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May 16
An Acne Overview
icon1 pooja aggarwal | icon2 Skin Cancer | icon4 05 16th, 2008| icon3No Comments »
by pooja aggarwal

Many people struggle with how to get rid of acne. It is often a hassle and something that millions struggle with daily. How to get rid of acne is a two step process. You have to lay the foundation or clear skin through a good skin care regimen and then you have to treat already existing acne.

Defining Acne

Dirt and oil are the two biggest culprits that lead to acne. Freeing your skin from dirt and oil is essential in your fight to be acne free. Acne is caused by clogged pores. It can be visible on the skins surface as white heads, black heads or cysts. In order to be completely acne free a person has to make sure their skin is as free from dirt and oil as possible.This can be difficult because you skin actually produces oil to help keep it healthy. However, it is excess oil that is the problem and must be handled. Dirt is easier to keep from the skin since that is an external problem, not internal like oil.With these things in mind your road to acne free skin can be easier.

Baby Steps

Basically, pimples, whiteheads and other blemishes occur when the skins pores are clogged and oil and bacteria are trapped within the pores.The body sends white blood cells to the clogged pore resulting in inflammation.

Additional Advice

There are many treatments on the market and finding the right one to use will involve some trial and error. Whichever treatment that you find works for you, can be made more effective with these simple tips: gently wash your face with a mild cleanser, do not touch, pick, squeeze or otherwise play with the blemishes and, use cosmetics labeled noncomedogenic. Also, whichever treatment you choose needs to be used as directed and for enough time to determine if it works. If you do not see an improvement in about 8 weeks, it is time to look for a different solution.So, now that you know what really causes acne and how to get the most from your skin treatment you can look forward to clear beautiful skin.

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May 10
Treatment for Acne
icon1 pooja aggarwal | icon2 Skin Cancer | icon4 05 10th, 2008| icon3No Comments »
by pooja aggarwal

Should I see a Dermatologist for Acne Treatment

There are many types of acne treatments on the market. So many, in fact, that you might be wondering how to decide which acne treatment is the right one for you. Some common types of topical treatments include: alcohol based solutions, creams, foams, gels, lotions, and ointments. Some acne treatments are available over the counter and some are available by prescription.

I Know I Have Acne. So How Can a Dermatologist Help me?

First, a dermatologist can tell you what type of acne you have. This will be important in finding an effective acne treatment. Some of the different types of acne include:

Acne Vulgaris: this is the most common form of acne. It includes whiteheads, blackheads, papules, and pastules. In severe acne vulgaris nodules and cysts are usually present. Acne Rosacea: although this is not technically a form of acne, it is often mistaken for acne. It is most common in people over the age of 30. It appears as a red rash on the face. While blackheads are not present, there may be bumps, pimples and other skin blemishes. Acne Conglobata: This is the most severe form of acne vulgaris. It can cause severe scarring and damage to the skin. It is most common in males between the ages of 18-30. Acne Fulminans: This is the sudden onset of acne conglobata. This type of acne also includes a fever and aching joints. Scarring can be so severe that it is disfiguring. Pyoderma Faciale: This type of acne is most common in women ages 20-40. It is a severe, often painful form of acne that occurs on the face.

Treatment Methods

Acne Surgery: This is a simple in office procedure to remove blackheads and whiteheads. Mircrodermabrasion: This removes the upper levels of skin to generate new, healthier skin Chemical Peels: This removes blackheads and whiteheads and allow new skin growth

Finally, there are a great many medications available to treat acne. A dermatologist may prescribe one of the following types of acne treatment:

Retin A: This prescription medication is derived from Vitamin A and applied topically. Retin A is highly effective and can be used for extended periods of time. However, it does thin the skin so be sure to use proper sun protection at all times.

Oral Antibiotics: Oral medication may be useful in clearing some types of acne by reducing the amount of bacteria in the skin.

A dermatologist may also be willing to provide intralesional corticosteroid therapy. This is used for one or two cysts. The cysts are injected with a cortisone solution and they will quickly disappear.

Dermatologist treatments are going to be the best solution to an acne problem. It can be hard to handle the situation yourself with over the counter treatments. Acne can be difficult t clear up on your own without having side effects from OTC medications that just make things worse. For treatments acne can not fight you should see your dermatologist.

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Apr 19
by Adrian Fletcher

Melanoma is the rarest but most dangerous of the three types of skin cancer. It is potentially life threatening because it will often spread to other parts of the body. This makes it hard to treat and it can damage or destroy vital organs leading to secondary complications. The key to surviving melanoma is prevention combined with early detection. In most cases, if the disease is detected early on it can be treated successfully. Part of the detection process is a melanoma biopsy. This is often done on a suspicious mole or mark on the skin. It gives more information about the extent to which the cancer has spread and possible ways to treat the cancer.

The most common forms of melanoma biopsy are excisional and incisional. An excisional will remove all the cancerous cells. An incisional biopsy will take a deep sample of the cells, leaving the rest of the cells on the skin.

