Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

In answer to the question above, no, men’s acne treatments really are not any different from those that women are using.  They are all based on the same principle, because all acne is caused by the same thing – excess sebum building up and dirt collecting in the pores, causing inflammation and acne postules under the skin, blackheads, whiteheads and under the skin, painful hormonal acne.

Most acne treatments work on this concept, unless you are under a dermatologists’s care and they are specifically treating you as a man or woman with acne with some sort of targeted hormonally related treatment, which I’m not really sure about, if it even exists.  Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are two of the most popular and widely used products topically that you can get over the counter, but there are other prescription medications that can be used as well that are great for both men and women who have acne.

Men who have facial hair have another facet of complexity added to their fight against acne – they have actual hair as a blockade to treating and successfully defeating acne in those areas because the areas that produce hair also happen to be factories for oil (sebum) production as well as collectors of debris and poolings of oil, which is the perfect breeding grounds for acne causing bacteria.  Not to mention that fact that ingrown facial hair on men can cause acne, since they essentially are a clogged pore that runs wild and usually becomes a large whitehead that i svery visible to the naked eye, if it weren’t for the hair obscuring the view.

So, is there really any different way to deal with acne that happens to be amongst a lot of facial hair in men, or do you just have to sort of bit the bullet and hope for the best, applying creams and serums on the face in these areas, hoping the medication will reach the acne postules that it needs to?  Well, it’s a combination of both, but here are some pointers for dealing with acne in your beard guys!

You will need to make sure you are cleansing the entire bearded area of your face each time you wash, and make sure you are using some sort of acne clarifying face wash (I prefer it’s actually a clear gel or soap), with salicylic acid, this will help dissolve the sebum that builds up in the pores where your beard grows, and therefore help to treat and prevent acne from growing there.  Don’t just glide right over the bearded area, but make sure you are lathering the entire area to get the cleanser right down in there, into the skin area and the pores.

A common mistake for guys with beards is that they just lather the beard hair and not the skin underneath.  Make sure you finger tips are reaching the skin under the hair.  Then, I recommend you get either a prescription topical medication or a strong salicylic acid based gel, nothing cheap, make sure it’s high quality since this is extra hard to deal with acne caused by having facial hair, and apply it to your problem areas every night until the problem clears up.

You may notice especially more acne when you’re trying to grow a beard for the first time, this is because the skin is getting used to the hair being there, and ingrown hairs are more likely to occur in this phase, whereas when you have it fully grown out, you should see less of a problem there.

Lord knows I’ve been in search of the perfect cover up and the perfect cover up technique for acne lesions and acne scars, and newly formed acne scars for a long time.  There are actually a few that are worth noting, however you really also have to know the right technique for blending them and applying them to get the optimal, most covering results you can for skin that appears to be clear and flawless, but of course isn’t.  I like to make sure first that I use a full coverage foundation, and I’ve recently found that Revlon Colorstay foundation for oily/combination skin is one of the best covering for my skin.

When you have a great base foundation, it’s all that much easier to cover up your blemishes seemlessly.  Of course, if the blemish is really large and inflamed, that always presents a challenge for covering it up because it’s obviously hard to cover something up that is a large bump, no matter how well you blend it in.  However, if you really know how to blend your concealer, then you can make a blemish appear much smaller and less noticeable, no matter what it’s size, so it’s important to remember that before throwing in the towel and swearing off going out in public for a while til the dang thing heals.

There are some excellent choices out there for concealers.  One of the better ones is Laura Mercier’s cream concealer, but you need to make sure you have a good concealer brush to apply it with to get optimal results, which she does sell.  If you don’t want to spend such big bucks on a brush though, you can opt to buy something less expensive on the lower end at Target. Sonia Kashuk makes some great brushes, and there is another line they sell there that is eco friendly that has gotten rave reviews, although I have never tried those ones yet.

It’s important when you are dipping into the concealer, or if you’re dabbing it on the zit directly, to not apply to much, and to dab it instead of rubbing it.  You want the product to look like a dot on the blemish, and then you want to come in and delicately pad it with your finger or a brush until it blends in well.  Rubbing will just make you need to start over since you’re essentially rubbing the product right out of the blemish making it necessary to apply more.

