Sunday, December 2, 2007

Acne / Pimples FAQ Help and Solutions

Some Solutions and Cures for Acne/Pimples

Vitamins to Help with Acne

Vitamin A
Also listed as Retinol and beta-carotene. Lack of vitamin A can lead to dry, rough skin. When eating vitamin A, be sure to have vitamin E with it, as A needs that fat in order to be used properly by your body.

Vitamin C
Anti-oxidant that is well known to help against colds. A well known symptom of lack of vitamin C is scurvy. Sailors would sail with lemons or limes to help prevent this. Most forms of vitamin C are not absorbed by the skin, and even L-Ascorbic Acid - the type which absorbs in small doses - oxidizes quickly.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D comes from sunlight - and people who don't get enough sunlight often suffer from illness because of that. They even suggest those people sit in front of sun lamps!

Vitamin E
Well known anti-oxidant and thought to help with scar healing - but other studies show it should only be taken in moderation. There are 8 different forms of Vitamin E - the synthetic form (which has a D,L in its name) is only half as powerful as the natural version. It is an incredibly important vitamin for your body health and should therefore be taken in proper doses daily, in vitamins, vs using tiny amounts in creams.

Studies I've read about say that spreading vitamin E on the outer layer of the skin does not equate to the benefits of vitamin E that you have taken orally.

Niacin
Niacin actually might be reasonably helpful coming in a lotion or mask - it helps to open up the blood vessels. This helps them deliver more nutrients to the skin cells. So you would want to take your normal vitamins through your mouth, then use a niacin lotion or mask to help your blood vessels open up and deliver those vitamins properly to the cells.



Zit Fixes by Date

1 Week Away Zit Fix

If you've got a whole week before a special event and you need to get rid of some acne, then you're in good shape. Your skin renews itself rather frequently - every 3 weeks or so. A week is plenty of time for your face to heal up an injury like a zit, as long as you give it all the proper resources to do so.

1) Take multivitamins every day. Take some extra E, because that is what your skin needs to heal. This is probably THE most important thing you can do to help your skin heal up.

(2 Days Away Zit Fix :)

If you've only got 2 days to get your face cleared up, you need to really focus on this task. Keep your eye on the prize.

1) Take multivitamins twice each day - each time with water and food. Take some extra E each time, because that is what your skin needs to heal. This is probably THE most important thing you can do to help your skin heal up.

(Next Day Zit Fix: )

We've all been in this situation at least once in our life. Don't feel alone - this is quite common! You have something important the next day and - usually because of the stress - a big zit appears. Here's how to minimize the problem.

1) Take multivitamins every 12 hours up to the time of the event. Each time be sure to take them with water and food. Take some extra E each time, because that is what your skin needs to heal. This is probably THE most important thing you can do to help your skin heal up.



2) Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Your skin really needs that water in order to move the vitamins around to where they are needed for the repair job.

3) Clean your face *gently* every morning or evening. You most definitely do not want to irritate it at all. Your skin already has enough to heal up. You want to keep dirt from making things worse, and clear off any dead skin or dried gunk that might be on there. Gentle is key, though.

4) Eat healthy foods. This goes along with the multivitamins. Your body really does better getting vitamins from food vs from vitamins. Still, it's pretty much impossible to get 100% of your vitamins every day from food - so you need the vitamins to fill in the holes. It's only a week - but it can really make a huge difference to eat healthy food vs candy and chocolate. The more nutrients you get into you, the better your skin has a chance to heal.

5) Get Solid Sleep. This can be rough depending on your schedule. Do your VERY best, though, to get 8 hours of sleep each night. Find ways to make the room really dark. Try to make it really quiet, or buy one of those ocean-wave CDs to drown out noise. The better sleep you get, the more your body can get into the healing cycle.

6) Reduce Stress. Many studies have shown that the body heals better when there is low stress. The body is able to dedicate more of its resources to things like healing when it feels things are "safe". I know this can be hard, but even small changes can make a difference. Find a quiet spot and read a book. Listen to some quiet music. Go for a walk. You can't always completely avoid stress, but there are always ways to handle it and make it easier. Take deep breaths. Get a friend to give you a back massage.

7) Use Clean Pillowcases. Each night, put a fresh pillowcase onto your pillow. Again, you want to give your skin the best possible chance here. The oils / shampoos / etc. from your hair will get all over the pillow by morning, so each evening you want your face on something clean and fresh.

8) Keep your Hair Back. If you have long hair, pull it back for the week so it's not laying against your face in any way. You don't want the oils, shampoos, gels or anything else from your hair to get near your face and make things worse.

If you do these things each day, you should have nicer skin by the time your special event comes around.

Source: http://www.lisashea.com/lisabase/skincare/acne/

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