A *ahem* supergroup of rock's un-pop, they existed long enough to
rehearse and play a gig (at London's Rainbow). Island Records artistes
Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico, and Brian Peter George St. John
Baptiste de la Salle Eno (billed then as "Eno"), plus backing musos.
Some of it is captured on the June 1 1974 recording; all the
(uh...) hits from their various solo LPs, like "Baby's on Fire", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Driving Me Backwards", "The End"....

Drenny's homespun guide to acne treatment

Step 0 - See a dermatologist.

Seriously. Dermatologists are medical doctors and will be able to provide you with more pertinent, acccurate information than any online source. If you can't afford one (it will be expensive) and don't suffer from sever acne (cystic acne), the rest of this guide will probably help you. A warning, though: I am not a professional.

Step 1 - Cleanse.

This should be preformed daily. Hopefully, this should not come as a suprise to you. Don't use regular soap; it will dry out your skin and make it flaky. Buy soap made specifically for washing the face.

There are multitudes of any facial product (including facial soaps) at the grocery store. I've had the best luck with the products that are simple in name and packaging. For example, I use a Johnson & Johnson generic facial soap called Purpose (provides good results) rather than Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash (provides not so good results.)

Step 2 - Tone. (Exfoliate)

Removing dead skin cells from the face is called toning or exfoliating. Chemical agents (alpha-hydroxic acids, beta-hydroxic acids, and salicylic acid) are the active ingredient in most exfoliating products. The strongest alpha-hyrdoxic acid is glycolic acid (which has given me the best results); some others to look for are lactic acid and mallic acid.

Shaving does a good job of exfoliating, too. I recommend not using any toner on areas that you have shaved in the same day.

Step 3 - Moisturize.

Exfoliating and washing your face dries out your skin. Give your skin the moisture it wants with a mosturizer. You might be reluctant to moisturize for fear of clogging pores, but remember that water and oil are different things. And besides, dry skin feels crappy.

Also, finding a moisturizer with sunscreen built in is a plus (no one wants UV rays - or skin cancer).

Notes

It is possible to overtreat your skin. Start out doing these steps once a day, but try to find a frequency that works right for you. I wash my face twice a day, once in the morning and at night. Don't exfoliate more than once a day - in fact, once a day might be a little extreme if you have sensitive skin.

Remember that acne is caused by pores that are blocked (usually by oil.) Do everything you can to stop oil from getting on your face. Don't touch your face. Don't rest your face in your hands. Wash your pillowcases more often (this did wonders for me).

Make sure everything that goes on your face (this includes shaving cream) is noncomedogenic. This means that it won't clog pores.

You might also try products containing benzoyl peroxide. It kills the bacteria that infects your whiteheads, making them red. I recommend using it only a few times (or just once) a week, though, it tends to be very tough on the skin.

Stick with it. It will take a long time before your face is completely clear again. Your acne might start getting worse before it gets better.

Feel free to /msg me with questions, corrections or comments.

The real problem with acne is there are many different manifestations of it which are not properly addressed by science, and that different people react differently to different treatments. We all know them - some people get zits only on their T-zone (the middle of the forehead, the noze area and the chin), some get it down their cheeks, some get it only on their chins and some get powdery sprinklings of tiny zits all over. Some have large postules and some don't. Some get it on their shoulders and some don't. Some people have lots of huge blackheads and some just seem to get zits out of nowhere. These conditions are usually very distinct, but no dermatologist has ever come up with a satisfactory answer to what, if any, are the differences between these conditions and how they should be approached.

Thus if you put the fate of your face in the hands of a dermatologist, you are in danger of taking and doing all sorts of rather harmful things (like antibiotics, large dozes of vitamin A, using extreme cleansing agents etc.) before hitting on the program that is right for you.

I've had acne for about 18 years now, and although I'm pushing my 30th year it shows no sign of going away. In that time I've taken antiobiotics and extremely large dozes of vitamin A, was subjected to bizarre diets and cleansing rituals (such as washing my hair every day with cosmetic soap rather than shampoo and not using any conditioner), used pure surgical spirits on my face, had cysts popped and then made to sit with pure Dead Sea mud on them (my God, that hurt), had radiotherapy (yes!), was prescribed literally dozens of miracle cosmetic products and almost pressured into taking some seriously dangerous drugs and having laser surgery on the scarring.

The one thing my extensive experience has taught me is that if the damn thing doesn't want to go away it simply doesn't. For most people, it will clear off naturally after puberty whether or not they do what the experts say. For others, it won't, whether or not they do what the experts say, and they can give up all hope for ever having a perfect powdery complexion with no visible pores or blotches. Tough shit.

It is, however, possible to curb acne and limit its spread and virulence. A proper diet is a big step in that direction; oily foods such as chocolate, nuts, cheese and anything deep fried will usually go straight to your face, as well as various foodstuffs that you might be slightly allergic to. With me, it's eggs, but it can be anything really. Other steps include good hygiene, regular exfoliation, and, heresy of heresies, violent intervention.

