Hormonal Acne Treatment - How Does That Work?

You may have heard that hormone imbalances can be a major instigator of acne but do you know why and how? More importantly what can you do about it?

Your first question should be - do hormones really cause acne? The short answer is yes. Acne is commonly found in adolescents, teenagers, pregnant women and women during specific times of their menstrual cycle. It does not take a medical genius to identify changing hormones as the common denominator.

More specifically, it has been shown that hormonal acne is caused by androgens, which are primarily made up of testosterone but also include other hormones. Both men and adult women have testosterone although women normally have only about 10% of that found in men.

Although the above categories of acne sufferers could be considered 'normal', or at least understandable, there are many people in their 30's and even 40's who do not 'grow out of' teenage acne and continue to suffer in the same way due to hormone imbalance problems.

What Do Hormones Do?

Skin contains sebaceous glands which normally produce oil and 'clean' the pores Together with hair follicles, they make up what we commonly refer to as skin pores. The sebaceous gland responds to testosterone by making more oil and the hair follicle responds by growing hair that is longer, thicker and darker. The increased oil and increased hair size combines with dead skin cells to create blockages in the hair follicle that eventually result in acne.

As the oil cannot flow to the skin's surface and 'clean' the pores bacteria is allowed to flourish. The immune system then attacks the bacteria causing the redness, swellings and puss that are the classic spots and zits of acne.

Although an increase in hair growth is normal in young men it, unfortunately, also occurs with women's acne because the hormone change (i.e. the increase in testosterone) causes both conditions . The increased oil production normally occurs as soon as the hormone levels rise but the increase in hair growth may not occur for some months afterwords so acne can start well before the hair growth is seen.

Treatment

The most popular form of hormonal acne treatment for women is the birth control pill. This works by controlling progestin and estrogen ('female' hormones) to replace the testosterone. This in turn reduces the production of oil in the sebaceous glands and can be a very effective treatment. The obvious downside to this is that birth control pills cannot be taken by women who are, or wish to get pregnant. Even for those that can there are serious concerns over the use of these hormones in oral contraceptives

Other hormonal acne treatments are primarily anti-androgen drugs or oral corticosteroids. These are suitable for men and possibly pregnant women or women who do not want to take oral contraceptives but they are known to have side effects including irregular periods, nausea, weight gain and thinning of the bones. Of course all these drugs will need a prescription from a doctor. Pregnant women should be extremely careful when considering any oral medication and should only do so on the advice of an appropriate medical expert.

These associated problems with conventional treatments are driving many people to look to a more natural hormonal acne treatment and many of these can be found on the internet. Now, with an understanding of the underlying causes, conventional treatments and their associated problems you should now be in a position to make an informed decision on the kind of treatments you need and are happy to use.

Fat Removal And Liposuction With The Latest Body Sculpting Treatments

Fruit may be a great thing for your diet, but evolving into a pear body shape early in life creates a serious "dragging anchor" on your self image as well as your vitality. The hard muscled flat tummy of youth gives way to a rounded big stomach, sandwiched in between ever-expanding love handles that threaten to burst blouse and shirt seams.

Body Image Solutions That Deliver Results? Of course. You now have a "Chinese menu" of body aesthetic possibilities.

* The Hard Core Exercise Option. On one hand some fat waist solutions involve the marine drill sergeant approach involving barking gym instructors and punishing exercise regimens. Realistically, the only people able to endure these upper-tier fitness programs are the same people who typically don't sport love handles, humongous fat thigh and butt shapes.

* At Home Exercise And Body Shaping. You "can do" if you put your mind to it. Reshaping your body image, reducing sagging skin and a fat waist can be achieved with the new crop of hybrid exercise programs...from walking and running clubs to at home training programs like Yoga Booty Ballet, offering stretching strength yoga ballet and dance in a targeted program that can rapidly lead you to body contouring success, as you shed 10 to 20 pounds or more and just as many inches off your torso and lower body.

LipoSelection - The High Tech "Energy" Treatment For Body Fat. Created by Sound Surgical Technologies, the proprietary Vaser LipoSelection treatment is low impact, only requiring local anesthetic to the treatment area, such as the fat waist or love handles that men often complain about. Plus, you can realistically "harvest" a pound or two of hard-to-reach body fat, without the physical drama and risk of full-blown cosmetic surgery.

