Puedo prevenir el acné

Puedo prevenir el acné




Puedo prevenir el acné

¿Cuáles son las causas del acné

A diferencia de lo que puedes haber escuchado, el acné no es consecuencia de la piel sucia. El acné es causado por la actividad excesiva de las glándulas sebáceas en la piel y por la acumulación de grasitud, células muertas de la piel y bacterias, lo que produce la inflamación de los poros.
Las glándulas sebáceas son estimuladas por las hormonas que se vuelven activas durante la pubertad, motivo por el cual los adolescentes son propensos a tener acné. Debido a que la tendencia al acné es en parte genética, si otras personas de tu familia tuvieron (o tienen) acné, es probable que tu también lo tengas.
Si bien no hay una manera segura de prevenir el acné, estos consejos pueden ayudarte a reducir la cantidad y la gravedad de las erupciones:

• Lavar la piel es esencial (ya que ayuda a quitar el exceso de grasitud de la superficie y las células de la piel muertas que pueden bloquear los poros), pero la limpieza excesiva puede causar daños como resecar la piel o irritar el acné existente.
• Recuerda lavarte después de hacer ejercicio para evitar que el sudor bloquee los poros y empeore el acné. Si trabajas en lugares donde hay alimentos grasosos o aceite, o si has sudado debido al calor o porque has estado trabajando duro, lávate la cara y otras áreas propensas al acné tan pronto como sea posible.
• Si usas productos para la piel como lociones o maquillaje, busca aquellos que sean no comedogénicos o no acnegénicos, es decir, aquellos que no bloquean los poros.
• Si no puedes prescindir de la laca o del gel modelador para el cabello, asegúrate de aplicarlos lo más lejos posible de la cara. Muchos productos para el cabello contienen aceites que pueden empeorar el acné. Trata de usar productos a base de agua.
• Si tienes acné en zonas como el pecho o la espalda, evita la ropa ajustada, ya que puede rozar la piel y causar irritación

Tratamientos

Para algunas personas, los productos de venta libre son suficientes para combatir el acné. Puede que tome tiempo encontrar el mejor producto: es posible que algunos no funcionen y otros podrían causar irritación. Los productos de venta libre tienen distintas intensidades. El principio activo más popular y efectivo contra el acné es el peróxido de benzoilo. El ácido salicílico es otro principio activo que puede ayudar a secar los granos.
Si los productos de venta libre no funcionan, lo mejor es consultar a un médico. Este puede prescribir geles o cremas especiales, píldoras o una combinación de ambos. Puede resultar incómodo o vergonzoso hablar con otra persona acerca del acné, pero el médico está capacitado para ayudarte a que tu piel luzca lo mejor posible.
¿Qué sucede con los granos que ya tienes? Por más que resulte tentador, reventar o apretar los granos no es la solución del problema. De hecho, esto puede diseminar el material infectado y el pus en el resto de la piel, causar más hinchazón y enrojecimiento (y esto no es lo que buscas justo antes de una cita), e incluso dejar cicatrices permanentes.
Si estás tomando un medicamento recetado contra el acné, debes terminar el tratamiento aun si tu piel mejora, a menos que el dermatólogo indique que puedes abandonarlo. Si abandonas el tratamiento prematuramente, existe la posibilidad de que tu piel vuelva a llenarse de granos.
Una alimentación nutritiva puede ayudarte a estar saludable, y tu piel se beneficiará de la incorporación de vitaminas y minerales. Pero lo más importante es que no debes obsesionarte con lo que comes o con cuánta frecuencia te lavas la cara para controlar el acné. Si no encuentras un producto de venta libre que funcione, consulta a un médico o a un dermatólogo para que te aconseje cómo sobrellevar los años con acné

Cuts, Scratches, and Scrapes and Treatment

Cuts, Scratches, and Scrapes and Treatment

You wipe out on your skateboard. The knife you're using slices your finger instead of the tomato. Your new puppy doesn't know how sharp his baby teeth are.

You might think a cut or scrape is no big deal, but any time the skin gets broken, there's a risk of infection. So it helps to understand how to care for cuts and scrapes at home — and know when you need to see a doctor.

