Monday, May 28, 2007

Acupuncture and the Treatment of Acne

Chinese medicine is unique in its totally different approach to treatment compared to western standards. Acupuncture and the treatment of acne show this perfectly.

Acupuncture and the Treatment of Acne

Acne is a general term given to several types of skin disorders that usually result from clogged pores. The most severe forms of the condition can lead to large and painful cysts that often leave scarring. Aside from this, the condition rarely poses any other health threat. Acne does cause a bit of a self esteem problem especially in younger people. Although the lesions often appear on the back and chest areas, the face is the most common area for acne outbreaks.

Western style medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine are in agreement that a healthy life style and good diet are helpful in the prevention of diet. There is, however, the common lack of depth in Western medicine when looking into the root causes of the problem. There are many cases where proper diet and healthy living are not enough to prevent outbreaks. Western style medicine sees certain causative factors such as stress and greasy makeup as contributing to acne outbreaks, but the focus is on the topical treatment of the pores themselves and not on the underlying factors.

Traditional Chinese medicine sees acne outbreaks as usual as a disharmony in the natural order of the body. Often the cause is seen to be the accumulation of heat. This damp heat rises from the organs and causes the blockage and subsequent eruptions of acne. Therefore, acupuncture treatments that target the causes of the heat accumulation can be effective in clearing up the condition and preventing its return. There are several acupuncture body points that are useful for cooling of the blood, and these are often the targets.

The acupuncture treatment is usually a long term process that addresses the chronic conditions. The treatments will often need to be repeated two or three times a week over a period of time to effect a complete reversal of the disharmony. In some cases, the condition has become so severe that steps are taken to address the more acute issues first. In these cases, the treatment regime will consist of diet restrictions and possibly even herbal supplements to the acupuncture sessions.

In very severe cases, the lesions themselves can be treated with acupuncture needles directly. There are two approaches to this that are used. One is to surround the lesion with small needles. This is a process known as “surrounding the dragon.” Another approach is more a process similar to lancing a cyst. A very small needle is inserted directly into the lesion until pus or blood appears. This process is very much a merger of Western treatment and acupuncture, but to the acupuncturist, it will only be useful when coupled with the long term treatments that address the underlying causes.

By Alien

Alien writes for herbal remedies. He also writes for nature cures and home remedies
Article Source:
http://www.articlerich.com/

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Get Rid of Back Acne

Go to target or Wal-Mart and purchase a "Back Attack" and the gold dial antibacterial soap ( not the scented ones the gold bar). It has been called a lot of things but it is a long loofa with handles on both ends (a long strip) sometimes you can find them with terry cloth on the back.

Use it every time you shower not bathe but shower. Soap that baby up and scrub your back. Do this at least three times. It works! But you have to be consistent. Dry your back off thoroughly and put nothing such as lotions, powders or ointments on your back.

Always put on a clean top or shirt. Your back has to stay clean and the loofa and soap will scrub away the sweat and oil on your back as well as help you remove dead skin cell thus, improving the color and texture of your skin. Make sure you rinse your loofa and hang to dry so that it does not contract bacteria and you will have to replace it maybe every three to six months. You don't have to go out and buy expensive products to get results. You do this every time you shower and you will have a picture perfect back that will look good in any halter top.

Here are some common sense ways to control your acne:

Wash your face twice a day. Be gentle, don’t scrub your face, because you’ll irritate your face and possibly make your acne worse.

Take extreme care when popping your pimples. There are correct ways to pop white heads, black heads and zits. Other types of pimples or lesions should not be popped or squeezed. Seek advice from you dermatologist if these lesions are causing you discomfort. Avoid products that can clog your pores like cosmetics and other facial products. Don’t use any products that contain oil. You are trying to get rid of excess oil and not adding to it. Take care not to damage your skin in the sun. Some acne products can react to the sun irritating your skin There are many products on the market that can help control your acne. Many are over the counter remedies and a few require you to consult with a physician and receive a prescription for treatment.

Many women are prescribed birth control pills to control acne. Birth Control pills actually control the hormones which commands the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum. Birth Control pills have shown their effectiveness and safety in a many case studies.

Your dermatologist may also consider an antibiotic. Antibiotics kill the Propionibacterium acnes, the bacteria that cause infection. This treatment may not be long term but may help with a serious outbreak. There are also a host of medicated lotions that cleanse the pores and exfoliate the dead skin and bacteria on the infected area.

Controlling your acne and caring for your face can make a huge difference on the severity and length of your acne outbreaks, so do some research on a treatment that might be best for you.

Treatment Tips by Juliet Cohen

Juliet Cohen writes articles to help you to get complete cure for various skin diseases and disorders types, problems and common conditions including treatment options for your complete skin care. You can visit Juliet website http://www.removeacne.org where you can find an extensive array of information about acne, acne types, symptom, causes, treatment methods.
Article Source:
http://www.articlerich.com