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Acne Treatments - Overview
Acne:
Treatment
Normally, acne isn’t a very serious medical condition – irritating, embarrassing and frustrating. But serious, no. However, you may want to seek out the aid of your health care practitioner or a dermatologist if your pimples are persistent. You may also want some professional medical
treatment if
you develop inflamed cysts. Seeking medical treatment is always a good idea
if you fear that permanent scarring may occur or if you think your skin may
be damaged in other ways.
Seeking
medical treatment for your acne is a wise choice if it is hurting your self
esteem or getting in the way of your social relationships, no matter how
severe or mild they may seem to others.
Conventional
acne treatments work through one – or all – of a series of methods.
They reduce oil production, speed up skin cell turnover, fight
bacterial infection, and reduce the existing inflammation.
The problem is that you may not actually see any real progress for
four to eight weeks. So a word
to the wise: your skin may get worse before it gets better.
There are two
ways to take prescription medication for acne.
You can apply it directly to your skin or you can take it orally. If
you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t take oral medications, especially during
the first trimester of your pregnancy.
There are
several different kinds of treatment available for this health condition.
In fact, topical treatments abound.
Acne lotions work by drying up the oil, killing the bacteria and then
promoting the carrying away of the dead skin cells.
Those of the
over-the-counter variety are generally mild.
They contain benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid or
lactic acid as they active ingredient. These products are fine for a mild
case of acne, but not for persistent or severe cases.
If your
particular case of acne fails to get better using these over-the-counter
remedies, then you may want to take a visit to your dermatologist. He has some stronger versions he can prescribe you.
Tretinoin and adapalene are good examples of these.
Both are, by the way, derived from vitamin A. They work by promoting
cell turnover and preventing the plugging of the hair follicles.
Your
dermatologist may suggest some form of antibiotic, either topical or oral.
A topical antibiotic works by killing unnecessary skin bacteria. Oral
antibiotics, of the prescription variety, may also help reduce bacteria as
well as fight inflammation. These
are usually reserved for moderate to severe cases of acne.
If you choose
to take these, you need to know that they may take months to fully work
properly. Not only that, but
you may need to take them in combination with other topical products.
Acne:
Eating for healthy skin
While it’s
true that eating French fries will not magically make pimples appear the
following morning. However,
many natural health care practitioners do agree that some forms of acne can
be prompted by continuous poor choices in your diet.
To help avoid
over reliance on harsh medications in the treatment of your acne, these
professionals say that there are some simple nutritional guidelines you can
follow.
One of the
most important aspects of an acne-free diet is choosing
the right fats. Many
experts recommend olive oil for cooking as well as for your salads.
The alternative, usually saturated fats and partially hydrogenated
fats, can damage your body’s tissues as ell as promote the inflammation
around the hair follicle.
You’ll also
want to reduce your consumption of
red meats and butter. Here
again partially hydrogenated fats need to be avoided.
These types of fats, according to some experts, actually replace the
unsaturated fats in the cells.
Along with
this, then, you’ll want to eliminate, as much as possible, packaged snack
foods, such as potato and corn chips, crackers and cookies. Now is the time
for you to become a vigilant consumer and read the labels on all foods you
buy. Most packaged foods
contain some level of partially hydrogenated fats.
You’ll also want to stop using margarine.
Other sources
of partially hydrogenated fats are some fried foods – especially those
that have been fried in oil that has been re-used.
Your acne-free
diet should also include plenty of
salmon and flaxseeds. If
you can’t add the food itself to your list of meals, then at least
supplement your dietary regimen with fish oil supplements.
These foods have plenty of omega-3 fatty acids.
While loading
your body with these healthy fats, try reducing
your consumption of omega-6. It’s
said that our consumption of these types of oils should be about equal.
For most of us though, we have about 20 times the amount of omega -6
than omega-3 in our bodies. Omega-6 fats are found predominantly in corn,
safflower, soybean and cottonseed oils.
They are dangerous because they tend to promote inflammation
throughout the body.
You’ll also
want to try to eat more protein while you reduce
your consumption of carbohydrates. Reduce
your intake of baked foods made with wheat flour. You’ll also want to
avoid eating an abundance of sugar.
Indeed, if you
are prone to acne then you may give
consideration to losing weight if you’re currently overweight.
Weight problems contribute to the development of acne in two
different ways. First, being
overweight can contribute to tissue damage which can influence acne.
But, carrying more weight than your height can sustain also forces
your system to produce more testosterone than needed.
This also facilitates the development of acne.
So what does
that leave to eat? Try plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and salads. Just as package
foods can make acne worse, these fresh foods can help clear your case of
acne – and keep it away! The
fiber found in these food choices is vital for healthy digestion and
elimination. Plus, foods that
are abundant in vitamin A and beta-carotene are great nutritional sources. Carrots, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, spinach and
romaine lettuce are only a few of the foods rich in this nutrient.
As much as
possible, try to avoid foods that
increase the heat within your body.
These foods are spicy in nature.
Even garlic is included in this category.
Avoid coffee as well.
What you’ll
want to drink to help keep your acne at bay though is water – and lots of it. Some
medical experts say that you can drink up to four quarts of this purifying
liquid. It helps to flush the
toxins out of your system and deliver the nutrients to all the crucial parts
of your body.
Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.
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