Acne

Paloma Duvil asked:


Adult acne and face bumps can be eliminated. It seems that as a child growing up in the United Kingdom that all of my friends, regardless of where they were from; Essex, London, or Sussex had bad skin at one point or another in their lives. This encouraged me to learn more about dermatology during my studies at the university. What I learned as I begin seeing more and more clients who suffered from adult acne was that adult acne, pimples, blackheads, and inflamed skin were not a curse. Adult Acne can be controlled with proper skin care. Yes, bad skin, if there is such a thing, can be corrected. To be honest, while there are several great acne products on the market there is no one cure all technique or product to cure you from your acne woes. That is why I started writing books, articles, and hosting conferences to help save people from giving up on their skin and resorting to makeup to cover up their natural beauty.

Before, I provide you with tips that will save you money and hours of crying, cursing, and swearing repetitively about your skin I want to share with you some simple facts. Fact number one: Having adult acne does not make you disgusting or ugly. Fact number two: Acne is a natural part of life, regardless if you are a adolescent or adult. Fact number 3: Adult or Teen Acne can occur for several reasons and this is again why I encourage all of my clients not to look for a cure all, but instead to focus on their total body‘s overall health.

Flawless Skin in 30 Days Tip #1

If you want flawless looking skin, look no further than your refrigerator to begin. The things that you place inside of your body are important to combating acne, pimples, zits, and blackheads. Regardless of whether you have acne on your chest or back areas your diet plays an important role in whether you have continuous acne outbreaks or only the occasional spot. The foods that you eat provide your body with essential nutrients that your skin needs to appear its best. Without eating properly then your skin is vulnerable to the attack. Therefore it is important to eat food that is chocked full of vitamins, especially vitamin A, vitamin C, and Vitamin E. You can find these vitamins in several fruits and foods from sweet potatoes, yucca roots, carrots, mangoes, oranges, melons, and fresh berries. While fast food is quick, it can wreak havoc on your skin Most fast foods are full of grease and have had most of their nutrients cooked out by being over fried, over frozen, or over smothered in gravy. If you want to have better skin that has less acne, acne scars, and flare ups within thirty days then maintaining a balanced diet will be essential. Each day make sure that you have at least one glass green tea, at least three glasses of water, and no soft drinks, colas, fruit punches or things with artificial sweeteners. When you feel the urge to drink something sweet, then try your favorite fruit smoothie or vegatable juice. Fruit smoothies and Vegetable drinks will help provide you with the vitamins your skin needs naturally, no pills involved. Nothing to remember, just eat healthy and elminate the fast foods, junk foods, and artificial sweeteners. Don’t say you can’t do it. Yes, you can! And when you do your skin will appear better. If you take baby steps, such as reducing your junk craving to two snacks per day and one cola, the you will see baby results. Your skin will get better in overtime, but not in 30 days. To be honest, unless you start eating a better diet then you will not achieve the results that you want.

Flawless Skin in 30 Days Tip #2

Use natural skincare products to take care of your skin. Just as it cost money to buy clothes if you were going out on the town for one night. It also, cost money to buy products that will help your skin look better for a lifetime. Buying acne products can be overwhelming, because there are so many. However, when it really comes down to buying quality acne products there are only a few products even worth trying. This is because most acne products are latent with chemicals that can cause side effects such as burns and dark spots. Yes, they can eliminate your pimple that popped up overnight, but they can provide you with a red acne scar or acne dark spot on your forehead, chin, or cheek that seems to last a lifetime. That is why I only use natural or organic acne skincare products on my clients and in my family. If you are not into natural products then I still had product recommendation for you that does not contain the benzoyl peroxide. The best fully natural products on the market that has emerged over the past few years is Beauty 4 Ashes. Beauty 4 Ashes Naturally Clear Acne Skin Care products are great because they are used by Hollywood stars and everyday moms. Beauty 4 Ashes acne skin care products tackle all the common skin care issues that you may face from large pores with there “U Big Pore Baby” system to acne dark spots, chest acne, & blackheads with their Naturally Clear Body Beautiful System are available online at www.discoverb4a.com (USA) or www.mybeauty4ashes.com (UK) and in host of other select countries including the United Kingdom, United States www.discoverb4a.com, Canada www.myb4a.com, Australia, France, & Japan. The best part about Beauty 4 Ashes skincare products is that they are made fresh for you and that they include anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients from all over the world. I recommend and use their products on my clients because they are contain herbs, green teas, honeys, vitamins, and minerals that help your skin to eliminate acne and heal blemishes naturally overtime. Beauty 4 Ashes skin care products are extremely effective, because they focus not just on eliminating acne, but also on helping to create great skin that is free from excessive dryness or heavy oiliness. The best part is that in a recent international customer survey Beauty 4 Ashes was top ranked for helping naturally solve both women and men’s acne issues. The other product that I use on my clients that has proved successful is Dr. Murad’s skin treatment products. Although, these products do contain chemical preservatives they are more effective than most acne treatments because similar to the Beauty 4 Ashes products it uses natural anti-inflammatory ingredients to combat acne and other skin care issues that could be causing your outbreaks. If you want flawless skin in 30 days then try using skin care products that are not loaded with alcohols, peroxides, and chemicals that you can’t pronounce.

