Acne - The Word Strike Fear Into 85% Of Adolescents And Adults!

It can range in severity from a single pimple on the forehead
of the prom queen (causing much distress of course) to a very
severe case like what the fellow I work with has. He does not
have a square centimeter of space of his face that is clear
skin. Whiteheads abound and well, you get the idea. As a result,
he suffers from a severe lack of self esteem. Our technicians
bring their own keyboard when they work on his system as his is
just too oily to use.

What Cause's it?

The main cause of acne is a plugging or sealing of hair
follicles. When these follicles are plugged in the open
position, they form blackheads and in the closed position,
whiteheads. Either way, they can grow painful and cause scarring
if not properly treated. This could bring the self esteem
problems into adulthood also, causing depression and even (in
rare cases) suicide.

This plugging could be caused by a number of reasons as well.
Heredity, puberty and stress all play roles in the process. One
popular misconception is that acne is caused by dirt. This is
actually based on the idea that blackheads look like little
specks of dirt on the skin. The fact is most blackheads occur
deep in the skin (you just see the "head" of the issue) and no
amount of scrubbing will make them go away.

What about Diet?

It has not been proven yet, but most say that the foods you eat
also play a role. Recent research has revealed that there may be
some validity to this and recommend the following:

1) Avoid Milk and other dairy products like cottage cheese, and
cream cheese

2) Instant breakfast drink (which usually uses milk)

3) Sherbet (This surprised me too!)

All three of these can cause a rise in keratin in the body.
This is usually the chemical that hardens and causes plugging of
the pores.

4) Seafood – These usually contain high levels of iodine which
can cause an outbreak to get worse. (there's rarely enough to
CAUSE an outbreak)

5) Avoid refined sugars, processed foods and foods with a high
carbohydrate level (power bars, Energy drinks, etc). Carbs are
converted to glucose in the body and eating too much of it can
cause a glucose overload. The increased levels of sugar in your
system, causes more of keratin to be produced… etc… And for all
you choco-holics out there, the American Medical Association as
proven that chocolate has nothing to do with the onset of acne!
YEAH!!

6) Some research has found that those with outbreaks have a low
level of vitamin A and vitamin E in their system and hints that
if you eat a diet rich in the vitamins, it will stop the onset
and possibly even reverse its affects.

So What DOES help?

There are many treatments for acne on the market today, most of
which have little or no real value in the treatment of acne. So
you must be careful what you purchase. Make sure they have a
history of working and that the chemicals aren't toxic to your
skin (except to the germs causing the acne).

1) One effective treatment for acne contains benzoyl peroxide.
Usually used in about a 10% cream, the cream has to be applied
daily for 2 weeks before any improvement can be seen and for up
to 3 months before the acne is as close to "cured" as it will
be. It does have its side effects however, as it will cause dry
skin and possible redness and irritation. Also, you have to be
careful to keep it away from your hair and clothes as the
peroxide in it is bleach and it will bleach your hair and stain
your clothes. Something to be aware of…

2) There are also a couple of antibacterial creams that are
used for treating acne. Though less affective, though they do
have fewer side effects than the peroxide and won't turn your
clothes/hair white.

3) Oral antibiotics are also available that can be taken from 1
– 3 times a day (depending on the drug). The thing to remember
with these is that just destroying the bacteria will not stop
the oil secretion and abnormal cell behavior that caused the
break out in the first place. Be sure to check with your doctor
when he gives you one of these to see what you can do to stop
the other causes of this hateful condition.

I hope this article has given you some hope and shown you that
there are treatments on the horizon that will help you and many
others like you in years to come.

About The Author: Don Willson is 54 years old and lives in
Richmond, VA. A Computer Analyst by trade, he enjoys writing and
publishing his work on the net for all to enjoy! For more
information and tips on treating or curing acne, check out:
http://weacne.info

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