A Staph infection can be tricky to spot because it can look similar to acne. The difference lies in that Staph quickly becomes incredibly inflamed and there isn’t an obvious border where one lesion ends and another begins.

It’s important to know that the Staphylococci bacteria lives on the skin of 20 to 30% of healthy adults but only affects a small percentage of the population. It usually only causes infections and disease if the immune system is compromised (HIV or diabetes) or if there is a cut or abrasion on the skin and the person is a carrier of the harmful strains of this bacteria.

It can be a scary thing to deal with, but it can be dealt with. It can occur more frequently for people who shave a lot and accidentally nick the skin. Also for people who workout, particularly if the workout is in a martial art where skin is rubbing against mats or against other people’s skin, where it can be transferred easily. Showering after any workout is also a must.

As mentioned above, Staph bacteria is typically harmless. Most people live with it on their skin in some form or another and it never bothers them. There are over 30 different strains and only a couple of them are dangerous. So how do you spot it?

It usually looks like a boil or a giant pimple. It can also look like a rash and is quite painful. If it becomes hot to the touch and spreads rapidly, it could be infected with the dangerous strain of Staph bacteria so it’s worth it to get a second opinion. It’s also worthwhile to note that this bacteria lives mostly on the skin and inside the nasal passages, as they are more sensitive areas.

If you think you may have a Staph infection, you will want to speak to a doctor on this issue. Many times, they will recommend an oral antibiotic which should help immediately with the infection. They may also suggest that you are hyper diligent with your hygiene and keep your bedding and clothes as clean as possible. Depending on how bad the infection is, the doctor may also see about getting you an IV drip for supportive care.

Getting this checked out early is of the utmost importance because if the most virulent strains of Staph infect the blood somehow (via cuts or food poisoning), symptoms will be more severe and require immediate medical attention. For these reasons, never extract or squeeze pimples or boils as they can become infected with the Staph bacteria and it will spread rapidly. The more critical symptoms include but are not limited to; fever, chills, pain in the abdomen or on the skin, blisters, impetigo, redness, diarrhea, nausea, and swollen sores that ooze pus.

This bacteria is no joke! Getting help if you think you may have a Staph infection is crucial to long term health. However, they can also be recurrent, meaning once you stop taking antibiotics, it could come back. So catching it early and taking the proper precautions to avoid future infection is very important.

It is imperative to talk to your doctor about this condition if you have these symptoms or have a boil or rash that just won’t go away. It could literally save your life.

Here at Skintherapy, we are Master Estheticians. We are not doctors and we cannot treat Staph infections in our clinic. However, if you come to an appointment and we feel like your acne may be coupled with suspicious infected lesions we will make a doctor referral for you prior to working on your acne. Give us a call at 801-800-6602 or visit our website to book at appointment to treat your acne.

What your teenager tells you:
“Yes, I have been washing my face.”
“Yes, I am trying not to pick.”
“No, I don’t want to go to the school dance. Dances are lame.”

What your teenager doesn’t tell you:

“I’ve been washing my face more aggressively than ever but I don’t know why I’m still breaking out.”
“I can’t help but pick my whiteheads! They’re so ugly!”
“Asking someone out, going out together, taking pictures! Sounds like a nightmare. Count me out.”

Parents, when your child was born, or maybe even before that, you heard to watch out for those “teen years.” For everyone, it seems, the years of teenagedom are the hardest. Particularly for parents, or so they tell you.

The truth is, kids are going through a lot at that age; trying to find their independence without being old to enough to actually exercise much, dealing with schoolwork and classmates, family and friends, and namely, navigating raging hormones that just don’t seem to quit. And if you haven’t heard a teenager tell you, “You just don’t understand me!” then be forewarned, when you hear it, it may make you want to laugh out loud. Because you have been there. You have “done that,” so to speak.

For teens, it seems there are few things that are actually in their control. They must go to school, they must attend granny’s 66th birthday party, they must get good grades and do chores. The list seems never ending. But then there’s one other thing on top of that keeps popping up in their young lives. Yet another thing outside of their control.

