Acne Uncovered

If you are the parent of a teenager, then you have probably experienced it: acne. Your child has more than likely stood in front of the mirror for hours trying to find a way to get rid of the unsightly red dots that now cover their face. Perhaps you have even experienced it yourself; acne is not limited to children. You may find that it is the result of genetics or even stress. Either way, those zits have to go, and they have to go soon!

There are many home remedies that you can try, some which are based in fact, and some that are a bit questionable. As always you should ask your physician before you try any of these. Some of them could be new, and some of them could be passed down by family members. Let’s talk about a few of the home remedies that are available today, tested, or untested.

The first one is potassium iodide. This can be used quite easily as a matter of fact. All you need to do is wait till the zip pops, and then put some iodine on it. Within forty eight hours, you should see a noticeable difference, which is to say you should see nothing at all. Remember not to squeeze or pop your zit. Contrary to popular belief, this does not help at all. In fact you will spread the oil around your face, causing the acne to pop up in many different places.

If you want to go out on a limb, then you could try laying a potato peel on the affected area, as this is known to reduce swelling. In addition to that, you could also put lemon juice on a cotton ball and apply it to the zit. If you really want to go to the extreme then you could apply mint juice to the effected areas and leave it overnight. Whether or not this will work really depends on the individual person. Remember, everyone is different, therefore different things will work for them.

Another alternative is honey, though some people might not go for this idea. One reason they might opt out is because it is a bit sticky, and because it needs to be left on the face overnight. You can imagine the trouble this will cause if you sleep in your bed and roll over. Yes, it might work wonders, but then you will need to find a way to clean the honey out of your hair. But once again, it’s your choice.

These are a few good and popular ways to remove acne. If you are suffering from it, then remember that you are not the only one to have this problem. There have in fact been many before you that have suffered from the problem known as acne. Be strong, pull through, and most of all stick to the treatments. Soon enough you’ll have clear skin again.

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Using herbal acne remedies can be an effective and natural approach to treating acne. There are many safe and easy to use herbal acne treatments which reduce the inflammation associated with acne, remove blackheads and whiteheads, and improve the appearance of acne scars, sometimes removing them altogether. Many acne sufferers find that commercial preparations dry their skin and don’t work for them anyway so they are turning to natural treatments such as herbal acne remedies.
 
Herbal acne treatments are natural and safe ways to kill the bacteria, which causes acne and to also soothe the skin and encourage healing.  Freedom from acne can mean the same thing as freedom from low self esteem for many people. Self esteem is such a serious problem for people with severe acne that it is truly worthwhile to explore the benefits of herbal acne remedies. Not only do they tend to be far less expensive than other treatments, they are safe and do not have the side effects associated with many commercial preparations. 

Acne is often an inherited condition. Other factors which can trigger acne are hormonal changes associated with menstruation or puberty, stress, allergic reactions, drug side effects, nutritional deficiencies, compromised immune system, overloaded and malfunctioning detoxification system and having an acidic body. All of these factors can affect hormonal balances within the body. If the liver cannot handle the level of toxins in the body which need to be eliminated, the skin will do some of the work. If there are more toxins than the skin can deal with, acne can result.

This is where herbs come into their own. Certain herbs can assist the main detoxification organs – liver, skin, kidneys and lungs – function more efficiently and normalize body functions. 

Here is a list of excellent herbal acne remedies (and a few non herbal but natural ones) that very effective in bringing the body back into balance, assisting the detoxification process and therefore healing acne:

