exfoliate too hard. Your dry skin care procedures/products should also take care of sun protection. Avoid too much and too direct exposure to sun (simply by using an umbrella/hat etc). Use a good sunscreen lotion before going out. A lot of moisturisers provide sun protection too, along with dry skin care.

You also have natural products for ‘dry skin care’ i.e. products that provide ‘dry skin care’ in a natural way (without the use of synthetic chemicals). These dry skin care products supply lipid enhancements to the skin, hence enabling moisture retention within the skin. Another, important thing for ‘dry skin care’ is the temperature of water you use for shower or for washing your face – Use warm water; too hot or too cold water can cause dryness too.

‘Dry skin care’ is also about being gentle with your skin. You should avoid harsh detergents and alcohol based cleansers. Also, after a face wash, do not rub your towel on your face, just pat gently to soak the water off.

On the whole, dry skin care is really simple for anyone who takes that seriously.

To start the discussion on oily skin care, it’s imperative to first understand the cause behind oily skin. Put simply, oily skin is a result of excessive production of sebum (an oily substance that is naturally produced by skin). As is known to everyone, excess of everything is bad; so excessive sebum is bad too. It leads to clogging of skin pores, resulting in accumulation of dead cells and hence formation of pimples/acne. Moreover, oily skin spoils your looks too. So, ‘oily skin care’ is as important as the ‘skin care’ for other types of skin.

The basic aim of ‘oily skin care’ is the removal of excessive sebum or oil from the skin. However, oily skin care procedures should not lead to complete removal of oil. ‘Oily skin care’ starts with the use of a cleanser. However, not all cleansers will work. You need a cleanser which contains salicylic acid i.e. a beta-hydroxy acid that retards the rate of sebum production. Cleansing should be done twice a day (and even more in hot and humid conditions).

Most of the oily skin care products are oil-free; however, it is always good to check the ingredients of the product, before you actually buy it. This is especially important if a product is marked as ‘suitable for all skin types’, instead of ‘oily skin care product’. ‘Oily skin care’ is also dependent on the degree of oiliness, if you aren’t too oily, so some of these ‘suitable for all’- type of products might be work for you too. For extremely oily skin, only oily skin care products are suitable. Your oily skin care routine can include an alcohol based toner (for an extremely oily skin). This can be the second step in your oily skin care routine i.e. just after cleansing. However, excessive toning can harm your skin.

The next step in your oily skin care routine can be a mild moisturiser. Again, the degree of oiliness of your skin will determine whether you need to include this in your oily skin care routine. If you do decide to include a moisturiser, be sure to use one that is oil-free, wax-free and lipid-free.
You could also use a clay mask (say once a week) as an oily skin care measure.

As far as the oily skin care products go, you might need to try out a few before you arrive at the one that is really suitable for your skin.

In case these measures don’t give you the desired result, consult a good dermatologist for advice. He could prescribe stronger oily skin care products like vitamin A creams, retinoids, sulphur creams etc , which can help counter the problems of oily skin.

When it comes to skin care products, you will find that a lot of people are very particular about using only natural skin care products. They treat all the synthetic products as harmful to the skin.

So, are natural skin care products the answer to all of our problems? What if a natural skin care product is not available for the treatment of a particular skin disorder? Are the synthetic skin care products so harmful that they should be banned?

Different people have different answers to these questions. However, the reality is that due to presence of synthetic preservatives, it’s really tough to find a natural skin care product that is 100% natural. There are natural skin care products that have natural preservatives, but their cost might be detrimental. Moreover, such natural skin products have a shorter shelf life and hence are not preferred by the manufacturers of natural skin care products.

Some people carry a wrong notion that since natural skin care products are natural, they cannot cause any harm to the skin. The suitability of a skin care product is not based on whether it is synthetic or natural. An unsuitable natural skin care product can harm you in almost the same way as a synthetic one. So, use natural skin care products, but be open to synthetic ones too (you might need them when a natural solution is not available)

Your selection of a natural skin care product should be based on 3 factors:

* The skin type (dry, oily, normal, sensitive) of the person who will use that natural skin care product
* The climatic conditions in which it will be used e.g. hot and humid condition would warranty the use of oil-free natural skin care products.
* The process for application/use of the natural skin care product. A good natural skin care product (in fact any product) can seem useless if not used in the proper way.

You can also make natural skin care products by yourself, by using the recipes that are readily available on the internet and in the books at book stores.

Use of organic fruits and vegetables is also popular as a natural skin care procedure. Some essential oils, herbal oils, are useful too and are known for their moisturising and antiseptic properties

However, using a natural skin care product does not mean that you can exercise carelessness with other aspects of skin care. Natural skin care products should be used like supplements to the following ‘essential’ recommendations: healthy eating habits (avoiding oily food), regular exercise, drinking a lot of water (8 glasses everyday), and cleanliness. This will then form a perfect and completely natural skin care routine that will help maintain a healthy beautiful skin for longer time.