Age groups affected by acne and pimples

Nearly all of us suffer from a pimple, whitehead or blackhead, when we are aged between 12 - 18 years, regardless of our sex, ethnic background or race.

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General

Age groups and acne

Acne - when is medical help required

Information on acne

General 

Skin problems, or if we use the term "acne" loosely, is mostly found in teenagers and young adults in their 20s, but it is not unusual for people to experience problems in this area well into their 40s.

A large portion of skin problems can be handled by over-the-counter acne medication, or by using a specialized skincare range - like Dermaxime Problem Skin Range - but some people require systemic medication (taken orally) and / or prescription based topical treatments in the form of creams or lotions.

Age groups and acne 

The occurrence of acne can be further noted as follows:

73-85% in people between 12 - 24 years of age

6-8% in people between 25 - 34 years of age

2 -4% in people over 35 years of age

Acne - when is medical help required  

Although great results are obtained from non-medical and over-the-counter acne medication and specialized skincare products, like Dermaxime Problem Skin Range, you may be one of the unlucky few that do not react positively enough to such treatments, and then prescription medication, in the form of pills and/or creams and lotions may be called for.

Although some people would discuss acne problems with their normal medical practitioner, we would recommend that you consult a skin specialist - a dermatologist - to look at your problem.

What Do Celebrities Use for Acne?

Celebrities on television and in movies are known for having clear, soft and pristine complexions. For people suffering from acne blemishes, how these celebrities keep their skin so clear can be a mystery. There are a few methods that celebrities use to clear their skin that you can benefit from.

1. Three-Step Systems

   • Many celebrities have benefited from accurately using a three-step system. Although there are different types of three-step acne-fighting systems on the market, one of the most effective systems uses a gentle cleanser, a low-concentration benzoyl peroxide cream and an oil-free moisturizer. The website acne.org addresses this method, and lays out an easy-to-follow regimen that includes video to help people understand how to treat their acne effectively. This involves carefully and gently lathering the face with a soap formulated for sensitive skin, spreading a 2.5%-concentration benzoyl peroxide cream onto the face, and following the cream with an oil-free moisturizer.

   Baking Soda and Lemon Juice

   • Baking soda is a very alkaline substance, while lemon juice is highly acidic. When used in combination, these two products have effectively treated celebrity acne. All that is needed is a box of baking soda and a bottle of lemon juice. One tbsp. of baking soda is mixed with water, massaged onto wet skin for 30 seconds and rinsed with water, followed by a splash of lemon juice. This removes dead skin cells while killing off the bacteria that cause acne.

   Urine Therapy

   • Urine is a sterile substance that people have been using for thousands of years to treat skin conditions and medical ailments. Although foreign to most Americans, some celebrities are aware of how quickly urine can treat and eliminate acne blemishes. It is important to use the first urine of the day, as it is the most concentrated and can eliminate acne the quickest. Soak a cotton pad in the urine, then apply it to the skin by wiping the cotton pad across the face. Let the urine dry onto the skin.

   Laser Resurfacing

   • One costly method celebrities use to clear their skin is to have sessions of laser resurfacing from their dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Laser resurfacing is a minimally invasive procedure that gently sloughs off the top layer of the skin, revealing new, unblemished and unclogged skin underneath. Multiple treatments are often required.

   Oil Cleansing

   • Many celebrities have cleared their skin effectively by using certain oils to unclog their pores and maintain clear, soft skin. The two oils used most often are extra-virgin olive oil and castor oil. These oils are both noncomedogenic, meaning that they do not clog the pores. These oils are massaged into the skin, and followed by draping a steaming washcloth over the face. The steam penetrates and opens the pores, effectively removing dirt and impurities. After the cloth cools, the excess oil is wiped away with the washcloth.

ANNA Hathaway with aCNE

Anne Hathway

Beautiful women like Anne Hathway that are considered sexy and beautiful also get acne. She has also got some wrinkles so she will be joining the list of Celebrities with Wrinkle

Katy Perry Struggling With Acne

Katy Perry is still struggling with acne! Perry does some shopping in Paris, France today during a break from her promotional blitz in support of her new album. Perry has always been candid about her struggle with acne, and as she made her way around the streets of Paris, it was no secret that she continues to struggle with it as acne bumps were apparent under her layers of make up.

more Katy & her skin problem after the jump…

Stress doesn’t help, with a new album to promote, wedding day around the corner and what not. Where is Romeo? Boyfriend Russell Brand needs to be around to give girlfriend ample of support!

