Tag Archives: acne

Excoriated Acne – How Acne Picking Makes The Condition Worse

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When your mother used to tell you that picking at a cut would make it worse, she wasn’t kidding. If you are still doing it to this day, however, then the chances are that you have a compulsive skin picking disorder – apparently not that uncommon in this day and age. But picking at a healed cut or spot is a big mistake. It can lead to a small scab becoming a large wound, and can very easily result in infection. The unsightly blemish that results is known as excoriated acne.

“Excoriate” means to strip the hide or skin off something. It is a word that is used figuratively as much as anything, often being used to explain the severe telling off that an unruly child might get from a parent. But it does have a literal application, and the obsessive habit of picking at our skin is an example of how excoriation is a genuine problem. Anyone can develop excoriated acne, but it is more common among women.

Excoriated acne is the result of a desire to pick, squeeze, or scratch at blemishes, even creating new blemishes in some cases. This leads to open sores which, when they scab over, are prime for picking again. It can be a very hard habit to break, sometimes only stopping when the skin ceases scabbing. At this point, what you are left with is open red sores and inflammation. This is excoriated acne, and can be very unsightly and also potentially very unhealthy.

The Long History of Acne

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Although there are many who would suggest that acne is as much a result of a problematic lifestyle, and a product of the way we have changed from natural nutrients to artificial over the years, it would be fair to say that it is a little bit more complicated – and historical than all that. In fact, there are believed to be documents proving that in Ancient Rome, bathing in hot springs was considered a worthwhile acne solution. These springs contained sulfurous water, and it may have been from this knowledge that nineteenth century dermatologists discovered the effectiveness of sulfur as an acne treatment. Sine the beginning of the 20th century, however, the rate of experimentation has gone sky high.

It is a little known fact that, during the 1930s, laxatives were recommended as a cure. In this day and age, we speak of detox as being good for our skin. It can be seen that the same was true nearly eighty years ago, even if the reality was slightly more crude back then. Experimentation continued, however, and in the 1950s the focus switched to antibiotics. Although these were effective, it turned out that as much of the effect was down to the anti-inflammatory aspect of the pills as to the anti-bacterial factor.

The first serious side effect to an acne drug came in the mid-1980s, when the long-popular medication Accutane turned out to cause birth defects. Since those days, it has been a matter of trying to find ways of curing acne without causing serious problems. Light therapy and vitamins have since taken on a real importance.

Acne Cysts and How to Treat Your Cystic Acne

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Deep cysts, inflammation, extensive damage to the skin and scarring characterize severe acne. It often requires an aggressive treatment regimen and should be treated by a dermatologist. Severe forms of acne can require years of treatment and may experience one or more treatment failures. However, almost every case of acne can be successfully treated. There are five popular treatments for acne cysts. There are many effective treatments that are available currently. Drainage and surgical excision, inner lesion corticosteroid injection, isotretinoin (a potent drug for treating severe cystic acne), oral antibiotics, and oral contraceptives are the most popular treatments.

Some people may choose a more natural treatment for severe acne, which will also be covered briefly in this article.

Drainage and extraction, or acne surgery as it is also called, should not be performed by patients and is used on some large cysts that do not respond to medication and require drainage and extraction. Dermatologists are trained in the proper technique and perform acne surgery under sterile conditions. Patient attempts to drain and extract acne cysts, by squeezing or picking, can lead to infection, worsening of the acne and scarring. When an acne cyst becomes severely inflamed, there is a good chance it will rupture and scarring will occur. To treat these severely inflamed cysts and prevent scarring, dermatologists may inject such cysts with a diluted corticosteroid. This lessens the inflammation and promotes healing of the acne cyst. An inner lesion corticosteroid injection works by melting the cyst over the course of a few days.

Isotretinoin is the most effective treatment known today for severe acne and acne that is resistant to other medications and treatments. Isotretinoin is a form of vitamin A, a synthetic creation, which comes in a pill form. It is administered once or twice a day for anywhere from sixteen to twenty weeks total. There are many possible side effects that may occur while undergoing this therapy. Possible side effects include severe pain in the chest or abdomen, trouble swallowing or painful swallowing, severe headache, blurred vision or dizziness, bone and joint pain, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea or rectal bleeding, depression, dryness of the skin, eyes and nose, and thinning hair.

