Acne
Acne (also known as acne vulgaris or cystic acne) is a disease of the skin usually occurring during adolescence, then disappearing over time around age 25. Unfortunately it remains difficult to predict how long acne will take to disappear completely… or whether it will!
As most people see their acne symptoms appearing on their face at the age of puberty, this condition has often heavy consequences on their self-esteem and their social life.
However the disease itself could be caused by low self-esteem, depression or stress, making acne the visible symptom of their psychological state.
It affects around 10% of the world population today, regardless of ethnic groups, 90% of them during their teenage years and about 2% after age 40.
What is much more interesting is that an estimated 80 to 90% of the population of developed countries is affected at some point during adolescence, while populations in the world that are not so much consuming “modern products”, like refined sugar, cereals and dairies, are not (or much, much less) concerned!
Even if acne involves embarrassing symptoms and triggers an urge to get rid of it at any cost, you can choose a natural way: acne is a condition that heals very easily with appropriate natural care.
You don’t need drugs, nor expensive cosmetics: a natural healthy cure will be much more efficient!
The first thing to know is that acne occurs due to several factors, most of them in relation with your hormonal system and your life style.
Follicles are skin organs producing the hair: it looks like a microscopic bag where one hair has its root. They are distributed throughout the skin together with sebaceous glands producing sebum, an oily, waxy substance protecting the skin.
The development of acne is associated with an increase of secretion of sebum and with the blockage of follicles by plugs (called comedones) of sebum and keratin. These comedones lead to inflammation and possible inflammatory lesions such as papules, pustules and nodules in the skin around.
The causes of acne can be hormonal (due to androgens), genetic predisposition, psychological (mainly due to stress), infectious (by a common bacteria species Propionibacterium Acnes) or from unbalanced diet – dairies and sugar, high glycemic nutriments being known to worsen acne symptoms.
The Propionibacterium Acnes bacteria is not the origin of acne as it usually already lives in the follicles of our skin. It starts causing an infection only when the sebum is produced in excess. Therefore such an infection is mostly a consequence of the condition.
The sebaceous glands start producing more sebum due to hormonal stress, such as puberty raise of sexual hormones, pre-menstrual period, ovarian or kidney dis-balance.
Another cause is the use of drugs. After trying over-the-counter products, many people try chemical prescriptions such as antibiotics: these are often just as more products that the body has to clean out without solving the problem on a long-term basis, sometimes even drying the skin and making it worse (on top of this, some drugs present terrible potential side effects!).
Smoking, sunbathing and exposition to some chemical components are also causing and worsening factors.
The most common symptoms of acne include seborrhoea (increased sebum secretion), comedones, pustules, papules and inflammation.
In some more severe cases can appear scars as a result of inflammation, and pigmentation scars mostly due to aggravation of the nodule or cyst.
Other side symptoms are self-hatred feeling, social isolation and depression, all due to the loss of self-esteem and the feeling of helplessness generated by the physical symptoms.
Wash your hands before touching your face. Wash your face twice a day (before and after bed, not more). Use a water-based hydrating cream without oil.
Don’t use cosmetics containing oil.
Don’t cut or pinch the spots as it might cause scars.
Eat more fruits, cut off sweets and dairies. ALL OF THEM.
Also mind the fried stuffs: let them to acne-addicts.
Drink water through the day.
Practice a regular physical activity, preferably sport that involves some sweat.
Start learning how to better manage your stress.
Avoid eating sugar and milk in order to avoid worsening the symptoms. I already said it? Oh well…
Acne is not directly caused by your diet but a well-balanced diet will help fighting it.
In case of using anti-acne products containing benzoyl peroxide, protect the skin against sunburn as the skin becomes more sensitive to sun.
Avoid midday sunlight or direct UV exposure: sunbathing worsen the symptoms, it’s doesn’t help at all.
Stop smoking: not only for acne, not only for your skin. Just leave this nicotine-stinking cloud off you.
Depending on the cases, antibiotics may be used for severe cases to target the Propionibacterium acnes. But they seem to become less effective over time due to the increasing resistance and mutation of the bacteria. Plus they cause side effects such as risks of getting affected by another infection, dry skin and depression.
Benzoyl peroxide is often used to treat moderate cases but the side effects can be excessive dryness of the skin, slight redness as well as peeling.
If after two months you don’t manage to decrease the symptoms, ask for medical help and/or consult a dermatologist… or simply try a risk-free natural method with naturopathy.
We know now that more than 80% of the population is affected, to a certain level, by acne. So if you are concerned with this problem: don’t panic, you are not alone!
Before trying a healthy natural way to get rid of it, peacefully and in harmony with your body, here are a few more things that are good to know.
Prescribed treatments generally involve months of use of chemical drugs and often put you at risk of being affected by side effects… without long-lasting results.
The benzoyl peroxide contained in some cosmetics is an antiseptic that kills bacteria. Hence it only takes action on the surface, it doesn’t change anything to what actually causes acne.
Food may not be the direct reason causing acne, but it triggers the hormonal dis-balance. Choosing an adapted diet gives your body the possibility to re-balance, solving the root of the problem and, consequently, the symptoms such as acne.
Acne is NOT caused by dirt, or dirty skin, or sweat or poor hygiene. It is therefore not necessary to wash your skin hard and too often (2 times a day is fine).
Acne is also NOT linked with your sexual activities. Not at all. I can also tell you, in case you have doubts, that acne is not contagious, not transmissible.
And most of all: acne is not only heredity, hormones and stress. It is caused by several factors occurring inside of you: you are the one and only person that can re-balance efficiently your body in order to get better. Take a deep breath, right now, and begin taking control!
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