• MILK THISTLE. Milk thistle supports the liver, our most important detoxification organ, particularly for hormonal balance.
• GREEN TEA. Green Tea in Chinese herbal medicine is used for acne. It has natural antibacterial qualities, reduces inflammation and excessive hormonal activity and is a powerful antioxidant. It also aids in detoxification and when drunk after a meal helps digestion.
• LAVENDER. Lavender is an essential oil which helps to relieve stress. Stress is a common cause of acne. Lavender oil is not to be taken internally but is very helpful used in a relaxing bath.
• GARLIC. Garlic has antibacterial properties which work to kill the acne causing bacteria. It also strengthens the immune system and supports the body’s natural healing processes.
• ECHNACEA. Echinacea also strengthens the immune system.
• TEA TREE OIL. Tea tree oil must not be taken internally. It is applied topically to the skin and has antiseptic properties. Studies have shown that it can be more effective than benzoyl peroxide.
• PROBIOTICS. Probiotics are friendly bacteria which improve our digestive and eliminative processes and support the immune system. This in turn supports the body’s detoxification processes and minimizes the toxic demands on the skin.
• N ACETYL CYSTEINE. This is an amino acid, not a herb, however it needs to be included because it is an essential nutrient for liver function and liver function directly impacts the health of the skin and the incidence of acne.
• ZINC. Zinc is a mineral, not an herb. However, it also needs to be included in this list because it has been found that acne sufferers are deficient in zinc. Zinc supports the immune system and helps the body detoxify and reduce inflammation.

This list of herbal acne treatments is by no means complete, however it can be a starting point to explore the many benefits of herbal acne remedies. Here are some more herbs that can be used to improve acne. You’ll need to do some follow up research to find out more about them: 

• Lemongrass Tea taken internally.
• Lemongrass Oil in aloe vera gel applied externally.
• Gymnema to regulate blood sugar. High blood sugar has been linked to acne in some people.
• Blood and lymphatic cleansers such as burdock, cleavers, red clover and Echinacea.
• Liver herbs such as dandelion root, globe artichoke and yellow dock.
• Apply a comfrey poultice to the affected areas. Comfrey is very healing.
• Sarsparilla is also a good herb for acne.

If you want to overcome this scarring skin disorder, while at the same time improving your overall health and avoiding unpleasant side effects, then eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, exercise and support your body with products from nature’s own pharmacy.

CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals have just announced phase II clinical trial data showed its experimental acne treatment was indeed successful in controlling acne.

During the study in which over 300 patients took part, CollaGenex discovered that the minimum effective dose of its acne treatment incyclinide was 10 mg, but that a 20 mg dose was more effective. Incyclinide was also found to have a similar side effect profile to placebo.

Although the company claim the study was not powered for statistical significance (the benchmark the FDA uses to determine effectiveness) during the study incyclinide showed a statistically significant clinical benefit when compared to placebo at particular dosages.

After 3 weeks, a 25.9% reduction in acne was found in patients given 20 mg of incyclinide, compared with 9.4% in the placebo group.

Six weeks into the trial, incyclinide patients were found to have a reduction of 36%, compared with a 17.5% reduction in the placebo group.

An early trial of a new approach to treating acne, combining light therapy with skin suction, has provided positive results.

Researchers says during the small-scale test, after as few as two to three weekly treatments, fifteen sufferers of severe acne experienced significant improvements in their acne conditions.

The findings were reported at the 27th Annual Conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) in Texas, by study researcher Gilly Munavalli, MD.

The new approach is known as photopneumatic therapy (PPX), and uses a vacuum device to combine pulsed light treatment with skin suctioning. It is thought the suctioning helps clean blocked pores and intensifies the effects of the light treatment by bringing the oil glands nearer to the skin’s surface.

“The suction really unclogs the pores, which allows the oil to flow more normally to the surface,” Munavalli reveals. “The light helps kill the bacteria that cause acne.”

However, despite the encouraging results from this small study, experts suggest more research is needed.

The enrollment of around one-hundred-and-twenty patients into its investigation study into the treatment of acne scarring has been completed by acne research company Isolagen.

Focussing on moderate to sever acne scars, the acne treatments are underway and being administered at 7 different clinical US sites.

Isolagen CEO, Declan Daly, explains Isolagen have committed resources in order to advance this acne program and seeking additional funding.

“Concerning Isolagen’s pivotal clinical program on wrinkle correction, we expect to review the 6 month efficacy data on the Phase 3 study before 1st September this year.”

For more information of Isolagen, visit their website.