What to Do

Many small cuts, scrapes, or abrasions will heal well without medical care. Here's what to do if the injury isn't serious:

• Stop bleeding by pressing a clean, soft cloth against the wound for a few minutes. If the wound is bleeding a lot, you'll need to hold pressure for longer (sometimes up to 15 minutes). If the wound is small, the bleeding should stop in a few minutes as the blood's clotting factors do their work to seal the wound.
• As you keep the pressure on and the wound, avoid the urge to peek. Lifting the bandage may start the bleeding again.
• Clean the wound. Run warm water over the cut for 5 minutes. Then use soap to gently wash the skin around the cut or scrape thoroughly. If there's dirt or debris in the wound (like gravel from a scrape), remove it if you can — a soft, damp cloth can help. Cleaning the wound helps get infection-causing bacteria out of the injured area. If you can't get all the dirt out, call your doctor's office.
• If you want, put a light layer of an antibiotic ointment around the cut to kill germs. Make sure you're not allergic to the medications in the ointment.
• Dry the area lightly and cover it with gauze or other type of bandage. A bandage helps prevent germs. If the bandage gets wet or dirty, change it right away.
• Each day, take off the bandage and gently wash the injury. Watch for signs of infection.
• To prevent infection and reduce scarring, don't pick at the scab or skin around the wound

When to Get Help

If blood is spurting out of a cut or it won't stop bleeding, get a parent or call your doctor right away. Cover the wound with a sterile bandage or clean cloth. If the blood soaks through, don't remove the first bandage — put a new covering on top of it. Raising the injured body part above your head (or holding it up as high as you can) may help slow the bleeding.
If a wound is very long or deep, or if its edges are far apart, a doctor will need to close it with stitches. A doctor or nurse will numb your skin with an anesthetic shot (sometimes they put an anesthetic cream on the skin first to numb the area). If you hate the idea of a shot, it can help to keep in mind that getting multiple stitches feels like getting multiple shots, so you're better off feeling only one!

If you get stitches, you'll probably need to go back to the doctor in 5 to 10 days to get them taken out (some stitches dissolve on their own). To remove stitches, a doctor or nurse will snip the thread with scissors and gently pull out the threads. It feels ticklish and a little funny, but usually doesn't hurt.

Doctors sometimes close small, straight cuts on certain parts of the body with medical glue or steri-strips (thin pieces of tape). Glue and steri-strips will dissolve or fall off on their own.

Getting a cut usually means that there will be some scarring. If your cut needs to be stitched or glued but you don't see a doctor in time, your scar may be more noticeable.

Avoiding Infection

Let a parent, coach, or other adult know if you get injured. You'll especially want to tell someone if you cut yourself on something dirty or rusty, if you are bleeding, or if you get bitten or scratched (by an animal or a person!).
Bites that break the skin need medical care. Germs from animal or human saliva can get into the wound, and you will usually need antibiotics to prevent infection. Your doctor or nurse will also want to make sure the animal didn't have rabies.
Certain cuts or bites could lead to a tetanus infection if your tetanus shots are not up to date. You (or your mom or dad) will need to check your medical records to be sure that you have had a tetanus shot recently. If you haven't, you will probably need to get one when the cut is repaired.

Signs of Infection

Sometimes, a cut, scratch, or scrape starts out as no big deal, but then gets infected. A skin infection happens when there are too many germs for your body's white blood cells to handle.
If you notice any of these signs of infection, call your doctor right away:

• expanding redness around the wound
• yellow or greenish-colored pus or cloudy wound drainage
• red streaking spreading from the wound
• increased swelling, tenderness, or pain around the wound
• fever

The doctor will prescribe antibiotics to help your body fight off the infection.
Most of the time small cuts, scratches, and abrasions go away on their own, thanks to your body's amazing ability to heal itself. If a cut looks serious or infected, though, see a doctor

Way to Prevent Acne

Way to  Prevent Acne

What Causes Acne

Contrary to what you may have heard, acne is not caused by dirty skin. Acne is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin and an accumulation of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, which leads to inflammation in pores.
Oil glands become stimulated when hormones become active during puberty, which is why people are likely to get acne in their teens. Because the tendency to develop acne is partly genetic, if other people in your family had (or have) acne, you may be more likely to develop it too.

Although there is no surefire way to prevent acne, try these tips to help reduce the number and severity of your breakouts:

• Washing your skin is essential (it helps remove excess surface oils and dead skin cells that can clog your pores), but washing too much can actually cause damage by overdrying your skin or irritating existing acne.

