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Banish Adult Acne With Dermalogica
If you have noticed a blemish or two, you are not alone. Acne affects around 50% of adults 20-40 years of age, which makes adult acne one of the most common diseases in the world.
If you have noticed a blemish or two, you are not alone. Acne affects around 50% of adults 20-40 years of age, which makes adult acne one of the most common diseases in the world.
People often try to treat acne by "de-oiling" and "drying" the skin with products that include harsh soaps, strong scrubs and mass-market medicated (drying) cosmetics. This approach to acne can cause intense drying of the skin, and provides only short-term benefits.
While drying out blemishes can make skin appear satisfactory for a few weeks, over-drying can cause oil glands to compensate by working harder, resulting in clogged pores and more "breakouts" a few weeks later. This often causes the user to resort back to drying products, which are causing the problem. In addition, treating adult acne harshly can create problems such as redness or broken capillaries.
When blemishes add to wrinkles, you should take a double caution when treating blemishes with conventional methods. Your best bet is to switch to the mildest possible skin care routine which is based on natural effective products that work with minimal irritation. Clearing and preventing breakouts is now possible without irritation and over-drying the skin.
No matter how vigorously we try to get rid of acne it always hits back, which is why acne-prone skin requires constant upkeep. We were lucky to come across a Dermalogica line which comprised of professional-strength products free of mineral oil, lanolin, SD alcohol, artificial colors and fragrances. Dermalogica also uses food-grade preservatives instead of commonly used harsh ones.
Dermalogica requires a serious approach, and the best way to benefit from this line is to give it a honest run for at least a month. Here is the Dermalogica lineup for adult acne-prone skin:
1. Cleansing: Dermal Clay Cleanser formulated with super-absorbent kaolin, menthol and watercress. Works wonders on t-zone, but not suitable for use around eyes.
2. Conditioning: Multi-Active Toner created with Aloe, Lavender, non-stingy Balm Mint and Arnica.
3. Moisturizing: Active Moist at night, Sheer Moisture at day.
Dermalogica creator L.A.-based Jane Wurwand believes that the skin should be cleansed with double lathering twice a day, and that a hydrating mist does skin more good than a thick layer of heavy moisturizer. We followed the advice, and by the end of the trial month we didn't get a usual array of blemishes, plus, the spots from the old ones were noticeably lighter.
None of the Dermalogica products, most of which were created back in 1986 and constantly improved since, are labeled according to certain skin types. Instead, Dermalogica dermatologists prescribe products based on Skin Mapping – a technique which defines 14 problem zones and assigns specific products for them. For instance, my face map revealed breakout activity where I would normally least expect it and assigned me not one but two conditioners for my problem areas – a light hydrating Multi-Active Toner and a spectacular Daily Microfoliant, a sushi-smelling rice-based powder packed with exfoliating enzymes and salicylic acid.
Adult skin, especially aging one, cannot be stripped of moisture, and Dermalogica products offer just the right amount of moisturizing. Active Moist – a lightweight oil-free lotion packed with silk amino acids, lavender essential oil and natural astringents such as lemon and burdock, - should be used at night, while Sheer Moisture with SPF15 should be used daily – even in winter to combat elements.
This winter Dermalogica launched a true Holy Grail moisturizer for drier skins and inhospitable weather conditions. Aptly called Super Rich Repair, this cream is formulated with palmitoyl tetrapeptides-3, palmitoyl oligopeptides and hyaluronic acid in the base of shea butter and evening primrose oil. Concentrated and naturally fragrant, Super Rich Repair cocoons dry dehydrated skin with protecting repairing emollient shield.
When it comes to treating adult problem skin, many dermatologists admit that when a product does not appeal to the person, he or she will never use it, no matter how effective it might be. Sleek, subtly fragrant, concentrated Dermalogica products will satisfy even the most adept metrosexual. Sadly thought, they are available only through trained skin therapists, but hey, at least you always have a chance to fine-tune your beauty regimen!
In Toronto Dermalogica skin care line is available at Stillwater Spa at Part Hyatt hotel and Glow Spa.
Source: http://toronto.fashion-monitor.com/news.php/beauty/2006010309acne_dermalogica
Adults fight acne
By Billy Watkins
Delecia Brown's caramel complexion used to be blemish free and smooth until five years ago when she gave birth to her daughter.
Now, at age 39, a time when most women begin thinking about controlling the onset of wrinkles, Brown is battling acne.
"I think it's a hormonal imbalance," said Brown of Jackson. "I have occasional breakouts. Some months are good. Some months are bad."
Brown said she's reverted back to the skin regimen she had as a teenager, including regularly washing her face with Noxema and using Ambi to fade blemishes.
"But I don't have wrinkles," she said with a giggle.
Acne was once thought to be in the same category as proms and pop quizzes — gone by the time a person reached adulthood. Unfortunately, that is not the case for more than 17 million Americans.
"Adults can get acne just like teenagers," says William Burrow II of Mississippi Dermatology Associates in Flowood. "And the cause is basically the same: Oil is being trapped in the skin; bacteria acts on the oil, breaks it down and causes irritation to the skin around the oil gland.
"Sometimes the oil breaks down on its own. Either way, it's the oil not draining properly that winds up being the main culprit."
Once acne is in full gear, it's hard to hide and usually sends patients scurrying for help.
"It's visual. It's right there, staring you in the face every day," says Timothy Quinn, a family physician in Jackson. "And I've found that motivation for skin treatment, at times, can be greater than the motivation for more serious medical conditions.
"If you can clear up a patient's skin, oh, my goodness, they love you."
Adds Burrow: "Acne can be terribly socially depressing. And there are some serious sides to acne. If left untreated, it can cause scars that are often permanent."
Other skin conditions can imitate acne, including folliculitis and perioral-dermatitis. That's why a family physician or a dermatologist should be consulted if it doesn't clear up quickly.
"Family physicians certainly aren't known to be skin specialists," Quinn says. "But part of the experience in a primary care physician's residency program contains dermatology training.
"But even if we can't diagnose the (skin) problem, we're usually able to get a patient in to see a dermatologist more quickly than they can on their own."
Acne battles a lot of myths. It has been said the skin disease is caused by having sex and can be cured simply by washing one's face. Neither is true.
"If acne could be cured by someone washing their face, I wouldn't have a job," Burrow says. "In fact, I de-emphasize a person washing their face, other than the normal bathing pattern. Usually, it does nothing but irritate the problem."
Adult acne is more prevalent in women than men, about two to one, Burrow says. "it's probably a hormonal thing," he says.
But the good news is modern medicine has provided an almost sure cure. Accutane, and several generic versions, "corrects a defect in the skin that has caused pores to block up," Burrow says.
Most patients are clear after "five to six months," Burrow says, "and about 70 percent have no more problem after that."
A month's supply of Accutane usually costs between $400 and $500, but "most insurances cover it," Burrow says. Patients generally take one or two pills a day.
Anyone pregnant or considering having a baby should not use the drug. "It's been known to cause birth defects," Burrow says, "We bend over backwards to make sure our patients know the risks."
African Americans with adult acne often face an additional problem: "The inflammation (caused by the acne) creates dark spots," Burrow says, "and sometimes that's more annoying to the patient than the acne itself.
"But there is a cure for that, too. We first have to stop what's causing the acne, then we use chemicals that have a bleaching effect on the skin and help remove the spots."
Source: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060117/HEALTH/601170341
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