Acne Prevention Pt 3 - The extreme

You have done it all. Nothing...I mean NOTHING you have tried has helped. You are simply covered in acne or they are so huge you are scared and they hurt. Now it is time to get down right serious. Most will try to seek out a Chemical peel of some sort, a heavy form of exfoliation. However, it isn't recommend for those with very aggressive acne. Remember the options I am informing you about here are for those with extreme cases. PLEASE BE WARNED THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME. If you have a weak stomach then refrain from viewing. All images within this section are of aggressive acne.

- Call in the dermatologist. Some need to visit a dermatologist and have serious extractions done because their face looks PEPPERED with blackheads.

 - Most of the time PATIENTS will be put on a medicine like Tretinoin (Retin A) or Isotretinoin (Accutane) which is the acidic form of Vitamin A. (By the way Retin A can be used for other things too other than Acne.) It does thin the skin however and so these people will be very sensitive and told to stay out of the sun, to not sun tan, nothing abrasive on the skin what-so-ever, steaming or extractions is a no-no. It is because redness happens, it's very very drying, and you get sensitive. Waxing is another Huge No-no for people on this medication ( which is a cream or a gel ). The stuff is so strong that those who wish to become pregnant have to come off of it. They should be off of it for a minimum of one month before trying to become pregnant and stay off of it during their pregnancy. It is known to give birth defects. To know more please check out this link HERE . There is also the worry of both premature aging (the drying will cause serious dehydration which will cause wrinkles prematurely) and the more serious of the bunch...skin cancer (due to the thinning of the skin and exposure to sunlight). So it can cure one problem only to leave you with others. Some might read this and go: Why would anyone ever risk it?
If you have spent years with painful or disfiguring acne... it might be worth it to you.

- ACNE for some, can get so huge that injections of Cortizone is needed to be given in order to destroy it.  For some, acne can be utterly disfiguring and leave horrible scars. All of this is beyond any esthetician's aid. At this point We esthetician's will/should turn you over to a dermatologist. To read more on Cortizone injections please click HERE .

- When it comes to dealing with acne scars...that depends on the severity of the scars and which type of scars the individual has that will determine the solutions. From localized surgery to dermabrasions. Not Microdermabraison (non-surgical)...dermabrasion...the complete buffing of the first upper to mid layers of your face! Oooh yes. If you are that curious...by all means...to youtube you can go! Now a days they have the option to do such procedures via laser as well. It is still invasive and there will be down time.

 Those are the most popular types of treatments, off the top of my head, that people with severe acne will have. I feel incredibly bad for anyone with acne this bad or worse. My heart goes out to them truly.

Test your Brain

How much do you think you know about acne? Were you listening? Ready to take a true or false quiz? Click the link below and find out!

ACNE QUIZ

Phew! How was that for make up posts!? Lol. I hope you have all learned so much by now! By the time you are ready to get into make-up you will all have lovely canvases to work with! Remember that when dealing with acne to have patience. Remember to be loving and gentle to your skin, your face. Remember my analogy: Your face is like a tomato, soft and delicate so treat it as such.

Next we will get into proper products for the oily skin type! Finally right? The part you are desperately wanting to hear about? Well it is coming up next. If you have any questions don't hesitate to leave a comment. Or if you just want to talk, share, leave a comment! Show some love and subscribe.

Until next time...Enjoy life, Love, liberty, and always yourself.
 

Acne Prevention Pt 2 - The next level

With the basic acne prevention aside (though rest assured very helpful and should be used in conjunction with the type of skin care you use and or other methods of acne prevention) let us move further, beyond that.

THE NEXT LEVEL

You are faithful to all of the basic advice given and have given your skin a month to adjust and still...still you are having Acne troubles. However, you are not ready to set foot into a dermatologist office because frankly, it scares you. Surely...there has to be something else?! Right?...actually yes. There is. At this stage we take the level of seriousness up a small notch. At this stage you seek out a little more expertise. Now you are ready to speak to an esthetician. What can we do for you? We can offer you non invasive procedures. Meaning no injections, medications topical or other wise, we are not going to buff your face off or make you bleed.

1) We estheticians can perform extractions the proper way! With proper products to help.
2) We can offer you red and blue light therapy! To learn more check out this link HERE .
3) We can offer you high frequency. High frequency emits a current known as the Galvanic current via glass electrodes that pass into the skin. You can see Ozone gases, Argon and Neon, in the glass electrodes in Purple and Orange colors! High frequency helps to kill harmful bacteria, stimulate circulation and helps product penetration. It closes the pores after extractions and for those with normal skin type it tones and tightens the skin as well as stimulates natural collagen production. It is truly the best suggestion I can make for those with acne. Amazing results can be achieved with a few sessions of 3-5 minutes on this machine.

Contraindication for this machine are: High blood pressure, Metalic implants, Pregnancy, Pacemaker, Seizures.

So...how can you get a piece of this amazing machine? Find yourself a good spa that offers the high frequency machine as a part of their facials. Simple as that. Most places will have specific facials for treating Acne. When the above fails (combined with the proper products for oily or dehydrated skin) or if your acne is HUGE, I would seek out the care of a reputable dermatologist.

