Archive for April 8, 2009

Being aware is half the battle won. That’s right, isn’t it? Being aware about acne, its various symptoms and types is like winning half the battle. The other half is knowing what causes acne and what treatments are available. It is as simple as “Know acne no acne”.

But as any one and there are many people suffering from acne problem will tell you, it is not as simple as that. Majority of people are afflicted by acne vulgaris. The facial skin develops small pimples, reddish eruptions that cause irritation pain and swelling. These also take the form of blackheads, whiteheads, or pus filled boils. When this takes a more serious turn the eruptions become bigger, spread to wider areas of the skin and cause more pain. But more important this occurs around teenage, causing more embarrassment than pain and loss of self esteem.

Acne rosacea strikes at middle age with more or less the same symptoms, while baby acne affects infants barely a few weeks old. Back acne primarily affects the back while acne mechanica results from continuous stress caused by shoulder straps or tight fitting polyester undergarments.

The important question as to what causes acne is fairly well answered. Some myths need to be broken. Keeping the skin clean is an over estimated myth. The skin type is the culprit. The next important factor is hormones coupled with family history. None of these can be manipulated externally. However, maintaining acne free skin is not just having acne facials now and then. It needs patient looking after, in terms of a healthy life style and mental status, as worrying too much worsens the skin condition you see. Then it needs a bit of research into what suits you more, herbal, chemical or surgical treatment. Antibiotics could be the choice for some. However, the pros and cons of each need to be balanced very carefully. Sometimes, you can be your own doctor, while at other times professional consultation from a dermatologist becomes must. Use your discretion judiciously and patiently, not blindly. Each person has a different skin type and so what works for A may not work for B.