Sunday, September 9, 2012

Acne Vulgaris - Causes and Treatments



Acne vulgaris is usually just known as acne and can affect anyone from their teenage years until they are well into adulthood. There are varying degrees of acne and the treatment methods can also vary from person to person. The main characteristics of acne vulgaris are blackheads, whiteheads of differing severity and blemishes.

Acne vulgaris can occur all over the body in men and women and is found mostly to affect the face, neck, back, shoulders and sometimes the chest. This conditions starts with the blocking of the pores with dead skin cells and the production of excess sebum which will lead to an infection. This causes inflammation, pus and tenderness of the area.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the start of acne vulgaris. The first is the over-productive sebaceous glands which are common in teenagers and adults. You will also get hormonal conditions that affect the acne especially during the teenage years and in adulthood during menstruation or menopause for women. Stress can also cause acne breakouts in many people, as can genetics. Sometimes a certain medication can also irritate the already existing acne vulgaris or it can create the conditions that are ideal for acne to occur.

Bacteria plays a large part in any type of acne and while your general diet and certain food will not cause acne, you should maintain a healthy, strong immune system to thwart the growth of this type of bacterium that can lead to more severe forms of acne.

Acne Vulgaris Treatment Methods

The presence of acne can cause severe physical as well as psychological problems and everyone who suffers from acne is sure to be looking for ways to prevent it and control it. The first and most basic thing you can do to prevent acne from appearing or at least control it, is to wash your face or other affected area at least twice a day with a gentle cleanser that is made for acne vulgaris. You should also take care when exfoliating the area to only do this once a week with a very mild exfoliating gel; never use strong lotions on your skin.

If your acne vulgaris is quite bad you can purchase a topical ointment over the counter which contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to dry up the acne. When you get cosmetics and moisturizers, make sure they are not oil based and “noncomedogenic” so that don’t block your pores. Most importantly, but perhaps hardest to do, is to not pick or squeeze the pimples. This will make your acne vulgaris worse and can lead to worse conditions like cystic acne.

If you don’t see an improvement after sticking to this regime for about 4 to 6 weeks, you should see a dermatologist, who will be able to prescribe stronger medication and anti acne topical creams or gels to treat the acne vulgaris more aggressively. You should also use the methods and medications consistently to see any true results.

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