Excisional biopsies are preferred as they remove all the potential cancerous growth. They will generally take a part of the skin surrounding the mark too. Incisional biopsies are normally performed when the growth is quite large and it would be impractical to take such a large part of the skin away. Or, the suspected cancer was in a delicate or visible location, like the face, and might leave an unsightly scar or wound.

Both of these processes can be done at your doctors surgery or at the skin cancer center. It will normally take around thirty minutes depending on the size and position of the suspicious growth. A local anesthetic is applied to the part of the skin where the biopsy will be performed..

The removed cells are sent to a pathologist who will examine them more closely. The pathologist will determine if the cells are malignant. The depth of the growth will also be established and this will give the doctor a better idea of how far the cancer has progressed and possible treatments.

A biopsy is the best way to determine whether an unusual mark on the skin is actually cancerous. It is only performed after a first examination of the mark by a skin specialist who suspects that it could be cancerous. The information returned from the biopsy can be used to formulate a treatment plan for the disease and an indication of the extent that it has progressed.

Early and conclusive detection of melanoma growths are vital to treating the disease effectively. If found early, the tissues can be cut out. If it has spread then aggressive cancer treatments may be required.

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Apr 11
by Dana Drewer

There are millions of people around the world who suffer with acne (Zits); fortunately treatments are improving all the time. Medical investigation and research is ongoing and making interesting discoveries; as a result there are a variety of new products available to help prevent and treat skin conditions. Despite the number of acne skin care products currently available on the market, they are broadly categorized into three distinctly separate groups: *Preventative: Creams, lotions etc. to help cleanse and tone the skin *Internet or Drugstore: Treatment to help relieve the condition *Prescription only: Requires visit to doctor.

Preventative products are formulated to treat the skin in an effort to control the occurrence of acne; products like skin cleansers and toners fall into this category. This is a market where many people use this type of product every day to condition their skin; many use these products to protect their skin from the environment even if they do not have the acne condition. Many of these cleansers act in almost exactly the same way as acne skin care products; devised primarily to limit the amount of oil or sebum forming in the pores. These types of products are reducing the chance of oil staying in the pores and aiding the growth of harmful bacteria which assists the formation of the skin condition.

General skin care treatments also include special exfoliation products like skin peels; these can be bought easily over the counter or on the internet. This type of peel helps reduce the chance of oil clogging up the pores as well as removing other skin impurities; this can reduce the bacterium growth on your skin. There are specialized acne skin care products available over-the-counter, they do not require the need of a prescription. These formulations contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide and the naturally occurring salicylic acid; they work by removing the excess oil from the skin and halt the growth of acne.

Dermatologists recommend any product should have low concentrations of the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide (no more than 5.5 parts per hundred) if there is an adverse reaction; should a reaction occur, products containing alpha hydroxy acid are generally safer. It is not always possible to find an acne skin care product that works first time; however, if finding an effective remedy it is proving to be a problem then consult with your doctor, or skin care specialist. On-prescription treatments are prescribed by a dermatologist and can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical ointment.

In more serious cases your skin care specialist may decide that a small surgical procedure can be used to remove the oil and infection from your pores; this is not something you should ever attempt yourself. Your doctor may even suggest a course of hormone therapy as a skin care treatment; this type of skin care treatment has been very effective in many cases. Tackling this skin condition is not the problem it once was and if treated properly permanently marked skin does not have to happen.

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Apr 5
by Adrian Fletcher

The awareness of skin cancer increases everyday as more is known about the disease and more exposure is given to preventing the disease on television and radio than ever before. It is thought to be the most common form of cancer in the United States and Australia alone.

Whilst you might think that this is cause for concern, most forms of skin cancer are easy to treat and don’t pose a threat to life. Also the signs and symptoms of skin cancer are generally on the surface of the skin so are easy to spot. this means they can be treated early on, ensuring complete success.

However there is one form of the disease that can be life threatening if not caught early on. This is malignant melanoma. This article will discuss what is malignant melanoma and ways to prevent the disease.

It is generally accepted that any form of cancer is caused based on your genetic predisposition and your exposure to certain environmental conditions. When it comes to malignant melanoma, the environmental condition is thought to be exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB radiation). And the most common source of ultraviolet radiation that we are exposed to is the Sun (however things like sunbeds or tanning salons are just as bad if not worse ).

Being exposed to too much ultraviolet radiation can cause the DNA of a cell to mutate. The genes in the DNA that cause this are called oncogenes and make the cell cancerous. A characteristic of a cancerous cell is that it does not die but divides and multiplies. Sometimes this can happen at a rapid pace and the cancerous cells become invasive.

Invasive growth harms the surrounding tissues and organs. In some cases the cancerous growths can prevent the organs from functioning or can start to grow into the organs culminating with the destruction of the organ. Should the cancer get into the lymphatic system then it can spread throughout the body. When this occurs it becomes hard to stop the spread and difficult to treat.

So, whilst ultraviolet radiation and our exposure to sunlight is thought to be the primary environmental cause of malignant melanoma, there are a number of genetic factors that increase the risk.

Having a family member who has or had skin cancer in the past increases your chances of developing the disease. If your skin burns easily in the sun and turns red rather than tanning then you are more at risk. If you have light colored eyes or blond or red hair then you are more at risk. If you have moles on your body then you are more at risk to skin cancer.

