Hygiene Tip | Clean Balls

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Guys, if you have dirty balls that need cleaning, check out this very important message from Axe.

Me likey mucho thiso concepto.

It’s that much more enjoyable to play with clean equipment.

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Thanks for looking out Lise.

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Skin condition | "Acne"

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Acne is a skin condition/ disorder that is normally associated with teenagers, but it can affect people at almost any age. It can be a phase as well as it can also be a lifelong battle.

The word ‘acne’ usually refers to the condition acne vulgaris, which is the most common form of acne. It is an hereditary disorder, and requires dedicated treatment for many years. Although it is not infectious, contagious or life threatening, it is not uncommon for the presence of acne to severely affect one’s social life, self-esteem and self-perception.

Causes

Acne does not occur because of a lack of cleanliness. Yes it is important to keep the skin clean, but acne is caused by:

- Heridity and

- Hormones

As acne is a genetic disorder, if parents suffer from acne then chances are that their children will also. 

- Stress can also be a factor in the cause of acne. 

Heredity

Acne, as a hereditary condition, is also referred to as retention hyperkeratosis. Here, dead skin cells do not shed off the skin’s surface as regularly and as frequently as they would on a normal skin type.

As discussed earlier, skin type is hereditary.

The tendency to have excess sebum production (as is the case with Oily skin) is one skin type that is inherited. The oilier the skin, the greater the tendency for severe acne. With very oily skin, all areas of the skin (not only the T-Zone – forehead, nose, chin) are oily and the scalp may be oily as well. The presence of enlarged pores also facilitate the formation of acne. 

For more on oily skin see post Skin Type | Oily Skin

Retention hyperkeratosis will be discussed further in a later post. 

Hormones

Hormones are also key in the formation of acne. Androgens, or male hormones, stimulate the skin’s oil glands and cause an increase in its oil (sebum) production. These hormones also cause increased inflammation in pores or the skin’s follicles. 

Hormones play a huge part in acne in both tweens/ teenagers (around puberty)  and in adults, females more so than males.

Most hormonal acne is minimal and may be treated. The biggest issue with hormonal acne in teenagers is their lack of discipline with treating their skin. 

Stress

Of course, stress is also a factor in acne.

It is not uncommon to experience a breakout when one is going through any of life’s many traumas – an exam that you didn’t study for, marriage, divorce, loss of employment etc. This is because stress usually causes hormonal imbalance; it is the production of the adrenaline hormone, which is used by humans to cope with stressful events like danger and emergencies, from the adrenal gland which is partly responsible for this imbalance.

The stimulation of the adrenal gland also causes an increase in the production of androgen. In women, the majority of androgen, the male hormone which increases the oil production, is produced by the adrenal gland. This may explain why women have a greater tendency than men to break out under stress.  

Grades of Acne

There are different grades of acne, from the occasional pimples to the acne that is disfiguring or that which causes redness, pustules and even permanent scarring. The severity of the acne is referred to by dermatologists in varying ‘grades’ from grades 1 – 4, Grade 1 being the least worrisome and grade 4 being the most.

Grades 1 – 2

Grades 1 -2 are comprised mostly of open and closed comedones.

- Open comedones - commonly known as blackheads. 

- Closed comedones - appear as small bumps just under the skin and are sometimes called whiteheads. 

Both of these types of comedones are non-inflammatory lesions i.e. skin is not red or irritated, and is perhaps why, although technically considered to be acne, grades 1 and 2 aren’t usually considered as such by the average person.

In Grade 2 acne:

- Papules, a type of raised lesion that is usually characterized by red bumps or 

- pustules, an infected papule, one that is filled with pus, a whitish fluid that is a mixture of dead white blood cells (from fighting against the infection), bacteria, blood and skin cells that have been destroyed by the infection

are also present. These terms will be covered in depth in a later post. 

These grades of acne can benefit from the extraction of open and closed comedones by an esthetician.

Grades 3 -4

In grades 3 – 4 acne, in addition to all of the above, skin is inflamed and red. This is what people typically think of when they refer to ‘acne’.

Grade 4 acne is the worst type of acne vulgaris. This type of acne will also comprise of deep nodules and cysts, as well as scarring may be present along with severe inflammation. 

