Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on June 5th, 2011

While prescriptions and over the counter medications can be a good choice for treating back acne, a homemade back acne treatment can be a desirable option for people who like to keep it natural and reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals and drugs.

Keep in mind that using a homemade back acne treatment can be effective, but it can also take a lot longer for you to notice an improvement. If you can control the reasons why you suffer from back acne breakouts, you may also be able to improve and lessen the intensity and frequency of breakouts. Bacne can often be caused by irritation of your skin, or basically something rubbing on the skin that helps to trap dirt in the pores and then may lead to infection or bacne.

The irritation can be increased if you tend to carry a backpack which also rubs on your back or any tight fitting clothing that does not allow air to circulated in between the clothing and your skin. Choosing clothing that is more breathable, such as cotton, is also a very good idea.

So what kinds of homemade back acne treatment are there? Some people swear by things they make up out of their own fridge. There are certain items that will work if you make up a mask. There are a variety of masks that you can create at home that you can apply to your back. You can create a mask by combining various ingredients into a paste and then applying it.

  • A lemon mask is a combination of lime juice and rose water. Obviously, this will not be a paste mask, but you can apply it with cotton balls and allow it to dray on the skin. The naturally occurring astringent in lemon helps to reduce skin oil.
  • A simple tomato mask is made from crushed tomato pulp. Apply crushed tomato pulp directly to the affected area, allowing it to dry and remain on the skin for half an hour. The vitamins in tomato – A and C help to reduce the size of pores.
  • Oatmeal is another helpful ingredient. Cook the oatmeal, allow it to cool and add honey to it. Apply it to your skin and leave it on for twenty minutes. Oatmeal also removes excess oil from the skin and helps to prevent breakouts.
  • Mint juice and turmeric can be rubbed onto your back and left on for about fifteen minutes. This combination reduces inflammation and lessens the appearance of bacne.

Healthy eating, getting regular exercise and drinking more water are also tried and true when it comes to a homemade back acne treatment. Water helps to flush impurities and toxins from your body. Adding a teaspoon of honey and a half a lemon to the water once daily before you eat is another great home remedy. When it comes to eating right, eliminate refined sugar and fried foods from your diet. There is really no nutritional value in these kinds of foods in any event, so the less you eat of them, the better.

Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on April 28th, 2011

What more can be annoying than acne scars? When you’re done dealing with the primary problem of getting rid of the acne itself comes another problem of getting rid of acne scars. If you’re financially lucky and willing, there are lots of cosmetic procedures that can be done out there to permanently erase the remnants of your acne and here are some of them:

1. Chemical Peel – This is probably the most popular procedure to get rid of acne scars. The topmost layer of the skin is removed with the aid of chemicals, revealing a new skin underneath. It aims to lighten the discoloration of the scars. However, when opting for this treatment, one should consider the type of peeling appropriate because excessive peeling can burn the skin and can lead to irritation.

2. Dermabrasion – This treatment also involved the shedding of the topmost layer of the skin like chemical peel but with the use of a rotating brush revealing a younger and smoother skin. The downside of dermabrasion is that it may take several sessions before the changes to be noticed.

3. Laser Treatment – Laser Treatment aims to heal the damaged skin underneath the surface of the skin and recent studies has been done and this might also have the capacity to prevent future formations of acne.

4. Soft Tissue Augmentation – For severe scars, this non-surgical treatment is advised. Fillers such as fat are injected to the area, filling out the hallowed parts. Results may also take a while because of the healing period.

These medical treatments, although suggested by most doctors are not yet proven to provide 100% desirable results. As with any other surgery, it is set to have drawbacks such as pain and infection for the patient.

As for the price range, treatments of course are a case-to-case basis depending on the doctor and severity of the patient’s situation.

It is equally important to discuss the long-term effects as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the procedure with your doctor. Do not hesitate to ask questions and clarifications before undergoing a procedure to ensure the safety and successfulness of the method and think thoroughly before making any decisions.

There is actually a much more cost-efficient way to prevent scarring and it is by treating the acne problem ahead of time. I have found a great product that does just that. It is a comprehensive acne treatment system which believes that curing the inside is as important as curing the outside.

Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on March 26th, 2011

Acne is a general term that pertains to skin problems like blemishes, blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. This skin condition can affect people regardless of age but it is more common to teenagers because of the hormonal changes that they are going through. There are many ways to prevent acne from striking. However, it can be quite difficult to get rid of one that already exists. Here are tips on how to get rid of acne.

