WHAT IS ACNE VULGARIS?

Medical Wellness Center's Online Differin® Prescriptions offers an easy and convenient way to treat Grade I, Grade II and Grade III Acne Vulgaris. If you have been diagnosed and suffer from Acne Vulgaris, you can safely and effectively try Differin® as a treatment regimen from the convenience and privacy of your PC without time-consuming and costly doctor visits.

If you have any health concerns in any way, you should contact your own physician for further advice.

Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease affecting almost 17 million Americans. It is a disorder of the skin's sebaceous oil glands located at the base of the hair follicle, especially on the face, neck, chest, upper back and shoulders, resulting in plugged pores and outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples. Although acne is not a serious health threat, if not treated acne can cause permanent scarring.

Acne varies in severity form some white heads and blackheads (Grade I) to severe pustular and cystic acne (Grade IV). Differin® is a recommended topical treatment of Grade I - Grade III acne vulgaris. Differin® is not indicated for those with Grade IV Acne where pustules and cysts predominate - severe pustular and deep cystic nodular acne known as Acne Conglobulata.

TIPS FOR SURVIVING ACNE:

Cleanse your face regularly with a mild NON-soap cleanser such as Cetaphil, but not too often. No more than twice a day

NEVER squeeze, pick, or pinch acne pimples or use sharp objects on them. This will only contribute to infection, inflammation and scarring.

If you use cosmetics or moisturizers, be sure they are "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic." Use oil-free cosmetics and moisturizers.

Be patient as it can take several weeks or longer for your acne to clear and even longer for large pimples to fade completely.

Use your acne medications regularly and consistently to help the formation of new pimples. Remember, once a pimple starts, it can stick around for weeks or months. It is easier to prevent new pimples from forming than to have to wait for existing ones to clear.

Follow your doctor's recommendations in treatment of Acne caring for your skin.

If your acne does not respond to treatment after 12 weeks consult your own physician immediately.

In order for Differin® to be effective one must use it consistently as directed. If you get severe irritation or blistering discontinue use and consult your own physician. I would be sharing some house hold tips for treatment of Acne in my next post

Treatments for Acne Symptoms

Before I begin I must first re-emphasise that the only way to truly prevent acne is to address the underlying cause inside the body with a healthy pH balance, as previously mentioned. However, if you are to use a treatment to supplement this until you have achieved and maintained the right pH level, then here are a few pointers.

Without a doubt, the most important factor in choosing a treatment is its natural qualities. It’s very simple: the more natural the better. Any treatment that has any chemical or mineral that does not occur naturally in nature will have side effects. Treatments can often cause more damage than they repair. For example, most acne creams will use an active ingredient (most frequently benzoyl peroxide or a similar chemical) to dry the affected area. While this can be effective in the short term, daily use can lead to excessively dry skin and can also cause ‘rebound’ effect - meaning that when you stop using the product a large number of pimples will be produced very quickly, often being worse than before the treatment was started. Despite this, in moderate use there are some products than can be effective when combined with other treatments.

For instance, the best treatment for acne scars that I have so far discovered is the Proativ Repairing Lotion. Now rather than buy the entire pack (with face wash and toner) I choose to buy only the repairing lotion. Any facial scrub and toner will do the same if not very similar job as the Proactiv option.

Facial scrubs and/or exfoliating loufas are a daily essential not just for acne sufferers, but for all who wish to look after their skin. All day, every day our skin is shedding dead cells. Most of the time these dead skin cells do not are not completely disposed of and remain on the skin attracting bacteria and allowing a higher build-up of oil. Using a facial scrub ‘exfoliates’ the skin, clearing the dead cells and cleaning it from excess oil and dirt.
Some “all natural” treatments have been processed beyond recognition and I know that naturally occuring treatments are hard to find but it is still the best option I have found. Facial masques (like mud and cucumber masques) can rejuvenate the skin and keep it as healthy as possible. They disinfect existing blemishes and reduce infammation while keeping the skin fresh and moisturised.