Having said that...I mean it. I have had a woman in my chair before who said she went to a dermatologist who just threw her on Accutane! She said that he didn't even examine her skin. When in my chair I determined, in my best, non-medical expertise, that she had incredibly dehydrated skin. She had been using all products for oily skin (very drying). So you see...you have to keep in mind that just because people wear a shiny badge...it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Don't just take my word for it either! Think. Research. Get a second and third opinion before making a final decision such as going on medications or partaking in dramatic procedures. You will know which is the right answer for you when you find it. Trust in your instincts a little. Okay?

Other Treatments

Many skin care lines offer other procedures like peels, masks, and other results driven options that are non-invasive, non-surgical. G.M. Collins offers a lot of good ones and many of them can be altered for the skin type. Example the Algomask can have products from their Puracne Oxygen line switched into it. Their dermal renewal peel can help, and they have many others. It is something to look into. Something to consider if you feel you need more advanced treatments but don't wish to be thrown onto medications as serious as accutaine/ Retin A. The point is to inform you that you DO have lots of options for your acenic concerns.

Also consider stepping up the seriousness of your products. You might wish to look into Gm. Collins or even skinceuticals as that skin care line can be found mostly in clinical settings.

Conclusion

In part three of Acne Prevention we will take a look at those with extreme acne and a few of the things that can be done about it.

Acne Prevention Pt 1 - The Basics (updated 12/7/13)

Acne Prevention

I am sure this is the stuff you REALLY want to know! Your in luck. I am going to help you even further. I am going to start with the smallest of things ( that can make a HUGE difference ) and go on up to the more expensive procedures or crazy ones.  So, let us talk about mild to normal Acne. There are some basic tips that most of you probably wouldn't think to do. The things listed below are things that we as esthetician's or anyone for that matter, can suggest to you to try. Consider the following:

Have you tried:

1) Make sure your pillow cases are frequently washed! Your face lies on them every night. You deposit oil and skin cells, maybe perspire in the night! Failure to do so...well it's bacteria that will transfer right back onto your skin.

2) Ladies...throw out your makeup sponges and replace them! Once again you dab at your face mixing foundation and oil onto your sponge. It sits exposed to the air, bacteria grows and then the next time you go to use it...BAM. Direct transfer.

Wash your make up brushes or use disposables! You can use a nice mild soap and water. Make sure your brushes are left to hang over the skins edge to drain. Failure to do so could ruin your brushes. You can spray them with 70% rubbing alcohol to aid in the disinfecting process. There are actual "Make up brush cleansers" you can purchase too if you prefer.

3) Lay off the chocolate? Wuuut!? You kidding? Chocolate and soda doesn't cause acne. Acne is produced from your Sebum glands. What you eat doesn't effect your face. However, detoxing can. Therefore...dark chocolate (70% and over) has some great detoxing properties! In fact drinking or eating detoxifying fruits is good for EVERYONE and benefits your entire body!

4) Swim! chlorine is drying and is known to keep off the acne in people with oily skin. Just remember that you will still need to moisturize! You can purchase moisturizers geared to oily skin! These will be oily free and very light weight.

5) TONER! If it is one thing that I could recommend everyone to get into the habit of using is a toner. A toner not only removes left over cleansers but it balances the skins PH (Acidic levels). This helps your skin to stay clear and balanced, fresh and it feels amazing! It helps to clear the skin of free radicals and you can get ones that help to brighten up the skin! ( Prevents dull skin ).

6) Wash and moisturize your face with the right products. This is so crucial. Why the right products? Because using products geared towards say a dry skin on an oily skin type is going to aggravate it more.

7) Ladies, wear the right makeup for you skin! You will be so surprised that choosing and wearing makeup is actually hard. I will explain more on that later as well.

8 ) Wash off all make up, hair spray, gels, pomades, at the end of your day! Also for those with long hair don't let it get oily. It will transfer onto you face and give you acne (by means of bacteria transfer). Not only is washing off your makeup important to preventing acne but it's important to prevent premature aging!

9) Avoid stress and drink lots of water! Avoiding stress...well it's ridiculous right? To an extent yes. I mean if there is something that happens in your life try to stop and think: Is this even worth it for me to get all worked up over? That is what is meant by "avoiding" it. Drinking lots of water is also another form of detoxing the body and the skin! Be careful to not over do the water thing though. You can get quite sick and even die from too much water consumption. Just saying, don't go crazy with the cheese whiz ya know? One of the biggest things I want to mention here: ONLY 3% OF THE WATER YOU INTAKE GOES TO YOUR SKIN. So do not think: "Oh I couldn't have oily/dehydrated skin...I drink tons of water" because you so can and many do.

10) Avoid touching or suffocating your face. Either by your hands, or doing what i do, sitting on your chin while typing to her friends on Fb, Skype and such >.>

In part two we will get into slightly more serious methods of Acne treatments. But until then check out this product from Dermalogica.

Precleanse encapsulates oil prepping it for much better removal. Your cleanser can then reach the follicles and pores to remove trapped debris and pollution. Think of it as double cleansing your hair at the salon. You get the best, deepest cleanse. Preclease is soft enough for all skin types but is the most beneficial for those with oily skin.