How to Treat Acne

There is unfortunately, no quick fix or "freedom from acne in 3 days". Acne is, by its very nature, a chronic condition, i.e. one that builds up gradually over a period of time, not one like a sudden cold or flu. It does take time to resolve the condition, but noticeable improvements can be made within a reasonably short period of time if the effort is made to alter some aspects of lifestyle in order to minimise the contributing factors.

The main contributing factor seems to be a rise in the level of male sex hormone which occurs at puberty (in both sexes) and causes enlargement of hair follicles and associated skin glands producing more sebum. Sebum is the skin's natural secretion, oily or waxy in nature, which helps protect the skin and help prevent drying out. This increased production of sebum leads to blocked pores and accumulations that are invaded by bacteria, and sometimes also a fungus, leading to inflammation that causes red spots or white pustules to develop.

It helps to wash your face to remove excess oils, and creams containing sulphur or peroxide can help reduce inflammation and kill off some of the bacteria. This is not enough to cure the acne problem though since the underlying causative factors are still present. You cannot do much about your own hormones but there are some lifestyle changes you can make to reduce aggravating factors.

You can help to normalise your skin's environment so that the bacteria do not get the chance to breed so prolifically, by making sure you get the right foods to nourish your skin, and, avoid as far as possible, foods that can add to the problem

Your skin is an important organ of your body and it requires a variety of nutrients in order to function properly. You should therefore, eat a varied diet with protein, which is important for tissue repair, and fruit and vegetables which contain important vitamins and minerals. Your diet needs to provide sufficient vitamin A, B5, C, D, and E, plus several different minerals.

In addition to nourishing the skin, you need to avoid certain foods that can add to the problem of excessive oily secretions, and one of the main ones to avoid is sugar. Refined carbohydrates are rapidly digested and absorbed by the body causing sudden upward surges in blood sugar. Since the body has to keep blood- sugar within certain limits of concentration, a sudden overload results in the insulin system kicking in to remove the excess glucose which is converted to fat. This insulin production is associated with other hormonal activity leading to more production of sebum. It is essential to cut back drastically on biscuits, cakes, white bread, cookies, and sugary drinks. Yes, I know it's a bore, but it is worth it.

You should also avoid milk and other dairy products because these are known to contain hormones, and they do seem to make things worse for many acne sufferers.

You should try to get plenty of exercise rather than sitting around all day, since exercise stimulates blood flow, helping both skin nourishment and the skin's healing.

An adequate amount of sleep at night is important in order to give the body time for its healing processes to take maximum effect.

Finally, you should drink plenty of water, say 6-8 glasses a day, to keep the skin well hydrated and help clear toxins.

These simple steps will get you on the road towards eliminating acne, but there is even more you can do. Why not read the excellent book by the nutritionist Mike Walden which is widely available.
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