Flawless Skin in 30 Days Tip #3:

Reduce your stress levels. Hormones within your body can trigger different reactions, including making your skin more acne prone. This why many adults experience adult acne in the first place. Work stress, Home Stress, & Personal Stress imposed upon oneself can be the main culprit behind your acne. To reduce your stress levels it is important to pick up a hobby. One of the best stress relievers for adults with acne is walking. Walking not only will help your look better in you face, but also in your waist. Walking reduces stress because it gives you time to think things over. Even if you walk only down the block or from the back of a parking lot to the mall entrance this will provide you with time to explore your options over whatever decision you are debating. If you reduce your stress levels you are clearly on your way to eating better, becoming more organized so that you can use your acne products on a daily basis, and discovering flawless skin within 30 days.



REX

tilak asked:


A detailed and comprehensive discussion of acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars.

Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred. Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment.

Macules or “pseudo-scars” are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions. After an inflamed acne lesion flattens, a macule may remain to “mark the spot” for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain—unlike a scar.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed acne lesion. It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin. Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Causes of Acne Scars

In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids.

When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue.

White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos:

(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology

National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)

The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size.

People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as “not too bad.” The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars.

Prevention of Acne Scars

As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne treatment.

Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area).

Types of Acne Scars

There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue.

Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation

The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means “enlargement” or “overgrowth.” Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid:

(Photo used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology

National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)

The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to “run in families”—that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars.

Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time.

Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue

Acne scars associated with loss of tissue—similar to scars that result from chicken pox—are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are:

Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides—like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out.

Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time.

Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape.

Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious.

Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called “perifollicular elastolysis.” The lesions may persist for months to years.

Treatments for Acne Scars

A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation.

A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on:

* The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to “live with your scars” and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make.

* The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment?

* A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you.

Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken.

The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is often not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin.

The scar treatments that are currently available include:

Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to “stretch” and “fill out” certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost.

Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures.

Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment.

Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often required but scars may not be significantly improved.

Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months.

Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by “punch” excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar.

Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions—for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts.

Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all.

In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.

 



ERWIN

John Davenport asked:


How did the fascinating technique of lock bumping get its start? When did this lock bypass system begin to come to the attention of the public? What’s that, anyway? Let’s explore the interesting history of lock bumping and look at a few important details pertaining to it.

Lock bumping has been around for a long time. Some estimates place the beginnings of lock bumping to about 50 years ago. This special technique allows a special type of key to be used in any lock of the same type. Most of the locks that are currently being manufactured are susceptible to the skilled use of a bump key.

Tumbler locks are the most widespread style of lock in use today. The system of pins is quite simple. A series of pins are spring-stacked to hold the rotating bolt of the lock mechanism in place. Because the pins are all different lengths, one usually uses a custom cut key to open the lock. The grooves on the key “tickle” the pins and lift them out of the way enough to let the bolt slide away, resulting in an unlocked door. However, a bump key can do the same job even though all its grooves are the same depth.

Public knowledge of lock bumping really began in the 1970’s, when Danish locksmiths distributed a method for bypassing the tumbler lock mechanism. They would tap on the side of the cylinder and simultaneously press the lock plug (in our case, one would press the back of the bump key). The vibration would cause the pins to become loose; once this happened, the lock plug could be removed easily.

