Once an unsightly blackhead has been removed and a pore is empty, it can take a while for the pore left behind to close up. You can, of course, accelerate the healing of enlarged pores with Renova, Retin-A, or Differin. You can have AHA peels, BHA peels, microdermabrasion, and laser resurfacing of the skin. But what can you do on a budget? Here are some simple suggestions.
Avoid putting moisturizer on open pores. Don't use moisturizer on open pores even if you have dry skin. If you wear makeup, anything that makes skin more "slippery" will cause makeup to fill in pores, causing unsightly accumulations of pigment and possibly starting a new cycle of acne.
If you must use moisturizer, use it in the evening. And if you use both foundation and sunscreen, you will need to get your foundation in your sunscreen. That's because the extra layer on the pore will almost surely cause makeup to "slip" and accumulate.
If you use foundation, use matte or ultra-matte. Matte and ultra-matte foundations keep oil from reaching makeup that would then "slide" into pores.
Think about dabbing just a tiny amount of milk of magnesia onto the pore (under your foundation). A guy's way of explaining this is, milk of magnesia is like spackle. It makes an even surface. Matte creates a more even surface than ultra-matte.
And if you have a really slow-to-heal open pore, blot your face several times during the day, and dust. Powder, particularly pressed powder, can hide a pour. Just be sure to do this with a brush, never a pad or sponge. Pads and sponge can cause powder to cake and look thick on the face.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Dengue Alert - What Travelers Need to Know
With the announcement of three deaths from dengue fever in Bolivia, travelers to Latin America should take sensible precautions. Dengue fever is occasionally epidemic throughout most tropical South American countries, and can affect large numbers of people.
Dengue has some very specific symptoms:
As I note in my book Healing without Medication, Medical science has no cure or treatment for dengue fever. Unless shock occurs, doctors can only offer pain relievers, usually acetaminophen (Tylenol), and recommend lots of fluid. A traditional Latin American herbal remedy for dengue, however, is sometimes helpful.
Scientists at the Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City have found that extracts of the Mexican goat’s rue plants Tephrosia madrensis, Tephrosia viridiflora, and Tephrosia crassifolia slow the multiplication of the dengue virus, at least under laboratory conditions. Mexican curanderos treat dengue with a goat’s rue tea.
Goat’s rue herb increases perspiration. Be sure to drink 8–10 glasses of water a day when taking this herb. It also can stimulate milk production in women. Do not rely on goat’s rue for treatment of hemorrhagic shock.
The best approach to dengue fever is prevention. When traveling in the tropics, be sure to apply insect repellant when traveling through urban areas where water is allowed to stand—even cup-sized pools of water are enough for infection-bearing mosquitoes to multiply. The species of mosquito that carries dengue prefers to bite during the day, and frequents shaded or cool areas. Dengue is most common at elevations below 4,500 feet (1,500 meters).
Dengue has some very specific symptoms:
- A "saddleback" rash. It begins on the torso and spreads to the arms, legs, and face three to four days after the beginning of fever.
- Joint pain so severe the condition has earned the name "break bone fever," although it does not actually break bones.
- Severe headache, nausea, vomiting, sudden, high fever.
- And in small number of cases, hemorrhagic shock, a medical emergency.
As I note in my book Healing without Medication, Medical science has no cure or treatment for dengue fever. Unless shock occurs, doctors can only offer pain relievers, usually acetaminophen (Tylenol), and recommend lots of fluid. A traditional Latin American herbal remedy for dengue, however, is sometimes helpful.
Scientists at the Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City have found that extracts of the Mexican goat’s rue plants Tephrosia madrensis, Tephrosia viridiflora, and Tephrosia crassifolia slow the multiplication of the dengue virus, at least under laboratory conditions. Mexican curanderos treat dengue with a goat’s rue tea.
Goat’s rue herb increases perspiration. Be sure to drink 8–10 glasses of water a day when taking this herb. It also can stimulate milk production in women. Do not rely on goat’s rue for treatment of hemorrhagic shock.
The best approach to dengue fever is prevention. When traveling in the tropics, be sure to apply insect repellant when traveling through urban areas where water is allowed to stand—even cup-sized pools of water are enough for infection-bearing mosquitoes to multiply. The species of mosquito that carries dengue prefers to bite during the day, and frequents shaded or cool areas. Dengue is most common at elevations below 4,500 feet (1,500 meters).
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Do Pore Strips Work?
Among the most heavily promoted products for acne care is the pore strip. A pore strip is a piece of cloth with some kind of sticky glue on it. You put them on your face, wait a few minutes for them to dry, and then pull them off, hoping you also pull off a blackhead. But do pore strips really work?