• Remember to wash after exercising because sweat can clog your pores and make your acne worse. If you work around greasy food or oil or if you've been sweating from heat or because you've been working hard, wash your face and other acne-prone areas as soon as possible.
• If you use skin products, such as lotions or makeup, look for ones that are noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic, which means that they don't clog pores.
• If you can't live without your hair spray or styling gel, be sure to keep them away from your face as much as possible. Many hair products contain oils that can make acne worse. Try to use water-based products.
• If you get acne on areas such as your chest or back, avoid wearing tight clothes, which can rub and cause irritation

Treatments

For some people, over-the-counter (OTC) products work to help clear up acne. It may take some time to find one that works best for you — some may not do the trick and others may cause irritation. OTC acne products come in different strengths. The most popular and effective OTC acne-fighting ingredient is benzoyl peroxide. Another ingredient, salicylic acid, can help to dry up pimples.
If you find OTC products aren't working for you, it's best to seek a doctor's advice. A doctor can prescribe special gels or creams, pills, or a combination of both. It may feel a bit awkward or embarrassing to talk about your acne with someone, but your doctor is trained to help get your skin looking its best.
What about pimples you already have? It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple usually won't get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push infected material and pus further into the skin, which can lead to more swelling and redness (not what you want before a big date!), and even scarring, which can be permanent.
If you're taking a prescription acne medication, finish your entire prescription even if your skin clears up, unless your dermatologist says you can stop. If you stop too early, there's a chance your skin could break out all over again.
Eating nutritious foods can help keep you healthy, of course, and your skin will benefit from getting enough vitamins and minerals. But the bottom line is that you don't need to be obsessive about what you eat or how often you wash your face to control acne. If you don't find an OTC product that works for you, talk to your doctor or a dermatologist for some advice on living through the acne years

How can we remove Acne Scars

How can we remove Acne Scars

Different Types of Acne

Scars from acne can seem like double punishment — first you had to deal with the pimples, now you have marks as a reminder.
It helps to understand the different kinds of acne so you can figure out what to do about different types of scarring: Acne lesions or pimples happen when the hair follicles (or "pores") on the skin become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. A plugged follicle is the perfect place for bacteria to grow and create the red bumps and pus-filled red bumps known as pimples.
Acne comes in different forms:

• mild acne, which refers to the whiteheads or blackheads that most of us get at various times
• moderately severe acne, which includes red inflamed pimples called papules and red pimples with white centers called pustules
• severe acne, which causes nodules — painful, pus-filled cysts or lumps — to appear under the skin

Most serious scarring is caused by the more severe forms of acne, with nodules more likely to leave permanent scars than other types of acne.

The best approach is to get treatment for acne soon after it appears to prevent further severe acne and more scarring. If you have nodules, see your doctor or dermatologist for treatment

Treating Acne Scars

Most of the time, those reddish or brownish acne marks that are left behind after a pimple eventually fade with no need for treatment. Picking or squeezing acne can increase the risk for scarring, though.
Acne scars take two forms:

1. scars with a gradual dip or depression (sometimes called "rolling" scars)
2. scars that are deep and narrow

A person's acne needs to be under control before scars can be treated.

Mild vs. Severe Scarring

Treatments depend on how severe the scars are. In some cases, a doctor or dermatologist may suggest a chemical peel or microdermabrasion to help improve the appearance of scarred areas. These milder treatments can be done right in the office.
If you have serious scarring from previous bouts with acne, there are several things you can do:

• Laser resurfacing. This procedure can be done in the doctor's or dermatologist's office. The laser removes the damaged top layer of skin and tightens the middle layer, leaving skin smoother. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. The doctor will try to lessen any pain by first numbing the skin with local anesthesia. It usually takes between 3 and 10 days for the skin to heal completely.
• Dermabrasion. This treatment uses a rotating wire brush or spinning diamond instrument to wear down the surface of the skin. As the skin heals, a new, smoother layer replaces the abraded skin. It may take a bit longer for skin to heal using dermabrasion — usually between 10 days and 3 weeks.
• Fractional laser therapy. This type of treatment works at a deeper level than laser resurfacing or dermabrasion, Because fractional laser therapy doesn't wound the top layer of tissue, healing time is shorter. Someone who has had this type of treatment may just look a bit sunburned for a couple of days.

For "rolling" scars, doctors sometimes inject material under the scar to raise it to the level of normal skin. Finally, in some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to remove deeply indented scars.
One thing you shouldn't do to deal with acne scars is load up your face with masks or fancy lotions — these won't help and may irritate your skin further, making the scars red and even more noticeable.
If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade, just like the scars on your knees from falling off your bike as a kid. However, it may take 12 months or longer. So your best bet is to avoid these kinds of marks by not squeezing or popping zits