What is common to the age group between 12 and 17 apart from teen tantrums and high school crushes? The answer has to be acne. All teenagers have it in some form or the other and some even carry it over into adulthood, with consequences severe enough to merit a visit to the physician. Americans spend an astronomical amount on acne treatment.

Acne is the generic term for clogged skin pores, pimples and deep-seated cystic or nodular lumps occurring mainly on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms.

Knowing its requisite cure also involves knowing the causes of acne. Over-productive oil glands and clogged pores are the main reasons behind these skin lesions. This is why they are common during puberty or during hormonal fluctuations.

Now clogged pores, which are caused by dirt and dust, result in the glandular oil not being able to escape. There is thus swelling in the area leading to the skin lesions.

Acne manifests itself in various forms of skin disorders. Blackheads (open comedones) and whiteheads (closed comedones) are amongst the most common and the least severe forms of skin scar. With bacterial infection, these may progress to skin inflammations like the raised papule, the pus-filled pustule or the hardened nodule.

There are several forms of medication, some preventive and others curative. Preventive medication stresses on keeping the skin squeaky clean to prevent the incidence of clogged pores. Antiseptic liquid cleansers like Cetaphil cleanse the skin without causing any irritation. In fact, these should form an integral part of your daily skin care regime.

Taking care of your skin also involves going slow on the make-up and also religiously removing any traces of make-up when retiring for the night. You should not prick a pimple as this leads to scar and the possibility of further infection.

Topical creams and lotions like those containing Benzoyl Peroxide, antibiotics like tetracycline and Vitamin A-based tretinoin and adapalene are considered effective for acne. In fact, Benzoyl Peroxide is a highly recommended and widely prescribed cream, which gently exfoliates the skin and prevents bacterial infection.

However these creams have a drying and itching effect and should be started in low doses.

Isotretinoin is commonly given as a medicine for the severe nodular and cystic cases. But recent research has shown that isotretinoin causes birth defects if taken during pregnancy and has even been linked to alarming side effects like psychological ailments, depression and suicidal streaks.

Popular medication also includes oral antibiotics that work well in advanced cases. However, these should be taken under strict medical supervision, as they are known to cause harm during pregnancy.

By far the best remedy for such skin disorders is the TCA Peel. A favorite with dermatologists around the world, this form of medication is the safest, easiest and doesn’t involve any side effects. The TCA Peels also work towards making the skin radiantly supple and thus younger-looking (for more information on TCA skin peels see the link below).

With the right treatment, acne aches will no longer pain you.

David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests and manufactures various skin peels and other for doctors offices and medispas. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com

Have you wasted valuable time and money trying to lose weight? Then tried again and again? One thing Americans know how to do is market. The desire for quick and easy weight loss has created an ideal opportunity for modern-day snake oil salespeople to pick your pockets by selling magical diet products.

One minute you’re innocently reading the newspaper and the next minute you find yourself ordering a sixty dollar, one month supply of diet pills. After all, those before and after photos look great and they say it works.

Or you’re now the proud owner of the latest infomercial gadget that promises to wrap, buzz, sway, steam, lift, or glide you to slenderness. All too often you find it’s only useful for drying your clothes on.

In our desperate quest to be skinny, we buy the strangest things. Next time you’re hypnotized by a diet commercial, remember these red flags:

1) The product involved putting anything non-food into your body. Pills, potions, chemicals, herbs. None have been proven to cause substantial, permanent weight loss.

2) Promised results require the purchase of any special gadget at all. The only thing you really need for physical fitness is a good pair of walking shoes.

3) The program is based on unproven fads like food combining, “forbidden” foods, or magical effects of certain types of foods.

4) The advertising promotes use of a product but the small print explains that the plan requires drastic calorie restriction and exercise to get results – so why buy the product?

5) Outlandish or miraculous claims are made of rapid weight loss, changes in body shape, or weight loss from specific parts of the body.

The fact is that 95% of diets fail and the constant search for a quick fix is a sure path to disappointment. The human body is naturally healthy and strong. It doesn’t need potions and gadgets and certainly doesn’t need starvation.

Listen to your body. Give it the food it wants when it’s hungry and stop when it’s full. Move in ways that feel great. Play more. All of these are completely free and will create vibrant, natural, long-term health that expands and enriches life.

About The Author
©2006 Nancy Hill has helped thousands break free from the nightmare of dieting with her ebook, “Undieting – 11 Simple Steps to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life.” Get your free Undieting Newsletter subscription at http://www.undieting.com and discover how intuitive eating makes it easy to live at your ideal weight without ever dieting again.

As the old year comes to a close and everyone begins to look forward to the beginning of a New Year, many people are also anticipating the beginning of their New Year’s resolutions. For numerous individuals, New Year’s resolutions will involve vows to cut back on their food intake, get on a diet and exercise regimen and drop at least a few pounds. The question that hangs in the air for those who are anticipating the start of a new diet lies in exactly which diet might happen to be right for them and which diet holds the key to helping them lose the most weight.

Certainly, there are numerous diets available and it seems like every few months a new diet or eating plan has emerged to become the new successful diet rage. Is it possible that all the ‘popular’ diets can help you lose weight or are there certain diets that can help you lose more weight than others?

This is the question that a group of researchers set out to answer recently. Over a period of two months, 160 individuals were monitored closely as they followed a supervised program. The varying factor among all 160 program participants was that they were allowed to choose whichever diet suited their fancy. Researchers waited and watched in anticipation to learn which diet or diets would prove to be most successful.

What they learned at the conclusion of the study proved to be quite interesting. The data they collected not only helped them to learn more about which diet programs tend to be more successful in terms of total weight loss but also which diet programs more individuals were more likely to stick with for long term weight loss and maintenance.

While the study participants were allowed to choose their favorite diet plan, most participants opted for one of the following: Atkins, Weight Loss, Ornish and the Zone. Even though initial data was conducted after just two months, researchers continued to study the remaining participants. They discovered that after a period of time more than half of those participants who opted for diet plans that focused on low carbs and high fat, such as the Atkins plan, dropped out. Additionally, approximately the same percentage of individuals who chose the Ornish plan, which focuses on low fat and high carb vegetarian foods, also quit their diets. Weight Watchers participants fared moderately better, with about two-thirds of that group’s participants sticking with it. The Zone participants showed similar results.

So, which diet plans performed best overall in terms of total weight loss? Surprisingly, they all performed about the same. Those individuals participating in the Ornish plan who were able to stick with their diet for the entire year achieved a weight loss rate of about 6%; the highest of all groups. Atkins came in at about 4%, with Weight Watchers and the Zone performing at an average of 5% weight loss. Health risk factors related to obesity were an entirely different matter; however. In terms of heart disease risk, Weight Watchers participants decreased their risk by 15%, while other diet plans hovered in the 12% range. The Ornish diet plan participants, who showed a higher overall weight loss, showed a lower decrease in risk of heart disease, at just 7%.

Overall; however, researchers concluded that in the end, there is no one magic diet. If you’re planning to resolve to lose weight in the New Year, your best strategy is still the same regardless of which diet plan you ultimately choose. Eat sensibly, cut back on portions, drink plenty of water, participate in a moderate exercise routine and find a diet buddy to support you in your weight loss goals.

About The Author
Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of http://WeightLossBuddy.com a website committed to 24/7 support, expert advice, and helping people find a buddy(s) who will support their effort to lose weight, and live a healthier lifestyle. And it’s all Free. Sign up for the Free 4-Part E-Course “Losing For Good” http://www.weightlossbuddy.com.