Archive for September 3rd, 2010

Can Keratosis Pilaris Really Be Cured?

Keratosis Pilaris is a very common, benign skin ailment, which appears as small, rough bumps on the skin around hair follicles. They normally manifest themselves on the upper arms, but have been known to appear on buttocks and thighs and can occur anywhere on the body, with the exception of palms of hands, and soles of feet. Globally, there are many sufferers, and due to frequent misdiagnosis, many of those are not aware that they have it. Current figures suggest that as many as 50% of adults and 80% of adolescents are affected, and the severity can vary from person to person. It is non-infectious, but tends to run in families, and been observed passing from one generation to another. Thus it is described as a chronic genetic skin ailment.

There are several sub-categories of Keratosis Pilaris and they include:-
Keratosis Pilaris Alba, appearing as rough dry skin without irritation.
Keratosis Pilaris Rubra, showing red, inflamed bumps.
Keratosis Pilaris Rubra Faciei, appearing as a red rash on the cheeks, and often confused with rosacea.
Keratosis Pilaris Atrophicans Faciei, where facial follicles atrophy (waste away) leaving small scar like depressions, similar to acne or chicken pox scars.

It has been stated by standard medical practitioners that Keratosis Pilaris is incurable, since currently available pharmaceutical treatments and products may only improve the appearance and suppleness of the skin, or at worst, cover it up. Among treatment options are products containing vitamin A, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid and Urea, all of which are mild peeling agents, exfoliants, microdermabrasion and various scar treatments, but there are alternatives. Many have tried shea butter and other skin products, without resolution, and the results may be only temporary. Some cases are known to clear spontaneously without treatment, but these are in the minority. It is suggested that Colloidal Silver may well be worth a try, since it has been seen successful in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis.

The best answer to treating Keratosis is to turn to someone who has successfully treated this condition. One such person is Jennifer Richards, who has produced a remarkable guide which tells her story of living with KP and how she cured herself once and for all using natural ingredients and techniques. Find out how she did it at: http://bit.ly/cqq6mN

Acne Scar Removing

It’s a double curse which you may have to endure the discomfort and embarrassment of acne and then turn around and face some scaring after you have cleared up the skin condition. So if you are searching for ways to reduce or eliminate acne scars, individuals are. And there a number of good treatments you can try many of which can be very effective in reducing how visible the scars are or eliminating them entirely.

When the acne is healing, one fashion to keep the scaring from being too bad it to begin to treat the skin as the blemishes clear up. By gently scrubbing the area, you lesson the depth the acne blemishes reach which reduces their tendency to scar tissue. You may also use special abrasive soaps or chemical peels during these early weeks after the acne has been eliminated. What this does is to take the top layer of skin away which allows the healthy skin underneath to take over.

It is always a good idea to keep your skin soft and moisturized during the healing process. By using medicated creams, you promote healing and the skin is well equipped to recover from the damage of the acne. Also, pay attention to your diet and keep your vitamin and water intake high to give your skin plenty of weapons to fight back from the damage of the acne.

There are numerous of medicated creams available on the market that you could turn to next if the healing seems to need additional help. But if you feel the scarring needs more serious intervention, it is always best if you get the advice of your dermatologist. They might examine the damage and prescribe the right type of medicated cream. Your doctor may also prescribe the giving the skin some time between treatments to give the skin time to become accustomed to the worst thing you tried and to recover naturally.

If your doctor recommends that you take your treatment to the degree of surgery, there are levels of therapy which can be tried successively until you find the correct approach to reducing or eliminating the scars. Microdermabrasion is the least drastic surgery which is done to remove the outer layer of skin using vacuum tubes. Dermabrasion might be a more involved because the skin is numbed and rotating disks are employed to remove the damaged layers of skin. And new innovations in laser surgery have also been effective at eliminating ugly acne scars.

The main thing is to go slow and think of the health of your skin. It wants to heal so do all you are able to help it. With your common sense and the help of a good dermatologist, that can be done a lot to make those scars disappear so much that you could never even know they were there.