For decades now we've had it drummed into us that it is absolutely forbidden to expunge comedons or whiteheads through the use of force. Sorry, guys, but that is absolute vintage bullshit. The best way of preventing a clogged pore from turning into a zit is to unclog it.If you have persistent acne you'll have scarring anyway, and the extra little bit that is caused (temporarily, I might add) by popping the occasional zit is neither here nor there in this picture. However, if you don't want to give yourself more zits than you're preventing, do things properly and with care. The best thing is to find an old school cosmetician who will do it for you, and who was properly trained in what can be touched and how, and what should be left well alone. I will be noding a DIY guide sometime very soon, but don't blame me if your first attempts are abortive and counterproductive - it's a skill.

The important thing to keep in mind is that you're the only person who lives with your skin every day, watches its reactions, bemoans its tantrums and observes its cycles. Don't let anyone push anything on you which sounds iffy, or that you're sure wouldn't work. A good rule of thumb is not to do or use anything too extreme (one example is that the use of surgical spirits, which doctors are very big on, will usually provoke the skin to overproduce oils rather than the other way around, so it's a very false economy). Also keep in mind that although the acne might one day go away, your face is here to stay - so don't do it any permanent damage.

Let's talk skin. Acne is ucky. Most people with it wish they didn't have it. It's caused when the the skin's natural bacteria begin to overgrow, feeding on the sebum produced within a pore. Sebum is a waxy material released by the skin in order to keep it soft and impermeable. When bacteria overgrow within a pore, it becomes blocked, and oil and bacteria build up, causing pressure that results in a pimple.

Good skin care is essential to minimizing the appearance of acne. Medications exist, but they all have side effects, ranging from minor (like Retin-A) to huge (like Accutane) and it's best to first try simply taking care of your skin.

Gentleness

The most important thing that you can do to help your skin if you have acne is be gentle! Irritated, inflamed skin is much more prone to developing acne than happy skin. Many (perhaps most) of the acne-fighting products out there are extremely harsh, containing large amounts of alcohol to dry out the skin. This is a very bad approach. While the skin doesn't start to overproduce oil when it's dry (this is a myth created by the skin care industry) irritated skin is much more friendly to the growth of bacteria. Use gentle products. And avoid anything marketed to teenagers: Clearasil products and their brethren, as featured in TV commercials depicting sixteen year olds with skin more perfect than most mannequins, generally contain large amounts of alcohol and other irritating ingredients in order to convince teens that they're 'working'. They will hurt your skin greatly - no one in the world has gotten better skin from a Clearasil product. A lot of them will work great in the short term, clearing up existing zits pretty quickly, but causing more in the long run.

Being gentle means that you should not try to 'dry up' a pimple. Drying the skin weakens its barrier functionality and weakens its immune response, allowing bacteria to grow unimpeded. Being gentle also means not using harsh cleansers. Many acne cleansers contain strong, harsh detergents and irritating ingredients. But acne is not caused by dirty skin, so harsh cleansers won't help.

Consistency

The second most important thing to fight acne is be consistent! You aren't going to 'spot treat' away your zits; by the time a pimple is visible, it's been in the making for two weeks. Thus, careful, gentle, consistent treatment is key to combating pimples. When your skin is smooth, you must continue to treat it, and when it's broken out, resist the urge to use harsh products.

There are four main aspects to skin care for someone with acne: cleansing the skin to remove oil, removing dead skin cells, reducing excess oil, and killing the bacteria. In addition, there are various drugs that are used in more serious cases.

Cleansing

Basically, you need a gentle cleanser, and if you're acne-prone, it'll generally be one formulated for oily skin. Make sure to avoid any irritants - if the cleanser is abrasive or contains menthol or similar ingredients, it will irritate your skin, and even if the irritation isn't obvious it increases the skin's propensity to break out. The best cleansers are ones with no fragrance, as fragrances are the cosmetic chemicals most likely to cause skin irritation or sensitivity. Irritated skin is more hospitable to bacteria.

Exfoliating

The top layer of skin is composed of dead skin cells slowly being pushed out from the bottom by new tissue growth. Exfoliation means assisting the very uppermost layers of dead cells to slough off, either mechanically (many exfoliants are essentially gritty substances like ground peach pits and the like) or chemically.

Generally chemical exfoliants are most useful for skin care; mechanical exfoliants are liable to cause tiny injuries to the skin, abraiding it and hurting its barrier function. For acne, salicylic acid, also known as beta hydroxy acid (I have a brief node at that location), is the best option, and it's a common ingredient in over-the-counter acne treatments. It's the only exfoliant that enters the pores and acts within them. Because it is oil-soluble, it can dissolve in the sebum filling the pore and remove the dead skin cells inside the pore that build up and block it. In addition, BHA has anti-microbial properties and may help reduce inflammation and redness.

An easy and cheap mechanical exfoliant, though, is baking soda. Make a paste out of a little bit of it and skin cleanser, and (gently!) rub it over your wet skin, making sure to rub every par of your face. Don't go overboard - you can cause your skin to get all red and hurty.

