Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

Yes, just like any other ailment, or even pieces of a body for that matter, a zit has an anatomy.  Ok, maybe anatomy isn’t the best word, but I thought it was a fun one to use for what we’re about to get into.  What I want to talk about are the 4 basic factors that have to be present for a zit to appear on your skin.  Yes, there are four factors that have to have the miraculous synthesis of timing to come together, in order that you may see one of them breach the surface of your otherwise pristine skin – and ruin your day, especially if you have somewhere important to go.

Take for instance the gem of a zit that popped up on my chin recently due to my massive buttloads of stress due to tax time and some random family issues.  Here are the factors that had to be in place for this zit, which by the way is still healing right now, to form on my face virtually overnight.  And they say stress shouldn’t really contribute to acne.  I can tell you from experience that is a bunch on bunk!

The first item of order for an acne postule to appear on the surface of under the surface of the skin is an sudden increase in oil production (sebum) in the skin. This can be caused by a number of things, but mostly it has to do with the hormones at some level, whether you are a man or a woman.  This excess oil is the foundation for acne to form.  It serves as a sticky surface for bacteria to build up.  Yes, bacteria, the kind we talked about a few posts ago, is the second major factor of a zit forming.

The skin cells that line the pores of the face get stuck and form a plug of the pore.  That’s step number three, then step number four, the one that seals the deal and determines how large of a zit this is going to be for you to deal with, is the inflammation response of the body.  Depending on how mush sebum, skin cells and bacteria have built up in your pore, the zit may be a big one, or one of those huge suckers that hangs out below the surface and throbs until it comes out to the light of day, usually ending in some sort of a whitehead (lovely).

So there you have it, the anatomy of a zit.  It’s a coming together of skin cells, sebum, bacteria, and good old inflammation.  This is why many acne treatments try to address one or a few of those components to help cut down on the occurrence of a breakout.

We talked last time about how it’s coming out slowly that there appears to be an increasingly resilient strain of acne bacteria that is making itself known in acne patients.  What does this mean?  Well, quite simply, as with most other bacteria and viruses, it makes it more difficult to treat, and because it keeps mutating to make itself resistant to the latest antibiotic treatments, it’s likely to keep on changing so that the antibiotics that typically treat acne, such as erythromycin and the very commonly used tetracyclin, will no longer be as effective againt it on most people.

Say you’re a teenager, and you go in to the dermatologist to get treated for acne.  He or she puts you on, let’s say tetracycline, because your acne isn’t bad enough to warrant something stronger and much more serious such as Accutane.  You’re humming along for a few months, taking your tetracycline, which is by the way an antibiotic medication, and you notice that after a few weeks your acne starts to go away.  Fantastic!  But then, you stay on it for a while longer, and you notice that you start to get a little acne here and a little acne there.

You think, ok, maybe I’m just going through a phase or something, or maybe my hormones are just really wacked out, and it’ll get better again.  But it doesn’t, you keep breaking out more and more until eventually you might be back to where you started with your acne.  This is happening more and more frequently, and doctors are having to either add another treatment to the mix when prescribing antibiotics that quit working, or a topical treatment in conjunction with the oral antibiotics, to get the effectiveness back.

You can’t be on antibiotics indefinitely, so this problem happens all the time when patients finally quit antibiotics.  They notice that a few weeks later, their acne is back, and sometimes their acne is back and it’s worse than before, to boot.  This is why I’m very against the use of antibiotics for acne treatment. Not only can antibiotic usage that is prolonged have many adverse long term side effects, but it also doesn’t stand up to time at all, and it’s effects wear off more and more quickly as time goes by and the individual develops a tolerance.

There are better, more natural ways, I believe, to treat acne such as some of the ones we talk about here a lot which are the dermacleanse system and some other herbal acne supplements that help to clear up your skin naturally, from the inside, just like antibiotics, but without all the baggage that comes years later in terms of long term side effects, and without the build up of resistance like antibiotics are tending to have these days.