  • Acne happens when skin pores are clogged with keratin and sebum. This usually happens if you over-exfoliate or if you wash your face too often. You can unplug your pores using salicylic acid which is a well known keratolytic, thus, making it capable of removing keratin and sebum by softening it. Using salicylic acid requires you to use sun block especially when you need to go out of the house. Salicylic makes your skin more sensitive to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
  • Pimples are caused by bacteria called propionibacterium acnes. These bacteria are harmless but it tends to grow more on clogged pores. This then starts to affect the walls of the pores, thus, causing pimples to form. It is important to get rid of these bacteria and to prevent them from growing back. You can do this by using products that contain benzoyl peroxide. This should be used with a moisturizer because it tends to dry facial skin. If this is too strong for your skin, you can use a gentler, but less effective alternative that contains triclosan.

Patience plays a big role when treating acne. Medication usually requires 2 up to 8 weeks of continuous use before any improvement can be noticed. It is important to use acne treatments religiously according to the doctor’s instructions to make sure it works consistently. Breaking your routine might only worsen acne.

Popping pimples can result to ugly scars or skin infections. This is the main reason why it is not advisable to pop them. But if a pimple grows in an unpleasant area on your face and you really want to pop it to get rid of it, learn how to pop it the right way. Make sure that your hands are clean and that you do not expose the popped pimple to bacteria. You might want to rub the pimple for a minute or two with a cloth that has a bit of acne treatment cream. This will help remove dead skin cells that might cause skin irritation. Use an antiseptic to clean it afterwards to prevent infection.

It is important to consult a dermatologist especially if your acne problem is severe. This will also help ensure that the product you will be using is appropriate for you. Some medications are only available through a doctor’s prescription. Make sure that you follow doctor’s instructions. Some severe cases of acne may require an oral drug but dosage should be followed strictly to prevent improper use which may result to a more stubborn case of acne.

Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on March 12th, 2011

At some point, in most people’s lives we all suffer from some form of pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. Acneic skin conditions are particularly common during puberty and are usually outgrown by adulthood. However, this is not always the case and many times young adults, pregnant women; middle-aged individuals continue to struggle with acne breakouts. When this occurs, a person might consider making use of acne treatment home remedies to decrease the significance of these breakouts.

Causes of skin outbreaks can vary from hormonal imbalances to improper hygiene. Genetics often play a part in the development of this skin condition. Acne can be very embarrassing for teenagers in particular, but it should be noted that the condition could be helped with several acne treatment home remedies that come right from the pantry or bathroom cabinets. Whenever possible, opt to treat acne in a natural fashion, as this is always the best route to follow. Natural acne treatments usually have fewer side effects.

Tomato is a great help when it comes to pimples. The pulp can be applied to the pimples for up to an hour and washed off with lukewarm water. The acid in the tomato will help to counter oiliness.

Lemon juice and other citrus fruits can also help acneic skin. It has great exfoliating and bleaching properties.

Toothpaste is another common cure. A small amount should be applied to the pimple at night, just before bedtime and left on overnight. This procedure may be done for several nights in a row.

Aloe Vera is a potent cure for pimples. The watery gel inside the plant is rich in enzymes and it has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. Aloe can also be taken internally to help detox the digestive tract.

Zinc is an excellent weapon towards creating a strong immune system and clearing acneic skin. It can even help to reduce the appearance of marks that have been left on the skin resulting from pimples that have healed. While there are good zinc tablets on the market, liquid zinc supplements are more easily absorbed and therefore more effective.

Vitamins that are helpful acne treatment home remedies include Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Topical applications of tea tree oil and baking soda are helpful. Cleansing the body from the inside out works wonders, which is why rigorous exercise and relaxation methods such as Yoga and deep breathing are so popular.

In conclusion, take control of acne before it develops a mind of its own and starts to rule your life. Try going the natural route and implement some of the above acne treatment home remedies.

Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on February 2nd, 2011

When it comes to acne treatment, people all over the world are obviously slightly obsessed with finding one that works. No one likes waking up every morning and having a bunch of big, red, ugly pimples staring back at them from the mirror. The problem is we’ve all been pretty much tricked when it comes to acne treatment; we keep putting all this crap on our skin and we wonder why the acne never goes away.