The advent of bump keys came much later. Surprisingly, they were not even considered a security problem until 2002 or 2003. The German media was the first to pick up on the possible hazards of lock bumping keys. Other organizations published carefully considered reports on the uses, techniques, and hazards of lock bumping. Papers have also been written about the possible legal problems connected with bump key usage. Although in many States a bump key is considered by law to be a “burglary tool”, this is no reason to avoid them. This law is not going to harm you as long as you use the bump key for legitimate purposes. Currently, there must be proof that there was intent to use the bump key in a burglary before you can be charged with anything.

Lock bumping can be a beneficial skill. It is an easy way to get back in if you are locked out of your home or office. You can make a bump key for free with a simple file, and it takes minimal training to learn how to use it. Don’t ever go through the frustration of being locked out of your own home (or your own personal safe) again. Learn how to use a bump key and practice until you know you can get past the tumbler locks in your home. One day, you’ll be glad you did.



THURMAN

tilak asked:


A detailed and comprehensive discussion of acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars.

Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred. Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment.

Macules or “pseudo-scars” are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions. After an inflamed acne lesion flattens, a macule may remain to “mark the spot” for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain—unlike a scar.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed acne lesion. It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin. Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Causes of Acne Scars

In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids.

When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue.

White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos:

(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology

National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)

The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size.

People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as “not too bad.” The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars.

Prevention of Acne Scars

As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne treatment.

Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area).

Types of Acne Scars

There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue.

Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation

The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means “enlargement” or “overgrowth.” Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid:

(Photo used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology

National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)

The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to “run in families”—that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars.

Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time.

Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue

Acne scars associated with loss of tissue—similar to scars that result from chicken pox—are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are:

Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides—like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out.

Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time.

Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape.

Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious.

Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called “perifollicular elastolysis.” The lesions may persist for months to years.

Treatments for Acne Scars

A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation.

A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on:

* The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to “live with your scars” and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make.

* The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment?

* A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you.

Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken.

The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is often not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin.

The scar treatments that are currently available include:

Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to “stretch” and “fill out” certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost.

Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures.

Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment.

Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often required but scars may not be significantly improved.

Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months.

Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by “punch” excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar.

Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions—for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts.

Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all.

In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.

 



LEO

raza asked:


A detailed and comprehensive discussion of acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars.

Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred. Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment.

Macules or “pseudo-scars” are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed acne lesions. After an inflamed acne lesion flattens, a macule may remain to “mark the spot” for up to 6 months. When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain—unlike a scar.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed acne lesion. It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin. Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation. Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure. Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Causes of Acne Scars

In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue. They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle. Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids.

When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site. Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection. However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue.

White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar. The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however. There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others. Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic acne that occurs deep in the skin. But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions. Nodulocystic acne that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos:

(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology

National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)

The life history of scars also is not well understood. Some people bear their acne scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and acne scars diminish in size.

People also have differing feelings about acne scars. Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as “not too bad.” The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars.

Prevention of Acne Scars

As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people. It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist. It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective acne treatment.

Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat acne early in its course, and as long as necessary. The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented. (Click on Acne Treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne). Any person with acne who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist. (Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area).

Types of Acne Scars

There are two general types of acne scars, defined by tissue response to inflammation: (1) scars caused by increased tissue formation, and (2) scars caused by loss of tissue.

Scars Caused by Increased Tissue Formation

The scars caused by increased tissue formation are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. The word hypertrophy means “enlargement” or “overgrowth.” Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are associated with excessive amounts of the cell substance collagen. Overproduction of collagen is a response of skin cells to injury. The excess collagen becomes piled up in fibrous masses, resulting in a characteristic firm, smooth, usually irregularly-shaped scar. The photo shows a typical severe acne keloid:

(Photo used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology

National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides)

The typical keloid or hypertrophic scar is 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, but some may be 1 centimeter or larger. Keloid scars tend to “run in families”—that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars.

Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for years, but may diminish in size over time.