Many people are favorably impressed the first time they use pore strips. The hairspray-like ingredient on the back of the strip latches on to the black, oxidized top layer of sebum that clogs the pore and makes the blackhead black. The problem is, pore strips make skin look better without solving the literally underlying problem.
Even worse, most brands of pore strips warn that if they get stuck on, you should wet them to loosen. Stuck on? Doesn't that mean that they could pull up healthy skin? Unfortunately, it does.
It is tempting to use pore strips wherever you have a skin breakout. That's especially true if you have invested hundreds or even thousands of dollars in acne treatment with Accutane, Retin-A, Renova, Differin, AHAs, BHAs, or facial peels. But the simple fact is, pore strips are too dangerous to use on skin that has been treated with any prescription acne drug, with AHAs, with BHAs, or with peels. You also risk serious and disfiguring skin damage if you use pore strips on skin affects with eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, or seborrhea, or if you have naturally thin skin.
Many people are favorably impressed the first time they use pore strips. The hairspray-like ingredient on the back of the strip latches on to the black, oxidized top layer of sebum that clogs the pore and makes the blackhead black. The problem is, pore strips make skin look better without solving the literally underlying problem.
Even worse, most brands of pore strips warn that if they get stuck on, you should wet them to loosen. Stuck on? Doesn't that mean that they could pull up healthy skin? Unfortunately, it does.
It is tempting to use pore strips wherever you have a skin breakout. That's especially true if you have invested hundreds or even thousands of dollars in acne treatment with Accutane, Retin-A, Renova, Differin, AHAs, BHAs, or facial peels. But the simple fact is, pore strips are too dangerous to use on skin that has been treated with any prescription acne drug, with AHAs, with BHAs, or with peels. You also risk serious and disfiguring skin damage if you use pore strips on skin affects with eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, or seborrhea, or if you have naturally thin skin.
Removing Blemishes
It's not a pretty topic, but there are simple ways to zap zits, to get rid of the blemishes that plague otherwise healthy skin. Here are the basics you need to know.
Just about everybody has squeezed a blackhead. It's not an aesthetically pleasing experience, but moving the stuffing of a pimple or blackhead actually does lower the pressure on the pore and minimize further damage. Squeezing is not a problem if you don't damage your skin by squeezing incorrectly.
How do you squeeze a blackhead or pimple the right way?
First of all, don't squeeze too hard. You do not want to pinch the skin, scrape it with your fingernails, or bruise it. If you leave marks on your skin, you are squeezing so hard that you are doing more harm than good.
Squeeze gently. The lightest pressure is best. Even if you cannot see that you moved the "stuff" in the blackhead or the pimple, just relieving pressure on the pore will help. You may have to wait several days to see the results.
Steaming the face is not a great idea, either. Hot water can enter skin cells and cook them. You may get rid of the oils blocking your pores, but you can get rid of the whole pore in the process (not a pretty sight).
Instead, wash gently. Wash your entire face with a gentle cleanser, one that does not make your skin tingle, itch, or burn, and pat your face dry.
Put a slightly warm (just warm enough to feel warm, definitely not hot) damp cloth over your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Once again, pat your face dry with a clean towel (the cleanliness of your towels being essential to your skin health), and repeat.
Using a tissue over the tip of your finger to make sure you do not break the skin, apply gentle pressure all the way around, not on, the blackhead or pimple until the blocked and oxidized oils begin to move.
It is not necessary to try to do surgery. If you cannot remove a blemish the second time you apply gentle pressure, assume it cannot be removed. Don't try to remove blackheads and pimples more than once a week. The healing of your skin from the inside out has to do most of the work.
Every time you remove blemishes, finish with a treatment with 2.5 per cent benzoyl peroxide, or if irritation, redness, or itching is a problem, a milk of magnesia mask. Applying milk of magnesia directly to the face and allowing it to dry, then washing off 15 minutes later, will relieve irritation and nourish the skin with inexpensive but effective antioxidants.
Just about everybody has squeezed a blackhead. It's not an aesthetically pleasing experience, but moving the stuffing of a pimple or blackhead actually does lower the pressure on the pore and minimize further damage. Squeezing is not a problem if you don't damage your skin by squeezing incorrectly.
How do you squeeze a blackhead or pimple the right way?
First of all, don't squeeze too hard. You do not want to pinch the skin, scrape it with your fingernails, or bruise it. If you leave marks on your skin, you are squeezing so hard that you are doing more harm than good.
Squeeze gently. The lightest pressure is best. Even if you cannot see that you moved the "stuff" in the blackhead or the pimple, just relieving pressure on the pore will help. You may have to wait several days to see the results.
Steaming the face is not a great idea, either. Hot water can enter skin cells and cook them. You may get rid of the oils blocking your pores, but you can get rid of the whole pore in the process (not a pretty sight).
