Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

One of the unique “home remedy” types of suggestions I have heard has to do with reducing the characteristic redness that goes with acne lesions, especially when they are large and painful, and also especially when they have prematurely been opened, whether by accident, or they were intentionally popped by the person to relieve the pressure.

Either way, the redness is what makes an acne bump look so terrible. Without the color, sure, it would still be an unsightly lump on the skin, but at least it would not also set itself apart from your healthy, clear skin by flashing a red sign “I’m here, I’m here, look at meeee”.

If you are struck with a particularly ugly, red zit and you have no other recourse to get rid of it quickly, one “home remedy” you may want to try is to put a little drop or two of the eye relief liquid Visine, or some such similar product.

Why would Visine be used to reduce redness of a zit? Well, Visine is actually a blood vessel restrictor. This is why it helps to reduce redness in your eyes. When you have irritated capillaries, this product’s duty is to help constrict those back down and reduce their red appearance.

When you irritate your zit by popping it or by otherwise traumatizing the area, or it just gets so big that the pressure is too great for the skin to bare without getting red, try putting a little bit of this on the affected area.

What’s the worst that could happen? You may irritate it a little with the salt that typically is in these eye formulas, but the ingredients in it which help to reduce redness will counteract any additional redness from the irritation, setting them off of one another.

St. John’s Wort is a common herbal remedy that is used for mild depression, anxiety and general feelings of malaise. It’s actually quite a successful natural antidepressant for many people. 

That is why it has enjoyed such huge success over here in America as a supplement, just like it had in Britain and Sweden years ago (we’re usually behind most other countries when it comes to both medications being available, and herbal remedies that are quite effective, unfortunately). 

However, when there started to be reports in Britain and Sweden that some women were getting pregnant who were on the pill and taking the birth control pill religiously every day without fail, and who also happened to be taking the herbal antidepressant St. John’s Wort, there was a question raised.

Authorities started to look into whether St. John’s Wort was somehow inactivating the birth control pill’s effectiveness at intervening pregnancies.  It was found that there was a link between the two, and so there was actually a warning placed on the bottles of this popular natural remedy against depression in those countries.

I don’t believe you see this warning on the American versions of this dietary supplement. Correct me if I’m wrong. 

A lot of women who have problems with acne end up going on the pill, and the birth control pill has been discussed many times here on the blog as quite an effective means of both preventing unwanted pregnancy and also of helping women who have acne to get clear skin as well.

The pill, at least certain kinds of the pill, can really help to clear a woman’s skin up if she has really bad hormonal acne.  Most acne is definitely based mostly on hormone imbalances. Many times the pill will help bring those acne causing hormones back into balance by providing the woman’s body with the proper amount of estrogens to help counter the effects of androgens, which are male hormones, in the body.

Androgens, or male hormones (testosterone) are the primary hormone that is responsible for starting the chain reaction that creates acne on our faces, back and chest. 

Excessive androgens actually force the skin to pump out more sebum, or oil, which attracts more dirt, bacteria and debris. The debris in turn clogs the pores by getting stuck in this goopy mess. You end up with inflammation of the skin, and acne lesions.

Have there been times where you think you may have broken out in a spot where breakouts can and do happen, like your back, your belly, or your neck?  But it’s a little different, like it’s just small spots everywhere, almost like an irritation, but it looks just like it could be acne because some of them are red and inflamed like acne lesions would be?

Well, you’re not alone. And most people who also happen to have acne often mistake a simple allergic reaction or a rash because of an illness, for an acne breakout, because that is what they are used to happening to their skin.

I actually had this happen, of all places, in Las Vegas when I was getting married to my now-husband. It happened to me because I had an odd allergic reaction to vitamin B – a lot of it.

You see, I was paranoid that I would get tired and not be able to enjoy Vegas for all the fun you can have there and because there were some friends and family that came with us, I wanted to be able to give energy to hanging out with everyone (which was nearly impossible in the end). 

So, I brought a bunch of those little 5 Hour Energy drinks with me, and one day I drank like two of them ( whole ones) so that I wouldn’t get tired. Well, my stomach broke out in a rash from drinking them.

I later found out that when you take in too much Niacin, which is found in abundance in 5 Hour Energy, because it is a form of a B vitamin, some people can actually break out in a hive-like rash from having too much of it. 

To look at this particular rash though, you would have thought it was some sort of an acne breakout. The postules that broke out were red and swollen, but small and much more abundant than an actual acne breakout would have been. They were close together too, not widely dispersed like acne can be, and there were a LOT of them.

I only correlated it to the niacin as an allergic reaction because it went away as soon as I stopped drinking the energy drinks. Otherwise, I probably would have thought it was some weird body acne breakout that was related to the stress and anxiety of getting married and having all those people with us.

Just as there are some foods and types of stimulants that will aggravate acne in certain people (myself included, which you definitely know if you’re a regular reader), there are some prescription drugs that can greatly aggravate acne, or even cause acne to become a problem for people who may have previously had pristine skin.

