Home Remedies

ACNE

       Acne. If you are a teenager, you can't wait to get rid of it. If you're an adult, you can't believe it's back. Fortunately, improvements in acne treatments over the ladt decade mean you don't hace to put up with it anymore.
       A human has thousands of oil glands in the skin on his or her face, chest and back that lubricate the skin by producing sebum or oil. The oil flows through tiny ducts to the skin surface.
       Sometimes, these oil ducts become plugged with sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells that are shed from the lining of the duct. That's acne. The condition often appears during adolescence because of changing hormones levels. Others develop acne due to various reasons for example:

Stress. Dermatologists agree that high level of stress can affect hormone levels.
Cosmetics. Wearing heavy, oily makeup may clog pores and cause acne.
Occupational exposure. Numerous chemicals and oil in the workplace can cause acne.
Hormones. Hormonal changes in the body can cause fluctuations in acne.

No matter what is causing your acne, there are steps you can take to help clear up your skin.

Do no harm. In other words, don't pick, press, rub, or otherwise manipulate those pimples. You risk spreading the bacteria and increasing the chances for scarring. Besides that, picking on your pimples can cause inflammation.

Use benzoyl peroxide. A number of over-the-counter products contain this ingredient, which help break up the plug of dead skin cells, bacteria and oil in pores and cuts down on the bacteria as well. Start with the lowest concentration and work your way up. Use it once or twice a day. If it dries skin too much, apply a mild moisturizer.

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Acne Glossary

Comedo. An oil duct
plugged up with oil, dead
skin   cells   and bacteria.

Whitehead. A closed
comedo. It looks like a tiny, white bump.

Blackhead. An opened
comedo. It appears black because the material has
been exposed to oxygen.

Papule. A ruptured comedo
in which there is
inflammation and secondary infection. It looks like a
small, hard, red bump.

Pustule. A ruptured comedo
in which there is
inflammation. In contrast to
the pupule, the pustule has
more pus near the surface,
giving it a yellowish center.

Nodule (sometimes called a
cyst). A   ruptured comedo
that is larger, deeper and
more painfulthan a pustule
and is more likely to cause
scarring. This type of lesion
marks the most severe form
of acne.

The information contained in Health Net is for educational purposes only and is not to be used as a substitute for consulting your physician or healthcare provider.