Instead, wash gently. Wash your entire face with a gentle cleanser, one that does not make your skin tingle, itch, or burn, and pat your face dry.
Put a slightly warm (just warm enough to feel warm, definitely not hot) damp cloth over your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Once again, pat your face dry with a clean towel (the cleanliness of your towels being essential to your skin health), and repeat.
Using a tissue over the tip of your finger to make sure you do not break the skin, apply gentle pressure all the way around, not on, the blackhead or pimple until the blocked and oxidized oils begin to move.
It is not necessary to try to do surgery. If you cannot remove a blemish the second time you apply gentle pressure, assume it cannot be removed. Don't try to remove blackheads and pimples more than once a week. The healing of your skin from the inside out has to do most of the work.
Every time you remove blemishes, finish with a treatment with 2.5 per cent benzoyl peroxide, or if irritation, redness, or itching is a problem, a milk of magnesia mask. Applying milk of magnesia directly to the face and allowing it to dry, then washing off 15 minutes later, will relieve irritation and nourish the skin with inexpensive but effective antioxidants.
Healing Masks for Blemishes
Facial masks generally are not a good idea for daily skin care. While a clay or silicone or vegetable mask can feel good, most masks can irritate the skin. Sometimes, however, a facial mask is just the thing to heal blemishes. And the good news is, you can make them for just pennies.
In the old days, mothers and grandmothers treated their offspring's' blemishes with masks made from sulfur and mud. There's no doubt that sulfur, yellow and stinky as it is, disinfects acne-prone skin. The problem is, various reactions between sulfur and water and mud can create a very mild solution of sulfuric acid. The acid also disinfects the skin, but it takes more than just dead skin cells and sebum along with it when you peel off the mask.
And even if you make mask that does not irritate your skin, masks just are not the best choice for treating blemishes. Acne has be treated once or twice every day. Very few of us have time for two facials a day, and not too commercial masks never irritate the skin.
Another old favorite, however, is completely safe for the skin. Milk of magnesia makes a mask that actually heals blemishes. It's alkaline, rather than acidic, and the magnesium provides acts as a potent antioxidant directly in the pores of the skin. Milk of magnesia is anti-inflammatory, and, gram for gram, absorbs far more sebum than any clay.
Clay is OK. Just remember that there are cheaper alternatives, and be sure that any mask you use for blemishes does not irritate your skin. Remember, if a product causes your skin to break out, it's not your fault. Don't hesitate to ask for refunds for products that do not work. Your returning the product gives the manufacturer valuable information that can be used to make future products better.
In the old days, mothers and grandmothers treated their offspring's' blemishes with masks made from sulfur and mud. There's no doubt that sulfur, yellow and stinky as it is, disinfects acne-prone skin. The problem is, various reactions between sulfur and water and mud can create a very mild solution of sulfuric acid. The acid also disinfects the skin, but it takes more than just dead skin cells and sebum along with it when you peel off the mask.
And even if you make mask that does not irritate your skin, masks just are not the best choice for treating blemishes. Acne has be treated once or twice every day. Very few of us have time for two facials a day, and not too commercial masks never irritate the skin.
Another old favorite, however, is completely safe for the skin. Milk of magnesia makes a mask that actually heals blemishes. It's alkaline, rather than acidic, and the magnesium provides acts as a potent antioxidant directly in the pores of the skin. Milk of magnesia is anti-inflammatory, and, gram for gram, absorbs far more sebum than any clay.
Clay is OK. Just remember that there are cheaper alternatives, and be sure that any mask you use for blemishes does not irritate your skin. Remember, if a product causes your skin to break out, it's not your fault. Don't hesitate to ask for refunds for products that do not work. Your returning the product gives the manufacturer valuable information that can be used to make future products better.
Skin Care - How Do You Use AHAs and BHAs?
Many people use products with AHAs (also known as alpha-hydroxy acids, primarily for dryer skin) and BHAs (also known as beta-hydroxy acids, primarily for oilier skin) every day. But in our cost-conscious times, it is really important to know how to use expensive skin care formulas effectively. Here are the basics for using AHAs and BHAs for best results.
First of all, make sure your skin care issues do not become your eye care issues. You can apply either AHAs or BHAs around your eyes, but never on the eyelid or the eye itself.
Do not apply AHAs or BHAs to dirty skin. Use them after you have washed the skin, and, if you are using one, your toner has dried. Apply AHAs and BHAs before you use sunscreeen, foundation, moisturizer, or eye cream.
Get your AHAs and BHAs in a liquid or a gel, not with your moisturizer. You don't need moisturizer every day. There will be times you need to exfoliate but not to moisturize. Save money by getting the products separately.
