Health
Minimize acne scars and incorporate these vitamins into your daily self-care routine
Acne affects millions of Americans every year, sometimes causing stubborn scarring that can be difficult to clear. Certain vitamins, including vitamin A, can help clear acne scars, an expert told Fox News Digital.
Fifty million Americans deal with acne annually, according to the American Academy of Dermatology’s website. Acne is the most common of any skin condition and occurs at any age of life, though it typically begins during puberty.
When an acne breakout happens, there is a potential for scarring to follow. Acne scars can be difficult to clear and can impact self-esteem.
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“Acne is caused when the tiny hair follicles on your skin become blocked, and there’s a buildup of dead skin cells, debris and oily material deep in your pores. This forms a pus-filled bump, which ruptures and draws inflammation into the surrounding skin,” Dr. Ife J. Rodney, founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland, told Fox News Digital via email.
“This inflammation damages both the collagen deeper in the skin as well as the surface cell layers,” Rodney added. “When the surface is damaged, you can get discoloration (brown or red spots), and when the collagen deep in the skin is damaged, you can get uneven texture and ‘ice-pick’ acne scarring.”
There are several vitamins and minerals that could help clear up acne scars. (iStock)
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for clearing acne scars. Each individual’s treatment is different.
several vitamins and minerals can help clear acne scars. Read below to learn more about them.
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B3
1. Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that users may find helps reduce their acne scars.
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It can be successful in clearing acne scarring by reducing oil production as well as inflammation of the skin, according to Rodney.
“It also helps with wound healing and collagen production, a key step in managing acne scarring,” Rodney said.
While zinc has the potential to reduce acne scarring, it’s important not to take too much. (iStock)
It’s important to be cautious when using zinc as too much can do more harm than good.
Too much zinc can cause a copper deficiency and acne breakouts due to a rise in testosterone levels, Rodney told Fox News Digital.
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The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) recommends 8–11 milligrams of zinc daily. Check with a physician or dermatologist.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is abundant in fruits and vegetables and can be taken in supplemental form.
Vitamin C can help with acne scarring because “it brightens the skin and also enhances collagen production and helps your body repair damaged cells,” Rodney said.
To prevent acne scarring before it forms, it’s vital to avoid touching pimples. Try your best not to pop a pimple as that could increase the risk of scarring.
Vitamin C can easily be incorporated into your routine by eating more fruits and vegetables or taking supplements. (iStock)
“When you do get an acne lesion, whether it’s a blackhead, whitehead, a pus-filled bump (pustule) or even an acne cyst, do not try to pick or squeeze the bump,” Rodney said.
“This only causes more damage to the skin and increases the inflammation, which results in more severe scars that take longer to heal.”
3. Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 is also often used to help clear acne scars.
Vitamin B3, “also known as niacinamide, stimulates collagen production and fights hyperpigmentation, improving both skin tone and texture,” Rodney told Fox News Digital.
While vitamins and minerals can play a role in reducing acne scarring, it’s important to remember that it’s likely going to take more than just vitamins alone to help improve acne scars.
Vitamins can promote overall skin health, but working with a dermatologist will help you establish a treatment plan that works best for you.
“Treating acne scars is a gradual process.”
“Vitamins on their own cannot clear acne scars. The way the vitamins work is that they create a healthy overall environment in the skin, which gives the best chance for the scars to improve. The most effective treatments for acne scars are in-office procedures performed by your dermatologist,” Rodney said.
Acne treatments include microneedling, laser treatments and chemical peels.
“The specific treatment regimen that we recommend depends on a variety of factors, including your type and extent of acne scarring, your skin type and how long the scars have been present,” Rodney said.
“With all of these treatments, we usually recommend a series of 4-6 treatments spaced a month apart. It is important that you understand that treating acne scars is a gradual process. There are no overnight results.”
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take
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