Acne - Dispelling The Myths

By James Anthony

Acne is one of the curses of young people, with an estimated 85 per cent of those between 12 and 24 suffering from the unsightly and often painful condition.

Mind you, it isn't just an adolescent problem as a quarter of adults continue to have acne throughout their lives.

For some reason it seems the most popular time for acne - or blackheads, pimples and zits - to make their unwelcome appearance is when you are set for a hot date or there is a party on. It was so when I was a teen and still applies today.

We stopped eating sweets in a vain attempt to prevent the blighters appearing and that was all it is - a hopeless effort because acne is not worsened by your diet. Okay, a good diet will help your overall health - and thereby may assist your skin - but it won't necessarily halt the invasion of the pimples.

Acne is a common skin disorder where your body's hormones inflame tiny oil glands on your skin and end up blocking them. This then means the oils build up under your skin and it leads to pimples forming.

The spots usually appear on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest.

Acne is hereditary, although pregnancy, menstruation and birth control pills can cause outbreaks. Other things that can worsen pimples include sweating, over-washing of your skin and the use of certain types of sun-tan lotions. 

A non-oily moisturiser should not worsen your skin condition.

Acne can be a heredity factor so if your parents suffered then you may well do so as well. Mind you, a lot of the Old Wives' Tales about getting rid of pimples are just plain wrong.

Myths About Acne:

• It is caused by poor hygiene
  
• Scrubbing your skin will help
  
• Pimples are caused by chocolate and junk food
  
• Sunbathing can help get rid of acne
  
• Pimples are contagious
  
• You can't cure acne

And it should be said that many of their suggested cures can be treated with a bit of skepticism. Mind you if you are desperate here are some of them.

Home cures:

• Apply methylated spirits to spots (if you are brave)
  
• Put pounded orange peel to affected areas

One thing we can suggest is to drink plenty of water. Like having a good diet it may not be the cure-all, but it cannot hurt either, and drinking lots of good H2O is good for the rest of your body.

The first stop for someone with troublesome pimples is your local chemist. It may be a bit embarrassing and the chemist will have plenty of ointments and tablets you can try on less severe outbreaks. Salves with benzoyl peroxide are said to work well on mild acne.

If they don't help then maybe a trip to your local doctor. From the doctor you may be able to get some oral medicine, or stronger lotions, to deal with the acne. 

The reputation of Isotretinoin (packaged as Claravis, Amnesteem, Roaccutane, Isotane, Oratane etc. by various pharmaceutical companies) has improved in recent times too and is often used to treat chronic cases of acne with success. The alleged side-effects (mainly depression) have been dispelled by some medicos, suggesting the low self-esteem issues are not due to the drug but in fact the acne that can make young people feel ugly and unwanted.

Isotretinoin 

See You Doctor When:

• Creams don't work
  
• You get lumps/cysts under your skin
  
• Scars are forming
  
• You are depressed by your appearance

If you are suffering from a major outcrop of acne then it may be you need to go and see a dermatologist or skin specialist. Now don't be in too much of a hurry as experts say it can take up to two months before treatment really begins to kick in.

Links:
Acne - Better Health (Victorian Govt)
 Isotretinoin - Acne Medicine (Wikipedia Page)
AcneCanBeCured.com.au (Roche Pharmaceuticals)