Excess oil

Not only does oil on the skin look ucky, but it encourages the development of acne. If your skin is particularly oily, it may help to remove excess oil. Avoid products containing alcohol - although ethanol will very efficiently remove oil from the skin, it is immensely irritating and damaging to the skin and will hurt the skin in the long run. Clay masks or products containing magnesium hydroxide will absorb oil, improving the skin. They must be used fairly frequently - every couple days or even daily for real greasy folks (I don't even want to think of how goddamn oily my skin was when I was a teenager.) Pure milk of magnesia purchased from a drug store works quite well, and is much cheaper than most masks that are available in stores. Apply a thin layer, let it dry, wash it off.

Disinfection

Since bacteria are the cause of acne, reducing the number of them is a great idea for improving the skin. Benzoyl peroxide is the most common chemical to do this, and is available in numerous over the counter products. Most of them seem to have a 10% benzoyl peroxide concentration, but as the stuff is irritating, this amount can hurt your skin, eventually worsening the problem. Look for products with a concentration of 2.5% or 5% and work your way up to 10% only if it's necessary. And be warned - it can bleach clothes, bedsheets, and so forth; one particularly hot day, my sweat ended up bleaching part of a shirt.

The next step

Come up with a skin care routine that addresses all of the steps needed to fight acne and try it out for a few weeks. If it doesn't work, you might need to try out what pharmacology has to offer.

Accutane

Accutane is a harsh, though effective, pill that dries up the skin and will often cure acne for life after a six month treatment. It has some unpleasant side effects, however - and if you're of the female persuasion, you'll be required to learn all about the godawful birth defects it'll cause if you get pregnant. The doc will demand a pregnancy test, you'll be required to use some sort of birth control, and you can't donate blood if you're on it.

Antibiotics

Some people take oral or topical antibiotics to combat the bacteria behind acne. This is also a fairly strong approach and thus not a first resort, but it can make a big difference for some people.

Birth control pills

These are only an option for women. Excess oil production is caused by hormones, and certain birth control pills can make a big difference in some cases. Controlling the hormones from the inside is the only real way to affect oil production. Of course, some women will experience worse skin from some birth control pills. It might be necessary to try more than one.

Tretinoin

Tretinoin, sold as Retin-A, is a vitamin A derivative that can treat problem acne. It's applied topically; it penetrates to the dermis and changes the way cells grow. It is quite irritating for some people but it may also minimize the appearance of wrinkles.

Differin

Differin (adapalene) is another retinoid - like tretinoin - but some people find it less irritating or more effective.

Azelaic Acid

Yet another topical prescription drug used to treat acne, azelaic acid may be more effective that adapalene or tretinoin, and is considered the next step up.

The word acne was actually created as a mistake. Acme, meaning the highest point of development, was copied incorrectly as acne way back in the time of having to hand-copy manuscripts. This gave birth to the word acne and since it was first read in the context of what should have been the context for acme, it was interpreted and defined as high points. This was later taken to mean high points of inflammation which gave way to its use as a medical term for high points of inflammation on a person's face.

I've noticed that nobody bothered to node what acne is, just how to get rid of it.

What is Acne?

Acne, as defined by www.beaumonthospitals.com, is "a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Acne is characterized by black heads, pimple outbreaks, cysts, infected abscesses, and (sometimes) scarring." In laymans' terms, this means that acne is an infection of the skin just below the outermost layer.

But Why the Godawful, Reddened Pustules?

Acne occurs when the bacterium PropioniBacterium acnes gets loose under your skin. It multiplies rapidly and its waste products irritate and damage the nearby tissues. This combination leads to the swelling and redness that you see in the mirror.

And the Pus?

The pus is your bodies response to the bacterial infection. When your body realizes that something is essentially eating you from the inside, it sends forth an army of white blood cells to stave off the attack. Sometimes the leukocytes win, sometimes the bacteria win. The pus is actually the mixed remains of those fallen warriors.

Nasty. How do I do something about them?

Well, the advice up above is good advice. You should wash regularly, preferably with an antibacterial soap. Do note, however, that too-frequent washing will cause your skin to develop small fissures that make it easier for the bacteria to get deep into your pores. Strike a balance, people.

Beyond that, I have found one simple supplement that made my acne dissapear in about two weeks. After trying every salve, cream, and ointment on the market as well as trying Tetracycline, I found that a few bucks each month at the local GNC solved all my problems.

What is this Miraculous Substance?

After finding that I reacted badly to Accutane, I went to a nutritionist to find help. It turns out that I had been getting less zinc in a month than I should have been getting in a day. That's right. Simple zinc.

Zinc is a trace mineral that is vital for immune function and skin health. A weakened immune system and malnourished skin, together, form the perfect breeding ground for acne. It turns out that many people consume almost no zinc on a daily basis. I started supplementing with 15-50 milligrams of zinc a day. For the first two weeks I looked like I had a bad case of leprosy as my newly strengthened skin and immune system forcefully ejected all of the pimples that had been lurking, half formed, under my skin. After that my skin was clearer than it had been in my whole life.

Never take more than 100 milligrams of zinc a day. Consult your doctor before you take zinc. I cannot be held liable if taking zinc kills you.

Ac"ne (#), n. [NL., prob. a corruption of Gr. ] Med.

A pustular affection of the skin, due to changes in the sebaceous glands.

 

© Webster 1913.