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Steve Morin asked:




If you or someone you know is wondering does Benzoyl Peroxide help acne, the answer is, it depends on what form of acne you or they are currently suffering from, as well as what type of skin you or they have. Considering the fact that Benzoyl Peroxide is one of the stronger bleaching agents used for a variety of things, you need to keep it in mind that this will be applied to your face. As a whitener for your teeth, it works splendidly, the true answer to does Benzoyl Peroxide help acne, yes in the most common form it does indeed help acne.

Benzoyl Peroxide is a commonly used topical treatment for the more simple forms of acne. Consisting of two parts benzoyl and one part peroxide, it is derived for three main uses. Firstly it is used as a mild antiseptic for cleansing smaller wounds and mild abrasions. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory agent for reducing swelling in new cuts or abrasions and it is also used as an oxidizing agent. Because of the chemical make up of benzoyl peroxide which enables it to effectively reduce the amount of bacteria on the skin surface and cut the amount of yeast in almost half, it is acknowledged as an effective treatment for acne.

Of course, it is ultimately up to you, the user to determine does benzoyl peroxide help acne, and to better find the answer to this, you will need to test the use of it on your skin disorder. Whether you choose a gel or cream treatment is entirely up to you, or following on the advice of your dermatologist and the prescription they give you. The actual content of benzoyl peroxide in these products is most often only 10% or less.

Because it is a highly drying agent, finding the answer to your question of “Does benzoyl peroxide help acne” should be investigated and tested with care. Make certain you have no allergic reaction to the usage of this particular chemical mixture, and seek the advice of a dermatologist concerning whether the gel form with only 2.5% concentration would be as effective as the 10% mixture. Studies have shown that both show an active affect on the acne treatment and there is not much difference in the results.

When asking your dermatologist does benzoyl peroxide help acne, it is imperative to educate yourself as much as possible on the subject and all options for treatments as well.

Joan Spencer asked:




This depression quiz for teens may finally be able to help you decide if your teenage son/daughter is suffering from depression. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions and answer all of the depression quiz for teens questions to find out if your child is displaying classic depressed symptoms.

Answer the follow depression quiz for teens questions…

Part 1) Health and physical symptoms. Depression doesn’t only affect your emotional state, but it can also affect your health. Simply answer yes or no to the following questions…

Has your teenager suddenly lost or gained weight?

Are they eating less/more than usual?

Are they noticeably sleeping more/less than usual?

Does your teenager show signs of lethargy and have no or little energy?

Have you any reason to believe that he/she is self harming?

Now move onto part 2 of the depression quiz for teens…

Part 2) Social interaction. One of the tell tale signs of depression is a reduction in social interaction. Simply answer yes or no to the following depression quiz for teens questions…

Does he/she show a definite lack of interest in hobbies, interests or activities?

Is your teenager more irritable, angry and hostile than usual?

Does he/she show a decreased lack of motivation and enthusiasm?

Has your teenager stopped spending time with friends?

Now move onto part 3 of the depression quiz for teens…

Part 3 – Emotional state. Your teenagers emotional state will be most affect by depression, look closely for changes in their personality. Simply answer yes or no to the following Now move onto part 2 of the depression quiz for teens questions…

Is he/she spending a large amount of time alone in their room (more than usual)?

Is your teenager displaying signs of sadness and hopelessness?

Have you noticed that he/she is finding it harder to concentrate?

Have you noticed that he/she has been crying for no reason?

Depression quiz for teens results: Most teenagers will display some or all of these symptoms at some point during their teenage years, but if you answer more than half of these questions as a YES you should take some action.

Recommendations: Talk to your son/daughter, be sure to keep an eye on them, read some more on the subject to make sure you are well informed, think about arranging counselling sessions, talk to your doctor and above all don’t push them to hard.

I hope that this depression quiz for teens has helped you determine if your son/daughter may be suffering from depression. If you would like some more information on depression help then please click on the links below.

Jean Shaw asked:




I’m writing this article outside in the sunshine. Well, actually that’s not completely true.

I am outside and the sun is shining beautifully but I’m sitting in the shade. As much as I’d like to feel the heat of the sun on my exposed limbs my days of sunbathing have gone – doctors orders!

Like many people I love to have a tan. It has always made me feel healthier (and slimmer) somehow, and from my mid teens until my early thirties I spent many a happy hour soaking up the sun’s rays.

But not any more.

I have done so much damage to my skin over the years that if I had one of those special skin X-rays done I would look about ninety! I’ve had all sorts of things burned, frozen or cut out and it has to stop before I get the kind of skin cancer that cannot be treated.