Types

Dermatologists classify types of acne into four grades. Determining acne grade is done by a simple visual inspection of the skin. Specific criteria are used to classify acne symptoms, including:

types of non-inflamed comedones present

types of inflamed comedones present

amount of breakout activity

amount of inflammation, if any

areas of the body affected by acne

Knowing the grade of your acne is an important step in treating acne. All acne grades require different treatment methods.

Understanding the grade of your acne can help you choose the course of treatment that will be most effective. It will help you in selecting products. It will help you decide if you can treat your acne at home or if you should see your dermatologist.

Grade I

Grade I acne is the mildest form of acne. There may be minor pimples but they will small, appear only very occasionally, and in small numbers (one or two). Blackheads and milia will be found, sometimes in great numbers, but there is no inflammation of Grade I acne.

Grade I acne is commonly seen in early adolescence, especially in the nose and/or forehead. Many adults also experience grade I acne, as blackheads on the nose and forehead. Milia are commonly found in the eye area and chin.

This type of acne can be successfully treated at home using an over-the-counter product containing salicylic acid. Results generally are seen quickly. Treating acne while it is still in its early stages helps prevent acne from progressing, especially in teens. Grade I acne may progress to Grade II if left untreated.

Grade II

Grade II is considered moderate acne. There will be blackheads and milia, generally in greater numbers. You will start seeing more papules and the formation of pustules in this stage. They will appear with greater frequency, and general breakout activity will be more obvious. Slight inflammation of the skin is now apparent.

In teens, you may see the acne progress from the nose and forehead to other areas of the face. Acne may start to affect the chest and shoulders, with occasional breakouts on the back, especially in males. Adult women may find greater breakout activity in the cheeks, chin, and jaw line area, especially just before and during the menstrual cycle.

Grade II acne can still be treated at home, using over-the-counter products. In addition to a salicylic acid, a benzoyl peroxide lotion should be used daily to help kill the bacteria that cause inflamed breakouts. However, if after several weeks of home treatment your acne does not significantly improve, it is time to see a dermatologist. Grade II acne may progress to Grade III, especially if pimples are habitually picked at or squeezed.

Grade III

This type of acne is considered severe. The main difference between Grade II acne and Grade III is the amount of inflammation present. The skin is now obviously reddened and inflamed. Papules and pustules have developed in greater numbers, and nodules will be present.

Grade III usually involves other body areas, such as the neck, chest, shoulders, and/or upper back, as well as the face. The chance of scarring becomes higher as the infection spreads and becomes deeper.

A dermatologist should treat acne at this stage. Grade III acne is usually treated with both topical and systemic therapies available only by prescription. Left untreated, Grade III acne may progress to Grade IV.

Grade IV

The most serious form of acne, Grade IV is often referred to as nodulocystic or cystic acne. The skin will display numerous papules, pustules, and nodules, in addition to cysts. There is a pronounced amount of inflammation and breakouts are severe. Cystic acne is very painful.

Acne of this severity usually extends beyond the face, and may affect the entire back, chest, shoulders, and upper arms. The infection is deep and widespread. Nearly all cystic acne sufferers develop scarring.

Grade IV acne must be treated by a dermatologist. It tends to be hard to control, and almost always requires powerful systemic medications in addition to topical treatments.

Symptoms

If you are suffering from acne, you probably do not need me to tell you about the symptoms, but for those who are reading this for other reasons, here is a summary of the physical symptoms:

Blackheads (open comedo) and Whiteheads (below the skin surface)

Nodules – large and firm lumps below the skin

Pustules – yellowish lumps on the skin surface, pus filled

Pimples – red spots with no pus – a symptom of non-inflammatory acne

Cysts – a sac, pus filled under the skin tissue of about 5mm in diameter – very painful

Dry, pink and itchy skin

Scarring

If the physical symptoms aren’t bad enough, the emotional side effects are just as painful to bear. I was ashamed of the way I looked. I felt as though somehow it was my fault that I looked like this, that I was doing something bad. I would hide my face behind my hands when I needed to talk to someone – shielding them from my scars and blemishes. I grew my hair long and styled it so that it fell across my face. The cruelty of this condition is that it usually attacks just when you are least likely to be able to cope with it emotionally.

From your early teens upwards, when your hormones are racing and your body is developing, you are having to grow up physically and are learning all about relationships – Bang! Your face and shoulders and back are covered in spots and scars and you just want to hide away from everyone. Not surprisingly, your confidence takes a huge knock  - how can anyone take you seriously looking like this – let alone like you!

