Beauty therapiesThere are many beauty therapies available for acne, most of which have no scientific rationale. While there is definitely a place for blackhead and whitehead extraction by beauticians because this unblocks the oily glands, it does not remove pusy sores. Other treatments such as cold lasers, acne creams, facial scrubs and masks have no proven benefit.
Acne scarringHopefully, in the twenty-first century, people will no longer have to live with acne scarring. Prevention of scarring is most important, as the treatments available for acne scarring are not entirely satisfactory.With time many acne scars do improve without treatment. For more severe scarring there are several treatment options. Lumpy acne scars may be injected with cortisone to make them flatter. More commonly, however, acne scars are depressions in the skin which may be valley type or very sharp pits. Valley-type scars may be injected with collagen or silicone. This is generally done by dermatologists. Although collagen is very popular, it needs to be injected every one to two years. Allergies to collagen may also develop, although they are rare. Silicone, on the other hand, is permanent. It must, however, be injected very carefully in minute quantities; the correction is permanent so there is no room for error. Although silicone has received a lot of bad press recently, it has been used for over thirty years to improve facial deformities and causes few problems if used in expert hands.Pitted acne scars are best treated with dermabrasion or laser abrasion, which is done by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. During this procedure the skin is 'sandpapered' to make it smoother. Although dermabrasion is an effective procedure for acne scarring it does have limitations, in that it can never make the skin entirely perfect, especially if scarring is deep. Dermabrasion is not without risk and can produce scarring and changes in the skin's pigment. Chemical peeling is often advocated for acne scarring but is not as effective as dermabrasion.It is best to wait at least twelve months after acne clears before having any acne scarring treatment. Much of the scarring will resolve in this time, during which cover-up cosmetics can be applied.
Open poresOpen pores are often evident on the nose in people with oily skin. This is a hereditary condition which cannot be altered by any cream or cosmetic. Oily secretions may accumulate in open pores, causing blackheads, which can be removed by manual extraction or with the use of Retin-A cream.Although there are products whose manufacturers claim can open and close open pores, this is medically impossible. Regular use of Retin-A cream will, however, minimize the appearance of open pores. Oil-absorbing lotions such as Almay oil absorbing lotion or Nutrasorb will also make them appear less shiny and so less conspicuous. Likewise, facial powder absorbs oil, giving the skin a matt appearance and making open pores less obvious.
It is important to realize that acne is of considerable consequence and should never be lightly dismissed as 'just a stage'. The physical and psychological effects of chronic acne and acne scarring are often underestimated. Now that effective therapies are available treatment for acne should be viewed more positively.
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Zinc
Aids in growth and repair of injured tissues, and promotes in healing of wounds and skin infections.
As a supplement: Chelated zinc, 1550 mg., daily.

Cysteine
Helps keep skin soft and supple, aids in inhibiting the aging process of skin and the formation of wrinkles.
As a supplement: 1 gram daily, between meals, with juice or water (no protein).
Acidophilus
Aids in the prevention of skin eruptions caused by unfriendly bacteria in the system.
As a supplement: 3 tbsp., daily. Take 1 tbsp. - or 2 capsules - after each meal.

Chlorophyll
A wound-healer and a prime stimulant for the growth of new tissue; also helps prevent bacterial contamination of skin.
As a supplement: 3 tsp. or nine tablets, daily. Take 1 tsp. - or three tabs - after each meal.

Must Minerals
Calcium is important for soft smooth skin tissue; copper for skin colour; iron to improve pale or lifeless skin; potassium for dry skin and acne; zinc for external and internal wound-healing.
As a supplement: If you're eating habits are erratic and you're not getting sufficient amounts of these minerals, I'd recommend six multiple chelated mineral tablets daily, two after each meal or three in a.m. and p.m.
Also, for general allover skin tone and health, I'd recommend a multiple-vitamin and mineral complex be taken daily. And don't forget about exercise! Circulation-building aerobics bring blood and more nutrients to the skin.
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There is no part of us with which we are so well Acquainted as our skin. It is in plain view, theoretically at least, and actually, with the revealing costumes of modern styles. Even the inside of the mouth, which we can easily peer into, is lined with a modified sort of skin, and the teeth are formed from it, as are numerous glands. Our class in the animal kingdom is named after the most prominent of these glands, the mammae, or breasts.
It is not remarkable that man has been popularly subdivided according to his most familiar aspect, the color of the skin. So we have the white race, and in this country the red man or Indian, the yellow races of Asia, and the blacks of Africa. This is certainly not a scientific classification and I am sure the anthropologists do not attach undue weight to this one factor. Nevertheless the result of untold centuries of strict breeding has been that Negroes, for instance, who have under the surface of the skin enormous quantities of brown coloring matter, will continue to have offspring of the same color. That is, unless the offspring intermarry with whites.
The skin is adapted to more purposes than any other part of the body and cannot be duplicated even by our ingenious modern machinery. Who can create a tough but highly elastic fabric that will withstand heat and cold, wet and drought, acid and alkali, microbic invasion and the wear and tear of three score years and ten, yet effect its own repairs throughout and even present a seasonable protection of pigment against the sun's rays?
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