Possible Acne Messages

There are over ten forms of acne a person can experience, from chloracne to acne mechanica. Just as acne can take on varied forms, there are a variety of reasons why one may have acne.

Acne formations act as messengers from the body, suggesting beneficial changes to your lifestyle and areas of your life to which you should pay more attention. You know when you have found an acne message because using the information from the message actually improves your health and deepens you level of self-awareness.

Below is a sampling of the some of the needs or unresolved issues that may be exposed by an Acne Message.

Needed diet alteration

Poor level of self-love

Reduction in over the counter medications

Internal detoxification

Need for more exercise

Move to a different relationship or end a current one

Need for more personal challenges

Poor stress management

Uncontrolled emotions

Social anxiety

Boredom

Un-addressed personal fears

Unmeet goals

Unexpressed Feelings

Bodily neglect

Unadjusted to new settings

Contact with new environments

Poor understanding of cleansing agents

Misuse of hair care products

Excess hormones in foods

Weak organs

Extreme sensitivity to criticism

Acne is not a superficial condition. It strikes deep into the heart and psyche of everyone suffering with this disease. Once your acne trigger(s) is unveiled and dealt with, you, your health and self-esteem reap all the benefits.

Health author and Noixia campaigner Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include “Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne” (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work “Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we’re still not getting this dieting thing” (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005.

For useful acne self-help articles visit [http://www.Noixia.com]

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Practical Acne Scar Removal Tactics

Acne can have lasting effects on a person's skin well after the outbreak has cleared. It can negatively affect a person's self-esteem and body image. Many teens and adults who haven't had a significant acne outbreak in years can still have acne scarring on their face and other affected skin areas on the body. Picking at acne or severe acne that was not treated properly can leave even more scarring and discoloration.

If you had severe acne starting as a teen and into your early 20s, scarring may not be entirely avoidable. However, there are many available treatments for the removal of acne scar tissue. Commonly used and effective treatments include over-the-counter and prescription creams and lotions and surgical procedures like collagen injections, dermabrasion and laser resurfacing.

The Conservative Approach

Over-the-counter remedies offer some relief from acne scarring. Products that contain glycolic acid, vitamin C and retinol encourage skin healing and reduce the appearance of scars. Other products that contain 2 percent hydroquinone can reduce the appearance of redness.

When To See a Dermatologist

Moderate to severe scarring needs to be treated professionally by a dermatologist. A dermatologist can prescribe stronger, more potent skin healing creams and lotions in addition to treatment to prevent acne from returning. Severe acne scars that are significantly raised above the skin surface or holes made from picking and other mistreatment of acne will require treatments like collagen injections, dermabrasion or laser resurfacing.

Collagen Injections

Collagen or fat tissue can be injected directly into the scar tissue. The collagen fills out and stretches the skin, making scars less noticeable. Unfortunately, this is not a permanent solution. The treatment will need to be repeated regularly and this can become very costly.

Dermabrasion

For severe acne scars, dermabrasion may be used. Dermabrasion removes the top layer of skin. Surface scars are removed and deeper scars are less noticeable. A wired brush rotates at a high-speed to remove the top layer of skin. Common side effects are irritation and redness. Direct sunlight will need to be avoided after treatment.

Laser Resurfacing

An acne scar removal treatment that is growing in popularity is laser resurfacing. Patients who don't have success with dermabrasion can sometimes turn to this treatment and see greater improvement in their skin texture.

Laser resurfacing involved the use of one of two lasers are used - carbon dioxide and erbium lasers. Scar tissue is burned off of the surface and new skin grows over that area. Laser resurfacing can also cause irritation and redness. Directly sunlight should be avoided.

Skin Surgery

For severe cases of acne, skin surgery may be required. The scar tissue is cut away from the skin surface and a skin graft or stitches are used to close the wound. Most acne scar removal treatments begin conservatively.

For minor scarring, a conservative over-the-counter treatment may be all that is needed. Severe acne scarring will require help from a dermatologist.

I'm a freelance writer living in the hills in southern New England and besides beating the battle with acne myself, I regularly research and write about skin care topics like acne and scarring. For more information, tips, and resources on acne scar removal and a way to clear skin, visit me at AcneCouncil.org

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DIY: Make Your Own Acne Drying Lotion

Most people know Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is a popular acne treatment. What most people don't know is that it is really easy to make yourself. If you look at the ingredients in the drying lotion and compare them to calamine lotion you will find the ingredients are very close to the same. The big difference in the ingredients is that drying lotion contains isopropyl alcohol. That's right, just plain old rubbing alcohol. You can also use your favorite astringent/toner but I like to use alcohol since that is what is used in the original.

What you need:

• Rubbing alcohol (70% or higher)
• Clear Bottle
• Calamine lotion

Now put it together:

• I suggest using a clear bottle because you will need to see where the liquids separate when you are using the drying lotion.
• Shake the bottle of Calamine lotion well and fill your empty bottle up to about 3/4's full.
• Next, fill the rest of the clear bottle with rubbing alcohol.
• Let the mixture separate and it's ready to use.

I like to use an extraction tool before using the drying lotion like the ones from here at Sephora or here at Sally Beauty. What I do is use the extraction tool on my zit after a hot shower. You could also use a hot compress or wash cloth before attempting to extract. The zit should have come to a head by this time too.

If it has not come to a head you should not use the extraction tool yet. After you use the extraction tool it's time to use the drying lotion. Dip a cotton swab into the bottle until the tip of the swab touches the top of the pink layer. Then just dot your acne with the swab. I usually have to repeat the entire process the next night too.

After the first night you should see a huge reduction in the size of the zit. By the second morning the zit is usually all the way gone with a minimal mark left.

I have found that this is the fastest way to get rid of acne with the least amount of scarring afterwards. If you still find there is some scarring I suggest using some type of Vitamin C lotion on the area. Vitamin C is a wonderful ingredient to use for evening skin tone so I always use it for minimizing dark spots.

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