Yes, unfortunately there is some bad news that has developed that all of us who are skin-aware and have either struggled with acne in the past or are currently still struggling with acne will want to know.  You hear in the news all the time about illnesses that are cause by bacterias and viruses are always evolving to become more and more resistant against the treatments that are prescribed for them.  I mean, bacteria and viruses are built to survive, just like any species is, and since it is the survival of the fittest, they usually will adjust to any hurdles thrown their way, becoming stronger and also unfortunately for us humans, harder to treat with conventional medicines and treatments.

That’s why you’ve seen so many antibiotics done away with.  What used to be taken care of with a little bit of older antibiotics is now only going to react to stronger, more potent ones like Zpac and other stronger strains of antibiotic.  Likewise, it appears that the bacterium that specifically causes acne vulgaris, which by the way is called the p. acnes bacterium (yes that’s the name of the little buggers that have been the bain of your existence all these years), has evolved into a much stronger, and much more antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is making acne a lot tougher to treat with antibotics.

This of course doesn’t mean the acne is untreatable, it merely means that antibiotics don’t work as well since they actually work on the bacteria part of the problem, there are of course other acne treatments that get the job done, just in a different way.  Typical antibiotics that have been used as a traditional weapon against acne are tetracycline and erythromycin, both of which I had a lot of my friends had experiences with growing up.  Turns out that we may have outgrown those treatments and are now only going to respond either to tougher antibiotics for acne, or a whole new approach to acne treatment all together.

Another problem added to the pot is that since antibiotics have been used for so long on acne patients, this fact alone has contributed to the acne bacteria’s ability to mutate and become immune to them, making it much harder to kill these bacteria using these traditional treatments, so the fact that we are using them alone is actually hurting us.  The other problem is that using antibiotics long term causes issues of it’s own. I’ve written before about how some believe that long term antibiotic use is linkd to breast cancer.  This doesn’t exactly make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside either, especially since I was on tetracycline myself for many weeks, even months at a time when I was a teen for acne.

I’m fascinated by this topic, and the topic of antibiotics being used for acne, simply because I strongly believe there are so many better and more long term effective ways to fight acne out there, that I’m going to write the next post on this as well.  Coming soon!

I was at Wal-Mart today, browsing through the moisturizers, in search of a good, light daytime moisturizer that wouldn’t clog my pores and that also happened to have an SPF of at least 15 in it.  I’d come to the conclusion that the foundation and glow cream I used, both with SPF in them, were not doing the job since I kept getting sun exposure up by my hairline even though I wore the makeups all the way up the hair line every time, so I needed an additional, allover SPF protection.

I almost settled on a bottle of retinol infused daytime moisture cream by Neutrogena, which cost about fourteen bucks, because I figured that not only would it offer me the SPF I was looking for, but it would also help sculpt and lift my fine lines since I happen to be in my thirties.  However, I was concerned that this would just irritate my face more since Retinol is a potential irritant, and I only put potential irritants that are anti agin on my face at night, when the skin tends to repair itself.  I just wanted a more straigtforward, multi purpose moisturizer for the daytime.

So I settled on the Aveeno product, which is supposed to be good for those with rosacea and redness to their skin as it is “calming”. It advertises that it is calming to the skin and contains feverfew and chamomile, which is a great skin soother.  Although I don’t have rosacea or acne rosacea, I thought that a nice, calming cream would be nice for during the day, and to boot it has a SPF of 15.  I’ll let you know how I like the Aveeno Calming moisturizer after I use it for at least a week.  I’ll be reporting soon, so stay tuned.

I got a question as follows from a reader recently, and it made me think of how I’ve had the same situation before and had  myself in compromising, back twisting positions just so I could pop the big sucker because the ones on my back used to get very large before I could treat them or try to gently squeeze them if they were more than ready to come out and were a whitehead that just needed some gentle coaxing out.  I usually wound end up giving up, or I would just twist my back until it hurt like no tomorrow, and have a crappy, half popped job on my hands.