Acne.

The curse of acne begins rather young for most people unfortunate enough to have it. The average acne sufferer is 12 years old when they start getting pimples. Coincidentally, 12 years old is the typical age where kids hit puberty. You see, for most people, these two events are inextricably linked. That sharp rise in hormones equals not only a cranky teen, but also a teen with acne. Sadly, it’s lose-lose.

The way that hormones, genetics, and acne are connected, when a youngster experiences a sudden increase in hormone production during puberty, this causes the skin to produce too much oil and dead skin cells begin to build up in the pores. This excess of oil and dead skin cells is a recipe for, you guessed it, breakouts.

As a parent, you may notice when your teen has started breaking out and you wonder how to be sensitive to their feelings. You notice they no longer want to participate in events they used to love. You notice they’re more withdrawn and seem less happy. You may also notice that they’re wearing more makeup, trying to cover up the blemishes. These are all signs that a good conversation is in order.

You will want to take this opportunity to connect with your teen and help them find a solution to the problem plaguing their lives right now. You don’t want them to have a harder time than necessary. Helping them deal with their acne is one step to helping them feel better and more confident. You will want to take this conversation slowly and really hear them out so you can work on a solution together.

When your teen is ready, you may suggest that in order to find something that works, you’ll need to work together to find some much needed professional guidance. Perhaps neither of you have ever had to deal with acne before. Or maybe you have had acne when you were a kid and didn’t get as much help dealing with is as you may have liked. Whatever the situation may be, you and your teenager will want to work with someone who deals with acne regularly.

To get the most out of this conversation and provide the best possible solution, this is a perfect time to mention Skintherapy. We deal with teen acne nearly every day. We know the best treatment paths to overcome it. We know how frustrating acne is and we deliver astounding results. You can tell them that in a mere 3-6 months, their skin will look and feel clearer after working with us. No reason not to give it a shot, right?

We are confident that we can help your teen feel more confident in their skin. That is our goal for anyone struggling with acne. All it takes is one appointment to begin the journey from struggling with acne to overcoming acne.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get your hair as long and shiny as a model’s, then you may have heard about the magical phenomenon of biotin. Same if you’ve ever wanted stronger nails and better skin--biotin is the recommended supplement, right? It says it right there on the bottle.

What’s all the hype about anyway?

In this post, we’ll be covering 6 interesting facts about biotin, and then go over the potential harm it can do to your skin if you are even the slightest bit acne prone and sometimes, even if you have never had acne before.

Starting with...

Fact #1: Most people get enough biotin in their diet, as it exists in many everyday foods.

Fact #2: Biotin deficiency is extremely rare.

Fact #3: There are no known cases of overdosing on Biotin, as it is water soluble and flushes out of the system easily.

Fact #4: Biotin, B7, and Vitamin H are all the same thing.

Fact #5: Raw egg white contains avidin which naturally inhibits the effects of biotin.

Fact #6: Long term use of antibiotics may hinder the integration of biotin in the body by killing off healthy gut bacteria.

So what does all this have to do with your acne?

If you are not biotin deficient (as in, losing your hair and having brittle nails), eating raw egg whites every day, using antibiotics for a long period of time, or pregnant, there is really no reason to consider taking a biotin supplement. Foods like bread, chocolate, egg yolks, fish, nuts, oatmeal, meat, poultry, and whole wheat all contain more than enough biotin to keep your body healthy.

So why are biotin supplements so popular?

Biotin is essential in keeping your skin, hair, nails, and body organs healthy there’s no doubt about that. But most people are misinformed as to how much of it their body actually needs. The recommended dosage of biotin supplements is 30 mcg per day. But your body already produces that much on its own.

There is little scientific research that supports the claim that biotin actually makes your hair grow longer and shinier (unless you take it in mass quantities), but it does do something interesting to your skin: it makes it overproduce skin cells.