The best product I have found for the treatment of active acne caused by oily skin is by far Himalayan Crystal Salt. This is not advertised as a treatment for acne and usually cannot be bought from your local chemist. I purchase mine online in a bar form (i.e. in the shape of a soap bar). Crystal salt is easy to apply (just wet the bar and apply to skin), it is cheap to buy, and is 100% completely natural. Himalyan Crystal Salt has over 90 of the elements concentrated over 250million years. It works much like salt water does, by drying the skin naturally and allowing it to absorb the nutrients. You may be wondering why this is such an effective treatment but think of any surfers or swimmers that you know. How many have acne? Not many, and the ones that do have acne have less than other sufferers. This is because salt is one of the most effective treatments against any infection and is an essential part of the human body. And by drying oily skin (naturally), while not eliminating moisture, it prevents the development of further acne. You should apply it to affected areas anywhere on the body at least 2 times a day for the best results.

*IMPORTANT WARNING:
While drying the skin is essential for sufferers with OILY skin, if your acne is caused by DRY skin you should use this salt very moderately. Drying the skin too much can also cause acne.

Medication should be avoided at all costs. You do not want to put antibiotics in your body unless you are extremely sick. Excessive use of antibiotics will reduce your body’s own production of antibiotics and make you more vulnerable to sickness and infection.

In my experience, it is best not to settle for a single treatment. A combination of treatments often returns the greatest results. I personally use Himalayan Crystal salt for the treatment of all acne all over my body and I use Proactiv Repairing lotion for the treatment of acne scars. Remember though, these treatments will not stop the acne and if you do not address the imbalance in your body, the damage can occur in other places. Your body will always try to eliminate toxins somehow and if you manage to treat the acne, it will come out somewhere else. You may put on weight or develop diseases. So by all means use treatments. But make sure they are your second line of attack.

Avoid Cold Medicines with Pseudoephedrine

Pseudoephedrine, I believe, is bad for you for several reasons, and not just because I know for a fact in myself that it causes me to break out the next day after I take it, but also because of what it does to your heart rate.

Every time I’ve ever taken pseudoephedrine, which is now somewhat of a controlled substance because cold medicines with this ingredient are what I believe is what is used to make the illegal street drug methamphetamine. Just for that fact alone, I’d say you should stay away from it. Think about it, it’s the base for an illegal and highly destructive and dangerous street drug, what more is there to say?

Sure, it may have some qualities that help you to drain fluid faster or to declog your stuffed nose, but is it really worth it? I for one, hate the way it makes me feel and therefore never use it any more. It would make my ear pop, make me feel extremely restless, and also make my heart race a mile a minute, all of which I believe are extremely unhealthy attributes.

As for why it makes me break out, and I’m sure other people, it’s anyon’es guess - my guess is that it’s stimulant properties mess with the hormonal balance in the body and throw it off so quickly that your skin reacts with fast inflammation, AKA acne. I know I’ve written about this stuff a lot, but I really feel it is not good for the skin or the body.

Things To Avoid

There are a number of actions that can worsen acne in anyone. In my experience I have discovered quite a few but that does not mean there are not others and it also does not mean that everything I list below will affect you in the same way. The only real way to identify your own personal stimulants is by paying close attention to what you eat and what you do. If you can, record your daily food intake so that when you have flare ups you can reference the records and see any links

Medication

Some doctors will prescribe certain antibiotics to treat acne. The basis for this treatment is the concept that worse cases of acne usually imply a high susceptibility to infections. This concept is true. However, all people who have a low pH level are highly susceptible to infections and illness. And by using antibiotics, you are both ignoring the reason behind this vulnerability, and stopping your body from producing its own antibodies. You will then build a tolerance to antibiotics and require more when you are actually ill.