I have talked already about my own personal experience with taking extra strength Vicodin and breaking out horribly. It was odd too, because it was almost a sort of delayed reaction. I had actually been on Vicodin for a few days for some oral surgery I had gotten on my gums, when I started to break out.

That’s how your body reacts to things sometimes though. Maybe my body had reached a tolerance level for whatever active ingredient it was in Vicodin that made my skin react so violently.

Other drugs that can either cause or aggravate acne are anticonvulsants.  Steroids are a big acne causer. These are often prescribed to people as a way to help reduce swelling and to help quicken healing in people who may have some sort of traumatic injury.

It is also prescribed on a regular basis for people with certain diseases. Steroids are basically hormones, and taking them can throw your body totally out of hormonal balance and harmony, which is the ultimate way to guarantee an acne breakout.

This is why you often hear that men who are abusing anabolic steroids break out in terrible acne – it’s because their testosterone levels are way too high.

It is testosterone, or androgens, which actually are the hormonal basis of acne causation, so taking any drugs which induce them to increase to high levels, will in turn make your skin erupt in acne lesions. 

Lithium, which is a fairly serious drug to help correct mood imbalances and certain psychiatric disorders, has also been commonly linked to aggravating and causing acne breakouts.  Lithium users frequently report back and chest acne.

Many of you may have gone out and enjoyed a few drinks (or more) on the statistically biggest drinking day here in the US, except for maybe New Years Eve.  I myself, even though I thought I was past the age where I would go out for St. Patty’s day, went out.

Boy, I’m still suffering from it too!  I ate bad food (tasted great, but not skin-friendly, but then again, neither is drinking since it dehydrates you and breaks down into skin-ruining sugars in your body), and I drank quite a few strong cocktails.

I’m recovering now, but I feel like I’m still in some sort of hyper reality daze.

I forgot to wish all my readers a Happy St. Patty’s Day, so here it is – two days late, but maybe better than never!

I have had the pleasure of recently experiencing my first herbal body wrap here locally in the northeastern Ohio area where I live in Akron.  I enjoyed it a lot, but I also enjoyed what came with it, which was a “sea clay” facial mask that really helped to deep cleanse my pores and left my skin feeling baby soft and “lighter” than it did before.

They actually used the principle of compression with this mask too, just like they use in the herbal body wraps.

Herbal body wraps are where you are wrapped in ace-like bandages that are soaked ina  solution that is filled with various herbs and nutrients that are supposed to help detox the skin, while also helping to contour the problem areas of your body like your buttocks and thighs and tummy, and even your upper arms.

I have only had two of the wraps so far, but I am pleased with them. I haven’t really seen any inch loss yet, but a slight bit of improvement in my cellulite and much, much smoother skin. 

Now, for the sea clay mineral mask, what they did was they painted the grey colored mud mask on to my face. They then wrapped my face in bandages, also going under the chin to help firm that area up and add more of a natural, firm contour under the chin which is where a lot of women and men tend to lose definition and shape as they age. 

The idea of the mask itself is to help deep clease the pores to get impurities out, and also to help tone the skin, help clear up blemishes, as well as to help soften any wrinkles and fine lines. The mask was on as long as the body wrap was on, so I felt like a total mummy the whole time since I was essentially wrapped from head to toe in this thing!

But it was relaxing. And my skin looked really nice, really smooth, and had a nice glow to it after the sea clay mask as well. It must have had some component of natural salt in it because I accidentally licked my lips after the mask was rinsed off and still got a salty taste in my mouth. 

It makes sense though, because mineral clay masks usually contain some degree of salt in them. The right kind of salt can actually be beneficial and cleansing to the skin.

A lot of people are witnessing the devastation and human tragedy that is occurring over in Japan right now. I sat and watched, mouth open, the water pouring over bridges and tossing homes and cars as if they were feathers. Truly frightening stuff.

And even more frightening is the fact that the country is also facing threat of nuclear facility meltdowns. So, they were hit with a devasting high magnitude earthquake, then walloped with a tsunami that has claimed thousands of lives – the death toll somewhere around 10,000 and counting the last I looked, and now they are faced with potential radio active exposure.

Things are really not good right now for the Japanese people. There has been a great outpouring of financial help from all countries. You can help too – any amount is not too small – it all will go to help people who have truly been devastated by this cruel act of nature.

You can visit the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and there are several other nonprofit organizations that are lining up to lead the way to helping Japan rebuild and prevent further disaster, while tending to its displaced, injured, and no doubt traumatized people. 

Let’s all pray for them, and hope that nothing happens to make this already precarious situation even worse.

We talked last time about how your blood sugar levels affect your skin and can trigger acne breakouts and perpetuate the unfortunate predisposition toward acne in your skin.  Remember, your blood sugar levels control a lot more than just hunger and mental and physical performance.

They also control the levels of female and male hormones in your body. Remember also that excess androgens (male hormones) in the body are what lead to acne lesions because of their ability to force the body into excess production of oil, or sebum, which traps bacteria beneath the surface of the skin and inflames the pores.

A high sugar, high carb diet is, in itself, a naturally “inflammatory” diet. This means that it actually pushes the body to not heal as well.  This is part of the reason why diabetic people have a hard time healing wounds.