It affects your actions as well as you looks and emotions. My friends would go to the swimming pool or the beach and I would make up excuses as to why I couldn’t go – I just didn’t want to expose myself. You won’t find any photographs of me in my teens or early twenties – I didn’t like what the camera showed me. Even with family and close friends, I could not relax; the acne ruled my life – the clothes I wore; never going out without makeup on; the money I spent on cures!!

After trying all the conventional treatments for my acne with which I had little, if no success, I needed to find an alternative. After days of research on the internet, I discovered Mike Walden. Hurray! Mike details in his book ”Acne No More”, a system for dealing with the inner causes of acne so that you no longer have to treat the symptoms.

Mike was an acne sufferer himself and a medical researcher, so after years of suffering he has spent the last 7 years developing his holistic healing system. He has developed through a long process of trial, error and experimentation, a sure fire, 100% guaranteed, clinically proven system for eliminating acne for good.

Hospital Treatment for Acne

When most people hear the word acne, they may think of all the pizza and chocolate they were told not to eat, followed by the endless tubes of Clearasil they bought to combat pimples. They don't generally think "hospitalization." But for some extreme cases of acne, a hospital stay is required to effectively treat the condition due to the medication prescribed.

Outpatient vs. Hospitalization

While the majority of acne can be treated with home or over-the-counter remedies, or even visits to the dermatologist, chronic acne that has resisted all other procedures may require an alternative therapy. Some of these therapies may include exposing a patient to a narrow-spectrum blue light, attacking pimple-causing bacteria with a laser or exfoliating the top layer of the patient's skin with a brush or a chemical peel. However, these therapies are mostly performed on an outpatient basis in a dermatologist's office. A patient may be hospitalized while undergoing acne therapy if he is taking a last-resort medication--one with severe side effects that needs to be closely monitored. The most commonly prescribed drug of this sort is Isotretinoin, more commonly known as Accutane.

Indications

Isotretinoin is used to treat severe, chronic, nodular acne. This is acne in which the infection grows inward and leads to painful nodules and scars. The medication, which is derived from vitamin A, shrinks the sebaceous glands in the skin. This forces them to produce less oil. The medication is available in liquid-filled capsules. It is typically prescribed only for a short duration.

Side Effects

Isotretinoin is typically not given to women of child-bearing years due to the chances of birth defects, unless all other medications have failed. The medicine has strong drug interactions with typical antibiotics that a physician may prescribe to treat acne, including tetracycline drugs such as Doxycycline. Isotrentinoin may also damage the liver or exacerbate issues with diabetes, eating disorders, depression, metabolism, asthma or heart disease.

5 Great Home Treatment For Acne

Over the counter and prescription acne treatments often contain chemicals that many people do not wish to use. Instead, these people search for home treatments for acne. There are many home treatments for acne that actually do work. Here are some things you can try.

1. Apply essential oils, such as Tea Tree Oil, Bergamot Oil, Clove Oil, Lavender Oil, and Rosewood Oil. For sensitive skin, dilute the oil with grapeseed oil. Apply the oil before going to bed at night, then wash it away in the morning with a pure soap, such as Ivory, and clean water.

2. If you are not taking any medications that could cause you to be overly sensitive to the sun, try getting some sunshine everyday. The purpose is not to tan to hide the acne. Instead, the sun actually kills the bacteria, and dries up the sebum oil that produces acne. This is a common home treatment for acne that doesn't cost anything.

3. Acne begins on the inside of the body, not on the surface of the skin. Drink plenty of water - at least eight glasses per day - to help detoxify your body and cure acne. Also eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

4. For home treatment for acne, apply an oatmeal mask at least once or twice a week. Cook oatmeal, and while it is still warm (not scalding hot) apply it to your entire face. Allow the oatmeal to dry, then wash it away. You can also use dried oatmeal, dampened - but not cooked - with warm water as a facial scrub to exfolliate the skin and clean the pores.

5. Avoid eating processed foods, and stick to more natural fruits and vegetables. No food has ever been scientifically proven to cause acne, however, if you have a food allergy, the allergy often results in acne. Many people have food allergies, and go their entire lives without knowing it. Don't assume that a food allergy will leave you unconscious on the floor - the allergic reaction can appear in many forms, like acne breakouts. You can visit an allergist for a simple blood test to find out if you have any food allergies.

There are many other home treatments for acne, some of which work, and some of which do not work. The important thing is to drink plenty of water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, get plenty of sleep, wash your face at least twice a day, and take vitamins - especially vitamin A and vitamin E.