Blu U Levulan Acne Treatment
August 21, 2007
Blu-u Levulan is a safe and highly effective treatment for acne. Non-invasive the treatment causes you no pain and if your medical care specialist is treating your entire face and neck the procedure is still going to take only 15 minutes. You can use it no matter what your skin type.
The way the Blu-U Levulan works is to kill the bacteria that cause the acne. It delivers light pulses through the surface of your skin targeting porphyrin. This is an organic compound that comes from an acne bacterium called propionibacterium. The porphyrin is sensitive to light. The light produced by the Blu u Levulan treatment creates singlet oxygen which kills the bacteria and eliminates the inflammation on your skin.
All you have to do to destroy your acne with this Blu-u procedure is sit in a comfy chair. You can even bring your iPod and keep yourself entertained while your acne is being whisked away. While it’s considerably safer than a lot of the oral treatment for acne it does take up to 20 treatments for complete resolution of heavy acne problems. Treatments are generally twice a week.
You won’t experience any side effects with the Blu u Levulan treatment although if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding you generally won’t find anyone who will treat you. The violet-blue light will penetrate your skin only as deep as needed into your facial and neck tissue to reach the acne. It doesn’t affect your body’s tissue, just those pesky bacteria.
In order to get ready for your acne removal treatment you just have to wash the area with soap and water so that it is as oil free as possible. You cannot wear makeup to the procedure but you can apply it immediately after if you wish.
Generally you will see your acne start to clear up significantly about two weeks after you’ve started your treatments. In other words, four treatments will have your face and neck looking much improved. The effects should last for several months, although you might find that you’ll need to repeat treatment somewhere down the road to maintain the great results.
Two independent research studies of Blu-u-Levulan found that it made a 66-81 percent improvement in the appearance of more than 90 percent of acne sufferers that tried it.
What Does And Does Not Cause Acne?
August 18, 2007
Many people have suffered from acne at one time in their lives. This skin affliction, though it's common, has negative connotations attached to it that cause self-esteem issues among some. In addition to these negative connotations that this affliction has, there are misconceptions over what causes people to suffer from it. In order to better understand the truth about what causes acne and to better understand how to treat it, let's discuss what can and can't lead to an outbreak of this skin problem. Read more
The Effect of Hormones on Acne
August 16, 2007
The development of acne is said to have a close connection with the changes in hormones. Certain studies have noted that people suffering from acne often have oily skin due to the high level of androgen and testosterone hormones present on the body. With this finding, many experts have noted that the balance of androgen and estrogen hormones is then required to maintain a healthy skin, a sort of Yin and Yang phenomenon. So, if hormonal imbalances occur, acne tends to develop. Read more
Accutane For Treating Acne
August 16, 2007
Accutane is the brand name for Isotretinoin. It isn't for wimps. It's controversial. It's effective for some in the treatment of acne, but you pretty much have to be desperate to try it. There can be side effects. Serious side effects. If you're a parent, and your child's dermatologist is telling you that accutane is the next step in a series of treatments that haven't worked, think very carefully before you try it, and consider alternative approaches offered by non-traditional practitioners such as naturopaths. They can offer a regimen of high doses of vitamins, herbs, gentle topical treatments and changes in diets that can eliminate acne for some without harmful side effects. It's not very expensive to try, and certainly worth a try if it means sparing your child the risks associated with accutane.
What are the side effects? The biggie, the really scary one is that there is a high risk of severe birth defects if you become pregnant while taking accutane. Some teens are sexually active; some aren't. Some are responsible about birth control; some aren't. If you have a daughter who is not sexually active, she'll have to take birth control pills along with accutane. What could this medication be doing to someone who takes it if it causes birth defects? Is it worth taking the risk?
Other side effects can include dry and itchy skin, chapped lips, muscle and joint pain, irritated eyelids, decreased night vision, nosebleeds, skin rashes, intestinal discomfort, urinary symptoms, headaches, increased susceptibility to sunburn, and depression-even thoughts of suicide.
Now, some people with very bad acne have suicidal thoughts too because it is such a difficult experience for a young person to be disfigured by acne.
Another potential side effect is liver damage. This is serious enough so that if you take accutane, you have to get regular blood tests to monitor the level of fat in your blood to make sure your liver isn't failing.
Another thing. It might not work. And for some people, it'll work only while you're taking it and as soon as you stop taking it, back comes the acne. But you're only supposed to take accutane for a limited time. So, for many it's taking a serious risk for a solution that's only temporary.
There are people who have had success with accutane. Otherwise dermatologists wouldn't be subscribing it. It's just a good idea to make sure all less invasive options have been exhausted before stepping into a treatment that has potential to do so much harm.
Laser Acne Treatment
August 14, 2007
Acne is a common condition for which there are a number of treatment options. For many years, there has been a continuous quest for the best acne treatment and recently acne laser treatment was introduced as a new tool for getting rid of acne.
Prior to the discovery that laser treatment can be used as a remedy for acne; this same type of therapy was used as an anti-aging treatment. Doctors soon recognized that it may be an effective treatment for acne.
