PIMPLE PLANET Episode VI: Return of the Blogger

Hello everyone!!!
Well after a long and unexpected leave of absence, I'm back and with good news too! My skin has cleared up a crapload since I last left you guys; I'm pretty much clear except for some light scarring and a pimple or two i get every now and then...

That doesn't mean that I'm not going blog about acne or pimples anymore, hell no! My skin clearing up was my motivation to come back on here and to start blogging again about the thing that was once such a big part of my life. Having acne was such a pain in the ass but also very much a blessing too; now that I'm acne free I feel more confident than ever, I feel so grateful to have good skin, but I am also humble about it too. I like to relate it to the stories you here about when people have near death experiences and live; they always talk about how they have such a new found love and meaning towards life!

Also acne is just an interesting topic in general, it can be gross, it can be amusing, and it can be sad as well. So i hope with this blog that some of you can get at least a little something out of it in the posts to come, and don't forget your comments and feedback are always appreciated! Talk to you soon everybody!

- JPC

How A Pimple Forms

Hey all! I was reading around and I came across this article that explains really well the process of a pimple forming! Now it makes me a little confused because I hear that no one knows exactly what causes acne, and then on the other side I hear people saying they know exactly what causes acne. So either way this article will help you out if you don’t know too much about pimples and how they form. I got the article from: http://www.acnetalks.com/pimple/Acne-Basics/Define-Acne/How-Acne-Happens.htm


Check it out!

Did you always think that acne appears in just one day or one night? Many people think that. This is not true. An acne or pimple, emerges from a blemish, which requires 2-3 weeks to take a defined form of acne. You cannot see this process because it happens deep under your skin. There are several factors that function differently in different people to form acne. That is acne is a highly individualized problem and you should therefore explore acne forming roots in you.



Your acne is caused when holes present in your skin in the form of pores and hair follicles get clogged by dead skin cells and excessive sebum content. Pores are little holes present on your skin. These pores are actually hair follicles containing very fine hair. Each hair follicle is connected to a sebaceous gland.

The sebaceous gland produces an oily substance called sebum. Sebum helps in keeping the skin soft. This sebum reaches the surface of the skin through the hair follicle. The hair follicle is lined with cells called Keratinocytes.

Now, during puberty, testosterone, a hormone present both in males and females, increases. This increase in testosterone encourages the sebaceous gland to produce more sebum. This sebum, hair, and keratinocytes fill and plug the hair follicle. Plugging of the follicle is the earliest sign of acne. Because the follicle is plugged, sebum cannot reach the surface of the skin. This means that the follicle is filled with oil (sebum) and cells (keratinocytes). A mixture of both these causes Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes, which is present on the skin, to grow in the plugged follicle.

This bacteria in the plugged follicle, induces the white blood cells to attack it. When the white blood cells attack, they cause the skin to inflame. This inflammation is characterized by heat, swelling, redness and pain.



In due course of time, the wall of the hair follicle breaks down, spilling everything, that is, sebum, dead cells, and bacteria, on the nearby skin. This leads to lesions or pimples, which we commonly refer to as Acne. Acne can be either mild, moderate or severe.

Now that you know how acne develops, it is necessary to check out the factors that contribute to your acne. Following factors contribute to acne:



1. Hormones: At puberty, the body begins producing hormones called androgens (male hormones, but present in both males and females). These stimulate the sebaceous glands, which in turn, produce extra sebum. Androgen is also responsible for acne flare-ups during the menstrual cycle and at times, pregnancy.



2. Excess sebum: Excess sebum is responsible for plugging the hair follicle. It mixes with P. acnes and causes acne.

3. Dead cells: Generally, dead cells are thrown out gradually by the skin. But, when these dead cells mix with the excess sebum, they contribute to the plugging of the hair follicle, thereby pausing the skin's natural process of throwing out dead cells.

4. Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes: Though P. acnes is present on all skin types at all times, it starts multiplying rapidly once a follicle is plugged.



