The basic requirements in Skin Care

February 24, 2015

The basic requirements in Skin Care: Cleanse, Nourish and Protect

The basic requirements in Skin Care include cleansing, nourishment and protection

Like in any other organs of the body, the skin is also associated with certain basics things that need to be done for it to remain attractive and appealing. If you look keenly, you will notice that of all the organs you have, it is the skin which is extremely exposed to various forces of attacks. It is therefore logical to understand why it is said that the skin has everything else beat. I once visited AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s able leadership to get the basic requirements in skin care so that I could on my own play a role in keeping my skin healthy. In her professional advice doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility begun by explaining to me that our skin is actually our body’s barrier, protecting us against the elements, not to mention disease. She continued to explain that since it is a barrier and very vulnerable to various attacks, we collectively and individually has a responsibility of returning the favor with just a few simple skin care basics, and by consulting regularly from your dermatologist when your skin experiences any condition that’s out of the ordinary.

The basic requirements in Skin Care: The basics are Straightforward

It does not take one with knowledge of a rocket science to get the basics. Everyone can and that is the encouragement we want to give you. Cleanse, nourish, protect ideally these are the three skin care basics that will keep skin looking, feeling, and functioning great. Because these skin care steps all rely on products, the starting point would be by selecting them prudently. It must interest you to know that skin care products aren’t regulated by the U.S. however one very fundamental fact we must all be aware of is that we all have different skin type which will equally demand different treatment approach. Now it will be in order that you look for products tailored to your skin type, but at the same time, beware of too much hype about the results you can expect. For accuracy and consistency, consult regularly with doctor Akoury every time you are changing on the product you use. Remember that there’s no relationship between how expensive a product is and how well it works.

The basic requirements in Skin Care: Your three Step Master Plan

It is recommended that your three step master plan should include the following:

Cleanse – Dry and sensitive skin need cleansing just once or twice a day, but even oily and acne prone skin will benefit from gentle skin care over-washing can be irritating and chap the top layer of skin, and won’t impact the amount of oil you produce. Cleansing is most important at night yes, just when you may feel the most exhausted but it’s a must to remove old makeup and the grime of the day. The old-school three product skin care system used to call for a liquid toner between the cleanser and the moisturizer, but this isn’t necessary, says Dr. Akoury. Exfoliating can be part of cleansing, but it’s more of a weekly or twice-a-week step to slough off any dead cells to help reveal a rosier complexion.

Nourish – Moisturizer works by sealing in skin’s natural moisture. If you have dry skin, you may need a rich formula by day and a thicker one at night. For dry skin, the best time to apply moisturizer is right after you shower, when skin has moisture in it. If you have oily skin, you may not need one at all. Oily skin won’t need a moisturizer to same extent as dry skin, but does need sunscreen. Look for gel or lotion products instead of creams.

Protect – In fact, it can’t be said often enough: Sun protection is vital for every skin type, every complexion, and every day because, by far, what causes skin to age and causes skin cancer is the sun, says Akoury. Besides that wearing a hat, avoiding peak sun hours, and applying sunscreen is crucial to avoid skin discoloration and wrinkles over time. Look for cosmetics, from moisturizer to your foundation, that include SPF, but if you’re going to be in the sun for any longer than it takes to get in and out of your car, use a sunscreen that offers UVA and UVB protection to guard against sun exposure and sunburns as well as skin cancer.

Your makeup can protect your skin in other ways, too. Today’s formulas often make cosmetics more like skin care products. These beauty workhorses may contain ingredients that can soothe dry skin, lessen wrinkles, or fight pimples, depending on what your skin needs.

Another way to protect your skin is to quit smoking and this is very important if you are already a smoker. Smoking will cause skin to prematurely age and wrinkle earlier that you can imagine.

Last, but definitely not least, protect from head to toe with a body check for suspicious moles and any other growths. You should check yourself, or ask your spouse to check for you periodically. While checking areas of concentration should be on changes in color or size or if a mole bleeds. Also, if a mole suddenly appears or just doesn’t look right to you this should be an indicator that you should be seeing a dermatologist for an evaluation.

The basic requirements in Skin Care: When to See a Specialist

You might only think of a dermatologist in terms of treating a serious skin condition, but a skilled dermatologist can advise you on skin care and skin protection as well as any problems with the health of your hair and your nails. Some dermatologists specialize in areas like mature skin and are a great resource for effective anti-aging techniques and products that can be part of your everyday skin care.