Ok, to continue with our last conversation about application techniques for applying foundation and concealer for maximum blemish cover up and also for a flawless and natural look, let’s talk more about the application technique as well as what products (a recap) to use to get the best finish, for the most affordable price.  I had mentioned before that I’ve repeatedly heard that Revlon Color Stay is a superior drugstore brand foundation that is recommended by a lot of makeup artists.  I bought that and added it to my makeup collection, and couldn’t be happier with the coverage.

So, here are the ingredients in my flawless foundation recipe, followed by the directions and tecnique for applying these “ingredients”

1.)  Revlon Colorstay foundation for oily/combination skin in it’s second lightest color.  Match this to your complexion as closely as possible, don’t go too light or too dark, or the natural look you get will be compromised.  This foundation will run you roughly twelve bucks in Target or Wal-mart, possibly more if it’s not a department store.

2.)  Revlon Skinlights or some other skin brightening lotion that helps with the dewy effect or glow, in your skin tone of course.

3.)  A cream cover up or concealer.  I prefer cream, I don’t think the liquid covers at all.

4.)  A foundation brush and a concealer brush.

5.)  Loose mineral powder in a sheer shade, this is minimal and should be used just to “set” the foundation.  You’ll need a large powder brush if you don’t already have one.  I just use my Kabuki brush that came with my Bare Minerals kit, and I use my Bare Minerals powder to set it.

6.)  A sheer, natural shade of blush (powder).

Ok, now let’s get started on how to apply this foundation.  Start off applying a LOT of your day moisturizer to your face.  It is important that you pile on the moisturizer, to have a good base for your foundation and to ensure it doesn’t look dry or like it’s sitting on your skin.  Let your moisturizer sink in completely and dry before starting the application.

Now, take your foundation and put about a dime size of it on the back of your hand.  Add your glow lotion to it, just a smidge.  Get your foundation brush and dip it in, and dab it on one side of your face, then the other, then go back for more and put a smear of it on your chin and forehead as well until it’s all used up.  Go back and do sort of a dabbing motion with your foundation brush, don’t do strokes.  Continue to blend, all the way to the hairline, until the foundation is all blended in.  You should already see that many of your imperfections have been blended away.

Next, take your concealer brush and dip it in your concealer, or brush the top of the concealer stick and get some on your brush, putting it right on your blemishes.  Dab, do not rub the concealer in.  Now, you’re ready to set the foundation.  Take your large powder brush and dip it in your setting powder, and dust it on the forehead, cheeks area and the chin.  Then go back and use a large brush and put some natural blush or bronzer just really lightly on your forehead, cheeks and chin.  Voila, perfecto!

Ok, so, being a very disciplined makeup user who always covers up blemishes, and was used to covering at least 4 to 5 blemishes at a time when I was a teen since my breakouts were so bad back then, I’ve tried a lot of different ways to cover my blemishes and old blemishes or scars that have worked to varying degrees.  I think I’ve found the best way to cover blemishes and provide the best overall coverage that I’ve found so far.  I actually went on Youtube to get pointers from makeup artists on how to do it before I tried it for the first time, but being a foundation brush virgin, I decided to go ahead and take the plunge and splurge on a foundation brush and try to apply my foundation that way instead of with my beloved sponges.

I still think a good sponge will provide good coverage, but I think the combination of the type of foundation I’ve bought and the fact that I’m applying it with a foundation brush have resulted in some of the best overall complexion coverage I’ve ever seen for my face, as well as the most glowing skin I’ve ever had after I’m finished applying makeup. The best part is, it still looks natural. It doesn’t look caked on or too heavy, so you have to get your technique down right and the right mix of facial skin care products to get the look just right.

Here’s my new favorit recipe for a glowing and flawless (looking) complexion :

Revlon Color Stay foundation.  I have read in a few places that this is one of the best cheaper alternatives that provides great coverage, so I tried it.  And I love it.  I use the second lightest shade since I’m pretty fair, and I use the formula for the oily/combination skin since it’s summer, but I may switch to the formula for normal skin in the winter.  I still also use my Revlon skinlights skin brightener as well, which has unfortunately been discontinued, so when I’m done with that I have to find another comparable product.