Scars Caused by Loss of Tissue

Acne scars associated with loss of tissue—similar to scars that result from chicken pox—are more common than keloids and hypertrophic scars. Scars associated with loss of tissue are:

Ice-pick scars usually occur on the cheek. They are usually small, with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides—like wounds from an ice pick. Ice-pick scars may be shallow or deep, and may be hard or soft to the touch. Soft scars can be improved by stretching the skin; hard ice-pick scars cannot be stretched out.

Depressed fibrotic scars are usually quite large, with sharp edges and steep sides. The base of these scars is firm to the touch. Ice-pick scars may evolve into depressed fibrotic scars over time.

Soft scars, superficial or deep are soft to the touch. They have gently sloping rolled edges that merge with normal skin. They are usually small, and either circular or linear in shape.

Atrophic macules are usually fairly small when they occur on the face, but may be a centimeter or larger on the body. They are soft, often with a slightly wrinkled base, and may be bluish in appearance due to blood vessels lying just under the scar. Over time, these scars change from bluish to ivory white in color in white-skinned people, and become much less obvious.

Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called “perifollicular elastolysis.” The lesions may persist for months to years.

Treatments for Acne Scars

A number of treatments are available for acne scars through dermatologic surgery. The type of treatment selected should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin, the cost, what you want the treatment to accomplish, and the possibility that some types of treatment may result in more scarring if you are very susceptible to scar formation.

A decision to seek dermatologic surgical treatment for acne scars also depends on:

* The way you feel about scars. Do acne scars psychologically or emotionally affect your life? Are you willing to “live with your scars” and wait for them to fade over time? These are personal decisions only you can make.

* The severity of your scars. Is scarring substantially disfiguring, even by objective assessment?

* A dermatologist’s expert opinion as to whether scar treatment is justified in your particular case, and what scar treatment will be most effective for you.

Before committing to treatment of acne scars, you should have a frank discussion with your dermatologist regarding those questions, and any others you feel are important. You need to tell the dermatologist how you feel about your scars. The dermatologist needs to conduct a full examination and determine whether treatment can, or should, be undertaken.

The objective of scar treatment is to give the skin a more acceptable physical appearance. Total restoration of the skin, to the way it looked before you had acne, is often not possible, but scar treatment does usually improve the appearance of your skin.

The scar treatments that are currently available include:

Collagen injection. Collagen, a normal substance of the body, is injected under the skin to “stretch” and “fill out” certain types of superficial and deep soft scars. Collagen treatment usually does not work as well for ice-pick scars and keloids. Collagen derived from cows or other non-human sources cannot be used in people with autoimmune diseases. Human collagen or fascia is helpful for those allergic to cow-derived collagen. Cosmetic benefit from collagen injection usually lasts 3 to 6 months. Additional collagen injections to maintain the cosmetic benefit are done at additional cost.

Autologous fat transfer. Fat is taken from another site on your own body and prepared for injection into your skin. The fat is injected beneath the surface of the skin to elevate depressed scars. This method of autologous (from your own body) fat transfer is usually used to correct deep contour defects caused by scarring from nodulocystic acne. Because the fat is reabsorbed into the skin over a period of 6 to 18 months, the procedure usually must be repeated. Longer lasting results may be achieved with multiple fat-transfer procedures.

Dermabrasion. This is thought to be the most effective treatment for acne scars. Under local anesthetic, a high-speed brush or fraise used to remove surface skin and alter the contour of scars. Superficial scars may be removed altogether, and deeper scars may be reduced in depth. Dermabrasion does not work for all kinds of scars; for example, it may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if the scars are wider under the skin than at the surface. In darker-skinned people, dermabrasion may cause changes in pigmentation that require additional treatment.

Microdermabrasion. This new technique is a surface form of dermabrasion. Rather than a high-speed brush, microdermabrasion uses aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube to remove surface skin. Only the very surface cells of the skin are removed, so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often required but scars may not be significantly improved.

Laser Treatment. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used to recontour scar tissue and reduce the redness of skin around healed acne lesions. The type of laser used is determined by the results that the laser treatment aims to accomplish. Tissue may actually be removed with more powerful instruments such as the carbon dioxide laser. In some cases, a single treatment is all that will be necessary to achieve permanent results. Because the skin absorbs powerful bursts of energy from the laser, there may be post-treatment redness for several months.