Also, some conditions require the use of anti-inflammatory medication. These can include prednisolone, salazopyrin, cortelone, etc. In general, most (if not all) anti-inflammatory medicine will aggravate infections, making what would be a minor passing infection into a major flare up. Your body frequently deals with minor infections with ease, but, unlike pH balance which simply allows infections to develop, taking anti-inflammatories will both cause and make these infections worsen.

Wherever possible, avoid this type of medication. Understandably, some conditions will require them and there is little or no alternative. During these periods, you will need to work extra hard on your pH balance. Eating 80% raw vegetables and cutting out junk food and red meat altogether is a necessity, and in some cases (depending on the strength of your dosage) it will still not be enough. The only way to be sure your acne is at its absolute minimum while on anti-inflammatories is by eating entirely raw vegetables and maintaining a pH of 7 or slightly higher.

* Red and processed meat

Processed meats are overall entirely lacking nutritional value. Meat pies, hot dogs, frozen meats all go through an extensive preparation process which extracts the little nutritional value they have and also allow them to further ‘decompose’ making them even more acidifying than they already were. Even fresh meat is notorious for its negative effects on pH balance. It is a general fact that a dead animal will have an acidifying effect on your body. That is not to say that it is completely unhealthy. Meat will always have its benefits; protein, energy, some nutrients. But over-indulging in any type of meat is definitely not a healthy choice. In particular, red meats should be kept to an absolute minimum. White meats like poultry and seafood are better options as they are less acidifying and still provide the necessary proteins that a meat should.

Additionally, while there is no direct scientific evidence to link red meat to cancer, it is widely accepted by medical practitioners that red meat aggravates the bowels and can cause (or at the very least worsen) diseases that develop in the bowel. As the most important part of the digestive process, the bowels are responsible for extracting nutrients from the food you eat. Any damage done to either of the bowels will adversely effect your body’s ability to digest food, even healthy food. This will, among other and more serious things, lead to a lower pH level.

Touching Effected Areas:

Don’t touch your pimples! I am sure you have all heard this one before but here is why you shouldn’t. As mentioned in previous posts, acne on the skin is based bacteria and infection. Touching affected areas spreads bacteria and infection to the surrounding areas. Additionally, our hands come into contact with hundreds of different objects every day. Door handles, keyboards, tables, cars, floors, plants, etc. All of which hundreds of other people have touched and which have probably not been cleaned for many months (if ever). Bacteria and/or dirt cover the majority of these objects and until you wash your hands, you will spread both over anything you touch. So why touch an area that is bad enough to have acne and make it worse?

* Junk Food

Generally, you will find that certain foods will aggravate your acne far more than others. For example, chocolates, ice cream, fried foods, oily foods, etc. Foods that are high in sugar and fat content have a strong acidic effect on your body’s pH balance. And while your body can digest and dispose of small amounts of these kinds of food, you should avoid having them more than once or twice per week. For some of you, even that will be too much.

* Oily, Dirty and Dead Skin

Throughout the course of the day, your skin will both sweat, shed, and produce oil. On top of that, it will also collect any dirt from the air. You must avoid allowing this to build up. There are a few ways to maintain your skin. The first is to make sure you have a shower every day (twice a day is better but once is minimum). Always use an exfoliator (a facial scrub and loufa will do). If you exercise or play sport, always shower immediately afterwards - if no shower is available at the very least you should wash your face.

Sweat is one of the most efficient ways for your body to discharge toxins that have built up. This is why exercise will always help the fight against acne. However, if you allow the sweat to remain on the skin it will allow excessive growth of bacteria and collect even more dirt than usual. It is hard to say how sweat effects the buildup of oil because the moisture could be either. Despite that, the other factors should be enough to convince you to keep your skin as clean as possible.

Oh and one more thing. For those of you that do suffer from oily skin, the best treatment I found is to apply Himalayan Crystal Salt 2-3 times a day. It is 100% completely natural and does not damage the skin. Simply wet and apply. Easy.