I purchased a foundation brush from Target.  It was about seven bucks, compared to the one I really wanted but I’m trying to save money, by Mac, which is almost thirty bucks I believe.  I like the foundation brush I got from Target, honestly it works just fine.  I also got a concealer brush, but I’m still looking for a good cream based concealer that comes in a bowl instead of a stick, and I think I may purchase the Benefit one, but I’m still looking.  If anyone has any recommendations let me know.

TO BE CONTINUED!

What is a retinoid?  Chemically, a retinoid is any compound that is related to the vitamin A.  Retinoids are considered a class in themselves, and they are all somehow a derivative of this vitamin.  Some examples of retinoids are Retin-A, which is used both to treat wrinkles and aging skin and also is used to treat acne topically, any over the counter or prescription skin cream that says it has “retinol” in it means that it has a retinoid in it, hence a derivative of vitamin A, and also many times AHA’s or alpha hydroxy acids have retinoids in them, which are all somehow related to this vitamin family.

The basic mechanism behind vitamin A derived topical skin products is that it accelerates the turnove rof topical skin cells, which helps to treat a variety of skin disorders.  These skin diorders can range from age spots and different types of acne to aging skin and wrinkles, since speeding the turnover of epithelial skin cells helps to unclog the pores and remove the debris and bacteria that helps to form acne lesions on the skin.  Many women, and men, love retinoids and retinol based products for anti aging purposes, including me.  My favorite anti aging cream right now contains a retinol, and I believe that not only does it help my skin look brighter and younger, but I also believe it helps keep those little bumpies and unevenness at bay.

Retinoids have also recently been an interest to those studying how to topically help treat certain types of skin cancer, so that’ll be interesting to see if it can help people who have been diagnosed with skin cancer.  What’s really interesting is that retinoids can be a double whammy tool for those of us in our adult years trying to fight both acne and new fine lines and wrinkles, since what comes with getting older as a woman is an increase in androgens and decrease in estrogen, which often leads to hormonal acne breakouts as an adult woman.  Now, as far as retinoids and different kind of acne, here’s how it can help you.

Retinoids, such as products with retinol in them or Retin-A prescription cream or gel, help all kinds of acne to clear up.  This includes every kind you can think of.  Those little annoying bumps that you’re not even sure are acne, the kind that almost looks like baby acne, it helps those.  It also helps to clear up whitehead (ah, my favorite, and probably the most common kind I get, since I rarely get blackheads), and blackheads.  Also those cystic, under the skin ones that usually come to a whitehead, it can be useful for those as well, helping to bring them to the surface and heal them faster since it speeds the cell turnover.

I’ve never met anyone my age that doesn’t have some sort of history with having zits in their teen years.  Heck, I remember even those friends of mine who always had perfect complexions getting a whopper of a hormonal zit every once in a great while, so it happened to all of us, really none of us were totally exempt from getting zits when we were younger, it’s just that some of us were naturally more zit prone than others were.  I remember envying those that only had to struggle with the occasional blemish though, whiles it seemed that at my worst, evey morning I’d wake up with a new zit to contend with and figure out how to cover up best.

The worst part was that I could already see the effects that the scars were having on my skin at such a young age.  While it’s true that they do fade over time, it was hard to cover them up when they were still new and red and also have to deal with new ones cropping up.  Puberty is a perfect time for acne to creep onto the radar you see, because our hormones are so imbalanced around this time, and our bodies aren’t used to having so many of them since our estrogen and testosterone are competing for the upper hand in our bodies, that our skin reacts by breaking out.

The imbalance of hormones leads to acne because it makes the sebum produce much more, and it also makes it more “sticky” in nature, which means it collects dirt and other pore clogging items and bacteria, forming blackheads and whiteheads and under the surface acne as it goes.  This is essentially the same reason for adult acne, however adult acne may be a little more susceptible to stress, since many times our hormones are a bit more under control at this point in our life as adults.

The toughest thing about puberty is that not only do kids have to contend with “coming of age”, but they also have to contend with all the physical changes that go with it, which can often be difficult to understand, like body changes and changes in mood and even outlook.  Girls have to deal with beginning their menstrual cycles, cramps, and the extra hassle that goes with that lovely attribute of coming of age for females, and they also have to deal with what many times seems like an overnight pair of breasts, a dramatically changing body shift, and hormonal swings that tend to make us more moody because of menstruation.