Skin Surgery. Some ice-pick scars may be removed by “punch” excision of each individual scar. In this procedure each scar is excised down to the layer of subcutaneous fat; the resulting hole in the skin may be repaired with sutures or with a small skin graft. Subcision is a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from unscarred skin, thus elevating a depressed scar.

Skin grafting may be necessary under certain conditions—for example, sometimes dermabrasion unroofs massive and extensive tunnels (also called sinus tracts) caused by inflammatory reaction to sebum and bacteria in sebaceous follicles. Skin grafting may be needed to close the defect of the unroofed sinus tracts.

Treatment of keloids. Surgical removal is seldom if ever used to treat keloids. A person whose skin has a tendency to form keloids from acne damage may also form keloids in response to skin surgery. Sometimes keloids are treated by injecting steroid drugs into the skin around the keloid. Topical retinoic acid may be applied directly on the keloid. In some cases the best treatment for keloids in a highly susceptible person is no treatment at all.

In summary, acne scars are caused by the body’s inflammatory response to acne lesions. The best way to prevent scars is to treat acne early, and as long as necessary. If scars form, a number of effective treatments are available. Dermatologic surgery treatments should be discussed with a dermatologist.

Did you find this article useful?  For more useful tips and   hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to Internet Business, do please browse for more information at our websites.

http://www.adsence-dollar-factory.com                                     

http://www.100earningtips.com



CODY

DR.R.SRINIVASAN asked:


We live in an age of crises. There is large scale erosion of values. There is widespread corruption in all walks of life. The term “stress”’ has come into wide use in behaviour study only within the past two decades. Originating in the physical sciences, the term has the meaning of a force which acting on a body produces strain or deformation. Later stress has come to represent the bodily condition under strain. Both in the physical and biological sciences and behavioural study, the concept of stress meant an extreme condition, involving tension perhaps damage. If one asks people about their stress and in particular how they know it exists, two general kinds of things are described: Firstly, there are experiences of mental discomfort, often accompanied by feelings if not being able to cope, that things are falling a part, that one is not in control of oneself and one’s situation or just a general increase that all is not well without any particular cause being apparent. Secondly, there are physiological manifestations of loss of appetite, sleepless men, sweating and ulcers or other physical illnesses of various degrees.

Man has been a victim of stress since time immemorial. Modern man faces on unending variety of problems which cause enormous strains and stress for him. The modern day man does not have ‘fight or flight’ option before him. Man faced diseases such as plague, small pox, leprosy, etc. some of these were great killers and certain others were highly infections in nature and consequently caused immensely stressful situations. Modern science and technology due to which it has been possible to eliminate the impact of a large number of sources.

However, a mankind got over certain ailments; it got new ones in such formidable form as cancer, heart attacks, Aids etc. A large number of these are caused or aggravated due to increased pace of urbanization, industrialization, and the complexities of modem living. Prosperity has not been an unmixed blessing, but h3S brought in its wake a number of problems associated with it. Hence modern man faces an unending variety of problems which cause enormous strains and stress for him.

When body faces a stressful situation either by way of a physical attack or a psychological threat, the central nervous systems is alerted first and then adrenal and pituitary glands get activated and stare secreting hormones and cortisone etc. As a result of this the level of blood pressure rises. All this body’s reaction to build a defense and raise energy level so that the body can take recourse to fight or flight response. However the modern day Man who lives in a complex, abstract, and civilized society does not exercise flight or fight option due to tactical reasons and consequently the excess hormones secreted by the glands keep on getting accumulated and get converted into toxins. The toxic level rises in the body and can give rise to diseases. No wonder that a large number of diseases and ailments are said to be stress related. Further more the cause of most physical diseases lies in the suppression of feelings and emotions. Extensive research work the world over has revealed that mental illnesses and coronary diseases are particularly caused due to stress.

