Acne What is it and how to cope with it

Acne, a nightmare for any young generation nowadays. From smooth and beautiful facial skin turns into dirty spots that tarnish the beauty that suppose to be owned by any individual.




So what actually is acne? Acne is derived from greek word acme??? or a prime of life???. It is actually a lesion in the sebaceous gland (a.k.a. sebum gland or oily gland) of hair follicle. The common sites of acne are face, earlobe, back, chest, and anogenital area. However the facial acne is particularly a nuisance for an individual as it is the most visible one.




Even though sebaceous gland is responsible for acne, it also holds certain functions. It functions to secrete sebum which composed from triglyceride, fatty acid, wax esters, and sterols. This sebum is responsible to lubricate the skin, prevent crack of the skin and to cool down skin during hot weather.




How does sebaceous gland causing acne? The changes happen during acne started with increase in sebum secretions. Then the keratin lining of sebaceous duct will get thickened and forms comedones or black spots (or white spots). The change of colour of comedone is due to melanin. As the sebum secretions increase in amount, a bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes proliferates inside the sebum. After that, inflammation will occur around the sebaceous gland and produce acne. Basically, the main culprit that is causing acne is increase in sebum secretion.




So what causing the increase in sebum secretions? There are few causes of increase sebum secretions includes hormonal factor, fluid retention, dietary habit, season changes, exogenous factor, and medications.




Hormonal factor plays an important role in sebum secretions as increase in androgen (male hormone) will cause increase in sebaceous glands size which in turn increase the amount of its secretions. This explains why the male adolescent is more common to get acne compared to adolescent girls.




Fluid retention particularly during premenstrual period leads to increase hydration and swelling of sebaceous duct. This explains why there is exacerbation of acne during the premenstrual period. Apart from that sweating also makes acne worse due to same mechanism.




Dietary habits of eating chocolate, nuts, fizzy drinks or coffee worsen acne problems. However the exact mechanism on how these foods causing acne has yet to be determined.




Acne often improves with natural sunlight and it is worse during winter. The Ultraviolet light said to improves acne however the efficacy of the UV light treatment is unpredictable. Exogenous exposure to oils (particularly common in cooks in hot kitchen) has known to worsen acne. Exogenous exposure to coal tar, dicophane (DDT), and polychlorinated biphenols also has known to worsen acne.




Some medications also can worsen acne. These medications include corticosteroids (both systemic and topical), androgen and combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP). Consult with the doctor who prescribed the medication if acne problems arise from usage of these medications.




So what should we do if we have acne? Relax, acne is usually resolved spontaneously and it is not infectious. There are few methods to hasten the resolution of acne which includes conservative method, topical cream, and medications.


The conservative method is done by applying hot wet soft cloth on the face (simple alternative to facial sauna), followed by gentle rubbing in a plain soap, or diluted Savlon solution (an antiseptic solution). This will cause dissolution of comedone however they (particularly savlon solution) may cause considerable skin scaling and dryness. NEVER PINCH THE ACNE!! Pinching the acne will expose the acne to secondary infection and it is responsible for ugly scar on the skin.




Topical cream for acne is widely available nowadays. It is up to the consumer to choose which one is the most suitable. The best topical cream for acne should contain Benzoyl peroxide in concentrations of 110%, salicylic acid and vitamin A solution. So try to find out the best solution for your acne problem. Note: Benzoyl Peroxide may be irritates the skin depends on type of skin.




If both conservative method and topical cream are unsuccessful, consult your doctor for antibiotic. Commonly prescribed antibiotic for acne is tetracycline. However the treatment needs time, sometimes need months to take effect. Other alternative for tetracycline are erythromycin and co-trimoxazole.




Newly available treatments are UV light therapy, antiandrogen, and synthetic retinoids. However the efficacy of these treatments has yet to be determined.

By Mohd Fariz Amri??

All About Acne

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Going Green Commercial Property Owners Can Cut Expenses with New Solar Film

Coupled with the economic climate and its recent effects on Commercial Real Estate, going green??? is just one of the choices available in an effort to cut costs in building and maintaining office buildings, retail stores, manufacturing facilities and malls. There can be significant savings in utility costs and there are many choices in the marketplace with regards to heating and cooling.




Now, new thin solar films are available that cover windows of office buildings all around the country. They reduce the temperature inside the buildings as well as cut cooling costs. Earlier versions of solar film reduced heat getting through but the tint created a darker environment, more noticeable in northern parts of the country.




This new thin solar film is placed over the building???s glass, is crystal clear but cuts ultraviolet and infrared light while allowing the visible spectrum through. The reflection reduces 55% of the sun???s heat and increases the comfort of indoor environments. It is so clear it promotes natural light and reduces the need for indoor lighting. Tenants notice a significant heat increase in areas that are not filmed as opposed to those that have been covered.




The clarity of the new film allows in maximum light and decreases energy use. Some tenants have reported that they did not need to put any lighting in perimeter offices.




New technology has also allowed some films to not only block light, but actually produce energy. These new films contain ultra-thin photovoltaic???s which generate electricity during daytime hours. Depending on the geographic location of the building, the payback on this investment can range from six months to three years.




Since the inception of the October 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act residential owners who install energy efficient improvements in 2009 can qualify for special tax credits, helping to defray the cost of installation.




However, interest within the Commercial Real Estate community has heightened with the recent spikes in the price of oil and decreases in average rents. Commercial property owners face greater economic challenges because of property size, but can also potentially get significant State and Federal tax deductions. Go to www.dsireusa.org for more information on tax incentives in your state.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: "~"The Investment Property Insider"? is published by Craig S. Higdon, a veteran commercial mortgage banker. He publishes the e-zine and blog, http://www.InvestmentPropertyInsider.com, for commercial real estate investors, developers, and industry professionals. Visit the blog and get this free report: "The 7 Biggest Loan Mistakes Real Estate Investors Make And How To Avoid Them."?

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