Never buy cleansers that contain AHAs or BHAs. Water-soluble cleansers are too easy to get in your eyes, where AHAs, in particular, but also BHAs can cause inflammation and worse. Additionally, AHAs and BHAs have to be absorbed into the skin to begin their work. If you get them in a cleanser, you may wash them away before they do your skin any good. And you should never leave a cleanser on your face to let it soak in.
Finally, more is not better. If you have one good exfoliant, that's enough. Concentrated AHAs and BHAs do not work any better than 8 to 12 per cent solutions, and you need either AHAs, or BHAs, or maybe PHAs (polyhydroxic acids), but not some mixture of all three.
First of all, make sure your skin care issues do not become your eye care issues. You can apply either AHAs or BHAs around your eyes, but never on the eyelid or the eye itself.
Do not apply AHAs or BHAs to dirty skin. Use them after you have washed the skin, and, if you are using one, your toner has dried. Apply AHAs and BHAs before you use sunscreeen, foundation, moisturizer, or eye cream.
Get your AHAs and BHAs in a liquid or a gel, not with your moisturizer. You don't need moisturizer every day. There will be times you need to exfoliate but not to moisturize. Save money by getting the products separately.
Never buy cleansers that contain AHAs or BHAs. Water-soluble cleansers are too easy to get in your eyes, where AHAs, in particular, but also BHAs can cause inflammation and worse. Additionally, AHAs and BHAs have to be absorbed into the skin to begin their work. If you get them in a cleanser, you may wash them away before they do your skin any good. And you should never leave a cleanser on your face to let it soak in.
Finally, more is not better. If you have one good exfoliant, that's enough. Concentrated AHAs and BHAs do not work any better than 8 to 12 per cent solutions, and you need either AHAs, or BHAs, or maybe PHAs (polyhydroxic acids), but not some mixture of all three.
Polyhydroxy Acids for Skin Care - What They Are, Who Should Use Them
Millions of women (and men) who use skin conditioners have tried alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to lift off the tired, dry, flaking layers of sun-damaged or winter-weary skin, but many people find them too harsh. AHAs, such as citric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and tartaric acids, have to irritate the skin just a little to lift away old cells. For people who find even that little bit of irritation too much, there are polyhydroxy acids (PHAs). Here's an explanation of what they are and who should use them.
The PHAs are really AHAs that do not penetrate quite as deeply into the skin. Gluconolactone and lactobionic acid are two acids that lift tired, dead skin, but because their molecules are larger than the AHAs, they do not penetrate as deeply. Acids that do not go as deep into the skin are less likely to cause side effects, because they work on less skin.
So, are PHAs really better for your skin that AHAs? That depends on your skin type.
Most people won't notice any difference between exfoliants and skin toners formulated with PHAs and exfoliants and skin toners formulated with older, more familiar AHAs. Dr. Mark Rubin, who is both a professor of dermatology at the University of California at San Diego and a practicing clinical dermatologist, published a lecture stating that PHAs penetrate the skin only about 6 per cent less than AHAs.
Dr. Rubin says his research found that gluconolactone is less irritating than the AHA ingredients, but just a little. He did not study lactobionic acid.
Still, that 6 per cent reduction in the penetrating power of the exfoliant may be just what you need if you have mild irritation from your current product. Just be sure that you never purchase any product that contains other irritating ingredients, such as alcohol, camphor, citrus, menthol, mint, or citrus of any kind, and be sure to avoid getting any skin care product in your eyes.
The PHAs are really AHAs that do not penetrate quite as deeply into the skin. Gluconolactone and lactobionic acid are two acids that lift tired, dead skin, but because their molecules are larger than the AHAs, they do not penetrate as deeply. Acids that do not go as deep into the skin are less likely to cause side effects, because they work on less skin.
So, are PHAs really better for your skin that AHAs? That depends on your skin type.
Most people won't notice any difference between exfoliants and skin toners formulated with PHAs and exfoliants and skin toners formulated with older, more familiar AHAs. Dr. Mark Rubin, who is both a professor of dermatology at the University of California at San Diego and a practicing clinical dermatologist, published a lecture stating that PHAs penetrate the skin only about 6 per cent less than AHAs.
Dr. Rubin says his research found that gluconolactone is less irritating than the AHA ingredients, but just a little. He did not study lactobionic acid.
Still, that 6 per cent reduction in the penetrating power of the exfoliant may be just what you need if you have mild irritation from your current product. Just be sure that you never purchase any product that contains other irritating ingredients, such as alcohol, camphor, citrus, menthol, mint, or citrus of any kind, and be sure to avoid getting any skin care product in your eyes.
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