The First Step to Curing Acne

So now that we have established the root cause of acne, how do we deal with it? The first step is to cleanse your body of the excess acid and toxins. There are a number of ways to do this and yes, you can use enemas and products you can buy at a pharmacy but if it’s not natural then it will probably do more harm than good. I find that the simplest way to cleanse the excess toxins from your body is to go on a 3-Day Raw Vegetable Fast. This, quite simply, involves eating nothing but fresh raw vegetables for a period of 3 days. It does not make a huge difference which vegetables you use but the basic rule is the greener a vegetable is the better it is for your pH level.

I personally use cucumbers as my largest source of vegetables. They taste great, are extremely alkalizing, and they are easy to carry with you wherever you go. In my regular diet I will eat 5-6 cucumbers a day for snacks. During a cleansing period, I will eat more than 10 on any given day. Some of you may not like cucumbers and that is fine. Celery and tomatoes are good alternatives, but I find them slightly more difficult to eat in large numbers.

The key is to find a raw vegetable that you can eat on a large scale or to find a salad that is easy for you to make. Remember that you will need a lot of these types of foods from now on so make sure you find something that is easy to find and prepare. For those of you with particularly fast metabolisms, you may find it difficult at first to eat only raw vegetables. I strongly recommend using vitamin supplements and/or ‘green’ drinks to assist with your daily nutritional requirements, especially during the cleansing period.

A ‘green’ drink comes in a powdered form for you to mix with water. A single teaspoon contains almost all of the vitamins and minerals your body requires on a daily basis. During the cleansing period, I recommend using 4-5 teaspoons (i.e. drink 4-5 glasses) per day. You can purchase these drinks from most chemists and all vitamin and health food stores or you can purchase them online. There are a variety of different green drinks available on the market but I find that the majority are not very pleasing for the taste buds. There is only one that I have found so far that actually tastes good - Vital Greens (available at http://www.vitalgreens.com/ - 300g/10.6oz should last about 2 months). However, you may find others that you prefer or are easier to purchase. Other drinks that may help are liquid chlorophyll, which again can be bought from your local health store and some pharmacies, and lemon water. Liquid chlorophyll can be bought in various flavours and is a well-known pH booster. It is found in all green vegetables and is one of the most active ingredients in alkalizing the body.

Lemon water is simply freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with water. The bonus for this option is that lemons are extremely easy to find and much less expensive than the previous mentioned drinks. Lemons (and limes) are also known to have a strong alkalizing effect on the body. You may be wondering how that works, as lemons are a citrus food containing citric acid. Unfortunately, I still do not entirely understand it myself; but I can verify that it does work. The only disadvantage of using lemon water as opposed to green drinks is the lack of all the vitamins and minerals that green drinks have, that your body requires.

The Benefits of Swimming in Eliminating Acne

Everyone knows that swimming is one of the most beneficial activities for anyone’s health in general. I have heard of studies showing that the only exercise more beneficial for overall health is running. The difference, however, is that swimming forces slower, deeper breathing and removes the physical strain on joints. In addition, people of all fitness levels can swim at effective paces due to the low impact on the body.

Now how is swimming particularly helpful in eliminating acne? It is a well-known fact that exercise in general promotes healthy skin. In addition to that, the deep breathing allows more oxygen to be processed and circulated by the body assisting in the removal of toxins and dead cells from the body and promoting the regeneration of cells. (see my next post for information on what everyone means when they speak about toxins).


Furthermore, because swimming requires the immersing the whole body (hence the entire skin surface) in water, it allows for the natural moisture absorption of the skin. Since you will most likely either be swimming in chlorinated pools or salt water, the disinfectant properties of the water will also be absorbed by the skin. And as you may or may not remember from a previous post, severe acne is the result of a susceptibility to infection.

In particular, painful pimples are acne blemishes that have become severely infected. Thus, swimming, more so in salt water than chlorinated, is extremely effective in disinfecting the skin and killing bacteria on the skin surface. Salt also dries the skin, limiting the production of sebum.

If you are not yet convinced then simply look at professional swimmers and surfers and notice whether or not they have acne. The results will speak for themselves

Accutane - What is it?

