Healthy News for Healthy Nation

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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Your bundle of joy has arrived. A lovely, sweet baby who holds your finger with his little hand and makes contented little cooing noises and – has acne! How it is that your baby could have acne? Relax, baby acne is not uncommon, and it isn’t a sign of poor health or that you are a bad parent.

What is baby acne?

Baby acne is a skin condition that can be present at birth, but it usually shows up when your baby is a few weeks old. It is characterized by small red pimples and whiteheads that may cover your baby’s whole face.

What causes baby acne?

Just like adolescent or adult acne, the causes of baby acne are not completely known. It is thought to be related to the hormones that are still in your baby’s body from the time he was in the womb. These are the mother’s hormones that have crossed into his body via the placenta. His body is reacting to them and working to get rid of them, and sometimes the result is baby acne. Other possible causes of baby acne could be medications that the mother is taking while breastfeeding. Baby acne is not caused by dirt or oil, although you should always take time to wipe your little one’s chin after he’s had a bottle or breastfed.

How can baby acne be treated?

The number one Acne Treatment for baby acne is time and patience. It will go away on it’s own. Other than that here are some important tips:

Avoid scrubbing your baby’s face. It will only make the situation worse.

Avoid putting creams and oils on his face.

Use a mild detergent to wash your baby’s clothes and bedding in.

When washing baby’s face, use plain warm water. There is no need for soap at this age.

Don’t squeeze the pimples!

How long does baby acne last?

Baby acne will last for a few weeks to a few months. He may be six months old before it has completely disappeared.

Although baby acne is distressing for the parents, rest assured that there is nothing at all wrong with your baby. His system is simply making adjustments to the outer world and it will take time. Baby acne is fairly common; so don’t feel like you’ve done something wrong. Follow the tips listed above, and if you are concerned, ask your Pediatrician when you take baby for his next check-up.

Remember that he is still the wonderful, joy-filled gift that you were excitedly waiting for! Nothing can change that. Be sure to appreciate his beautiful smile, his lovely fingers and toes, and the way he smiles when sees you and chuckles when you make funny faces at him. These are the things that make your baby precious and his baby acne; while it is a passing condition, can be a good part of your memories of his first days too, if you choose to view baby acne as a part of his growth rather than a problem.

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Anyone with a basic knowledge of human biology will know about hormones and how important they are in the proper functioning of the body. And the role of hormones when it comes to acne is so significant that we felt the need for a separate article on the topic.

Male menace?

For the uninformed, the root of acne lies in male hormones, or androgens. Though they are male hormones, androgens are also present in women, in lesser quantities. Crucially, however, in both men and women, androgens control the functioning of the sebaceous glands, which produce oil (sebum) that moisturizes the skin and prevents it from becoming dry.

Things start to go wrong when androgens send wrong signals to the sebaceous glands, over-stimulating them so that they produce excess sebum, which gathers in hair follicles and, along with dead cells, clogs the pores of the skin. The clogged area then becomes a fertile breeding for acne-causing bacteria and acne lesions start to develop.

As acne expert Louisa Craig says, “Though no strong scientific evidence exists to prove this fact, it has generally been observed that those who suffer from acne often have relatively oily skin. The reason is that they have higher levels of androgens, and this hormonal imbalance probably causes their acne.”

The onset period

Hormonal acne usually sets in around the age of 18 and lasts into the mid-20s. This form of acne most often attacks the face, though in some cases it can spread to the chest and back. We are, of course, talking about adult hormonal acne here, though hormonal acne is equally, if not more, prevalent among teenagers.

Now for some jaw-breaking stuff: ever heard of dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate (don’t even bother pronouncing it, call it DHEAS)? It is an androgen secreted from the adrenal glands as we approach puberty. When we actually reach puberty, the androgens testosterone and dehydro-testosterone (DHT) are also doing the rounds of our bodies. When these hormones become over-active, they over-stimulate the sebaceous glands, which is why teenagers get acne. And because male hormones lie at the root of it all, teenage boys are more affected than girls.

To make matters dodgier, it is difficult to teenage hormonal acne because of the rapidly occurring nature of hormonal change. So, even if a teenager responds positively to a certain Acne Treatment medication at the age of 15, say, there is no guarantee that he will continue to do so when he is 19. So medication for teenage hormonal acne needs to change constantly.

Adults get it too!

Many adults, particularly women, develop acne in their mid-20s or even 30s, particularly before their menstrual period, and once again owing to hormonal changes that occur in the body at this time. For the same reason, many pregnant women also develop acne. In such situations, the Best Acne Treatment is to consult a dermatologist, because the body is not receptive to certain kinds of medication at such times.

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If we were to tell the absolute truth, science is yet to establish a direct connection between diet and acne. As the Journal of the American Medical Association states, “Diet plays no role inAcne Treatment in most patients…even large amounts of certain foods have not clinically exacerbated acne.” Dermatologist Dr Andrew Waite adds, “It is high time we discarded the myth that greasy and spicy foods cause acne.”

Excellent, you say, before reaching for a bag of potato chips. And that would be a mistake.

Watch what you eat, acne or no

The thing is, while no specific food items directly causean acne outbreak, they may indirectly contribute to its occurrence by damaging the health of your skin. Additionally, since your body does not metabolize all foods in the same way, the digestion of certain foods may release chemicals that influence either the onset of acne, or aggravate an already existing condition.

Beauty therapist Simone Techera, who runs a clinic in San Francisco, is prepared to swear that those of her clients who eat more meat are a) more hirsute and b) more vulnerable to acne, and while that may be dismissed as an unscientific view based on individual experience, there are published reports that echo Simone’s beliefs.

Meat products typically contain relatively high levels of steroids and hormones, which may contribute to the hormonal imbalances already present in the system of an acne sufferer (I’d sure like to see a term coined for this breed of humans some day). On the other hand, the best dietary means of redressing a hormonal imbalance appears to be the intake of lots of essential fatty acids (EFA), which the body does not produce naturally. Dr Waite points out that several studies, including some published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology,have shown that the majority of people with hormone-related acne are actually deficient in EFA.

The world is eating healthy!

Therefore, it seems clear that diet plays a significant, if not direct, role in the occurrence of acne. If you go by a 2003 study, you will realize what I mean by significant. Published in the Archives of Dermatology in December 2003, the study focused on the effects of Western and non-Western diets on acne, and concluded that the Western diet somehow contributed to acne outbreaks in more than 80% of American teenagers. By contrast, the study observed 1200 residents – including 300 aged 15-25 – of a Papua New Guinea island and failed to detect a single instance of acne. The researchers noted that the islanders were physically active and subsisted on a low-fat, high-carb diet comprising mostly roots, fruits and vegetables that kept their insulin levels low.

Compare that to the dairy- and protein-rich Western diet and you will realize what Dr Waite means when he talks about “low metabolism” and “difficult digestion”. Logically, therefore, the ideal diet for acne patients is one rich in fruits and vegetables (abundant sources of vitamins and nutrients), whole grain and wheat germ (for fibers and EFA), lentils, beans, and root vegetables. They should also drink lots of water to flush out toxins, and avoid alcohol and caffeine as far as possible.

Even if you don’t have acne, a diet such as the one I have just described can do you no harm. Healthy food is, well, healthy, regardless of the state of your body!

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