Talk to your primary care physician about when to see a dermatologist for a body check and which of these common skin care woes and conditions will benefit from a visit to this specialist:

Excessive perspiration
Rosacea, the skin condition characterized by broken blood vessels, flushing, and pimples that may be mistaken for acne
Sensitive skin burning and stinging from products without any obvious
Contact dermatitis, allergic or irritant skin reactions to certain products
Acne, clogged pores, pimples, and inflammation
Brittle nails and other nail problems
Hives
Psoriasis, the skin condition characterized by scaly, inflamed skin plaques
irritation
Hair loss

Finally in the process of getting the basic requirements in skin care, you will need to be in constant consultation with the experts for direction. Doctor Akoury will be able to take you through every stage of your life, from treating blemishes that may affect you in your various stages of life including in your teens, twenties, and even into your middle years with the objective of helping you disengage from sun damage or manage conditions like rosacea that may appear later in life. Take this earliest opportunity to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury to day for lasting skin care solutions.

The basic requirements in Skin Care: Cleanse, Nourish and Protect

How to Eat for Healthy Clearer Skin

February 20, 2015

How to Eat for Healthy Clearer Skin: Could it be that your food is the problem?

How to eat for healthy clearer skin begins with a decision to chose only non inflammatory foods and those that does not cause acne

As young people we have been told time and again that eating chocolate is likely to cause skin breakouts. You must have also been informed that greasy foods like pizza results in face deformation also known as pizza face. To what extent is this true? This is what we want to deliberate on by way of investigating if what we eat really leads to bad skin and how we can help fight that preadolescent nightmare. Our objective is going to focus on how to eat for healthy clearer skin and we are going to relay on the over two decades of expertise experience of doctor Dalal Akoury to get the facts straight. Therefore if you have any concern relating to this topic of discussion, then you can use this opportunity to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for clarity. To start us off, let’s try to understand the effects of acne right.

How to Eat for Healthy Clearer Skin: What Makes Acne Worse

Ideally not all food we eat are healthy and user friendly to the skin, some foods can magnify acne, nevertheless, the main offenders are high in carbs or extremely greasy. In the following briefs, doctor Akoury is sharing with us some of the breakdown of why a loaf of white bread or a basket of wings could lead to a pimple disaster.

High Glycemic Index Foods – The Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking of carbs normally from 0 to 100 based on how much they raise blood sugar levels when we eat them. Foods with values below 55 are considered low-GI, while those above 70 are considered high-GI. High GI foods (like doughnuts, white bread, or pretzels) spike blood sugar levels because the body digests them very quickly. This can increase acne flare-ups because spiked insulin levels increase the body’s inflammatory reactions.

Greasy Foods – While eating certain foods can affect our skin from the inside out, greasy food causes problems to the skin immediately that is to say from the very second that food lands on our lips. French fries and a cheddar-smothered burger can create acne when the grease from that delicious meal touches our skin, causing pimples.

Refined Sugars, Dairy, Chocolate, fast Food – While some people may get acne flare-ups from eating dairy, refined sugars, and even chocolate, theirs is no clear evidence that such will cause formation of pimples on the face. However investigations are still on to find out how dairy products and their protein based content triggers up the levels of insulin. Nonetheless the high sugar level and fat content in fast foods are likely to contribute to less to the perfection of the skin complexion even though research is yet to authentically link it to acne. Beside that chocolate is also a victim and in one of the studies it was established that chocolate is capable of causing acne due to its dairy and carb content. With this information, we can now separate between the different kinds of foods, the healthy ones and otherwise. Therefore let us take time to understand how to eat for healthy clearer skin going forward.

How to Eat for Healthy Clearer Skin: What (Might) Make it Better

You don’t have to be a brainier to know that protein- and veggie-packed diets are good for us. But there some diets that can help maintain clear skin. Studies have found that the Mediterranean diet mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans, nuts, and olive oil can protect against acne in the same way Paleo diet does. It may not matter the terminology used in describing the diet and you should not be scare of the big names used, the most important thing is to look at the specific foods we should associate with to eliminate the skin problems.

Vitamin A – Foods like carrots and spinach are rich in vitamin A, which is tasked with the prevention of the overproduction of cells in the skin’s outer layer. These are very instrumental but if you are not a fan of spinach or carrots the you can as well go for other vitamin A stars like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, and cantaloupe

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts, and flax seed may help keep inflammation under control (which can show through as red, painful bumps on our skin).