Boys deal with puberty too though, just in a different way.  Boys start to develop more muscle mass, deeper voices, acne as well, and they start to have sexual longings and may even experience wet dreams and begin to want to masturbate.  This happens to girls as well though, it’s just not as well publicized.  All in all, puberty can be a really challneging and confusing happening to deal with for boys and girls, and zits are just one part of this often confusing, but also exciting time.

One of the most well known and well publicized side effects of being on steroids, including your standard prescription steroids, not just the stereotypical injectable kind that also happen to be illegally sold in many places, is that it can give you terrible acne.  This is because steroids increase the amount of androgens, or male hormones, in your body, and these male hormones are what is responsible for acne in men and women.  Too much testosterone, while it can be great to build lean muscle mass and help burn fat off, is not all that great for acne, in fact is is the major contributing hormone to acne, and men and women with too much of it can actually get acne quite badly.

Many times people on steroids will get acne on their body and their face, specifically on their back.  I’m not sure why it really seems to attack the back the most, but this is where you hear about steroid related acne occurring the most on the human body, and it can get really bad.  I’ve seen some pictures of men who are steroids with back acne, and it is just covered.  Sure, they look more muscular, but they are also going to be dealing with some serious long term acne scarring for years to come as well!  This can be a devastating side effect of anabolic steroids, the kind that body builders often misuse, but it’s not even the worst of the potential and reported side effects.

One of the worst side effects is what is called “roid rage” where one goes into fits of rage that seem to be uncontrollable.  There is a particular case that got a lot of publicity because of the high profile attributes of it all, and of the industry this person was, in, but Chris Benoit’s murder of his family is thought to be potentially related to steroid abuse.  Although of course this cannot be proven for sure, there is a lot of speculation.

Also, many times, since steroids are taken in cycles, there can often be depression ranging from mild to severe during these cycles.  Coming off of them cold turkey can even go so far as to cause suicidal thoughts, so it’s imperative that someone does not just come off of them cold turkey.  Other undesirable side effects that have been reported with steroid use are gynecomastia, or breast growth on males, shrinking of the testicles, and even impotence.  There are other side effects of course, but I really wanted to discuss the acne aspect of steroid abuse.

There has been a lot of speculation over the years if certain foods may spur on or cause acne, but there has been a debate raging amongst skin care professionals about whether diet even has anything to do with acne at all. I believe that acne and diet are closely related, and that certain foods and caffeine can spur on the production of oil and the imbalance of hormones, which is the recipe for acne in everyone.  We’ve talked a lot about how caffeine and stimulants that activate the nervous system can have a huge impact on your acne, but let’s talk a little more about other foods that some believe may spur their acne on.  Some believe that avoiding these foods has helped them to escape the ravages of acne vulgaris.

Let me be clear that I do not agree that all these foods cause acne, but rather I believe that the simple idea of avoiding too much sugar and avoiding caffeine and other stimulants is the key to remaining acne free.  However, some people may actually have bad individual reactions to these foods which lead to acne.

List of foods that some believe contributes to acne :

Nuts.  Some people believe that eating any type of nut makes them break out.  Allergies to nuts are incredibly common.  Especially peanuts, so by all means if you notice you break out every time you eat a nut of some sort, I’d cut nuts completely out of your diet.  Almonds are a great acne fighter in my opinion though because they’re high in fiber and beneficial protein, and they also add omega 3′s to your diet, which are great for helping to balance the hormones and are also excellent for your skin.

Milk and all dairy products.  Some people have seen a correlation between quitting all dairy foods and their skin clearing up.  I personally have never noticed this on my own skin, but again, dairy products are something that definitely are a known cause of allergic reactions, and that doesn’t put them in the clear for acne causing by any means.  Others, instead of giving up dairy, only purchase organic dairy that has no added hormones, as they believe it’s the hormones commonly added to dairy products that cause acne.

Red meats, or too much meat in the diet.  Some people believe that, for the same reason as dairy with added hormones, that our meat these days is too loaded with hormones and causes people’s hormones to be out of balance, and therefore may lead to acne, so they either cut meat out of their diet or they buy only meats that are organically raised and range fed so that they are not getting the high hormone content.