While taking isotretinoin patients are monitored closely by their healthcare provider through follow up appointments.

Oral antibiotics have been a basis of therapy for severe acne for many years. Like topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics work to reduce the “P. acnes”. “P. Acnes” are normal residents on the skin, which decreases inflammation. Treatment with oral antibiotics usually begins with a high dosage, which is eventually reduced as the acne resolves. Over time, the “P. acnes” bacteria can become resistant to the treatment. When resistance occurs, another antibiotic can be prescribed or other treatment options may need to be explored.

Oral contraceptives have been shown to effectively clear acne in women by suppressing the overactive sebaceous glands. Oral contraceptives can be used as long-term acne therapy; however, this medication should not be prescribed to women who smoke, have a blood clotting disorder, are older than thirty-five or have a history of migraine headaches, without the advice of a gynecologist.

Spironolactone, a synthetic steroid, may be used in combination with oral contraceptives to treat acne in adult females. Spironolactone inhibits androgen, hormones that stimulate oil glands in addition to other effects on the body, production. There are possible side effects that may accompany Spironolactone treatment. A few side affects include irregular menstruation, breast tenderness, headache and fatigue.

Some people choose more natural ways to combat cystic acne. Some natural treatments are eating a whole foods diet that consists of only natural foods that have not been chemically or mechanically processed. Yoga or deep relaxation techniques may be used to reduce the amount of stress that is put on the body and the mind. Essential oils are another natural treatment that may be added to the diet of sufferers of severe acne.

These are just a few of the natural methods of treatment for cystic acne. No matter what method of treatment you decide to try you should always consult a professional, whether it is your dermatologist or an herbalist. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a board certified dermatologist if needed.

What are the Best Home Acne Remedies?

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Although there is a big market for specific acne treatments, and it continues to grow, there is no product currently available that will fully clear the problem up on its own without having major side effects. As has been shown by clinical studies, there are dangers involved in taking any of the most effective medication for the problem of acne vulgaris. The best strategy is to take a holistic approach designed to deal with the internal problems which cause the external breakouts, and deal with the problems externally as they occur.

There are, however, some home remedies which will suffice as short-term measures to deal with the external problems. One of these is white vinegar. Available freely in any supermarket and a staple product in many kitchens, it can be used as a facial application. After washing your face with mild soap, apply the vinegar using a cotton ball and leave it to sit for ten minutes before rinsing it off. If you have sensitive skin, beware the strength of the vinegar, and water it down if you have concerns.

Steaming your face is also a worthwhile pursuit in clearing the skin of any impurities. By pouring a kettle full of freshly boiled tap water into a basin, then adding a few drops of essential oil, you can create a steam bath by putting a towel over your head and placing your head a safe distance above the steam after five minutes, you should then wash your face with cold water to rinse away any impurities which have seeped out, and help close the pores.

Why Acne Treatment is so Important

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The problem of acne is not a new one, and yet we find ourselves at the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century still without a genuine, permanent cure for the condition. Acne is a problem which persists for a large number of sufferers due to the lack of strong, substantial research aimed at delivering a cure, and a preference for lotions and potions which may well clear up the external symptoms for some weeks at a time, but do little to affect the overall condition. This ensures that in good time, a return to the old problems will occur, and the sufferer will need to start again in their search for a cure.

As it is widely felt that the major root causes of acne are internal, it is puzzling that the majority of the cures which are commercially available treat the condition from the outside. For the sufferer this simply means that they will need to spend the same money over and over to achieve the same short-term effect. There is little point in doing this from a common sense point of view, as the sole substantive effect is to clear the skin to make room for more symptomatic lesions and blemishes to fill. Treating the condition from the inside is really the only sensible approach. This can be achieved in consultation with a doctor, but if possible you should also consult a dietician to find what steps you can take to regulate your body’s production of sebum, along with observing a rigorous cleansing regime.