When I was a teenager it was “cool” to have a tan although I don’t suppose that was the expression used in those days. It was just fashionable. I used to rush home from work at lunchtime and don my bikini for almost my entire hour’s lunch break. I’d then dash back to work red faced but happy, pleased that I was gradually building up a lovely tan to show off in my sleeveless, low cut tops and halter necks.

I sunbathed in the middle of the day when the sun was at its hottest and not only did I not use suntan lotion but coated myself in baby oil instead. I literally cooked myself.

Was I stupid? – probably, but not intentionally. I just didn’t know better. No-one did back then. Sun tan lotion was only for those very rich people who actually went abroad for holidays to “hot” places like Spain or Portugal.

As I got older my quest for an all year tan led me to sunbeds. For almost two years I had one in my bedroom and used it regularly. There was no advice in those days not to use one for more than a few days per year.

I religiously wore the thick black goggles and timed the sessions but I certainly had more in a month than is now recommended for a year.

Too late, the damage has been done and I’ll be happier when I’m older so I can grow into my skin!

My excuse for not taking better care is that I was simply unaware of the dangers sun damage can do. However, in this day and age there is no excuse for people to follow my example.

In almost every magazine and newspaper reference is made to the changes in the ozone layer and the increasing strength of the sun. Yet still many people, particularly men, seem to think that it is only when you go on holiday that you need to use sun protection.

If you look at any construction site or road maintenance operation during the summer you will see men with their shirts off, working in the heat of the day, burning their backs, necks, heads and arms. Some even wear shorts with their heavy duty boots.
How many, I wonder, wear sun protection and out of those who do, how many actually renew it as the day goes on?

Like me in my younger days it still appears to be the belief if you work outside then the tan will build up gradually and it will be okay. However, a tan is a sign of DNA damage and as the saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a safe tan”.

A recent survey (2007) revealed that ten percent of men don’t even know solar radiation is linked to skin cancer and two thirds of men rely on their wives to both buy and apply sun protection for them.

I’m not sure if that’s a macho thing or what, but skin cancer is on the increase and in UK we have more cases than Australia. This is most likely due to the awareness over there but 13.5 million men in UK don’t use sun cream and the more people burn the more risk there is.

Women are more likely to use sun protection because of the fear of premature ageing, wrinkles and age spots but even then many don’t realise that it’s not just necessary on hot sunny days.

You can’t see or feel UV radiation and it can be equally as dangerous on cloudy days. You need to protect against both UVA which are ageing and UVB which are burning.

As the summers get hotter and longer it is essential to protect your skin at all times and you should use at least a sun protection factor 15 (SPF15).

Also take great care of your eyes and make sure your sunglasses have UV protection otherwise you’ll magnify the sun’s rays onto the delicate skin around your eyes.

There’s no question being in the sun gives you that feel good factor and wonderful natural Vitamin D. However, limit your exposure and avoid the hottest times of the day when the sun is at its highest otherwise you’ll be like me and have to sit in the shade – doctors orders!

primrosehouse asked:

Natalie from South Wales gives an insight into how the revolutionary Acu-Clear Skin Cleansing System has helped reduce her teenage spots. www.acu-clear.co.uk

Zach B asked:


I just got Acne free about 5 days ago and I haven’t really seen any improvement in my acne. For people that have used it, how long did it take before you saw some good results?

*I have little-moderate acne. Its mostly around my mouth.

Jack Venta asked:




If you’ve ever been online looking for an acne cure you’ve bound to have come across Acne Free in Three Days! It’s the most famous natural acne solution on the web, but what is it, and does it really work?

I used to suffer from acne for many years, and when searching online for an acne cure I found the acne free website almost instantly. Because I was so fed up with most acne cleansers and herbal formulas (not to mention antibiotics and accutane), I purchased the book…

…And was disappointed straight away. You see, acne free in three days is a simple 3 day apple fast. This means eating nothing but apples and drinking water for 3 days.

The theory on why it supposedly works it that by eating nothing but apples for 3 days your body flushes out build up of toxins for the colon, and with these toxins gone, so goes your acne…

I was willing to give it a try, as soon as I got a spare 3 days to sit around the house…

So I did the 3 day fast, and by the 3rd day my skin was looking somewhat clearer, but nothing special…

But when I awoke on the fourth day, the day after the fast, I looked in the mirror and my acne was ALL gone. Only some old marks remained. And these disappeared after a few days. I was delighted, but my joy of being acne-free only lasted a few days, at which point my acne came back – as bad as ever.