There are varying opinions on the use of Accutane as a treatment for severe acne. While being very strong and having an effectiveness of approximately 50% there are many side-effects that must be acknowledged. In the US, the iPledge brochure and agreement ensures that all users are fully informed of all effects of the drug. Most other countries have similar legislation or at the very least require a prescription from certified professionals

In any case, I strongly recommend learning as much as possible about Accutane and its effects before considering it as an option.


The active ingredient in Accutane is isotretinoin. Isotretinoin is is a type of Vitamin A that is found in small amounts within the body. One of its key responsibilities in the body is to moderate sebum production. In larger amounts it can noticably reduce the production of sebum and the size of the sebaceous glands in general (which are responsible for the production of sebum).

Since the active ingredient of Accutane is a vitamin A, the effects of the drug are much like taking large amounts of vitamin A. This, however, is the issue. Vitamin A can cause many different kinds of damage to the body when taken in excessive amounts. This is more evident if you look at multi-vitamin bottles or general vitamin supplements containing vitamin A. You will always notice the advice on the labels always specifically warns about taking no more than the maximum daily dosage of vitamin A (depending on your age).

For this reason, side-effects of Accutane are similar to that of an overdose of vitamin A (or vitamin A toxicity). I will go over these side-effects in a later post.
NOTE: Isotretinoin is also the active ingredient in, and sold under the names of, Amnesteem, Clavaris, Sotret, Roaccutane, Isotrex and Isotrexin.

Acne Cause and a few Myths

Causes:

The reason acne starts is unknown. However, how a pimple forms and develops on one’s body is extremely complex. We understand how a pore collapses and then blocks oil from leaving the pore space; it is not yet known why this takes place in certain sebaceous glands.

Now what causes acne? Things including diet, vitamin absence, anxiety, hormonal changes and much more. So what causes acne is a mixture of all of the above not just one factor.

Since it is not known what causes acne, many methods have been developed to discover a helpful treatment.

Myths:

In today’s society we have and information overload. With the easy access to information via the internet , no wonder it’s so easy to become confused on what is fact or fiction especially with acne considering 85 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 get acne and even some adults over 30 have it as well.

So lets get a few of the most common Myths strait and lay the confusion to rest.

#1 Eating greasy or junk food will give me pimples

Studies show that no one food is a cause of acne. With that said keep in mind that each person with acne is different and have different “triggers” that cause them to break out. So if you find after eating a certain foods you get pimples…Try to cut out that food and see if it makes a difference.

Acne Treatment

Well if you have Acne marks on your skin and you are searching the internet or asking friend to give you any tip so you could get rid of the Acne Condition. You have tried many Acne Treatment Creams or are scared to try them because of the side effects well you do not need to worry anymore. The cure of Acne is very easy and is available without purchasing expensive Acne Treatment Creams.

The Expensive Acne Treatment were not good and you have wasted your time and money using them which instead of doing good has done more harm. Thus now you want to get rid of Acne using some natural remedies which doesn’t require application of any cream of light. Well in this article I will try to explain the most efficient ways where you can get rid of Acne in matter of weeks if not days.


The first and most efficient way of treating Acne is to create a mixture of Rose Water and Lemon Juice. This will efficiently treat Acne and will also be helpful in removing the marks which are left behind on your skin as result of the Acne Condition. The method of creating the mixture is very easy. Take equal amounts of Rose water and Lemon Juice mix them together for a while and with a cotton sponge apply that on your skin generously, then leave it for at least 20 mins and then wash your face with warm water and that’s it.

Another good home treatment for Acne is orange zest apply that on your skin and wash off after 30 mins or so and you could get rid of the Acne Marks.

Finally, a good way to get rid of Acne is to apply mashed garlic on to your skin and after half an hour or so remove it with slightly warm water.

If you could use three of these methods regularly for some times you could very easily get rid of Acne.

However, if you are looking to find more of such ways which are not used or even known to general public then do visit my blog for more information.