Although follow up, deep-cleansing treatments can be done by an esthetician, these grades of acne must first be treated by a dermatologist, as oral and/ or topical medication and other more aggressive treatments may be needed to get this condition under control. 

Acne Management

Acne that is hereditary cannot be changed just by visiting the esthetician at your neighborhood Spa. A dermatologist or endocrinologist (a doctor who deals with hormones) may be able to manipulate hormones, but a permanent and complete change may not be successful. 

Still, it is possible to control and manage acne to the point where there are no visible and inflamed lesions, although the occasional lesion may pop up from time to time. Regardless of the grade of acne that is present on the skin, regular visits to your esthetician for deep-cleansing facials, coupled with proper skin care management at home are required to keep acne flares under control. 

There are other factors that both you and your esthetician can control to keep problem skin under wraps. These too will be discussed at a further point. 

 

Works Consulted:
D’Angelo, J. & Dean, P.  Milady’s Standard Comprehensive Training for Estheticians. Thomson Learning, Inc.
Class notes  

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PSA | Aid to Haiti

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In an earlier post I made the recommendation that, with respect to donations to Haiti, ‘all help counts’. Let me clarify, things not to donate to Haiti:

- Disco and other types of synthetic party wear – Haitians not going clubbing anytime soon.

- used toiletries, like toothbrushes

- plastic jewelry

- torn handbags

- dirty, used clothing

- used/ soiled underwear

The stories that I get from my friends and family who have been volunteering to sort donated items bound for Haiti just blow my mind. There is a huge outpouring of support in terms of in-kind donations yes, but the things that people are donating is another story. 

Not just because people are destitute does it mean that they ought to be treated like second class citizens.

Used/ soiled underwear? I mean seriously. Would we feel good about accepting these items for our family?

Then why would we think that’s acceptable to donate to someone else’s?

Lets not confuse the act of donating with personal spring cleaning.

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Another thing I need to address is this matter of individuals seeking funding to make a trip to Haiti, as I’ve been flooded with such emails.

To do what exactly? There already are a lot of people over there. You’re not a doctor, or nurse… what are you really going to do? If you really want to help, pay your own fare why not. Why should I take MY money and buy YOU a plane ticket? What help is that going to do? Wouldn’t the money be better served sending directly to Haiti, so that the relevant authorities can buy tangible items that people can actually benefit from such as:

- Bottled water

- Medical supplies

- Canned food

- Baby clothing

- Clean, unsoiled clothing, wearable as is. 

perhaps?

Some seek fame in devastation.

According to most charity sites, including all chapters of the Red Cross, there are more than enough people on the ground in Haiti to help/ volunteer, what they really need is money to:

1. Get all the in-kind donations they’ve been flooded with to reach Haiti

2. Get additional, urgent supplies that they are lacking.

Think long and hard about your contributions to assist Haiti. It costs to send these containers guys, not to mention the inventory and warehousing costs to store every thing before (and after) they get enough volunteers to sort the mountains of donated items.

Think about what you are sending and don’t send stuff just because you don’t want it. It’s just a waste of money to send stuff that noone is going to use. 

All ‘dontations’ aren’t created equal. 

The Canadian Red Cross states that:

In-kind donations of food, clothing and other items, while well intentioned, are not the best way to help those in need. There are tremendous processing and transportation costs involved in shipping these items to beneficiaries. Local purchases of food and clothing are more culturally appropriate and effective. Red Cross supplies can be purchased in the immediate area, thereby reducing transportation costs.

Cash transfers to the affected region provide the optimum flexibility to our Red Cross colleagues so they can meet the most urgent needs.

A lot of volunteers are needed to sort in-kind donations, then the administrative and logistical costs of shipping and return of the containers, the same cost of volunteers on the ground.

Then, there’s the logistical cost to distribute… man, it’s a charity’s nightmare to move all and everything in time. 

With regard to Haiti, just donate $10 already. That way the organization that you chose to partner with can put it where it’s most needed, in a timely fashion. You can always give the (useable) in-kind stuff you gathered in your New Year’s spring cleaning activity to your local charity. 

Just a thought. 

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