Vitamin E – Foods containing lots of vitamin E, like pine nuts and sunflower seeds, play an important role in preventing acne development. Many studies have found that levels of vitamin E were significantly lower in patients with acne. Plus, the vitamin can help heal acne-scarred skin

Zinc – The deficiency of zinc is associated with a variety of skin problems, including acne. Kicking back oysters and munching on dark chocolate can provide a healthy dose of zinc.

Vitamin B5 – Vitamin B5 (and other B vitamins) promotes, among other things, healthy skin and hair. In one small study, a large dose of vitamin B5 supplements cured cases of acne. To be straight with you, Vitamin B5 has been shown to decrease oil production on skin and reduces the size of pores

Selenium – Whole grains (like quinoa and brown rice) and aromatic vegetables (like onion and garlic) are rich in selenium, which helps preserve skin’s elasticity. And in spite of that, selenium can also reduce inflammatory damage to the skin. A small study found that taking selenium supplements improved the skin of patients with severe acne

Water and High Fiber Foods – Drinking lots of water and consuming high fiber foods like fruits, beans, and vegetables, can help the body flush out toxins, which can lead to inflammation and clogged pores. Constipation has also been linked to skin conditions like acne. A high fiber diet with adequate hydration will help keep things moving smoothly.

Finally you are not able to understand how to eat for healthy clearer skin from the information in this article. However with that piece of information, you will still need the experts to take you through so many other things related to the topic but are not recorded in this article. For that reason I suggest strongly that you schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today to shed more light on all your beauty and skin care concerns.

How to Eat for Healthy Clearer Skin: Could it be that your food is the problem?

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks

February 10, 2015

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: The enemies of Beauty discussed

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks. We have over 3000 skin disorders affecting the good health of our skin. The sun rays is one of the major problem to the health of the skin

In our quest to have a smooth sailing in our daily activities we are often faced with various challenges in life. We have the economic, social, health, emotional and physical challenges among many others. This article is going to continue with the discussion about the health challenges from where we left in the previous article. Ideally the most valuable asset one can ever possess is good health. When you’re healthy, everything around you is happy and healthy too. This is the desire of every one however there are certain common skin conditions and health risks which fight this good will. And like I had said before this is what doctor Akoury is going to help us understand in this continuation. We are therefore going to zero into conditions affecting the good health of the skin as follows:

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Razor Bumps

Razor bumps is a form of folliculitis which occurs in areas of the skin where the hair have been recently cut or removed. It is commonly occurring in the beard area of individuals with very tightly coiled hair. When the hair is cut off or plucked out below the level of the follicular pore, it has a habit of to curling into the side of the follicle where it causes an inflammatory bump. For prevention purposes it would be very important that when shaving the hair, deep shaving should be avoided that is to say the hair should not be shaved too close to the skin.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Skin Tags

These are (Skin tags) small, fleshy, fibro vascular, pedunculated (on a stalk) growths commonly found on the neck and armpits. They are generally asymptomatic unless they become irritated by frictional forces or their blood supply becomes compromised. They are very common and need not be removed or destroyed unless they become irritated.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is an infection of the dead superficial layer of the skin called the stratum corneum by a fungal mold known as dermatophyte. If inflammatory, it is likely to produce an itchy blistering eruption. Non inflammatory tinea pedis produces a dry scaling appearance and is frequently not very irritating. In most cases one can contract tinea pedis by walking periodically in the wash rooms barefoot. This problem can be solved by the use of topical antifungal creams available over the counter. It is important that when this is noticed, then treatment needs to start immediately.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Moles

Although the term mole may cover a variety of different sorts of skin growths, most often it refers to a localized accumulation of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. These are generally uniform in color and round in shape. Melanocytic nevi (moles) range in color from beige to black. Poorly pigmented individuals may have an average of 35 of these growths by the time they are 35 years old. These are benign lesions but can be confused with various pigmented skin cancers. Pigmented lesions that itch, bleed, or grow could be a cause for concern.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Age or Liver Spots

Liver spots are flat brown spots caused by exposure to the sun. They normally appear on the face and forearms. Even though they cause no symptoms, they are very uncomfortable to have. There presence actually causes the affected patients to be very uncomfortable with their unsightly appearance. They can be eliminated in a number of ways, and it would be very important that the affected patients limit their exposure to ultraviolet light to prevent recurrences.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Pityriasis Rosea

