Saturday, April 2, 2011

What Type of Skin Do You Have?

There are five basic skin care types: Oily, combination, sensitive, dry and sun-damaged. Your skin type is determined by how much -- or how little -- oil your skin produces. Genes, diet, stress level, medication and even your skincare regimen all determine how much oil your skin produces.

Rona Berg, in her book, "Beauty the New Basics," details the five different skin types. Here's how to tell what skin type you have.

Berg suggests you take the "skin test." Wash your face, pat it dry, then take a few pieces of rice paper or lens-cleaning tissue paper and press on different spots on your face. If your skin is oily, the paper will stick, pick up oily spots and become translucent. If the paper doesn't stick or pick up any oily spots, your skin is dry. If it sticks in your t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) then you have combination (or normal) skin. About 70 percent of women have combination skin.
Here are the five different skin types and their characteristics.
  • Type 1: Oily Oily skin tends to shiny with enlarged pores, and is prone to blackheads and blemishes. You might experience some tightness.
  • Type 2: Combination/normal This skin type has medium pores, a smooth and even texture, good circulation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks while being oily in the t-zone.
  • Type 3: Sensitive Sensitive skin tends to be thin, delicate with fine pores. It flushes easily, is prone to broken capillaries, is frequently allergic and can be rashy.
  • Type 4: Dry Dry skin feels tight, especially after cleansing. You have a tendency towards fine wrinkles, flaking and red patches. In women of color, skin may appear ashy or dull from dead skin buildup.
  • Type 5: Aging or sun-damaged This skin also feels tight with visible wrinkles, slack skin tone -- especially around the cheeks and jawline -- with leathery texture and broken capillaries.

http://beauty.about.com/od/skinflaws/a/skintypes.htm
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My skin type is Combination Skin..What about you? :)

Skin Problems

Acne

What Is Acne?

There's a reason it's called "common acne" -- nearly everyone suffers from outbreaks of pimples at some point in life.
It starts when greasy secretions from the skin's sebaceous glands plug the tiny openings for hair follicles (plugged pores). If the openings are large, the clogs take the form of blackheads: small, flat spots with centers darkened by exposure to air. If the openings stay small, the clogs take the form of whiteheads: small, closed, flesh-colored bumps. Both types of plugged pores can develop into swollen, tender inflammations or pimples or deeper lumps or nodules. Cysts associated with severe cases of acne (cystic acne) are firm swellings below the skin's surface that become inflamed and sometimes infected.

What Causes Acne?

The cause of acne is not fully understood. Though stress can aggravate acne, it clearly does not cause it.

Hormones. Common acne in teenagers starts with an increase in hormone production. During puberty, both boys and girls produce high levels of androgens, the male sex hormones that include testosterone. Testosterone signals the body to make more sebum, a waxy substance that helps the skin retain moisture.

Bacteria. Excess sebum clogs the openings to hair follicles -- especially those on the face, neck, chest, and back. Bacteria grow in these clogged follicles. This makes blackheads or whiteheads form on the skin's surface -- a condition called non-inflammatory acne. Sometimes the follicle wall breaks under the pressure of this buildup. When this happens, sebum leaks into nearby tissues and forms a pustule -- this is called inflammatory acne. This can create cysts. Ruptured cysts can leave temporary or permanent scars.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/understanding-acne-basics

I think this is the most common problem that heppens to us girls, but first we need to get to know skin more so we could treat it...am I right?