About Acne

Learn about acne. Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps  that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms.  Acne affects most teenagers to some extent.  While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring.  When severe, acne can lead to serious and permanent scarring.

1. Do you know Why acne can be even more crippling for adults:

Hundred even Thousands of teenagers and some adults have low self-esteem because of a four letter word “acne.” Acne as you well know is often the basis of ridicule in a teenager’s life.

Many teenagers around the world probably share this sentiment as they discover with horror their first pimple on their freshly scrubbed face. As teenagers enter into puberty, they are faced with new and exciting discoveries and challenges. Puberty though is also fraught with frustrations and changes, including physical changes in their bodies that often leave the teenagers with less than desirable pimples on the face.

Acne commonly occurs during the adolescence period. It is often caused by excessive secretion of oil from the glands. The typical acne lesions that appear on the face and body are comedones, papules, pustules and pimples.

Aside from the physical scar that acne leaves on your skin, it also inflicts an emotional toll, negatively affecting teenagers’ self-esteem and confidence. For some, acne can become so severe that they shun social contact, leading to social insecurity and sometimes even depression.

With the advanced acne treatments and acne products available today, acne need no longer have such a crippling impact on the sufferers’ life. Once the outward symptom of acne first becomes apparent, that is, inflammation and lesion on the skin, it is important that you treat it right away so as to slow down or stop further inflammation.

It is a good idea to pay the dermatologist a visit and to have the doctor recommend the best acne treatment for you. The treatment recommended will vary on skin type and also your age.

Acne can be treated much more effectively if it is treated along with acne products, be they over the counter or prescribed. There are numerous acne products sold over the counter currently for the prevention and treatment of acne, with many of these products scientifically proven to be effective in the treatment of acne.

In severe cases, it is best that you consult the dermatologist for advice and get a prescription for stronger acne products. These acne treatments and products require a higher degree of monitoring, as they tend to have more side effects.

The acne product recommended depends on the type and severity of the acne. There are acne ointments and acne creams containing benzyl peroxide to treat both mild and moderate acne. For more serious acne, there are topical antibiotics that kill the bacteria in the blocked follicles. For even more serious cases, oral antibiotics are effective. And for extremely severe cases, laser surgery can cut the root of the acne.

Aside from treating acne with products, a proper diet is also very important. Teens should avoid eating foods that are too oily, too spicy or too acidic.

So with all these acne treatment options available, you can rest assured that acne will never be an ugly and permanent fixture on your face. When acne rears its ugly head, do not let it ruin your life. With the right acne treatment and right acne products you can get rid of acne for good!

2. How food causes acne:

Foods such as grains, milk and any processed foods are on the culprit list as potential triggers for acne.

Unfortunately, the typical Western diet is comprised primarily of high glycemic foods. These foods include breads, highly refined grains and cereals, French fries and potatochips. The more high-glycemic foods a person ingests, the higher their insulin levels rise.As the insulin levels rise, so do the sebum levels; leading to clogged pores and the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and thrive. Within a very little amount of time, a pimple emerges.

The study was prompted when researchers noted that acne problems less frequently and with less severity in cultures outside the Western Hemisphere. It was noted that some primitive populations whose diet consists of all natural foods experience very little problems with acne at all.
Acne and the Sugar Connection
Why is this important? Because a rapid rise in blood sugar causes an insulin response in the body, which then causes an inflammatory response.

Remember this simple fact:
whatever food we eat is converted to sugar as it is digested. Different foods are converted to sugar at varying rates. If we consume foods that are rapidly converted to sugar, that is considered proinflammatory. Proinflammatory foods cause all kinds ofproblems in the body resulting from a rapid rise in blood sugar, which in turn sparks a burst of inflammation on a cellular level. As our insulin rises, this triggers more inflammation throughout the body.

The cornerstone of the anti-inflammatory diet is the careful regulation of blood sugar. Never forget this important fact if you want to have clear, healthy, and beautiful skin. It is crucial to understand the relationship between the food we eat and its effect on blood sugar levels.

3. Vitamins that clear acne:

What vitamins help acne and why?
What are the best sources of those vitamins (and in most cases it’s NOT a pill).
How to use these nutrients synergistically to get compound anti-acne effects.
We’ll cover a rarely understood cofactor that when properly used with these vitamin for acne combinations has been shown to balance hormones. Needless to say, it has a dramatic effect on hormonally-driven acne symptoms. So if you are interesting in a workable, natural solution to your acne problem stop whatever you are doing now and take a moment to review this website.  In my humble opinion, it has the answers you’ve been searching for.

Vitamin Treatments for Acne
Healthy and radiant skin requires proper nutrition.  The recommended three to five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can affect the body’s ability to function optimally. Vitamins and minerals can be taken to supplement our diets when our nutritional needs are lacking through food consumption alone.  However, multivitamins should not be taken as a substitute for eating healthy foods. Taking too much of any vitamin or mineral can be toxic and extremely dangerous. Please consult with a doctor or other trained healthcare professional before taking any dietary supplements.

Vitamin A
Retinoids, derivatives of vitamin A, are used to treat acne and other skin
disorders. Retinoids are prescribed by dermatologists both topically and orally. A common type of retinoid used in the oral treatment of acne is isotretinoin.

Omega-3
Fatty Acids – Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, chromium, zinc, and selenium are  nutrients that may have both anti-acne and mood regulating properties according to an acne study conducted at the Lasky Skin Clinic in 2008.

Zinc
The National Library of Science recognizes that zinc may be effective in the treatment of acne based on available science evidence. The Department of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York also recognizes zinc, along with vitamin A, and tea tree oil (also ayurvedic therapies) as over-the-counter remedies available for treating acne. However, its position on these remedies is that additional and better studies are needed to clarify the benefits.