Avoid refined starches and grains like white bread, white pasta, chips, crackers and other foods which use refined white flour as their basis.  Also avoid sugary sweets like chocolate, candy and cookies.  Choose foods that keep you full for hours. 

You will know when your blood sugar is all whacked out because you’ll feel it in your mental performance and the way your body reacts. For me, I know that my blood sugar is either too low or too high because I can’t seem to focus, I get moody and my motor skills seem to be “off”. 

Some people experience seeing auras or bright lights in front of their eyes when their blood sugar goes into dangerously high or low ranges.  When your blood sugar is even, you will know it because you feel like your body and your mind are humming along like the finely tuned machine they are. 

Remember that even if a food isn’t “sugar” when you eat it, like the obvious culprits candy, cookies, cake and the like, it can convert to sugar rapidly in the body.  Breads, cereals, potatoes, white rice and corn are examples. 

However, it doesn’t mean you have to live a carb free life to maintain clear skin. You can eat carbs, just make sure they are as whole as possible. Only consume WHOLE GRAIN carbs.  Never eat white pasta, white bread or other refined ones, always make sure they are whole.

Lean protein is best for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.  Try to stick to hormone free white meats like chicken, pork, and turkey. Fish is excellent for your skin because it contains omega 3 fats, which are in themselves a great blood sugar regulator.

I’ve often preached about how strongly diet is linked to acne.  While most dermatologists or traditional doctors will tell you that what you put in your mouth has less to do with acne than genetics or simply hormonal predispositions, that is downright misleading in my opinion.

You can actually control the way your skin looks by eating a terrific, healthy and wholesome diet that agrees with your body and also happens to keep your blood sugar, or your insulin levels, at their optimum range all day long.  Why then is your blood sugar connected to your skin’s appearance, and also to your likelihood of experiencing acne breakouts?

It all boild down to hormones, and your insulin levels actually dictate a lot more about your hormone levels than you might think.  The key is to keep your blood sugar levels in the lower range. When you eat foods that trigger large spikes in the high insulin level ranges, this is where the underlying problem starts and triggers a hormone release that causes excess levels of sebum, or oil, to produce on the skin.

When your blood sugar levels increase like this, it leads to a sort of chain reaction whereby there are more male hormones, or androgens, made by the body. Males and females both have androgens and estrogens (female hormones) in their body, and they can fluctuate greatly depending on diet and lifestyle factors.

When the androgens (male hormones) surge in the body because of this underlying blood sugar cause, the body is forced to produce more sebum, and this is what makes the skin break out, the pores clog, and acne lesions to appear on the surface of the skin.  Hormonal acne is really the only kind of acne, because this is where the root of the problem lies.

Excess sebum traps debris such as dirt on the face, and also traps bacteria, which leads to a small inflammatory response underneath the skin in the pores, which in turn causes the acne bump to appear. Whiteheads are the most obvious of these inflammations, but they can be much more serious and painful, such as when a boil or cyst forms under the skin and can sometimes take weeks to surface.

These small “infections” are all part of the chain reaction we just discussed, and they can be stopped by just addressing the diet up front. What kind of foods should you avoid to help lessen the likelihood of this chain reaction?

Next post, we will talk more about the blood sugar link to acne and how you can control it better and avoid hormonal triggers to acne.

I thought this was a really fascinating read, so I decided to share it with all my readers. It’s an advanced scientific development that sounds like something out of a science fiction movie actually, and it made me think of how far we’ve come in just a few decades when it comes to medical and technological breakthroughs. In fact, it’s downright scary how fast our technology is accelerating sometimes!

This new technology was actually developed with the US soldiers who are out on the battlefield and wounded during their patriotic duties as a soldier. Particularly, it deals with the soldiers who are burned or have skin trauma of some sort.

The new technology was actually inspired by your typical household laser printer, in that it uses the same sort of theory in “printing” in small layers, to the burnt area, new skin cells which are able to essentially graft themselves on to the traumatized area, and cause more, healthy skin cells to cover the area, causing a much faster recovery.

This could also have huge implications for us in the civilian world as well, and may evolve into the world of dermatology, where people with other skin conditions which cause deterioration or need rapid repair may benefit from this type of technology as well.

The process would go something like this. The patient has a sample of skin taken from them using a chemical solution of some sort.  It’s a very small sample, so that sample itself is not traumatic.

The skin cells that are taken from the patient are then replicated in a customized environment which allows them to grow and multiply at an accelerated place, but safely, producing normal and healthy skin cells.

Here’s the REALLY fascinating part. Once the process is perfected, since the “printer” is building layer after fine layer of new skin cells in a very rapid and efficient way, almost just as the body does itself, but only in a highly accelerated fashion, the patient may actually have new skin in as little as a few hours.

This process literally may give a patient new skin in one day over the area that has been burnt or otherwise traumatized.  Now that my friends, is truly an amazing scientific advance if ever there was one.

I’m wondering if this might ever have an application in the world of advanced acne scarring reduction?  I think it would be outrageously expensive, but it may really offer some excellent results if it worked with these other patients.