When I first had acne, it wasn’t a big deal at all for me. I had maybe one or two on my skin during my teen years; it was never a big problem and I just assumed I would grow out of it like everyone else. Except the problem was, by the time I was nearly 24, my one or two pimples had turned into a full blown case of nodular and cystic acne. I couldn’t stand looking at myself in the mirror and some days, it was all I could do to go to work or school. I felt like everyone was just staring at my acne, feeling pity for me because my skin looked so bad.

After trying all sorts of acne treatments, I was feeling incredibly depressed. No matter what I tried, nothing worked. At best, retin-a had cleared up the worst of the cysts and nodules, but I still had a lot of acne on my skin and the retin-a was making my skin incredibly itchy and sensitive. No over the counter products ever even came close to doing anything like that. I even tried all natural products on my skin; while they worked to an extent and were much more gentle than any chemical alternatives, they were still pretty crappy as far as acne treatments are concerned. I still had tons of pimples on my face.

Finally I came across the secret to acne. The big secret is that acne doesn’t have a single thing to do with your skin. While, of course, we see the pimples on our skin and naturally assumed they’re connected, the real truth of the matter is that any real acne treatment must focus on the real problems inside your body.

For instance, when there is to much insulin in our blood stream, our skin produces too much sebum, or oil. On top of this, too much insulin also causes our skin cells to dry up, die, and clump together much more than it normally would. Both of these are leading causes of acne; oil and dead skin clog pores which attracts bacteria and leads to break outs.

So if we utilize proper and healthy acne treatment techniques to get rid of these problems before they happen, our skin will completely stop breaking out forever! This is why any external acne treatments will never work to cure you for good; they don’t deal with the real problems inside. Your acne will just keep coming back over and over again.

The only acne treatment that will ever work to cure your skin is to get rid of the problems inside. Once you do that, your acne will disappear forever.

Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on December 24th, 2010

Acne is the most common of all the skin problems. Eighty percent of the population, men and women suffer from this problem. In many cases the acne might break out and then disappear on its own but in other cases it might need some special treatment. You might have seen people avoiding parties or social hangouts when they have acne. They actually shy away from facing colleagues and friends.

Physiology:

The skin pores which have a sebaceous gland at their roots act as triggers for breakouts. The number of these pores is maximum around the nose, neck, cheeks and chin. Thus, these areas are more prone to breakouts. These sebaceous glands in their normal functioning have a role in secreting some amount of sebum. Due to some factors ( puberty, hormonal imbalance, improper diet etc) the secretion from these glands might get increased and attract microbes causing infections which generally take form of redness followed by pimples or breakouts.

Causes of acne:

There is no specific reason and no specific age for the occurrence of this skin problem but the young adults during their puberty are said to get affected the most. During this phase the secretion of androgen increases which enhances the secretion of sebum and thus leads to frequent breakouts. Adults who have crossed this age might also complaint of this problem at some time. Acne results from some kind of imbalance in the normal skin physiology. This imbalance might result from lifestyle changes, improper eating habits, stress, unhygienic surroundings, etc. Thus, there is no one single reason for these break outs. Despite of the cause these acne need to be treated on time and in a proper manner or else they would result into scars which might be difficult to cure.

Some tips to keep avoid the break outs:

• Maintain good hygiene – washing the prone or affected area with lukewarm water and gentle face wash, several times a day is suggested.

• Some people are said to have acne with the consumption of certain kinds of food (allergic reaction). Such food items must be noted and henceforth avoided.

• Apart from the daily routine of cleaning your skin properly one must also make a point to exercise daily. This helps boost the body’s immunity and self cleansing system.

• Special attention must be paid to avoid infections in rainy seasons and in summers when bacteria are maximum in number in the atmosphere and their chances of clinging on to the skin are also maximum due to sweat and humidity.

• You should include loads of water and fresh fruit juices in your diet as they help flush out toxins from the body.

• Emotional stress has been found to be a major cause of acne. Thus one must always try to live a stress free life. Enjoy and make the most of your life.

• Once a break out has occurred never scratch the area with nails or scrub. It must be washed with some anti-acneic gel or soap, and the area must be kept dry and clean. The acne will subside on its own within 2 or 3 days.

• If you have a sensitive skin, avoid using harsh chemical based products as they can worsen the condition.

Acne is generally associated with oily skin, thus prefer using water based cosmetic and skin care products.