Now, if you have someone that can handle it and that doesn’t get grossed out very easily, have someone else do it for you, but remember, most pimples should not be popped unless they are literally almost popped on their own.  Excessive squeezing before a pimple has truly come to a head causes more scarring than necessary, and may leave indentations in the skin, those lovely pock marks that you get when you pop a pimple, which I learned the hard way after suffering acne for years as a teen.

You can try putting a warm compress on the pimple to get it to come out easier or faster, but that doesn’t always work.  My best advice to people who want to know how to pop a pimple that’s out of their reach is to get someone else to do it, GENTLY and with clean hands.  After it had been gently removed, it should be washed.  Make sure when you wash your back, which is oily and acne prone for many people, especially those who already have acne prone skin, you wash it thoroughly and do it allover your back instead of just spot-washing it.  This helps to get the whole back clean and prevents excessive acne from cropping up.

I just got done using one of my favorite fruit acid based skin peels, and when I rinsed my skin off under warm (never hot!) water, I noticed that my skin squeaked when I was rinsing it.  That may sound good, but it’s not, because when your skin is “squeaky” clean, it means that you’ve probably stripped it of two much moisture, and some of it’s protective barrier has been swept away.  That’s all fine and good, and that’s actually the purpose of an acid peel, especially one that is strong like the one I just used.

However, just because it did what it was supposed to, which was sweep away old dead skin cells and many healthy newer ones as well, in order to force the skin to produce newer, fresher skin cells, you still need to replenish that protective moisture barrier, artificially albeit since you’ll be using a lotion or cream that is not made of your own skin cells, however, it provides protection against a few things.

A good, rich moisturizer when applied after an acid peel that perhaps you have used to help diminish your acne scarring, or maybe just to give your skin a fresher, more youthful look, is essential after an acid peel, especially one that is stronger in concentration that strips away more skin cells.  I like to use one that is very emollient with ingredients that are not stripping, in other words, I try not to use another product with any type of acid or exfoliant ingredients in it since I’ve already done that enough with the peel.

You want to apply the moisturizer, which by the way should also be noncomedogenic, very generously.  You shouldn’t have to worry about it clogging pores because your skin will be like a sponge after a peel (or microdermabrasion), and will soak it right up thirstily, probably looking for more.  You may think you’re putting too much on, but you’ll watch and see that it does all soak in.  Not only does this prevent tightness, but also helps prevent excessive peeling and also helps soothe and calm the skin afterwards.

I’ve been reading more and more about this, so figured I’d put this out to the AcneMagazine readers and see if anyone can share an experience with us on the subject.  Apparently using virgin coconut oil on the face and other skin areas is gaining some popularity.  Some people say it’s the best moisturizer they’ve ever used and others say their skin has never been softer since using it.  However, of course, because I’ve had a past with acne ranging from severe to moderate to almost nonexistent, and because I’d like my skin to stay that way, am somewhat skeptical.

It seems totally counterintuitive that an oil, which we’ve always been trained to stay away from in facial products because of it’s many times comedogenic (pore clogging) properties, would actually potentially help to clear and heal the skin.  I’ve also read that coconut oil and other types of oils should be totally avoided in cosmetics, especially if you happen to have acne prone or oily skin to begin with.

So, which school of thought on this one?  I’m not sure.  I’ve read conflicting reports, some people saying it’s made them break out and others saying it’s made their skin more clear and smooth than ever.  I wonder if it depends on the person’s skin that’s using it?  I’ve also heard that coconut oil – only virgin – is a good natural sunblock, which I’m also somewhat skeptical of.  I can’t help but compare it to slathering tanning oil on and becoming a sunlight magnet for all the harmful UV rays to be beckoned to scorch and damage my skin even more.

Anyone who has experiences with coconut oil for skin care, please share your views and opinions.  Heck, if no one else is curious, I am!

Question :

Hi,
What does acne on your body mean?  I am not sure what criteria are important.  Can you please guide me.
A little advice would go a long way right now.
I am very grateful for your help.

Answer :

Hello.  Acne on your body, like acne on your facial area, can mean many things.  Mostly it signals an imbalance of hormones, since most acne is hormonally related.  There are several things that can help your body acne, and one of the biggest I’m a proponent of is diet.