Acne is generally caused by bacteria and dead skin cells clogging the pores. So what happens when an acne prone person starts taking biotin? Typically, more acne. Or even cystic acne, even if you have never had it before.

The safest way to avoid the potential dangers of biotin supplements is to simply avoid taking them altogether. Unless you’re in a small group of specific people who need more than the average amount of biotin for daily life, there is no scientific research saying that it will help your skin and hair on its own. But trust me, your skin can definitely do without it.

To learn more about supplementation and how to clear your acne without prescriptions click here.

Marketing geniuses would love to have you believe that their most famous acne clearing products are safe and do exactly what they advertise--clear your skin. But sadly, this is simply not the case for the products we are about to review in this article.

Many doctors and dermatologists are prescribing products for your acne that either aren’t going to work as well as they should, or aren’t going to work at all.

Today we’ll get into the reasons why these products don’t work and what you can use for your acne that actually works.

Cetaphil

The first one we’ll start with is Cetaphil. According to Cetaphil’s website, it is a “Gentle Skin Care Product” that is “clinically tested and proven to cleanse, hydrate, and protect acne-prone skin.”

That’s all fine and dandy until you look at the list of ingredients in their product.

According to the experts, here is a list of ingredients that will clog your pores.You’ll notice that the ingredient sodium laureth sulfate is on there. Guess what Cetaphil has in it? Sodium laureth sulfate.

Although sodium laureth sulfate only scores a 3 out of 5 on the pore clogging scale (0 being non clogging and 5 being extremely clogging), it still makes you wonder, how have they gotten away with marketing this product to be good for acne for so long when it clearly isn’t?

It’s unfortunate that such products are being branded to help acne, when in fact, it will just make it worse.

Clearasil

The next surprisingly pore clogging product is Clearasil. Yes, you read that right. Clearasil has been branded the expert and leading acne control product for teenagers. But what's really going on in their formula?

They do have some good stuff going on, although it's in such low doses, it's hard to say if it will actually help clear your skin.

For example, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide do help in treating acne. But Clearasil also contains myristic acid and lauric acid, which scored 3 and 4 respectively on the pore clogging scale.

Clearasil is the first product that many people turn to when they first get acne and for some, it might actually help. But for many, it only exacerbates the problem and makes a bad situation worse.

Retinol A

Next off, we have Retinol A. Although this product is available under many different names, including Retin-A and Tretinoin, don't let them fool you. It is branded as a medication used to treat acne and usually has to be prescribed by a doctor in order to obtain it, although it can also be purchased online.

On Web MD, Retinol A is said to work by affecting the growth of growth of skin cells and admits that it may make your acne worse at first but will get better after 8-12 weeks.

The reality is that it makes your acne worse because it contains isopropyl myristate (which scores a staggering 5 on the pore clogging scale) and stearic acid (which scores a 3 on the pore clogging scale.)

Coconut Oil and its derivatives

Last on our list is Coconut Oil and its derivatives. Acne is caused by a buildup of oil in the skin. Therefore, it seems strange to claim that coconut oil does something to help with acne.

The popular website, Healthline.com, claims "Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which helps kill the bacteria that cause acne."

Lauric acid rates at a 4 on the pore clogging scale. Whether or not it possesses the qualities to kill bacteria on your skin (which is not what causes acne in the first place anyway) the mere fact that it contains such a pore clogging ingredient makes it less than convincing when it comes to clearing up your acne.

The upside about coconut oil about it is that it smells really good! But it's just not so great for your skin, unfortunately.

These are just a few of the expertly branded products that claim to help acne but really don't. We suggest you do your own research and don't fall for the hype when it comes to selecting products to help with your acne.

Now if you really want to get your skin clear, schedule an appointment with us. We have individualized products and treatment plans that you can't get anywhere else and have been tried and proven to help get skin clear and maintain clear skin for life.

What are you waiting for? The next step is finding out what will work to get your skin where you want it to be.

Click here to set up your appointment today.