So what happened?

Well, according to the acne free book, the 3 day fast has to be done once or twice every month to maintain clear skin! This wasn’t practical for me, as spending 6 days a month eating nothing but apples would interfere with my busy life too much. So…

…I was back to where I started. I had cystic acne again, but I knew that natural solutions worked, and I researched more. I found that by making simple changes to my diet I could clear my skin. This was both easy and practical. For more information about clearing your acne naturally visit my website now.

Agnes Scott asked:




Your skin doctor prescribed a benzoyl peroxide cream to get rid of your pimples, but it just made things worse. My advice is to go back to your doctor and let him know. Then he can change your prescription. However, if you choose not to do so, then you need to do some testing and thinking for yourself. You need to think back – what happened when you applied the benzoyl peroxide? Did your skin turn red, and after a few days even more pimples popped up where you applied it?

If this is what happened, maybe you are one of the small percentage in the population who have a reaction against this common anti-acne treatment. Or maybe the cream or gel you used is too strong, or may be contaminated. The first thing you can do is try to get a weaker formulation. You should be able to easily get a cheap commercial preparation for 2.5% benzoyl peroxide from Oxy or Clearasil. If you need to try something even weaker, you could ask your local pharmacist. He may be able and willing to prepare a weaker 1% house formula for you.

If all these fail, then you will have to consider alternatives. Before that, you need to know how benzoyl peroxide works and how it gets rid of acne. You need to know that skin irritation, even if it is so minor that you do not normally feel anything, can lead to blackheads and whiteheads. From there, it is a simple step to bacterial infection. Once infection sets in, you get even more irritation and inflammation, and this is when your pimple pops up. Benzoyl peroxide works on two levels. It kills the bacteria in your pimples (and blackheads and whitehead). And it dries up the pimple. The problem is that this drying action can be too strong and cause even more skin irritation and pimples in some people.

So, what else can you use, then? Maybe you can get a generic brand antiseptic solution or antiseptic cream. This way, you still get the antiseptic action without the drying effect. Dead bacteria in your pimple means your pimple heals faster. On the other hand, maybe you still want the drying effect, just milder. Then you can try mixing your own solution from iodine or potassium permanganate. Both of these are cheap water-soluble antiseptics, often available as raw crystals. On my skin, at least, both of them seem to have a drying effect. For the face, I think iodine is a better choice. Once dissolved in water, it is a light yellowish-brown in color, which is not as noticeable as the purple of potassium permanganate.

You need to be aware that using a weak antiseptic may not be able to kill all the bacteria in your pimple. You may need to apply it more often, bearing in mind to be careful not to irritate your skin. And you also need to remember to wash your face before you apply the antiseptic. If you suffer from dry skin, you should also consider applying moisturizer after the antiseptic or benzoyl peroxide. The moisturizer will help to soothe your skin and prevent irritation.

Jennifer Mason asked:




Choosing premium treatment for pimples has always been a difficult task for the people. These days, there are numerous pimple treatments out there in the global market just available at cheapest price rates. You will only need to choose some of the outstanding pimple treatments in order to dispose of your pimples speedily.

Blue Light Therapy
Exposing the skin to a low-intensity blue light foundation is believed to destroy chronic pimples. This easy method is commonly done through a series of sessions. P. acnes increases fast, though, so continuing treatment is required for premium results. Probable side effects of blue light therapy include: temporary pinkness and aridity in the treated areas. A newer type of light treatment that includes a merger of blue and red light might be more helpful than blue light all alone

Pulsed Light and Heat Energy Therapy
Cooperatively, pulsed light and heat energy is supposed to wipe out P. acnes and get lesser sebaceous glands, which decreases oil production. The Food and Drug Administration allowed pimples treatment that merges pulses of green-yellow light and heat to treat mild to sensible pimples, including provoking pimples. Side effects of this treatment contain: short-term flush in the treated areas.

Oxycerin
It is the world’s most important pimples serum to have 5% tea tree oil which has been clinically recognized to be just as regimented as 5% benzoyl peroxide. If you are suffering from frightening pimples, then use Oxycerin as best medication to wipe out pimples.

Acneticin
It is a commanding inner pimples medicine. Its formula targets bad skin from the start: far below the skin. If you are one of the pimple sufferers in chronic cases who have tried all topical acne pills unsuccessfully, then Acneticin is your best substitute. It will take your time, but get rid of pimples efficiently.