This rash usually begins in a young adult as a single scaling bump or patch and then extends to cover much of the torso with hundreds of scaling spots that are elliptical in shape. They are associated with modest itching which only occasionally requires treatment. The condition usually lasts about nine weeks in total. Blood testing may be required to diagnose Pityriasis Rosea.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Melasma

This condition occurs most commonly in women of childbearing age and is often associated with pregnancy or the ingestion of oral contraceptive medication. This flat brownish pigmentation occurs on the forehead, cheeks, and in the mustache area of the upper lip. It often persists after pregnancy or after birth control has ceased. Sunlight will make it darker. Successful treatment is not easy, and strict sun avoidance is a necessity.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Warts

The development of small keratotic tumors of the skin is caused by one of about 200 members of the human papillomavirus group. They often spontaneously go away, but particularly stubborn warts may require medical intervention. The proliferation of various treatments reflects the fact that successful resolution mostly depends upon the patient’s immune response. There are a variety of treatments available without a prescription that ought to be tried prior to seeing a physician.

Seborrheic Keratoses

This is the single most common benign bump present on human beings as they age. Lesions may be present anywhere on the body and generally do not produce symptoms. They appear as black, brown, or yellow bumpy lesions which give the appearance of having been “glued” onto the skin. They are of no medical significance aside from the fact that they are occasionally confused with pigmented skin cancers.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: Seborrhea Dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is the single most common rash affecting most adults. However when it occurs in infancy it is always referred to us cradle cap. In adults it tends to favor the scalp, skin behind the ears, forehead, brows, nasolabial folds of the face, mid-chest area, and the mid-back, producing an itchy, red scaling dermatitis. The scaling in the scalp can be conspicuous, producing impressive dandruff. However the cause of this condition is unclear, but it responds well to topical steroids and to topical antifungal creams. Medicated shampoos containing tar, selenium sulfide, and zinc pyrithione are often effective. This condition commonly improves spontaneously but will ultimately recur. The bad news is that at the moment, there is no known cure meaning that treatment or management will be done indefinitely.

Finally when the best and most valuable asset is under threat, then we must take all the necessary precautions to remedy the situation. In this case professionalism would be highly recommended. Your choice of the experts is also very important less you hand over your valuable asset to the most inexperienced person. In this regard you will need to schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury the founder and MD of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is the place to be and you will be treated with dignity, respect and confidentiality by all standards. Up on carrying out an evaluation on your case, doctor Akoury will apply the best natural treatment means which will leave your skin much younger, glowing and full of health for a very long time.

Common Skin conditions and Health Risks: The enemies of Beauty discussed

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin

January 19, 2015

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Acne and Skin aging solutions

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin

The health of our skin has consistently been under attack by many elements. When the skin is suffering from any kind of infection however small it may be, the whole body is suffers because it is the skin that offers the first protection to the body against all other environmental effects. Therefore in our endeavor to keep our skin healthy, we are going to look into certain element that affects our skin negatively. Take acne for example which is a skin condition that causes pimples on the face. The effect of acne also introduces to the skin the whiteheads, blackheads, and red, inflamed patches such as cysts. Although most people tend to associate acne with teenagers and preadolescent kids, the fact of the matter is that a significant amount of people experience acne well into adulthood. It is because of this fact that we want to discuss the ant-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin with a view of finding solutions. To help us into the discussion we will be relying on the over two decades of expertise from the professionals at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. You are therefore free to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury to understand more about the health of your skin today.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Adult Acne

Whereas this condition is associated with the young people, it is also affecting the adults in equal measure. The origin of adult acne comes as a result of an overproduction of the natural oil found on the face commonly known as sebum. The moment sebum blends with debris like dead skin cells, the combination starts to clog pores and follicles creating an atmosphere for P. acnes bacteria rapid development. This is what then causes the mad dash for the nearest concealer stick whose common problem areas include:

Neck
Back and shoulders
Chin, t-zone, forehead and nose

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Treatment of Adult Acne

The good news is that there are a number of steps we can adopt to prevent and correct adult acne. Fundamentally we must ask ourselves that is, what is the anti -acne products going to be enough? For adults suffering with acne this may not be advisable. Mature people (adult) will more than just anti-acne products. Actually you need something which will rejuvenate your skin and give you a noticeably brighter, more beautiful complexion. The motivation would be something which will eliminate your acne and protect your skin which can only mean to be “anti-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin”. Using these products will necessitate that you get adequate information from the experts less you make gracious mistakes which can take you several steps backwards. A phone call to doctor Akoury will give you the solutions to all your concerns. Nonetheless with the right anti-aging skin care products, you can take control of your appearance and transform your dilapidating complexion into a more rejuvenated skin that is brighter, healthier and appealing than ever before.