Limiting caffeine and stimulants or eliminating them, avoiding sugar and increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, and drinking lots of water is preferable.  Also, try adding fresh lemon juice to your water, it helps with clarity and tone.

There are some great body acne products that can help you get rid of your body acne as well that are specially formulated to target this acne, which can be treated a bit more agressively usually since other areas of the body are not as sensitive as the facial skin, which is exposed to many more environmental pollutants than the rest of the body.

You will want to make sure you’re wearing light and breathable clothing if you’re out in the hot sun or you’re in an environment where sweat and grime can build up under the clothing and potentially clog the pores.  Keep areas like your back as clean and free of oil as you can, as this is one of the more common places to get acne.

Hope this all helps, and good luck with your anti-acne regimen!

Bookmark us at bookmarks to keep up with the latest on body acne.

I received a question from a reader on how she can help prevent breakouts before her period.  While there is no surefire way, I gave tips that I think will help reduce inflammation in the body around this time, helping the reduce the likelihood of pimples cropping up. No name was used to protect privacy.

Question :

Hi,
How to not get pimples before period?  What should I watch out for?
Please help me.  Thank you in advance.  Thanks,
XXXX

Hello XXXX.  While there is no guaranteed way you won’t get pimples before your period, especially because of the hormonal fluctuations of testosterone and estrogen right before you menstruate, there may be some ways you can help control the breakouts.  One is to avoid caffeinated products if you happen to consume anything with caffeine in it on a regular basis.

This includes coffee, soda with caffeine, any sort of supplements that contain stimulants and anything else with a stimulant or caffeine.  Unfortunately this also rules out a lot of the PMS pills you can take like Pamprin and things  like that because most of those do contain caffeine.

Another thing you can do is to drink fresh lemon juice in your water.  This may help to reduce the inflammatory tendencies in your skin around the time of your period.  Lemon juice is a natural anti inflammatory, as are cucumbers.

Around your period, since your skin tends to be oilier, it may be wise to carry blotting sheets with you, to gently blot away excess oil and debris that may aggravate acne.  You can also try to wear a lighter foundation or moisturizer around this time, so as not to encourage the plugging of pores.

Hope this helps!

Thanks!

It’s tricky when looking for products for acne prone skin.  You’ve got face washes, moisturizers, creams, serums, cleansing pads, astringents, various alternative therapies, supplements, and all kinds of other considerations when you’re dealing with acne prone skin.  It’s tough because you always have to make sure that these products that are commonly purchased for the skin and are supposed to enhance the skin’s beauty, are also not going to make you break out.

One such skin care product that is particularly sensitive and needs to be chosen with caution and great research, is a sunscreen.  Sunscreen is a necessity, especially because we find ourselves dealing with one of the worst case scenarios when it comes to how well our ozone layer is doing, and there are more and more cases of skin cancer popping up allover which may or may not be attributed to reduced protection by this layer.

You need sunscreen, period.  So, when you’re choosing one for your oily and acne prone skin, first make sure there is no  mineral oil in it.  Mineral oil is one of the most skin and pore clogging materials that you can purchase in a product.  Make sure it is a very light, weightless formula.  You can even open it and check it’s consistency if you need to, to see if it’s a heavy cream or a lightweight one.  Light is better, it allows more oxygen into the skin, so those pores stay clear and free of dirt.

It’s hard to pick one that’s light and also effective, I acknowledge that, because the role of a sunscreen is essentially to form a physical barrier between your skin and the damagin UV rays that are emitted from the sun.  To form a physcial barrier, it needs to have some sort of weight to it, but with today’s technology and the ability to make tiny polymers out of something that once was a heavier substance is much better today.

Last but not least, make sure it says it’s uncomedogenic, this means that it’s been tested for it’s pore clogging abilities and found that it is minimally pore clogging, at least enough to earn that label.  I used a heavy sunscreen before and almost instantly felt that it was making my face break out, so there really is something to this.