Christian Little

Acne is a common skin condition that affects almost 90 percent of all teenagers due to the hormonal changes the body is subjected to during puberty. Acne, which used to be known as acne vulgaris, problems can persist into adulthood but acne is mainly a puberty related problem.

Acne is not a new ailment and several pharaohs did for instance suffer from this skin problem. In ancient Rome they used sulphur in mineral water to treat acne and the use of suplhur as a treatment against acne survive well into the 19^th century. Benzoyl peroxide was used as earlu as the 1920s but during the 1930s they tried a lot of other alternatives including radiation treatment and laxatives against acne. When antibiotics became readily available in the 1950s patients and doctors soon noticed their effect on infected pimples. In time creams containing antibiotics were developed to treat acne. during the 1980s oral isotretinoin showed to be very effective against acne but the drug had serious side effects in pregnant women causing virth defects and miscarriages.

Females suffering from acne can sometimes be helped by hormonal acne treatment. The estrogen / progestogen found in normal hormonal contraceptives have some effect, but serious ailments may require an antiandrogen combined with oestrogen. In rare cases when one or several pimples grow unusually lagre and don’t react to other acne medication, a doctor might inject hydrocortisone into it. A shot of cortisone can quickcly reduce inflammation and redness however it can have sideeffects especially if used over a longer time period.

Blackheads, formally known as open camedones, are a special variant of acne vulgaris and are formed with oils accumulate in the duct of the sebaceous gland. Many people believe that blackheads are the result of poor hygiene, but this is certainly not the case. If you clean your face to much it can cause dryness that promts the skin to produce more oils and thereby worsening the problem.

Blackheads are usually unpleassant to look at but they are not dangerous, that said you might still want to know how to remove blackheads without causing damage to the surrounding skin. The blackheads stick to the strip and is removed when the strip is removed provided that the strip is not removed to early. The blackheads will be removed when the tape are removed as they stick to the tape. For individuals with a lot of blackhead related problems the strips can be impractical due to their temporary relief and in this cases salicylic acid might be a better solution.