From all that I have read and heard and experienced about acne, it takes one hell of an effort to cure. In fact, very few dermatologists and anti-acne product manufacturers will be brave enough to claim that they can cure your acne. The most that they will say is that they can treat your acne outbreak and monitor or prevent its recurrence.
So why waste time and money visiting experts to be told that the only true cure for acne is prevention? I daresay all acne patients and potential patients have worked that out for themselves by now.
Nipping acne in the bud
The far more important point, then, is to work out how to prevent acne. The trick is to realize that acne is treatable, if not curable. And when I say treatable or preventable, I don’t mean that someone who has a history of acne in his or her family, for instance, will never experience an acne outbreak. What I do mean is that you can minimize acne outbreaks by taking preventive measures.
Essentially, the three basic steps in the battle against acne are nutrition, skincare, and exercise. That may sound a little far-fetched, but if you think again, you will appreciate the fact that acne is mainly a direct or tangential outcome of three things: the kind of food we eat, the care that we take of ourselves and our skin, and the healthcare regimen that we follow.
Where we go wrong
Take the case of food. While no direct link between food and acne has been established, it remains a fact that acne is a far more severe problem in countries with high-fat, high-protein diets. A friend once joked that he was yet to spot a person of Chinese descent with acne, and while that may not be the most politically correct observation in these times, I have to admit that in regions of the world where the prevalent diets are primarily low-fat and high-carb with plenty of raw fruits and vegetables thrown in, acne stands a far lower chance. This would perhaps explain why nearly 85% of American teenagers have acne in some form, while their counterparts in the Far East live acne-free lives.
Daily skincare is another part of our lives that we don’t seem to pay much attention to, as we thoughtlessly use harsh chemicals and cosmetics on our skin. Having used the ClearPores skin cleansing system myself, I cannot emphasize the importance of using oil-free, non-comedogenic products enough when it comes to preventing acne. As skincare consultant Susannah Naylor says, “It’s no point blaming fate for saddling you with acne after you have destroyed your skin with all the wrong products.” Sadly, such things as fragrance and brand name when choosing soap, for instance, still take in most people, when there is every reason for them to focus on the more relevant aspects such as chemical composition and anti-acne properties.
Finally, of course, there are prescription drugs for Acne Treatment. Chief among these is Accutane, an oral isotretinoin or retinoid that derives from Vitamin A and occurs naturally within the body in small quantities. However, because Accutane is an antibiotic, doctors usually prescribe it only if all other preventive methods have failed. So never make the mistake of self-prescribing Accutane.
Other than that, you can avail several over-the-counter acne cleansers that contain benzoyl peroxide, an invaluable aid in the battle against acne. I have tried products under the TriClear and Exposed skincare system ranges, and would advise people with all skin types to do the same.
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