Up to this point, the next concern should be which anti-aging acne skin care products you should go for? To respond to this, when you visit the home of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, doctor Dalal Akoury will tell you that for minimizing the size of the pore to protecting your skin against sun damage, you will need anti-aging & acne skin care products which will leave you acne-free and noticeably younger looking delivering the following result:

That which will make you feel more confident and composed restoring your lost self-esteem
That which will make you feel more in control and less anxious about your skin
That which will make you feel reborn, every time you look in the mirror and see a younger, prettier reflection with each passing day

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Taking Acne head on

For you to take this problem head on, you must first appreciate that this (Acne) is a chronic inflammatory disease just as had been indicated above. Acne prone skin spends significant time in the inflamed state. Remember that inflammation is a well-known accelerator of aging. It generates free radicals, activates matrix metalloproteinases (enzymes that break down the skin’s structural components like collagen and elastin), and promotes excessive cell proliferation and many more, all of which contributes to skin aging. The solution to your acne, at least to the degree of markedly reducing the number of inflamed lesions, is arguably the best skin anti-aging step you could make apart from sun protection.

How you treat your acne may have a major impact on the aging of your skin. Therefore anti-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin as a general rule is that, any treatment that causes skin irritation or excessive skin dryness should be used cautiously. Like for instance, irritation alone promotes skin aging. Excessive dryness reduces the skin’s ability to heal itself. Certain acne treatments should be used with a particular caution as far as skin aging is concerned.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Benzoyl peroxide

This is a strong oxidizer that kills bacteria by generating oxygen free radicals. It is one of the most effective topical acne treatments in the market today. It is highly effective in killing against P. acnes (acne-causing bacteria). Besides that it has an advantage over antibiotics because bacteria do not develop resistance to it. Unfortunately, oxygen free radicals generated by benzoyl peroxide are damaging not only to bacteria but to your skin as well. They cause irritation and dryness, damage skin cells and skin matrix, and otherwise accelerate the rate of skin aging. An occasional, short-term use of benozyl peroxide produces relatively small long-term skin damage. However when used for a very long period of time especially at high concentrations, it is likely to age your skin prematurely.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Topical retinoids

Topical retinoids are one of the common prescription acne treatments. Possible side effects include:

Over the long run, chronic skin irritation may accelerate skin aging. Neglecting meticulous sun protection, when using retinoid is likely to accelerate skin aging as well. However, the situation with topical retinoids and skin aging may be more complicated. In fact, tretinoin (Retin A), which is widely used is one of the very few drugs approved by the FDA as an anti-wrinkle agent. The good news is that when used carefully, retinoids actually reduce many signs of skin aging and may even inhibit some of the mechanisms of skin aging. That is why it is one of the best for anti-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Exfoliation

Exfoliation with alpha or betahydroxy acids is one of the best components of acne treatment programs. Even though it’s effectiveness against acne and to what degree is still under investigation, nonetheless it has been established that it improves the penetration of other treatments and again, when done with salicylic acid, it reduces the formation of comedone. Moderate exfoliation, especially with alphahydroxy acids, may also have some skin rejuvenation benefits. It must also be noted that as you opt for this, you must remember that excessive exfoliation may lead to chronic irritation, skin dryness and sensitivity thereby contributing to the aging process.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Acne and Skin aging solutions

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin

January 17, 2015

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Known signs and Symptoms

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin

Being the largest body organ and very exposed to the surrounding, the skin is under high risks of various attacks and infections. Acne is just one of the many and it is an inflammatory skin disease affecting the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland). In this article, we are going to introduce the overview of the effects of acne to the health of the skin and latter progress with the discussion into the pigmentation disorders and treatment. On completion you will be well informed of all the effects of acne to the health of the skin so that you can take precaution in good time. In the meantime, the most common inflammatory manifestations of acne are pimples. No one would want to down the face infested by pimples and yet pimples are real and they our great concern. To deal with is problem (acne) among other skin health conditions, doctor Dalal Akoury formed AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where focus is on transforming each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This is what doctor Akoury wants to see happen in the lives of people concern of the good health of their skin.