* Fat Swelling Saline Injection. Next, a saline solution is injected, which has the effect of dilating local blood vessels but swelling-up body fat cells in the treatment site.

* Love Handle Fat Rendering Via Ultrasound. Now, for fat cell zapping and getting into serious body sculpting possibilities, the Vaser micro-cannula probe is inserted, where it can directly focus ultrasound energy on these engorged fat cells? Result? Love handle waist fat cells literally liquefy, as they absorb the energy from the Vaser probe, for easy extraction via a suctioning device. Adding to the efficacy of Vaser LipoSelection as a low impact results-oriented body sculpting tool is the mechanical or massage like manipulation of the treatment area, which further assists in the desired breakdown of waist fat cells.

* Low Pain Low Impact Body Shaping. Down time is minimal with this form of high tech ultrasonic treatment. You're in one day, back on the job comfortably in 1 to 2 days, or earlier. Meanwhile, you'll be asked to wear a compression garment around the treatment area in order to remove pressure, and to promote rapid safe healing.

* Advantages Over Traditional Liposuction? Of course, new body shaping technologies like LipoSelection always push the "benefits envelope'. With LipoSelection, you avoid much of the surgery risks associated with liposuction where an aggressive probe-and-suctioning manipulation beneath your skin (sub dermal) creates the risk of equal damage to fat cells, nearby connective tissue, blood vessels and nerve fiber. LipoSelection avoids this because the ultrasound waist fat liquefying energy only targets fat cell, which absorb the energy, whereas other more structured cells (blood vessel, nerve fiber, connective tissue) simply reflect the ultrasound and are mostly undisturbed.

How to Be Acne Free Permanently

As any acne sufferer knows, bad skin is more than just a cosmetic problem: it can lower self esteem and lead to self-consciousness. Fortunately, skin problems don't have to ruin your life -- a few surefire tips can clear up your complexion in no time.

If you have frequent breakouts, take a look at your diet. How often do you consume sugar, refined carbohydrates, and caffeine? These things rev up the hormones that make your skin produce oil, often leading to pimples. Stick to fresh and natural foods, limiting the processed sugars, and your skin will thank you.

Some studies have also shown a link between acne and dairy consumption. If you think dairy might be a trigger for your breakouts, invest in some soy milk and cheese alternatives and go dairy-free for a few days. You may find your complexion clearing up significantly.

While it might be tempting to slather your skin with every anti-pimple treatment you can find, it's important not to go overboard. Using many products at once -- or even using too much of a single product -- can dry out your skin, leading your body to produce even more oil to compensate. This can result in worse blemishes than you had before.

Don't forget the importance of water, either. When your body is dehydrated, dead skin cells can accumulate and block the pores in your skin, leading to unsightly pimples. Drinking plenty of water helps flush your body of buildup, and helps your complexion stay healthy.

When you want clear skin, exercise should also be at the top of your list. Exercise improves circulation, helping nutrients reach your skin while cleansing toxins from your body. Get your heart pumping, and your skin will benefit.

By following these tips, you can finally be acne free permanently.

Discover the Top Natural Wrinkle Remedies

Let's face it, growing older is a perfectly natural and normal part of life and nature, and despite our current technological advances in various fields it is something that we cannot stop. When it comes to the telltale signs of aging, especially those concerning our skin, there are some things that we can do against them, and nothing will work better than natural wrinkle remedies.

By choosing natural wrinkle remedies you're making the first of a couple of very important choices when tackling the signs or aging. By eliminating all of the synthetic products from your list, you're making a choice towards products which work in a natural way with your body to produce the desired effects.

Another important choice that you can make and which you should regard as one of your natural wrinkle remedies would be to live a healthy lifestyle. It's incredible the amount of influence how we live our lives has on our bodies and on our skin. Eating healthy foods, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, exercising regularly and keeping yourself well hydrated will not only have tremendous effects towards the look and feel of your skin but also for your whole body.

When looking for natural wrinkle remedies in the form of skin care products you can limit your choice towards the best and healthiest options rather easy. All you have to do is take a good hard look at the ingredients label on a product which you wish to purchase, if it contains words like alcohol, paraben or mineral oil, then put that one back on the shelf because it won't do you any favors.

