:Clear Skin Blog

You may never have heard the term before, but pityriasis is a common skin disease that generally appears as small, oval-shaped rashes under the skin. These rashes can differ in appearance, but are usually a pale red color for those with light skin, and are most commonly experienced by teenagers and young adults. The disease is often misdiagnosed as ringworm.

Pityriasis occurs in a distinctive pattern. A single rash usually occurs first (referred to as the “herald patch”), which is then followed within a few weeks by a clusters of new patches that typically form a pattern resembling the outline of an evergreen tree. Thankfully, the rashes usually heal on their own within about 6 weeks, although they can occasionally last for several months.

Pityriasis has two forms. In the milder pityriasis rosea form, the rashes do not exhibit much itchiness or pain and are mainly just a superficial annoyance. However, in the case of pityriasis lichenoides, there may be considerable itchiness and scaling. Occasionally other symptoms such as lack of energy or aches and pains may occur. For those with more severe symptoms, it’s recommended that the patient undergoes medical tests, as pityriasis lichenoides may suggest one has an autoimmune disorder such as HIV.

The cause of pityriasis is unknown, but thought to be viral. You’ll want to keep your immune system in top shape by making sure your daily vitamin intake is adequate. While pityriasis will generally heal on its own, over-exposure to high temperatures may make the condition worsen or last longer. To best speed recovery, you’ll want to avoid excess sun exposure or taking long, hot showers.

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When judging how long you should wait before quitting an internal acne treatment, things can get a bit more complicated, as factors such as your metabolism and body size can effect the treatment. Internal treatments also tend to rely on a great many more active ingredients, and thus can work in a greater variety of ways (or at least attempt to).

I’m not going to cover prescription internal treatments here, and instead focus on the natural acne supplements that are now widely available on the internet. The four main categories are vitamin antioxidants, herbal antioxidants, oil reducers and homeopathic treatments.

I’ll tell you right off the bat that most homeopathic treatments are a waste of time. Homeopathic medicine attempts to cure illnesses by using small amounts of the very ingredients that cause the illness (”fight poison with poison”). There is basically no medical evidence for the success of these treatments, and the amount of homeopathic ingredients used is often too small to make any difference. However, a treatment that calls itself homeopathic may still work if it includes other, more traditional side ingredients. Keep this in mind that many internal treatments will combine a bit of everything, often from all four categories described above.

Both vitamin and herbal antioxidants basically attempt to cure acne in the same fashion: by killing the toxins and bacteria that can build up in your skin cells and pores. Antioxidant treatments tend to be ineffective against moderate-to-severe acne, but may occasionally help in mild cases. With vitamin antioxidants the pathway to treatment is more direct, as the ingredient itself is often absorbed into the bloodstream and plays a direct role in fighting off toxins, both in your skin cells and elsewhere. As such, in most cases you should be able to see noticeable results within 6 weeks, provided that you’re taking an adequate dosage. To maximize your chances of success, it’s often best to take more than the recommended average dosage when starting out. The producers of these products generally expect people to do this, and so the formulas are usually safe at many times the recommended dose. If a treatment contains large amounts of heavy minerals (such as zinc) however, you should probably be more cautious.

Herbal treatments may work in more round-about ways, as their ingredients can need more processing within the body before being ready for use. This can make it difficult to determine a time frame. Many herbs still have had very few medical studies performed on them, and so determining exactly what effects they may have is also difficult. With herbal pills, you shouldn’t give them much longer than vitamins (again, provided you’re taking an adequate dosage). With other herbal remedies though (such as teas), giving them at least 2 months can be a good decision. This can also be easier on you, as drinking green tea for instance is probably easier that downing 6-10 pills a day.

With both vitamin and herbal antioxidant treatments, even if these treatments are not enough alone to tackle your acne, they may still help in small daily doses when taken in addition to another treatment. If you know your diet lacks certain vitamins for instance, supplementing these is generally a good idea.

