Acne

Fight Acne with an Acne Kit

Lexli International — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

When we think about skincare and acne, we think about it as a group of different steps we take in order to protect and heal our skin, while preventing future damage. While doing one thing to prevent acne such as face washing might work at first, the skin needs other attentions that can help treat acne when and if it occurs as well as renewing the skin and making it less prone to breakouts. What elements go into a complete acne prevention and treatment plan?

Cleanse: Use a cleanser to help refresh the skin after each day. Skin cleansing lotions are designed to unclog pores and remove impurities. Apply cleanser with fingertips and leave on the skin for two minutes. Then, rinse with warm water or a warm, moist cloth. Clarifying Lotion can also help cleanse the skin. Use one to two times per day depending on severity of acne. Remember not to rinse off.

Exfoliate: There is no gentle way of exfoliating the skin to reveal the healthy new cells underneath, but it is necessary for skin rejuvenation. Using an exfoliating scrub results in a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improved texture and skin clarity.

Moisturize and Protect: An acne moisturizer with sun block will soothe and protect skin throughout the day. It’s a two-in-one product in that you don’t have to remember to wear sun block since it’s already built in to your acne moisturizer.

While it might seem daunting to go out and buy these products separately, they’re all here for you in Lexli’s Acne Kit.

Hormonal Acne Treatments

Lexli International — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

For some, acne happens mostly in the teen years, but for others, acne can be a lifelong struggle. While there are many factors attributed to the cause of acne that one can change (hygienic and environmental), there are others that aren’t so easy to fix. Hormonal acne is caused by hormonal imbalances triggered by various life cycles and is one of, if not the, leading causes of acne.

There are several times when our hormones become unbalanced and wreak havoc, including puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Everyone will experience these changes differently, some might never develop a single pimple or blemish, while others might suffer from severe hormonal acne that covers their face and/or back. How is hormonal acne treated? Hormonal acne can sometimes be treated through the use of professional quality acne treatments, including multi-step treatment products such as an acne kit. In more severe cases, a doctor’s assistance might be necessary.

What Causes Acne? The Causes of Breakouts

Lexli International — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

While people might claim thousands of different things such as chocolate, greasy food, or caffeine can cause acne, most of these claims are merely myths and urban legends without any scientific proof. Despite all these bogus claims, science has been able to determine several causes of acne, which includes:

Abnormalities in sebum production (overactive oil production)
Cells that line the follicle do not slough or shed as they should, which leads to plugging of the hair follicle. (abnormally “sticky” cells)
Bacteria (especially propionibacterium acne)
Inflammation (the body reaction to plugging of the follicle with oil, dead skin cells and bacteria)
Hormones and some medications may also contribute to the development of acne.

Although there is no cure for acne, it can be controlled! The Lexli Acne Treatment Kit effectively targets all four factors causing acne and delivers the acne ingredients in a soothing, anti-inflammatory base of Aloe Vera. There are many other high quality acne products available from Lexli, so find the one that best fits your needs and keep your skin looking beautiful!

Do Genetics and Hormones Cause Acne?

Lexli International — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Genetics and hormones are by far the leading cause of acne and unfortunately, cannot be avoided. Genetics plays a key role because if you’re parents and siblings have a history of acne, this greatly increases your chance of developing it during your life as well. This does not mean it will be identical to your family, it could be far less or more severe and there is not any way to tell which it will be until it actually happens. Acne really is something that can just “run in the family.”

Hormones, while tied to genetics in some cases, will start to change once you reach puberty and during the menstrual cycle every month for women. These hormone fluctuations cannot be avoided either, but others that have an indirect effect on acne can. One example of this is stress. While whether or not stress directly causes acne is still highly debated and unknown. It is known to have an indirect effect on acne that varies from person to person. If an individual is stressed out a lot for an extended period of time, this stress can cause hormonal changes that can do a number of things to your body, including acne. Acne products, such as the Lexli Acne Kit, can help solve your acne problems here, as well as remembering to deal with stress in a healthy manor and not let it overrun your daily life.

What Is Acne?

Lexli International — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Acne is a very common problem and is the most common skin disease treated by physicians. It is an inflammatory condition of the hair follicle. It is commonly associated with hormones, the use of some medications, and may run in families. Acne is a skin condition that may cause emotional stress, impact self-image and quality of life, and cause physical scarring.

Acne affects between 40 and 50 million people each year in the United States alone. (White GM. Recent findings in the epidemiologic evidence, classification, and subtypes of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol 39 (Suppl): S34, 1998). Acne affects 75-85% of adolescents and young adults, and persists into middle age in 3-12% of the population. Acne is often associated with anxiety, depression, and higher than average unemployment rates. (Management of Acne A Report From Global Alliance to Improve Outcome in Acne Lollnick et al J Am Acad Dermatol 2003: 49; S1-38).

Beyond the obvious facial blemishes, acne has the potential to lead to long term physical scarring. Acne is more common in people with a family history of acne. It generally develops during puberty and is associated with an increase in androgenic hormones. Acne occurs most commonly on the face, neck, arms and chest. Changes are then seen in the areas of skin where the greatest numbers of pilosebaceous glands (oil gland) are found: the face, scalp, chest and back.

Normal skin has a healthy balance of the skin’s natural process of forming a protective layer of dead skin cells, the sloughing of those dead skin cells, and oil production. When all is in balance, normal skin is to protect this balance.

Acne develops when the skin’s natural balance of oil production and the sloughing of dead skin cells are not maintained.

Four principle factors have been identified in causing acne: plugging of the hair follicle with “sticky dead skin cells,” excess oil production, bacteria and inflammation.

Acne is characterized by overactive oil production and plugging of the skin follicle. The obstructed follicle becomes engorged with oil and dead skin cells, creating a perfect environment for bacteria (primarily propionibacterium acnes) to multiply. At this stage a small white or black nodule will be visible on the skin. If the process is not halted at his point, the follicle becomes even more distended, rupturing the gland, and spilling the contents into the surrounding skin. Inflammation then worsens, creating pustules, and papules.

If this process continues, inflammation worsens, and pustules may become deep, cystic lesions. These deep painful nodules have the potential to create channels between them, and have a higher potential for long term scarring.

Inflammation is an important part of the progression of acne from the mild to more advanced stages.

TYPES OF ACNE:

Mild Acne: includes whiteheads (white bumps at the skin surface caused by clumped, sticky dead skin cells blocking the pore.) and blackheads (clogged pores which are open at the skin surface, look like dark spots on the skin.).

Moderate Acne: Raised, red bumps and bumps with pus (pustules).

Severe Acne: Deep, solid, often painful bumps under the skin. May develop infection and can cause scarring.

The treatment of acne requires patience; unfortunately, no “quick fix” is available. Acne is a chronic problem, and controlling it may take months and even years in some people.