Skin care and beauty site

Posts Tagged ‘skin care’

Plastic surgery has become massively popular with television shows and celebrities getting improvements right and left. You might be wondering about plastic surgery, specifically where it came from.
Plastic Surgery Through the Ages
To start off, plastic surgery is term used to describe a surgical procedure to modify a normal part of your body for an aesthetic purpose. It is almost always a voluntary surgery and should not be confused with reconstructive surgery which is usually undertaken to fix an abnormal part of the body caused by disease, trauma and so on.
The term plastic surgery has nothing to do with the material known as plastic. Instead, it derives from the Greek language, much as many modern medical terms do. Plastikos means to mold or shape something in Greek, which roughly translates plastic surgery as meaning a molding surgery. If you think about it, this is a very exact terminology since it is exactly what happens.
Plastic surgery is, to the surprise of many, not a modern medical procedure. While techniques are certainly advanced these days, the basic surgical premise is known to have existed since the eight century BC. Susrutha, an Indian surgeon, was known to undertake skin grafts during this period. He was also known to do nose reconstruction, which may sound odd until you realize nose amputation was a common penalty for certain crimes during that period. Ouch!
As seems to be the case with any discussion of the ancient past, the Romans also made advances in plastic surgery. They were known to perform plastic surgery to repair defects of the ear, or at least perceived defects.
Throughout the centuries, plastic surgery existed but was less common. It was not until the last two centuries that it started to gain in both popularity and occurrence. John P. Mettauer is generally considered the first plastic surgeon in the United States, and practiced in the 1820 to 1840s. He was renowned for designing his own instruments, many which form the basis of modern surgical instruments associated with plastic surgery.
Although plastic surgery has always had a place in the medical profession, its position as a popular procedure is relatively recent.

Over 70% of teens say that acne has affected them in a negative way. An estimated 20 million teens suffer from acne, but even the fact that they’re not alone doesn’t ease the pain they feel. Teens are embarrassed at a time when they are unsure of themselves. They may become depressed and withdrawn. Acne is especially hard on teenage girls. At a time when they’re noticing boys, and visa versa, acne can be devastating. They’re surrounded by visions of beauty all around them on TV, in movies, in magazines and on line. We live in a society that worships youth and beauty.

Over 70% of teens say that acne has affected them in a negative way. An estimated 20 million teens suffer from acne, but even the fact that they’re not alone doesn’t ease the pain they feel. Teens are embarrassed at a time when they are unsure of themselves. They may become depressed and withdrawn. Acne is especially hard on teenage girls. At a time when they’re noticing boys, and visa versa, acne can be devastating. They’re surrounded by visions of beauty all around them on TV, in movies, in magazines and on line. We live in a society that worships youth and beauty.
Parents can help their teenage girls through this time by offering a supportive and sympathetic ear. Parents should help the child focus on all their positive attributes, which will help to strengthen the child’s self esteem. The parents need to be actively involved with helping their child find the best possible cure for their particular form of acne.
Parents should also educate themselves about acne causes and treatments. Thirty years ago it was thought that acne was caused by eating the wrong foods. Chocolate and potatoe chips were culprit. It’s now known that this isn’t true. Food is not thought to play a large role in acne. It also has nothing to do with cleanliness of the skin.
What is fact is that acne in teenagers is caused by the action of hormones on the skin’s oil glands. During puberty both boys and girls have an increase in the hormones called androgens. These hormones cause sebaceous glands under the surface of the skin to enlarge. The sebaceous glands in response produce excess oil. This excess oil mixes with bacteria and dead skin on the skin’s surface and blocks pores. Inside these pores the bacteria multiple and cause inflammation.
Most cases of light to moderate acne can be treated by over the counter medications. There are many to choose from. Some find that benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid works well. Benzoyl peroxide is known to readily kill acne bacteria. Benzoyl peroxide can be found in cleansers and in spot treatments. Benzoyl peroxide is very drying and can make your face look even more irritated, especially when you first start washing with it. Many acne suffers use a moisturizer on their face after washing. There are many moisturizers available that are specifically designed to help with acne such as Cetaphil, Eucerin, and Neutrogena.
Severe acne, or acne that has not responded well to over the counter products, can be successfully treated with the knowledge and expertise of a dermatologist. A dermatologist will consider many things before suggesting treatment. He will perform a thorough evaluation of the patient, considering things such as severity of acne, patient age, lifestyle, and co-existing conditions. The dermatologist then may suggest a combination of two or three different therapies for best treatment.
Whatever one of the literally hundreds of treatments you decide to choose, or if you seek the help of a dermatologist, remember that acne takes time to disappear. Overnight or miraculous results don’t happen. It takes six to eight weeks to see results from treatment. Unfortunately, in a teenage girl’s life six to eight weeks can feel like a lifetime.

Caring for your skin is important for good health and beauty, but especially so if you are prone to acne. One of the best ways to keep acne under control is to maintain your skin’s health as much as possible. This means keeping the skin clean and protecting it from damage from sunshine and harsh cosmetics.