Stress may be caused due to a number of environmental factors. However the same factor may cause little or no stress to another. Stress comes from the attitude that one takes towards the events. Some people are susceptible to stress while others develop certain amount of immunity. For eg, when two managers had their job duties changed, a situation in which one manager will see the new duty as an opportunity to learn new skills and such a change given to him due to the vote of confidence from higher management. The second manager will perceive the same situation to be extremely threatening and will conclude that the change was meant to punish him. Hence an individual’s susceptibility to a stressed situation depends on various factors like,

v     Personality type, perception, past experience.

v     Social, economic and personal factors like financial problems, family conflicts and ailment and diseases.

v     Relationship with others, job change, role ambiguity, role over load, or under load and unhealthy working conditions.

v     Irrational behaviour, Poor performance etc.

v     Low self stress poor intellectual performance, depression and burnout syndrome.

v     Occurrence of stress related diseases

v           Financial problem

v     Conflict between family demands and organizational demands

As seen above, there seems to be a growing interest in what organizations do to its employees i.e. both managers and managed. One of such aspect is interest in ‘organizational stress’.  Management experts are becoming increasingly involved in helping employees to cope with organizational life.

Stress leads to physical disorders because the internal body system changes while trying to cope with stress. Stress over a prolonged time also leads to diseases of heart and other parts of the body system. Therefore it is important that stress, both on and off the job be kept at a low level so that most people may be able to tolerate without developing either emotional or physical disorders.

In each and every organization, employees have to be kept fully satisfied, happy and motivated so that productivity, efficiency and performance will be at its peak level. By this employees may understand the organization and start functioning in optimum efficiency. One of the most significant ways to achieve the organizational efficiency is to identify the reasons or causes of ’stressors’ and the way to cope with it.

There is emerging evidence that in some situations, organization can be held legally liable for the emotional and physical impact of stressors on employees. Poor working conditions, sustained conflicts with supervisors, traumatic events, and intentional harassment of employees sometimes result in anguish, neuroses or even *******. If liability is established, employees could claim benefits under worker’s compensation laws as well as sue for financial damages. Frequent studies on stress would help to uncover the shadow areas; so that steps can be initiated to minimize the effect of the determinant   factors   of   ’stressors’   and   also   help    individuals   and organizations evolve new and effective coping strategies.

 

“Stress like relativity is a scientific concept which has suffered from the mixed blessing of being too well known and too little understood” says Dr. Hans Selye.



DARNELL

Melvin Ng asked:


Acne treatments are plentiful in the market. While there are plenty of magic cures out there, not many of them have ever stood up to scientific scrutiny.

Acne can be mild, moderate, or severe. For each type of acne, the treatment is very different. Acne is not a cosmetic condition but a health problem.

If your acne problem seems to be getting worse with time then before going to buy the next magic cure, try visiting a dermatologist for a skin analysis and determining what type of treatment suits you best.

Mild acne can usually be treated with a gentle wash using warm water and soap, twice a day. Over the counter creams containing salicylic acid can also be used. These creams are helpful in eradicating the bacteria on the skin surface.

Acne cures are all about proper skin care. Once an acne condition has developed all cures will take some time. You should expect nothing better than a gradual improvement in skin health.

Vitamin supplements for healthy skin can also be taken with the doctor’s advice.

Moderate acne is when pimples cover about half of the face. People with moderate acne should consult a dermatologist before doing anything in the way of self-help. While acne can be embarrassing and the impulse to do something fast is ever-present, you should take care and not do anything that might worsen the case.

Best treatments for moderate acne involve a combination of physical treatment and prescription drugs that are antibacterial. Oral acne treatments have also given good results in the past. Acne can also leave scars and if they are not attended to immediately they can become a permanent feature on the skin.

In cases of severe acne, pimples and zits will become deep, inflamed, and possibly very painful. In such cases there will be a lot of skin scarring that can result in psychological complications like depression. It is best to treat acne before it becomes severe.

Most doctors and dermatologists will use methods as severe as acne to cure the condition. Oral antibiotics and medicines like accutane will probably be used at this stage. Other drainage technique and surgical methods might also be used.

Acne can go into a very phase if not treated in time so it is best to obtain good professional advise even if you are having a mild acne attack. Remember that treatment of acne takes a long time before any improvements become visible. When your doctor gives you instructions for acne treatment then it is necessary that you follow them with an almost military discipline.

Be patient and persistent, continue taking the prescribed medications and follow your doctor’s advice.



