Orcee

Sandal wood and rose water
Take sandal wood powder (at least one tablespoon) and make a paste adding rose water. Apply the paste on the area of your skin affected by acne. Leave it for half an hour and then wash it off. This is a good home remedy.

Baking soda and water
Making paste of baking soda and water, you can apply on your skin (on the area affected by acne). Leaving for fifteen minutes, you can rinse with warm water. Follow with a moisturizer (of course it should be light).

Cucumber Paste
Making a paste out of a fresh cucumber you can apply the paste on the area of your face affected by acne as a mask. After leaving at least for half an hour you can rinse it off. You can try this for several days.

Honey and Cinnamon powder
You can make a paste taking cinnamon powder and adding honey to it. You can apply this paste on the pimples before going to bed and leaving it for overnight. You can wash it with warm water the next morning. If you repeat this for at least fifteen days your pimples may vanish.

Sandal wood powder, turmeric powder and milk
Make a paste taking one teaspoon of sandalwood powder, one teaspoon of turmeric powder and adding milk to the mixture. Apply this paste on the area of your skin affected by acne at least for fifteen days. This is also a very good home remedy.

Author: Surya Narayan Bhattacharya

On the skin of human body there are very small holes or pores called hair follicles. Hair follicles contain sebaceous glands or oil glands.

Acne is a chronic skin disorder caused by changes in skin structures its hair follicles and sebaceous gland mainly due to action of hormones on sebaceous glands during adolescence.

Mostly face and neck are affected by acne. But sometimes chest, back and shoulder are also affected.

Forms, stages and severity of acne

Acne lesions can be severe. Acne lesions may be papule, pustule, nodules comedones etc.

Papule: – It is an inflammatory elevation of the skin without pus.

Pustule: – It is a small inflamed elevation of the skin but it is different from papule as it is filled with pus (a pimple).

Comedones: – When skin pores or hair follicles are plugged with tiny hair, sebum, dead skin cells, dirt etc. then comedones develop. There are two types of comedo (Plural comedones) Black head or open comedo and white head or closed comedo.

1. Black Head: – An open comedo is commonly known as black head because of blackish appearance of the plug in the follicle.
2. White Head: – When the skin pore gets clogged up with sebum, dead skin cells, tiny hair, dirt etc. and bulges out from the skin is called white head (closed comedo) as its color appear to be that of the skin.

Acne is most common in teenagers and occurs during adolescence but in many cases continues into adulthood. No body can predict how long it will take to vanish completely. But in most people acne diminishes overtime and after early twenties it decreases considerably. In some people it may continue till late thirties also.

If not treated properly acne can be severe. Permanent scaring due to severe acne can upset people.

Author: Surya Narayan Bhattacharya

Benzoyl peroxide is another safe and effective topical agent for the early treatment of acne. Available in varying strengths, this chemical works by penetrating into the oil glands of the skin and killing bacteria responsible for acne inflammation. By peeling the skin, benzoyl peroxide also prevents new pimples from forming.

“Always apply it to thoroughly dry skin and carefully avoid the eyes, mouth and nostrils. Start with a five percent gel once a day, then twice a day, then try a 10 percent gel. If your skin becomes irritated, go back to the five percent. The first week of use may result in a worsening condition, so be patient,” said Kurt Butler and Dr. Lynn Rayner of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, in The Best Medicine.

“Beware of too much burning and peeling; prolonged discomfort can aggravate your case and discourage you from following through. However, some irritation, tightness and dryness is a sign that the product is doing its work. The idea is to expose and toughen the skin in gradual stages, to build up tolerance slowly,” added Dr. Frederic Haberman, a dermatologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, in Your Skin; A Dermatologist’s Guide to A Lifetime of Beauty and Health.

Like benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin works by suppressing the growth of bacteria. Because it contains alcohol, this topical antibiotic may irritate the skin and should be kept away from heat because the solution is flammable.

“Before applying topical clindamycin, wash the affected area thoroughly with a mild soap and warm water. Then rinse well and pat dry. To avoid skin irritation from the alcohol, wait at least 30 minutes after washing or shaving before applying this medication,” according to Consumer Guide’s Prescription Drugs. Results are visible in six to 12 weeks.

If there is no improvement, be sure to consult your doctor, especially if there are persistent or bothersome side effects. Clindamycin may cause diarrhea, dry skin, fatigue, headache, nausea, oily skin or stomach irritation but these should disappear as your body adjusts to the medication.

Major side effects are bloody or pus-containing diarrhea, increased urination, itching, sore throat, or swelling of the face. Although it appears to be safe, Consumer Guide said extensive studies in humans have not been conducted so be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using clindamycin. Continue Reading »