Posted by: Alyssa Morris in Skin Care Treatments on December 2nd, 2010

As someone who has dealt with stressful acne, you know exactly how aggravating trying to get rid of acne can be. Suffering through one acne therapy, following another without success can become particularly aggravating. After trying a good number of highly endorsed gels and creams to few, if any results, many people try laser treatment as a last resort. Even though this specific course of treatment is the priciest of all acne treatments, for some it might just be the best. Laser works at minimizing the size of pores in the skin, causing them to produce a less oil, which in turn often reduces the clogging in the pores.

Despite the fact that laser treatment is a good deal more expensive than many other strategies, it does have advantages that the other acne treatments do not. Acne laser treatment can help reduce the risk of acne recurring. It can also get rid of the scars from acne. Laser acne treatment can actually correct and treat scar tissue. Those who have struggled with serious acne are often left with ugly scars that look almost as bad as the acne that caused it. Removing acne scars is one reason laser for acne has become sought-after among those with severe acne.


In spite of this, those who opt to treat acne with laser must be prepared for this treatment to take time. The treatments are implemented in sessions that are scheduled three to six months apart. It may take anywhere from five to ten appointments over all. The amount of time depends mostly on how significant the condition. In most cases the first few treatments show little to no progression. However, as you approach the ending of your treatment the progress will undoubtedly be much more evident. Acne laser treatment is almost always most effective when combined with other treatments. Talk with your physician about additional treatment methods that may be best for you.

Though the treatments themselves typically are not necessarily painful, there can be some slight after effects. Irritation of the skin at the areas where the laser brushed the skin is a common after effect so skin can get red and inflamed afterward. The redness and inflammation usually go away after a few days. Acne laser treatment decreases the amount of oil so this can cause skin dryness. You can combat the dryness by using a quality lotion designed for facial use.

Deciding if laser treatment for acne is best for you might be a complicated choice to make. Though the price tag for acne laser treatment is high, it can be worth every penny spent for the those with extreme acne or scarring from acne.

Posted by: admin in Skin Care Treatments on September 29th, 2010

Photofacial skin care treatments, also called IPL, short for Intense Pulsed Light, are very effective, no down time, safe methods for removing pigment, or brown spots, and excess or broken blood vessels from the facial skin. Browns spots, broken blood vessels around the nose, chin and cheeks are classic signs of sun damage and aging of the facial skin. Brown spots, often called age spots are caused by pigment that is produced by the skin to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury, first to wash out damaged skin debris and later to bring in healing factors.

As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. These pigmented and red vascular spots create an aged variegated appearance to the facial skin which is called dyschromia, and is a sign of facial aging. Photofacial skin care treatments are the treatment of choice for benign facial skin pigmentation, age spots, brown spots and broken blood vessels and small red spots called telangiectasia on the face. Photofacial treatments are now preferred over laser treatments for these specific pigment and vascular lesions.

What Causes Age Spots, Sun Spots, Red Blotches and Broken Blood Vessels on the Face Neck and Décolletage?

Browns spots and broken blood vessels around the nose, chin, cheeks, neck, hands and Décolletage are classic signs of sun damage and aging of the skin. Brown spots, often called age spots are caused by pigment that is produced by the skin to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury by the sun. This process of new blood vessel growth is called inflammation.

The new blood vessels bring blood into the facial skin first to wash out damaged skin cell debris and later to bring in skin healing factors.

As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. These pigmented and red vascular spots create an aged variegated appearance to the facial skin which is called dyschromia, which is a sign of facial aging.

Photofacial skin care treatments or IPL treatments are the non-surgical anti-aging skin care treatment of choice for benign facial skin pigmentation, age spots, brown spots and broken blood vessels, the small red spots called telangiectasia, on the face, hands, neck and Décolletage. Photofacial treatments are now preferred over laser treatments for these specific pigment and vascular lesions.

How Do Photofacial or Intense Pulsed Light Non-surgical anti-aging Skin Care Treatments Work?

Photofacial or IPL anti-aging skin care treatments use a bright flash of visible light, like the light of a camera flash to remove pigment and blood vessels non-surgically from the skin. This pulsed or flashed light is very different from a laser and in most instances, less powerful and less dangerous that laser light.

I use a Photofacial IPL machine called the LuxGreen IPL made by Palomar Medical Laser Company in Burlington, Massachusetts. Palomar Medical is the premier manufacturer of Aesthetic Laser and Light therapy machines in the world. The LuxGreen Photofacial is the best Photofacial technology I have ever used. The LuxGreen Photofacial IPL machine is very effective and is the most comfortable for you the patient of any IPL device available.

