The causes of acne are seeminlgy much wider than what was previously thought. Teenagers, specifically boys, seem to be more prone to acne because of the effects of the increased levels of the male hormone testosterone as they reach puberty, which stimulates the sebaceous glands in the skin which results in the production of more sebum oil. Conversely, African skin types, which are very rich in sebum, seem to suffer much less from acne. Medical practitioners are also reporting seeing more adults, generally women, that are suffering with acne in adulthood, yet their skin is confusingly often of a dry type.
Acne occurs when the pores of the skin become blocked basically. Each pore of our skin contains a hair follicale, containing the sebum (oil) producing sebaceous gland. These glands are supposed to produce a ‘healthy’ level of the sebum oil which helps lubricate the skin and helps our dead skin cells to part from the skin surface to be replaced by new ones. The cause of acne is when these dead skin cells around the follicles do not shed properly and cause the pore to become blocked. If bacteria are present then the clogged pore may turn into a spot and the area becomes inflammed causing the unsightly appearance we associated with acne disorders.
Recent medical research suggests that the causes of spots in adults is due more to inflammation at the cell level rather than being the result of a blocked pore. Stress, smoking, pollutants, poor diet, exposure to UV radiation generate high levels of free radicals in our body. Free radicals are molecules that have an un-paired electron in their outer ring. Not wanting to get into an explanation of molecular physics lets just summarise what this means for our skin. A free radical is an unstable molecule that is always searching for that extra electron to make it stable. If it manages to ’steal’ that odd elctron from another piece of matter then that matter is then unstable and it then searches for an electron to make up its number. This chain reaction can be damaging to human tissue and this is what we mean when we refer to damaging free radicals in the context of skin damage. The body does have a defense mechanism in the form of antioxidants. These are molecules which safely interact with free radicals, terminating the chain reaction they cause before the molecular structure of human tissue becomes damaged.
Acne Solution
A holistic solution for all acne sufferers is presented below and reflects alot of methods that have been found to be successful with sufferers of a wide range of skin problems.
- take measures to keep your stress levels down, and learn how you might control your reaction in situations beyond your control
- ensure you get between 7 and 8 hours sleep each night. This is a period when our body helps clear itself of stress and toxics
- try and adopt an anti-inflammatory diet (see below)
- drink plenty of still water. The effects of not drinking enough water is just not publicized enough. Try and drink 2.5 litres a day
- take supplements to control inflammation (see below)
- treat open spots with anti-inflammatory topical creams and lotions
- conventional medecine may be useful in the short term and may help prevent scarring in severe cases
Natural Acne Treatments
Supplements should include vitamins A and D, zinc and Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Vitamins A and D are part of the bodies requirements for stimulating the growth of healthy new cells. Zinc, specifically zinc picolinate since its well absorbed by the body, has hormone-modulating properties and helps heal new tissue. Omega-3 is essential for many functions in the body and specifically helps balance the inflammatory agent prostaglandin 2.
Topical skin care cream containing tea tree oil is beneficial since it contains the anti-bacterial called terpinen-4-ol, which has been shown to treat moderate acne by reducing the bacteria that cause a blocked pore to become infected. One topical cream – ActiveClear – contains tea tree oil, vitamin A and a herb extract called tribulus which is claimed to help reduce sebum production.
Acne Diet
Try and aim to eat a low glycemic index (GI) diet. This generally involves oily fish, or other quality protein sources such as chicken, turkey, soy products, at every meal, along with fresh vegetables (especially Advocado), fruit, salad, nuts, ground flaxseeds, yougurt and olive oil. Its important to keep your blood sugar levels stable since this helps prevent inflammatory response. Therefore, eat 3 small meals and 2 small snacks a day, and keep them well-spaced.
Antioxidants are also an anti-inflammatory so, in addition to your antioxident-rich fruit and vegetable diet, you are allowed to eat a little dark chocolate since this is high in antioxidants (aim for 85 per cent cocoa solids). Try green tea instead of coffee since this can help reduce imflammation and will also help maintain blood sugar levels.