5. Inflammatory Response: In order to control unwanted bacteria, the body sends out white blood cells to fight against it. The skin reacts to these white blood cells by inflaming. This inflammation causes the pimples to become swollen, red and painful.



Remember that the functioning of these five factors is different for different people. That is, acne is a highly individualized problem. So, do not compare yourself with your friend.

The Caveman Regimen: Update Week 3

Last time I updated it had only been one week on my version of the caveman regimen, which is basically when you don’t wash your face to heal your acne. If you happened to miss my version on the first update it is: I let warm shower water hit my face on the lowest pressure setting for about 30 seconds, and then pat dry with a towel when I get out. At night all I do is dab some apple cider vinegar on my face using a cotton pad. I cut out all treatment creams and cleansers, because I felt they were doing more harm than good.

Overall I would have to say that my skin is doing a little worse than when I started the regimen. This, although is normal and could last weeks to months, so I am not about to give up it anytime soon!

Some days I’ll wake up and my skin will look pretty good, while other days I’ll have up to 10 new pimples or whiteheads. On about day 8 or 9 of this my forehead broke out like crazy, and continued to breakout for the next couple of days with tiny whiteheads. It looks to be finally calming down though so that makes me happy. Other areas of my face like my chin will be clear for up to 2 days at the most, and actually look pretty good, but I’ll usually breakout with 2-3 big whiteheads after. This is also pretty much the same for the sides of my face as well, but all the pimples are usually gone within 2-3 days sometimes less. Also I have been shaving every Saturday in the shower using Cetaphil as a substitute for shaving cream, and that has been working really well. For the rest of the day, and for most of the next day my skin will look and feel really good after shaving. A cool thing I noticed is that my skin is no longer super dry after I get out of the shower, and it doesn’t get super oily anymore until later in the night! Also another thing I noticed about this regimen that I like is that I don’t stress as much about my acne and often forget about it. This is because I don’t have to worry about washing it with a certain cleanser each and every night, or putting on creams anymore. Also I don’t have to keep caking on the moisturizer which doesn’t help my face feel any better, and makes it even oilier.

Although the results might not be there yet, something deep down inside tells me that I’m doing the right thing! So whether or not its true time will tell, and we’ll just have to see if anything changes next week. So until then enjoy the site!

Updated before and after photos...

Before (4/7)	After (4/27)

Before (4/7)	After (4/27)

Before (4/7)	After (4/27)

Before (4/7)	After (4/27)

-jpc

The Almighty Aspirin Mask

News of the Aspirin mask is spreading like wildfire because it’s cheap, it’s easy to do, and it works! It is excellent for people looking to soften their skin, or for people who have acne because Aspirin has Salicylic acid in it and gently exfoliates the skin. I started using the mask a little over 3 weeks ago, and I do it every Friday or Saturday on parts of my face that have the most/worst pimples. This is one of the first things that I have done and been stunned by the results after I tried it! Just about every pimple I apply it to will literally be half the size if not gone within a day or even a couple of hours. Basically all it is are some brand name Aspirin, or generic brand (either works the same) non-coated tablets. They can found at just about any of your local markets for around $3 bucks.

You get 3-4 Aspirin or more if you want, but I have read that people vomit if they use more than 4-5(I’m not sure if that is true though?). You then put them in a plate or bowl and add a few drops of water or more depending on the consistency that you want. You then wait a few minutes for the tablets to soften and take a spoon or your finger to mash them up and apply it to your face. It will be chalky depending on how much water you use, so be gentle when applying it to your skin. I end it with that and put it on my skin for 20 minutes, but there are a lot of variants! For example: Adding honey, or lemon juice, olive oil, etc. So be creative and experiment a little to see what works best for you!

Some things to remember are: Don’t use it more than 2-3 times a week, 3 times being the most! Don’t put it on or around your eyes. It’s probably not a good Idea to leave on for too long, but everyone is different so whatever works for you. Also beware it does smell sour.

So that is about it for the Aspirin mask, I definitely would recommend giving it a try or two, and telling me about your experience! Thanks for reading, and have fun if you decide to try it!

-Jpc