By Angela
Scottpartee @ Flickr
Did you know there is several products right in your own kitchen you can use to treat acne and acne scars? While the effectiveness of using home made treatments for acne scars is debatable, several people swear by them. If you’re interested in giving a home made treatment a start you may want to try olive oil.
Why Olive Oil?
Olive oil has long been thought of to have moisturizing properties when used both internally and externally. Several western cultures have used olive oil for years to improve the appearance of their skin and many people claim that applying olive oil directly to an acne scar will help increase it’s elasticity and suppleness, making the scar appear less noticeable.
How To Use Olive Oil On Your Face.
To use the home made olive oil treatment, gently wash and pat your face dry. Next, take a small amount of olive oil and apply it directly to the acne scar and surrounding area. Gently massage the oil in for one to two minutes until most of the oil has been absorbed in to the skin. Repeat this process once a day, and you should start to notice results within a few weeks.
Olive oil can be a great way to moisturize your skin, but if you are highly prone to acne you may want to proceed with caution. As olive oil is an oil, it may cause an increase in acne break outs. Try it out for a week or two, if you notice an increase in acne, discontinue use.
By Angela
Heading to your first dermatologist appointment soon? Are you unsure of what to expect? Chances are most people, no matter how excited we are to rid ourselves of our acne scars, get a little nervous before heading into the dermatologist office for the first time. Knowing what to expect before you walk through the door can help you be more prepared and steady your nerves.
Dermatologist and cosmetic surgeons are comparable to any doctor or dentist you regularly visit. The office environment, wait times and check-in procedures are all standard practice across the medical board. The dermatologist will meet with you for your initial appointment. This initial meeting, known as a consultation, is the dermatologist’s process of reviewing your current skin condition and developing an action plan for your acne scars or other skincare issues.
The consultation is a pain free process and can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the severity of your acne scars. During the consultation the dermatologist will spend a lot of time reviewing your acne scars for severity, type, level and depth. He or she will then develop a plan to remove the acne scars completely.
The dermatologist will go over the course of action with you in depth. This is the time to ask any questions you may have. It may help to bring a list of questions with you to the office so you can be sure to cover all of your bases before any treatment has begun.
Once a treatment plan has been put into place you will go over treatment aspects such as timelines and recovery time, as well as pricing. This is also a good time to ask questions. The dermatologist will tell you what to expect while you are receiving treatment. What you need to do at home to help the healing process. If you will need to miss any work, and how long you should expect to be receiving treatments. He or she will also review their pricing schedule with you, any promotions that are currently being offered by the office, and if there are optional payment plans available.
When you have chosen a course of action and a payment plan you will decide on a treatment schedule. Most likely you will be able to set up future appointments that same time. Many offices also offer informational brochures and material you can take home to do further research on your own.
Typically, the first appointment to a cosmetic surgeon is not one to fear and is very beneficial to you. As it is an excellent time to ask questions and get to know your dermatologist there is no reason to be anxious about the appointment. Your future skin is waiting!
By Angela
old shoe woman @ flickr
The acne healing process can be a long journey. Acne scars are permanent. If you’re working to clear up your acne, or waiting on an acne scar treatment, you may have wondered if there was anything you could do in the meantime to give your face a clearer appearance. The answer may lie in cover-ups such as make-up.
In the past, covering acne or an acne scar with traditional drugstore make-up often yielded little result. Some covering products even left a caked-on, fake appearance to the skin. Worst of all, many of the products people used to cover up their acne and acne scars were actually making the acne worse as they were made from preservatives and fillers that clogged the pores and irritated acne.
However, make-up and other covering products designed to give your face that baby’s skin appearance have come a long way in recent years. Make-up has seen a redesign across the board, from designer brands to drugstore bought items. Many products on the market today have a much improved composition. With the wider use of silicon, for example, several foundations and congealers now give your skin almost a dewy appearance reducing the caked-on look.
Make-up has also become increasingly non-comedienne. Non-comedienne make-up is simply make up that will not clog your pores or irritate current acne. As this is a great selling point for companies, most major lines now offer a non-comedienne option.
A few make-up lines even come with products that are not only non-damaging, but go as far as to be beneficial to your skin. Typical drugstore brands such as Almay have begun including products known to treat acne such as sycalic acid into their foundations, concealers and powders. These products can actually work double duty, healing your skin while they conceal.
There has also been an increase in dermatologist endorsed make-up lines being put on the market. These lines, such as Merderma, are specifically tailored for people with acne and acne scars. They offer a level of coverage much higher then traditional drugstore brands. As these lines are made specifically for acne sufferers, they are beneficial to the skin as well.
With all the skin healing properties, safe cosmetics, and improved coverage available on the market today there is no reason to live with embarrassing acne and acne scars. With a little bit of research anyone can find the right make-up to cover their skin imperfections.