Treatments that generally work best are those that include heavy amounts of just one or two key ingredients. Internal acne treatments that throw in a little bit of everything are like a grab bag in which the seller is trying to cure acne from every possible angle, but ends up including such weak amounts of each ingredient that none of them are effective at all in the end. If the ingredient list is a mile long, it’s probably a waste of money. This is one of the strengths of oil reducers, in that they tend to rely specifically on a single proven ingredient. These usually take the form of vitamin B5 acne treatments, although derivatives such as pantethine also exist. Vitamin B5 does not work directly as some antioxidants do - as it’s not the B5 that aids in skin oil metabolism, it’s the coenzyme-A that is created using the B5. This factor, in addition to other round-about ways that B5 works (for instance, deriving P. acnes bacteria of their food supply), mean that you’re best off giving B5 treatments at least 2 months before making a definitive call. Although I sell vitamin B5 acne products, I’ll be the first to admit that they don’t work for everyone, and although a small percent do see results after the 2 month mark, in most cases there’s no sense wasting your money if haven’t noticed any improvement by that time.

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Hardly anyone is lucky enough to pick up their first acne product and experience lasting clear skin. Unfortunately, it’s usually a long story of trying one treatment after another, with too many acne sufferers ending up either settling for mediocre results (the “it’s better than nothing” mentality) or giving up altogether on finding an acne treatment that works for them. Finding the best treatment can feel like a catch-22, as you don’t want to quit a new treatment before it gets a chance to work, but you also don’t want to waste money when a product isn’t giving results. I’m going to stick to topical acne treatments for today’s post.

There’s no hard rule about how long you should give an acne treatment to work, but there are time averages that will prove true for most people.

Topical acne products are the treatments you apply right to your skin. They tend to be helpful for eliminating current acne blemishes, but provide little in the way of prevention. The easiest topical products to judge are spot treatments, as they either work or they don’t, and you’ll usually know within days. Strong spot treatments should be able to diminish blemishes within 24 hours. It’s always wise to test them for a few days though. Even if you see improvement, it’s sometimes hard to tell whether this change is actually thanks to the product or not (placebo effect). Try a spot treatment for 4 days to a week. If you’re not confident it’s consistently having an effect on the spots you apply it to, don’t waste any more money.

Other topical products, such as creams and cleansers that are meant to be applied all over the skin rather than simply on acne spots, may take a little longer to judge. Here’s the key: If a product gives no irritation, you should be able to judge whether it helps or not within 3 weeks. If you experience light irritation, stick with it for at least 6 weeks. This is because some chemicals may require time for your skin to adjust to them. Light irritation will usually go away after a short time, and it is after this when you can really judge the effectiveness of these products (you may have to endure an initial breakout). If a product is strongly irritating your skin, you probably shouldn’t be using it all. Overly strong products can do real damage to your skin that’s simply not worth it for any temporary benefits they may bring. If your skin cells are frequently inflamed, you’re going to be more prone to new acne outbreaks.

Ingredients are important, but the fact is that skin sensitivity is not universal. Some people will find benzoyl peroxide more abrasive than salicylic acid, while others will find the opposite. As such, go with (and learn from) your own skin’s reaction. Always make sure to follow all instructions for applying a new treatment. You’re only cheating yourself if you skip days and don’t apply a product as directed. With any acne treatment, it’s especially important that your daily regimen is consistent during those first few weeks. Also, don’t be fooled by topical treatments that keep telling you to wait another month. It’s not like you’ll be absorbing considerable vitamins and minerals via your skin. These products smear on, and 99% of their ingredients are washed off when you rinse. As their benefit seldom extends beyond the time they are applied, you shouldn’t need to wait months hoping for a miracle. On the other hand, some internal acne treatments may work in this manner, but I’ll save those for next time.

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No one like acne scars, but there’s a difference between sound advice and plain old paranoia. Reading some of the tips out there to avoid acne scars, a number of them seem to fall into the later category.

When I say acne scars, I’m talking about real scars - the kind that stay with you. An acne blemish that leaves a red mark for 1-2 weeks isn’t really a scar. Scars are the scrapes and craters that can stay with for years, or even permanently. Chances are you’ve seen a few adults with scars left over from earlier bouts with acne, this is the type of damage that you need to be aware can happen if you’re not smart with how you treat your skin.

Let’s get this out of the way: moderate, non-cystic acne is unlikely to cause scars. Acne pustules that form close to the surface of your skin tend to leave only superficial blemishes that heal quickly. Basically, if it doesn’t take much effort to pop a zit, it’s usually not something you’ll regret later. It’s those zits that aren’t easily popped which are the ones you should really leave alone.

Unlike some may warn, simply “touching your face” or even picking at minor zits is not going to “invite acne scars”. Picking at your zits is never smart, but if the white pustule of an acne spot is directly near the surface of the skin, looking like it’s about to pop itself, there is nothing wrong with popping it. Allowing for the pore to be washed out and sterilized immediately may actually be preferable to waiting for the pustule to burst or be broken down on its own.