DERICK

Frank Scott asked:


ACN, Inc, is a network marketing company that claims to be one of the largest sellers of communication products . In 1993 Greg Provenzno, Robert Stevanovski, Mike and Tony Cupisz founded ACN to provide Superior long distance and local phone service, with unsurpassed customer service. Today ACN not only offers their flagship long distance and local service, but has expanded to offer, wireless, Digital Video Phones, Internet and Satellite TV at competitive prices. Weather you have become a ACN rep or are just considering it, the question is will ACN be a viable income opportunity for the average ACN rep, or is it another in the list of network marketing scams.

The litmus test for network marketing companies is longevity, will they be around in 5, 10 or 15 years (the problem with longevity is it takes years to find out if the company will pass this litmus). ACN certainly passes with flying colors being as they have been around for 15+ years. But, even though they have been around for quite a while, is ACN a good opportunity for the independent rep to earn a substantial income. Let’s see where ACN ranks in the 3 criteria for successful distributors in network marketing.

1. The product or service is something the distributor can be passionate about, for ACN that would be any of their communications products (only you the distributor can answer that)

2. The marketing strategies are sound and offer the most income opportunity to the distributor not just the company (this is where most network marketing businesses don’t make the grade and that includes ACN).

3. The company is solid and the products deliver a real benefit to the consumers (as of this writing, ACN claims to do 500 Million in revenue each year, Sounds pretty solid). They even managed to have Donald Trump to Publicly endorse them as a good business opportunity. Not too shabby!

Ok, so the products and service seem to be decent and the company is pretty stable, but is the warm market approach to making it to the top of the ACN compensation plan (RVP or SVP are ACN’s top positions) a viable path to success. Since the inception of network marketing, the primary marketing strategy of these opportunities has been to target your warm market (friends and family). This marketing concept worked well for many years , but business and society evolved, unfortunately network marketing companies did not and continue to use the same outdated marketing principals and ACN is no exception.

While there are many issues surrounding the friends and family marketing strategy, we’ll focus on one of the staples of marketing (positioning) and why the warm market approach doesn’t make the grade. It’s a pretty simple concept and it will become abundantly clear why marketing to your friends and family won’t work for most of you.

Positioning: The word alone leaves you to believe that you would want to be at the top or in the top position. For marketing ACN or any networking company you need to position yourself as a leader, an expert in your product or service. ACN reps only need to find a few people that use a telecom service (everybody has a telephone, right?) get them to switch to a ACN service due to the quality of product and the lucrative income potential.

Here’s where the warm market problem lies, your friends and family all know you, they know what you do, who you are and where you come from. Up until the point of becoming an ACN rep, most of you were not an expert or leader in the field of telecom or a successful entrepreneur. Every successful entrepreneur had to start somewhere, but starting with a clean slate is key to your success. How do you intend on showing someone what a lucrative opportunity ACN can be if you are still driving the same old car and wearing the same old clothes, you have lost your credibility. Position yourself as a leader in your market with those that don’t know you and your business will begin to grow.

Pretty clear how powerful positioning can be? This is just one of the many reason to stay away from your warm market.

ACN has a what looks to be a good product and growing a business. There are quite a few telecom companies out there with good products and all of them have distributors out there that haven’t made a dime. The difference between those who will make it to the top and those that won’t, is finding and using effective marketing strategies, strategies that put the odds of success in favor of the distributor.

ACN could prove to be a very lucrative business for the distributor who is determined to find and build the skills necessary to bring targeted prospects to them and are ready to leave their warm market alone. If you are waiting for the big pay day to just come to you using the same marketing methods that are not working for you today, I would suggest that you just use ACN’s telecom services for the quality of the product, in the end your friends and family will thank you for it.

To learn more on how to grow your ACN busieness, go here to get your ACN Business Growth Guide

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it is not modified in any way including bylines and active hyperlinks.



LYLE

Dr. Marybeth Crane asked:


Who ever named it a “bunion?” Probably the same person who named an enlarged thyroid a “goiter”, but seriously, bunions are the common description of a bump on the side of the big toe. Really they are much more than that.

Bunions are known in medical terms as Hallux Abducto Valgus which in English is a crooked big toe joint with a bump on the side. This is actually a progressive misalignment of the big toe joint which starts with a slight leaning of the big toe toward the second and then gradually produces the characteristic bump and joint symptoms. In the late stages of progression, the big toe actually can overlap or underlap the second and cause reactive hammertoes (contracted) of the other toes. Even though they are extremely common, most people wait until they have significant symptoms and deformity before they seek medical attention. Often they have had pain in shoes and with activity for years when they finally come into the office. This is due to the misconception that they always require surgery for treatment.