Photofacial skin rejuvenation works by passing a flash of bright light through a filter that only allows a specific color of light in the flash to pass through the filter and hit the skin. In the case of the LuxGreen Photofacial, only light with a wavelength of 550nm (nm=nanometers or one millionth of a meter and is the measure of the green light wavelength in the visible light spectrum) to pass through the IPL filter and hit the skin.

The LuxGreen IPL 550nm light is selectively absorbed or taken up by the brown pigment in an age spot or the dark reddish brown color of blood in a blood vessel. When the Photofacial light energy is absorbed by the pigment or blood vessel, the heat from the Photofacial or IPL light destroys the pigment or blood vessel by heating it.

This process is called Target Specific Photothermolysis. A specific target, that is a color, is heated (thermo) with a light (photo) beam and dissolved or destroyed (lysis).

Using color filters placed in front of the Intense Pulsed Light beam, a wide variety of colors can be allowed through to treat many different skin conditions including hair removal (LuxRed), acne (LuxViolet), and others.

What Will My Skin Look Like Immediately After a Photofacial Skin Care Treatment?

Unlike lasers, which can cause the skin to peel and possibly leave scars, the Lux Green IPL treatments are very gentle on the skin. The pigment in the brown spot or age spot will darken very slightly, and the treated blood vessel will also darken a bit. However the skin will be intact. The treated areas may also be slightly pink for a few hours.

We place ice or a cool pack on the treated area immediately and this also may make the skin pink. However, the pinkness may be covered with makeup immediately. You may return to work. And your skin will be nearly normal the next day.

Does An Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment Hurt?

There is minimal discomfort during an IPL care treatment. Anesthesia or numbing medicine is not required. When the IPL flash hits the skin you will feel a small snap or sting, but this is easily tolerated by all of my patients.

How Many IPL Skin Care Treatments will I Need?

Usually 3 IPL skin care treatments are required spaced 4-5 weeks apart for the best results. Multiple treatments are the price for gentle treatments that are not painful and do not injure the skin.

Technically enough power can be used to remove the brown spot or blood vessel in one treatment, but this energy level would be painful, blister the skin and possibly leave a scar. This is what happened with old time laser treatments, and the new IPL is designed to remove pigment and blood vessels painlessly and with no trace or scar left behind. To accomplish this we need to stage the removal in 2-3 treatments 4-5 weeks apart. The results are well worth the wait.

How Soon after My Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment Will I See a Result?

Generally you will see the results of your IPL skin care treatment at 4-5 weeks. The brown spot will be lighter or gone and the red spot or blood vessel will be much smaller. Some patients with thin skin and very light pigment or small broken blood vessels will see complete removal after one treatment.

However most people see definite improvement 5 weeks after the IPL treatment and require 2 more treatments for complete removal.

How Many Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatments Will I Need?

If you have very fair thin skin with minimal sun damage and very light pigment or very tiny blood vessels you may only need one IPL treatment. However most people need 3 treatments scheduled 4-5 weeks apart for a complete result.

Who Should I Consult For My Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Skin Care Treatment?

The best IPL machines are found in a physician’s office. Less powerful IPL machines are allowed to be used in Spas, but results are not as effective with these downgraded machines. In my experience patients do not get the results that they want in a spa, and often come to my practice for repeat treatments with the LuxGreen IPL after having already spent money for IPL in a spa.

The other benefit of having your IPL treatment in a physician’s office is that you will be examined by a doctor who can properly diagnose your skin condition. Some brown lesions are dangerous and require medical evaluation and should not be treated with Intense Pulsed Light. If you have Rosacea or larger blood vessels on your face, a different therapy is required. These are medical treatments and should be done in a doctor’s office. Your skin will be evaluated for more serious skin conditions, and you will receive more effective Intense Pulsed Light skin care treatments.

How Do I Find a Good Doctor to Do My Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment?

Light based and laser non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments are best done by a doctor who is well trained and specializes in anti-aging skin treatments. Your safest bet is to seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist who has experience in laser and light based therapies such as Intense Pulsed Light.

I am of course prejudiced because I am a board certified plastic surgeon. However, a plastic surgeon is trained and capable of providing the full range of non-surgical and surgical skin anti-aging procedures and can customize your skin treatments to your unique face. Doctors who cannot provide all treatments are tempted to “fit your unique face” into the particular skin treatment they offer, and that is not the best situation for you.