What does cause acne scars? Attacking acne blemished prematurely, especially deep cysts. Some acne sufferers have a sort of complex in which they search over their face, feeling for the faintly painful bumps which indicate new cysts, and try to pinch at these as soon as they find them. This is just about the worst thing you can do. The fact is, most cysts will actually go away with little effort if left alone and not irritated. Trying to force these cysts out tends to inflame the region and make the acne blemish both more noticeable and longer lasting.

Do not try and nip your zits in the bud.

If you’re going to eliminate acne spots “manually”, so to speak, the opposite is the safest route - wait until they are matured and have risen to the surface. This will also ensure less inflammation, which means your zits will be likely to be seen. Occasionally, you may find a stubborn cyst that sits just a little too deep in your skin to pop in the usual manner and refuses to go away on its own. These cysts can cause a real threat, as when a pustule has hardened and your body is not having success metabolizing it, it may leave a crater when it finally bursts out. In these cases the pore itself is far too narrow to allow the pustule passage, and a “crater” is formed as the channel of the pore actually rips at the seams to allow the large object through. In emergencies like this, the safest thing is sometimes to create a passage yourself for the pustule to exit. You can do this by using a sterilized needle and (as gently as possible) puncturing through to the pustule. If there is an exit available, a real scar is unlikely to occur. Please note that this should be done with extreme care, and if these occurrences are frequent you should seek out a dermatologist.

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Sorry if updates have been a little slow the last few weeks. I’ve been hard at work on my latest site, GameVideoReviews.com. Over the years I’ve been maintaining the Clear Skin Blog, I’ve occasionally allowed myself to get off-topic and blog about random video game goodness. Vitamins and clear skin aren’t my only interests, after all

Despite my mysterious athletic physique, I’ve been quite the video game nerd for a long time, and have always considered launching a gaming site myself. The time finally seemed right, as I think the niche of providing video reviews is underserved and ripe for newcomers. Obviously, I don’t intend or expect to compete with the big players such as GameSpot or IGN, but it would be fun to create a dedicated online community for fan-made video reviews. Game Video Reviews aims to do just that (if you couldn’t tell by the URL). It’s kind of a YouTube for game reviews.

If you have any interest in video games, check GVR out. I just launched it less than 2 weeks ago and so the site is basically undiscovered right now, but I’ve already made a few game video reviews and will no doubt be adding more every week. Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping up blogging about clear skin as well, and of course this won’t affect the business of Acne-Vitamins.com. Just a fun distraction that it would be cool to see catch on.

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Aloe is one of the oldest known skin care treatments, and remains popular today for its moisturizing qualities and anti-bacterial effects. While aloe is not generally used as a main active ingredient in acne treatments, it’s a very common included in treatments to balance out more harsh ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, providing soothing relief from the often drying effects of typical acne-fighting agents.

However, what’s not quite as common is aloe’s use as a health drink. Rich in anti-oxidant vitamins and amino acids, aloe makes for a very healthy beverage, and thanks to the modern health food craze is becoming easier to find and enjoy. Like any aloe product, aloe vera juice is produced from the leaf of the aloe plant. The leaves are cut to produce a golden sap that is beneficial both as a topical treatment and when taken internally. If not overly diluted, even over-the-counter aloe vera juice is helpful as a topical cleanser! The juice has a citrus taste and is packed with vitamins that are needed by acne sufferers, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E. On top of this, it aids the production of collagen, which helps firm up your skin cells and protect them from damage.

Aloe vera juice is also known to aid digestion as a herbal bitter. When no sulfites or water are added, the juice contains a pH range of 4.7-5.2, promoting a healthy digestive tract. This aids acne sufferers, as keeping your digestive tract in top shape ensures that your body is able to absorb and convert all the essential vitamins and minerals you need. Aloe has also been shown to soothe digestive tract irritations such as ulcers, colitus and IBS, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

As one of the oldest-known skin care treatments, aloe vera’s benefits are well established. Adding aloe vera juice to your diet is clearly a great option if you’re looking for a healthy new beverage to help promote clear skin. It certainly helps that it can now be found at many grocery stores. Aloe vera juice naturally has a golden shade, but can often be found packaged in a green bottle. It’s helpful for generally promoting clear skin at any time, but drink it right before meals for best results as a digestive aid.

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