Caring for your skin is important for good health and beauty, but especially so if you are prone to acne. One of the best ways to keep acne under control is to maintain your skin’s health as much as possible. This means keeping the skin clean and protecting it from damage from sunshine and harsh cosmetics.
Cleansing Your Skin
Wash your face twice a day with a gentle soap or special acne skin cleanser, using a gentle, circular motion of the fingertips. Do not scrub, since this can aggravate acne. Moisten the face with warm water, then apply cleanser from the hairline to the neck. Rinse with lots of water and pat dry with a soft towel. Those with especially oily skin may need to use an astringent, but it must be alcohol-free, and used with care. Apply it only to the oiliest parts of the face and discontinue use immediately if your skin becomes irritated. If you feel you need an astringent, you may need to see a dermatologist instead.
Hair care is also important — shampoo twice a week to as often as daily, keeping the shampoo away from your face as much as possible.
Protect Your Skin From The Sun
A suntan may dry your skin, making the acne less noticeable, but this is only temporary. As your skin becomes accustomed to sun exposure, the acne will flare up again. Meanwhile you are risking skin damage that can cause premature aging and skin cancer. Many medications that treat acne cause the skin to become more sensitive to sunlight and more vulnerable to burning. Whatever the weather, you should wear sunscreen on your face and any other exposed skin when outdoors. Choose Makeup With Care
The best choice for good acne skin care is to wear no makeup at all. But if you feel you must wear makeup, choose products labeled noncomedogenic — that means they will not clog your pores. Be aware that these products may still cause acne in some people. Above all, avoid makeup with an oil base. Read the labels carefully and use sparingly.
Shaving
Try both electric razors and safety razors to see which causes the least irritation to skin blemishes. Always use a sharp blade in a safety razor — change the blade every 2 or 3 shaves. You may have to shave around blemishes to avoid cutting them. Be sure to soften the beard as much as possible with warm water and shaving cream before starting. If your skin is covered with blemishes, perhaps it is best to skip shaving that day.
No Touching
As tempting as it may be to squeeze pimples, don’t! That invites more trouble by spreading the bacteria which cause pimples. It can also lead to permanent scarring.
Try to avoid touching your face as much as possible because the hands carry dirt, oil and germs.
Rest assured that acne can be brought under control. Medications will go a long way toward clearing your skin of acne. Your job is to help the healing process along as much as possible by taking good care of your skin.

Serious skin care is all about maintaining a glowing and healthy skin throughout your life. As you get old, the body’s natural skin care mechanisms get weak. Thus, you need to learn about the changing needs of your skin. You should regularly evaluate, analyze and change your skin care routines based on many things like the environment, your age and changes in your skin type.
You should be aware of more and more facts being brought up everyday with technological research. You should be open to try new products coming in the market. However, we recommend you to use a new product over a small are of skin (not on face) first, to check how your skin reacts to the new product.
You should follow some good practices like applying the moisturizer while the skin is damp, removing the makeup before you go to bed, using upward strokes for better penetration of products, using correct amount of makeup, cleansing before moisturizing, etc.
Take some precautions like to avoid any contact with detergents and make sure to be gentle with your skin. Do not over-exfoliate your skin and never use any low grade products or products containing strong chemicals.
Don’t forget to visit a dermatologist in case of any skin disorder. Never ignore the skin disorders as they may lead to permanent damage to your skin. Thus, if condition doesn’t improve with over the counter medication, immediately see a dermatologist. Never squeeze acne/blackheads.
Thus, serious skin care is more about taking proper precautions and preventive measures as you must have heard, “Prevention is better than cure.” You should be proactive about the needs of your skin so that the need for being reactive is almost zero.
<a href=”http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/skin-care.htm”>Informative articles on skin care</a>

What is Acne?

Acne is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Some of the characteristics of acne include black heads, pimples, cysts, infected abscesses, and rarely scarring. Acne usually occurs during adolescence in both men and women. To be more specific, acne starts during puberty and tends to get worse for people with oily skin. Acne badly affects teenage boys. Only mild to moderate forms of acne occur in middle-aged women. Acne can be seen most commonly on the face. The other places where it can occur include the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms and legs. Most forms of acne are the result of heredity and hormonal problems and has nothing to do with a harmful diet or poor hygiene.

Types of acne

Acne starts in a similar way for all but can take different forms and can react in a unique way according to the body conditions of the individual. A basic lesion called the comedo is the begining of acne. The comedo is an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria residing under the surface of your skin, that waits for the right conditions to grow into an inflamed lesion. Whenever the skin produces more oil, the bacteria grows within the swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells fight against the intruders. Two main types of acne include non-inflammatory acne and inflammatory acne.

Non-inflammatory acne

Closed comedo:

If the plugged follicle stays below the surface of the skin, the lesion is called a closed comedo. This usually appears on the skin as small, whitish bumps. This condition is otherwise called as whitehead.

Open comedo :

If the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin, the lesion is called an open comedo. The dark appearance of the plug is not due to dirt, but due to the buildup of melanin, the pigmentation element of the skin. This condition is otherwise called as blackhead.

Inflammatory acne

Papule:

This appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. The papules are tender in nature and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory lesions.

Pustule:

These are small round lesions that are inflamed and contain visible pus, which appear red at the base with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not contain a large amount of bacteria. The inflammation is caused by chemical irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids.

Cyst:

These are large pus-filled lesions that are usually present deep within the skin. The cysts are very painful lesions, as they are inflamed. Cysts form as a result of the contents of a comedo spilling over the surrounding skin and due to the response of the local immune system in producing pus. The cysts often leave deep scars.

Acne conglobata:

This is a rare but serious form of inflammatory acne that develops primarily on the back, buttocks, and chest. In addition, to the presence of pustules and cysts, there may be severe bacterial infection.

Symptoms

The common symptoms of acne include persistent, recurrent red spots or swellings on the skin known as pimples. The pimples become inflamed and get filled with pus. The pimples usually occur on the face, chest, shoulders, neck, or upper portion of the back. Some of the other symptoms include dark spots with open pores at the center, which are known as blackheads, bulged spots under the skin without openings, which are known as whiteheads, and red swellings or lumps filled with pus, which are known as pustules. The pustules can develop from blackheads or whiteheads. Inflamed fluid-filled lumps under the skin known as cysts are also a symptom of acne. These cysts can become as large as an inch across.