Acne: What It Is And How To Fight It

Acne is basically a blockage in the pore which causes bacteria to be trapped and form either a whitehead or a blackhead. While there are many myths that point to diet as a cause of acne, these are unfounded. Junk foods and chocolate are not associated with acne. The reason people get acne is because of overactive oil glands or blockage of pores. Acne is a condition that afflicts both children and adults. It is, however, more prevalent in teenagers when hormones are at their most active. Heredity also plays a large part in who gets acne and how severe it may be. Those who are genetically inclined to acne will often get more severe cases than people who are simply going through a stress induced or hormone induced acne phase. They also may have a more difficult time clearing up blemishes. The blemish that occurs on the skin can be unsightly and embarrassing so prevention and treatment should be the focus.

The best form of treatment for acne is prevention as it is with any affliction. You should try to keep your hands away from your face because dirt and oils can contaminate pores. Proper health is also important. This means proper diet, exercise and sleep to reduce stress. Keeping your face clean using mild soap is also a good preventative. If you have an outbreak, there are home remedies, over the counter medications and prescription medications that can help. There are several topical creams and soaps that are used in the treatment of acne. These can be found in pharmacies and in the cosmetics department of grocery stores. Benzoyl peroxide creams, vitamin A and zinc are all used to help treat acne. For more severe cases a prescription oral antibiotic may be prescribed along with a topical cream that is stronger than the over the counter medications.

Acne: Light Therapy May Cure Acne

Acne may be cured by a simple light treatment, first developed to iron out wrinkles, as demonstrated a study carried out at a London hospital. The Hammersmith Hospital in West London tested Low Level Laser Therapy normally used in private beauty salons on 30 patients who were suffering mild to moderate acne.

In a period of 12 weeks their acne had halved. Meanwhile, those on a dummy treatment showed no improvement. Findings show that those with the most severe symptoms displayed the most astonishing improvement, mostly within the first month of treatment. Under experts conclusions, this is significantly faster than most conventional antibiotic treatments, which can take as long as eight months to work.

The study showed that a single five-minute session could have a dramatic effect on acne for up to 12 months. Physicians used a treatment called pulse dye laser therapy in which the affected area is exposed to short bursts of light. The process had been used to combat wrinkles as it is known to stimulate the production of collagen.

Tony Chu, the dermatologist who led the trial, explained that “we were brought in to see if the anecdotal evidence worked in a clinical trial and we found out it was very successful. However, we still do not know exactly how it works and that is an area we are now working on.”

The expert said that the treatment appears to be showing the same kind of efficacy as antibiotics, but without the potential side effects. “What we need to do now is to see if it works as well on acne around other parts of the body, and work out the treatment which is most clinically effective”, stated.