Melanoma can start as a brown mark or spot on the skin. This may be hard to distinguish from an ordinary mole however if it starts to change color or gets larger then this may be a sign of melanoma. If you notice something like this happening on your body you should see a doctor.

It is virtually impossible to completely avoid sunlight and thus prevent melanoma. The only thing that is practical is to take measure to avoid being over exposed to the Sun. This means always wearing a hat and sunglasses. Wear clothing that covers most of your body. Put sunscreen on areas that are not covered by the clothing, like the face or arms.

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Apr 1
Spotting Squamous Skin Cancer
icon1 Adrian Fletcher | icon2 Skin Cancer | icon4 04 1st, 2008| icon3No Comments »
by Adrian Fletcher

Skin cancer seems to be getting a lot of attention of late. There are ad campaigns and public service announcements on television and radio. This may be due to the increased understanding of the disease or that the number of cases are rising and people need education on the subject. There are three types of skin cancer – malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This article will deal with detecting squamous cell carcinoma.

The initial signs of squamous cell skin cancer could be a red spot or mark on the epidermis or top layer of the skin. The mark will be raised from the skin. It will grow larger with time and can often develop into an irregular shaped blemish. To the touch, it will feel scaly and hard. As the cancer develops the blemish may develop a lesion and bleeding may come from it. Squamous skin cancer develops to surrounding skin cells quite often if not treated.

Another type of squamous skin cancer is called Bowen’s disease. It generally occurs in people over sixty and is more common in women. It’s typical signs are a large red rash on the surface of the skin. It is slightly elevated from the skin and had a pronounced edge. As it develops the rash will become scaly to the touch and lesions may develop.

A mature squamous cell carcinoma can often look like a large open ulcer on the surface of the skin. It will bleed often and require constant attention. The cancerous cells can form anywhere on the body but are more commonly found in areas that get most exposed to sunlight or other forms of UV rays. So look for them on the face, ears neck, upper back and arms.

People soon spot squamous cell skin cancer on the face as they are very conscious of their appearance. In these cases it is noticed in the early stages and can be treated successfully. Treatment could range from freezing the cancerous cells to excision. It is done in the doctor’s surgery and can be a quick as 30 minutes.

Take preventative steps so that you never have to go through the diagnosis and treating of squamous skin cancer. Prevention involves limiting your exposure to ultra-violet radiation. The principle source of this is sunlight. Spend as little time in the sun as you can. You may also have skin that is more susceptible to UV rays. This will be obvious as you will burn easily in the sun.

If you must go out in the sun then wear protective clothing and a wide brimmed hat. Wear eye protection and sunscreen. You should reapply the sunscreen every few hours (or the recommended usage advice on the sunscreen bottle).

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Mar 20
by Adrian Fletcher

People that spend a lot of time outdoors for work or other activities or have a skin type that is sensitive to the sun are advised to be screened for skin cancer at least once a year. During this screening they will be checked out for any changes in the skin that look suspicious. Along with supervised screening it makes sense to screen yourself from time to time for any moles or blemishes that have appeared. Your chances of identifying potential problems are improved if you know a bit about the disease. This article will cover the three types of skin cancer detailing the characteristics of each and possible treatments.

There are 3 types of skin cancers. The first two are the most commonly diagnosed types of the disease. They are also the most treatable because in most cases the disease does not spread but is localized to a particular part of the body. They are easily treated in most cases however on rare occasions they may spread making early diagnose all the more important.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. It will normally manifest as a waxy bump on the skin. It may also appear as a flesh or brown colored mark. It is typically found on the face, neck, chest and back but can occur anywhere on the body.

As most cases of basal cell carcinoma are benign and do not spread to other parts of the body treatment is relatively easy and effective. The bump or mark is simply cut out or frozen and removed. This can be done in 30 minutes at a doctor’s surgery.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma is similar to basal cell carcinoma and has the same methods for treatment. However it is more liable to spread than the other type and therefore needs to be treated immediately it is diagnosed.

Squamous cell carcinomas are noticeable as a red nodule or bump that can appear on the face, neck, hands or arms. On rare occasions it can appear on the lips or ears. The bump is generally firm to the touch. In more advanced stages it may appear as a scaly, crusty lesion that will appear where the bump used to be. Again, provided it has not spread it can be cut out or frozen.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the least common of the 3 types of skin cancer however it is the most serious of the three, especially if it goes undiagnosed or untreated. Of the three it is most likely to spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes and vital organs of the body. If this occurs (known as metastasizes) then it becomes difficult to treat and may involve chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments. Early detection is crucial for a melanoma but they are often very hard to identify. This is why it is important to get a screen once a year by a professional in the diagnose of skin cancer.

It is important to be aware of the three types of skin cancer as you can be alerted to any potential skin problems with this knowledge. However it is far better to prevent skin cancer from occurring than ever having to go through a procedure to remove skin cancers. Prevention means limiting your exposure to ultraviolet rays either by avoiding them or wearing some form of protection against them.

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