Before we get into the symptoms, it is important to note that acne usually develops in puberty due to the flow of testosterone, which is a necessary (but not sufficient) causative factor in acne. Genetic predisposition is an important determinant of who develops acne and who doesn’t. In many people, acne disappears by early to mid-twenties. Others continue to experience it throughout adult life, even though adult acne tends to be milder. Acne is very common and this is what we want to reduce if not to eradicate. To help us start off, the knowledge of acne is very important, therefore the following are some of the signs and symptoms for acne

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Signs and Symptoms

Comedone /Microcomedone – Comedone is enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria and it’s the first and smallest type of lesion. It is also called microcomendone since it is not visible by the naked eye.
Open comedone /blackhead – This is a plugged follicle that reaches the surface of the skin. Take note that even though dark in appearance, this doesn’t insinuate the presence of dirt. The dark color comes from chemically altered oils and bacteria.
Closed comedone/whitehead – Ordinarily, this is a clogged follicle which stays beneath the skin. Whiteheads usually appear on the skin as round, white bumps 1-2 mm wide.
Papules – These are inflamed lesions that appear as small, pink bumps on the skin. They do not contain any visible puss.
Pustules/pimples – Pustules or pimples are inflamed pus-filled lesions red at the base
Cysts and nodules – These are large, inflamed, pus-filled lesions that are lodged deep and can drain, causing pain and scarring.
Scars – As they heal, acne lesions, particularly cysts and nodules and, less frequently, pistules may cause scars of various shape and size.

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – How acne lesions develop

To understand the effects of acne to the health of the skin better, it will be important that we know how acne lesions are formed. For instance, excessive secretion of oils from the sebaceous glands combines with naturally occurring dead skin cells to block the hair follicles. Sometimes, excessive or altered keratinization (hardening and death of epithelial cells) leads to abnormal shedding of the skin lining of the pores. Oil secretions build up beneath the blocked pore, forming a comedone, which is a perfect anaerobic environment for the growth of the skin bacterium Propionibacterium acnes. Bacterial growth triggers inflammatory response, producing an inflamed lesion, such as a pustule or a nodule. After an inflamed lesion heals, a scar may develop.

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Causes of acne

The formation of acne is a joint force of various factors in line with genetics, age and gender. Also applicable is the lifestyle factors like diet or trainings which are also significant though in minimal portions. Some known factors which contribute to the development of acne may include:

Hormonal levels – Certain hormones, particularly androgens, such as testosterone and dihydro-testosterone (DHT), promote acne. Of importance are not only absolute levels of these hormones but also the levels relative to other hormones, such as estrogens and progestin’s. Acne tends to sparkle up when levels of androgens grow either absolutely or relatively to other hormones. This is one of the main reasons why acne sparkle-ups are linked to puberty and menstrual cycles.
Excessive sebum production – Excess sebum from overactive sebaceous glands is an important factor in acne. Excess sebum is most often caused by increase in absolute or relative levels of androgenic hormones. Remember that sebum production may also be increased by stress and heat.
Accumulation of dead skin cells – Excessive shedding of dead skin cells can plug the pore, creating a nutrient-rich anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment conducive to overgrowth of acne-causing bacteria.
Bacteria – Bacteria are part of the normal micro flora residing in pores. Under normal circumstances, the micro flora is in balance with the environment of the pore and does not cause any problems. However, various factors can tip the balance and cause bacteria to grow excessively. This triggers inflammatory response leading the acne lesions.
Skin irritation – Skin irritation does not generally cause acne by itself, but may induce a flare-up or exacerbate existing lesions.
Drugs, pollutants – Certain drugs and environmental pollutants have been linked to acne with varying degree of certainty like anabolic steroids, lithium, and barbiturates. Also remember that exposure to high levels of chlorine compounds, such as chlorinated dioxins, can cause severe, long-lasting acne, known as Chloracne.

Finally now that we have introduced the effects of acne to the health of the skin, I want to request you to stay on the link because we are going to discuss in the next article the treatment of acne. This is very crucial and you don’t want to miss it. In the meantime if you have any skin related problem and you are wondering how to go about it, worry no more. A phone call to doctor Akoury is all you need to schedule for that very important appointment of solutions.

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Known signs and Symptoms

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