Acne laser treatments are usually used for a single purpose, that is, to reduce and eliminate scarring developed from severe acne. Since its introduction, acne laser treatment has gained popularity among many people. Among teenagers, acne laser treatment tends to be used for people who are resistant to other forms of treatments, while among adults, acne laser treatments are more likely to be employed as a first-line treatment.
Acne laser treatment can basically be applied in one of two ways, that is, to knock down the acne-causing bacteria or to destroy the oil-producing glands. Many experts claim that it is the latter method that tends to be more efficient.
Essentially, the tactic involved in acne laser treatment lies in using a laser to deliver a yellow light that will destroy the acne-causing bacteria. The yellow light will interact with a substance inside the bacteria, commonly known as prophorine, to form oxygen which will in turn kill the bacteria. The light also encourages the formation of collagen that will aid in preventing scarring from severe acne.
It is important to understand that acne laser treatment is really a new area and there’s a lot of investigation going on. One of the factors that encourages further study on acne laser treatment is that acne is such a global problem. So, it is no wonder then that many experts in the medical field are looking for new and better solutions to cure this universal problem.
After a number of studies were conducted to see the effectiveness of acne laser treatment, many experts have claimed that acne laser treatment to some degree are localized, very safe, and have no systemic side effects observed.
Alternative Acne Treatment
August 14, 2007
Are you looking for a particular acne treatment that will help you get rid of acne? Unfortunately there still isn't a particular acne treatment that works well for every acne patient and for every type of acne. With this in mind, many acne sufferers find it more effective to use a combination of acne treatments since this chronic skin condition, to some degree, tends to involve a blend of causes.
Although no particular acne treatment can eliminate acne instantly, the good news is that there are a number of acne alternative treatments available. These acne alternative treatments generally promise to help you obtain clear and clean skin, leaving the skin healthy and free from any form of acne. These acne alternative treatments actually vary depending in the form they come in and the manner in which they're applied. Below are some of the most common acne alternative treatments.
Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies are noted to be a potent form of acne alternative treatment in cases that you don’t want to take powerful acne drugs that can produce side effects. Nevertheless, herbal remedies have their own flaws and it usually takes at least a month or so for this form of acne alternative treatment to have any effect. Therefore, don’t expect instant results from it. In addition, there have also been very few scientific studies undertaken to present how effective this form of acne alternative treatment is.
Home Remedies
Home remedies could be a great form of alternative treatment when compared to the more expensive medications available for acne. But just like herbal remedies, very little scientific research has been conducted for this approach to acne treatment. The results achieved from the use of this form of alternative acne treatment are not typically as quick as those achieved by using medication, but at least they tend to have fewer side effects.
Natural Treatments
Natural treatments are but another option to consider for alternative acne treatment in case that you don’t like the idea of developing side effects from the powerful acne medications. But, just like the above mentioned acne alternative treatments, there has also been very little scientific study conducted to show whether any of these types of treatments are effective at combating acne. And it is also worth noting that most of the research conducted for this form of acne alternative treatments focuses highly on synthetic treatments rather than those that you can prepare yourself with affordable natural ingredients since most of the researches are funded by drug companies. Some of the treatments done in this form may take several weeks before they show any effect.
Primary Causes of Adult Acne
August 14, 2007
Acne, as you may know, is an old skin problem that has likely been bothering people of all ages for centuries. Although it is viewed and believed as a teenage affliction, a great percentage of adults struggle with acne. In fact, certain medical reports have noted that acne generally affects 25 percent of all adult men and 50 percent of the adult at some points in their adult lives. And this is why the term “adult acne” was coined.
Adult acne basically occur among people at the age of 30s, 40s and beyond. As you may know, it can be very hard to cope with no matter your age and acne can cause depression as well as social fretfulness in the life of an adult the same way that it can in an adolescent. It is also commonly noted that adult acne may have been caused by hormonal factors. So it is not a great wonder that today, most of the medical professionals have methods of getting your hormones in check.
Just like the normal acne, there are some driving factors that cause adult acne. One of those is the contact with an oily substance like the vegetable oil, mineral oil, or even petroleum oil. According to some studies, adult acne may also be caused by particular steroids and medications. Nevertheless, adult acne is often the product of the secretion of androgens. It is noted that as adults secret these sex hormones, it can then continue to cause problems with adult acne. And, as we usually know, poor dietary habits as well as lack of proper exercise are another contributing factor to adult acne.
Going back with androgens, it is important to know that androgens are male sex hormones in the first place, but they are also secreted by females. These hormones are primary contributors to adult acne for the fact that androgens generally rouse the production of oil from the oil glands of the skin. So when these oil glands become overactive and the exit from the gland is blocked, adult acne then pops up as it causes the oil to build up in the gland and later on swell.
In relation to this, certain studies have found out that a bacterium known as Propionibacterium acnes normally conquers this engorged gland, therefore causing the formation of inflammation as well as pus. There are some several instances in adult acnes that the glands burst into the skin, which then generates the production of bothering cysts.
Teen Acne
August 14, 2007
Acne is one of the great misfortunes of teenagers. It is a common, chronic skin disorder that is caused by the inflammation of oil-producing sebaceous glands. Acne usually occurs on the face, neck, back and chest and usually begins between the ages of ten and thirteen and then continues for five to ten years. Read more