What you should look for on a label are things like Babassu and grape seed oil and Cynergy TK. The last one might seem a bit out of place, but rest assured that it's an ingredient which contains a special type of keratin which our bodies can use right away to start repairing our skin. It will help you get rid of wrinkles in no time and you will look like a new person if you find a cream which contains it.

Reasons to Use Teeth Whiteners

Many people are self-conscious about their looks. In today's society, people are becoming increasingly aware of the color of their teeth and how it affects their appearance. In the following, you will see some of the reasons people use teeth whitening products.

They may have stains on their teeth from everyday use. Most people do not consider that what they put in their mouths will have an effect on the color of their teeth. Well it does. Most stains come from food and drinks such as coffee and tea. Also, smoking causes stains that can be removed by teeth whiteners.

There may be discoloration from certain drugs and chemicals. Using tetracycline when teeth are being formed can cause a grayish discoloration. Also, excessive fluoride use can cause a discoloration.
If your teeth have been traumatized this can cause a discoloration as well. If a tooth is cracked during a fall, this opens the pores in the enamel to allow more stains. Food and other particles can settle in those cracks as well.

Age plays a direct factor in the color of teeth. As we get older, our teeth change colors and not for the better. They often become darker and browner with age. While this can be harder to correct, there it is still possible to change the shade of your teeth.

Everyone has their reasons for wanting a whiter, brighter smile. Even with all of the different types of discolorations and stains, advancements in teeth whiteners have made it possible to literally reverse the visible age of your teeth.

Cystic Acne - Getting Rid of it Might Be Easier Than You Think

So what is cystic acne? Cystic acne is the most severe form of acne you can have. A cyst doesn't look like a normal pimple. It does not have a white head, it feels hard, it can grow to massive sizes if not quickly treated and you cannot pop it like a normal pimple (please take note that no pimples should be ever popped).

As a warning let me say that if you suffer of heavy cystic acne you should go and see a dermatologist as soon as you can. Although I am not a big supporter of antibiotics you might need them to get rid of it otherwise you could end up with a permanently damaged skin.

If you have light form of cystic acne there is still time to make it stop but you have to act quickly! I suffered of very light cystic acne too and all my cysts disappear while they were still small without having to use drugs.

Here are few tips you need to know in order to get rid of an acne cyst:

1. NEVER try to pop a cyst. It will not work and applying pressure at it just irritates it making it grow more rapidly. Applying pressure at it can also make it painful for a long time.

2. Do not touch the cyst. This way you carry bacteria on it which again, irritates it and makes it worse.

3. If you see that the cyst is still growing immediately seek a dermatologist before it gets worse and more complicated to cure.

To avoid new cysts from forming you have to follow the same as with acne. Here are few very basic tips:

1. Drink plenty of water daily
2. Reduce your intake of caffeine
3. (Try to) Reduce amount of stress
4. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and especially nuts
5. Stay away from greasy food and sweets
6. Was your face water daily (only using water)
7. Do not expose your acne to sun purposefully (sunbathing)

Enjoy Looking in the Mirror Again - Permanently Get Rid of Acne

Do you hate waking up every morning because you always get reminded of you acne problem the minute you look in the mirror? Are you ready to finally get rid of your acne? The good news for you is that you are now able to not only get rid of acne but prevent it from coming back.

The number one problem is that most people rely on those "over the counter" treatments. Although they will get rid of acne; they will never prevent it from coming back. For that reason, you will be forced to always use their products. This is a terrible cycle that most people with an acne problem is currently stuck in.

What you want to do is find a product that will treat your skin first. By treating your skin, you will ensure the acne never comes back. The main reason people get acne is because of some type of skin irritation. Fix the irritation and fix the problem. Things like bacteria and clogged pores will cause you to have acne. That is why you must fix those type of problems.

Look at it this way. Unfortunately you are always going to spend money on skin care. Would you rather spend money on a product that prevents the acne or would you rather spend it on a product that you have to wait for the acne to appear first.

So stop wasting your hard earned money on all those "over the counter" acne treatments. Learn how to prevent it and finally get rid of acne for good.