Acne Care

How Acne Can Affect Your Mind - Not Just Your Face! (And What to do About it)

By admin | May 1, 2008

It’s well known that acne, whilst being perceived as an outer problem, can affect sufferers deeply on the inside too.

Acne is basically an inflammation of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. No one really knows what causes it but the vast majority of us will have the pleasure of experiencing it at some point in our lives.

There are many cures and regimes that can lessen the effects and in some cases clear it completely. But what about those people who can’t find the correct regime for their skin or who just feel acne is something they will grow out of in time.

The psychological effects can be huge. The acne may only be slight but it is not uncommon for the sufferer to enlarge the problem in their minds.

What is in fact a mere pimple, visible only to onlookers if they are up close, can, in the sufferer’s mind, be a huge spot impossible to miss by other people.

This “illusion” is just the beginning for the teenage or adult sufferer. Once that way of thinking is instilled, it becomes a habit and from then on any acne breakout becomes a disaster. Paranoia grows with the feeling that everyone is looking and pointing at your spots.

This can transform into a bigger psychological problem as self-esteem plummets and confidence in oneself is lost. All this because of one or two little red spots.

It’s vitally important not to let your mind take over. It is a human trait to think the worst and the more we think about something the more ingrained into our psyche it becomes. Problems and worries expand the more we dwell on them.

Of course one way to deal with the problem is to tackle the acne itself through any number of cures and treatments. But it is possible that even when the physical problem disappears a mental residue is left behind leading to a lack of self confidence in later life.

Take the chance now to realise that you and only you can control what goes on in your head. Realise that it is only your outer shell that you are worrying over and no one can affect the real you inside.

Acne is a skin condition and, let’s be honest, to spend a lot of time worrying and dwelling over your skin is at best shallow and at worst incredibly vain. If you can’t treat it, hold your head up high and realise that people aren’t laughing at you behind your back and even if they are they’re merely projecting their own insecurities onto you.

Acne is a condition of the outer you, don’t let it affect your self-esteem and confidence - you have a good deal more important things to be getting on with.

Rosa Dawson is owner and writer of http://www.preventingacne.info - an in-depth guide to defeating acne once and for all.

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Acne, the Scourge of Youth

By admin | April 25, 2008

Plan a date; get ready for the prom, set the date for your senior picture or just want to look nice. What always happens; you know, acne, a zit as big as a cabbage lands on your face or on your nose. You feel like an alien in a land of smooth skinned movie stars. Why don’t the popular kids get acne? What are they doing that you aren’t doing. Why me; why me; why does this always happen to me. I’m a good person; why am I plagued with acne. No one knows for sure why people, especially teenagers, get acne. In the fifties and sixties, teens were told that chocolate caused acne or eating too much fried food caused acne. No one really knew anything to do except use Noxzema and pray. There were only acne treatments, no cures. Having acne was seen as a rite of passage.

Today we know much more about acne and acne treatments. Some people have acne so bad that they take prescription medicine so strong that they must sign that they will not get pregnant while taking the drug. Other people take natural acne treatments because the idea of using potentially harmful treatments scares them more than the acne. The major problem with acute acne is that it can cause acne scars so bad that people have to seek acne laser treatments to improve their skin. Still others go to the grocery store and find over the counter acne products. As anyone who has ever suffered from acne will tell you, acne can rob you of your dignity and your feelings of self-worth. Our outward appearance, especially during the teen years, is so important. I know, “Pretty is as pretty does.” Well, pretty never seems to have acne.

People can be so cruel to acne sufferers. They can call you tomato face, pimple face, scar man or hundreds of ugly taunts. Because teens need to look good to feel good about themselves, the market for acne treatments is enormous. Commercials on television are always advertising the latest in acne medications especially during teen shows. The kids on the show always have smooth, blemish free faces and look exactly like every teen wants to look. Teens want to buy whatever acne medication is new and different in the hope that this new acne treatment will work better than others.

There are even infomercials about acne treatments and acne cover-ups. These infomercials show adults who are looking for make-up to cover-up acne or acne scars. This heavy make-up does seem to cover up scaring or acne on the people doing the infomercial. There are also infomercials about adult acne solutions. Unfortunately, some adults do still get acne. There is a huge market of acne medications or acne treatments for adult acne, not on just the face but also for people who suffer from acne back. Shame makes these people fear others seeing their acne.

One truth remains. There is no cure for acne but there are steps that can be taken to help prevent it. People who think that youth is wasted on the young probably never had acne.

After years as an educator and more degrees than she can count, Frances Coleman now writes professionally. She is a prolific reader with an advanced degree in research techniques. Learn more ways to prevent acne.

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Is Your Environment Contributing to Your Acne

By admin | April 7, 2008

Is there a possibility that other factors such as the environment may be causing your acne problems? A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. But you may need to also take a look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging.

Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.

Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy.

However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.

Geri Stogsdill is a freelance writer specializing in healthy lifestyle information. For more about living a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating tips, visit http://www.foryourhealthinfo.com.

For more information about ACNE causes, treatments, prevention strategies, coping tips and more, visit us at http://www.naturalacnetreatmentinfo.com.

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