What causes bunions? No, it’s not always the shoes! (But, they don’t help) Bunions are caused by the faulty biomechanics of your foot structure that you inherited. Couple that with high heeled shoes or even just shoes that crowd your toes (listen up guys who wear cowboy boots!) and you are prone to the formation of bunions.

Symptoms of bunions are the prominent bump with redness from rubbing in shoes, grinding of the joint, pain, swelling, burning and occasionally even numbness.

Diagnosis of a bunion is done by x-ray findings together with physical exam. A bump is not necessarily always Hallux Abducto Valgus, so a complete podiatric exam including x-rays should be done to evaluate your condition. Many people actually have arthritis of the big toe joint or even just a cyst overlying the joint and think they have bunions.

Treatment includes shoe gear modification, an orthotic device to control the abnormal biomechanics, padding, anti-inflammatories or injection therapy to decrease inflammation, and at the later stages, surgery.

When is surgery needed for bunions? If you have pain every day, in every pair of shoes you own (including your athletic shoes) and you have treated your condition with conservative therapy without any relief; it’s time to discuss bunion surgery. Surgery should never be contemplated without pain and activity limitations. There are many advances in bunion surgery and varied procedures depending on your foot type, the stage of your deformity, your activity level, your medical history, and your age. Make an appointment to discuss surgery with your podiatric foot and ankle surgeon if you have progressing symptoms.

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons cites a survey that showed 96% satisfaction after bunion surgery with a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon. 96% of the survey respondents identified pain relief as a desired outcome of the surgery, and 86% also said they hoped to improve their walking and increase their physical activity following surgery. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 representing “much pain,” the survey respondents averaged a score of 7 when assessing their pain before surgery, and the average score dropped to 2 when they assessed their pain six months after the operation. 92% said they were able to increase their physical activities — walking, running, golf, tennis, exercise — and 90% said they would recommend bunion surgery to others. This is great news! Many people fear the surgery more than pain every day in their shoes! Obviously, this fear is unwarranted!

Fear of surgery should not keep you out of the office because 80% of patients who come in asking for bunion surgery leave with a conservative treatment plan. Call or contact your podiatric foot and ankle surgeon for an appointment today to get your questions answers. Don’t live with the pain of bunions for one more day.



DANTE

Rebecca Kepple asked:


When it comes to the topic of acne, many people focus on the face as the sole culprit. But, the back tends to harbor acne just as often as the face. Back acne, or bacne, can be one of the toughest sorts of acne to fight but that does not mean the treatment is not available to clear your back of acne.

Facial Acne Versus Back Acne

Both ****** acne and back acne are caused by the same clogs in the pores of the skin. When dead skin cells get caught up and cannot flake from the skin, they block the release of oils from the sebaceous glands. With the back skin being thicker than ****** skin, the infection or irritation may be deeper.

The deeper the infection or irritation, the deeper the acne treatment will have to work in order to clear up the acne breakout.

Why is Back Acne So Persistent?

If you have ever faced a breakout of back acne, you know that the rash of bumps seems to take forever to heal. Why? It is all in the skin.

The skin on the face is relatively thin. When acne pops up, the treatment instantly hits the affected area and begins to treat the acne breakout. On the back, however, the skin is much thicker than on the face. This means that the infection causing the acne may be deeper into the layers of the skin than the acne appearing on the face.

Treating Back Acne

Luckily, there are tried and true acne treatments for back acne that work very effectively no matter how deep the root of the acne breakout. In order to get rid of back acne, you need only treat the acne in the same manner as you would treat ****** acne.

Back acne is really no different than ****** acne. The treatment may take longer simply due to the depth of the infection, but all ****** acne and back acne treatments serve the same end.

Back acne can be an embarrassing problem. You no longer have to be afraid to remove your shirt or wear that dress with the low back cut. You can regain your self esteem and clear up that back acne breakout with a ****** acne treatment proven to clear the skin. Why wait to TRY OUT a new method when there are clearly treatments that just plain work?



SONNY