What is Acne Vulgaris?
Acne vulgaris is one of the most commonly encountered skin diseases. It usually affects the face though it can also affect the chest, shoulders and back. It is a condition in which the pores of the skin become clogged resulting in pimples, whiteheads, blackheads and cysts.
Acne often begins at puberty due to the increased production of androgens (male sex hormones), which increase the amount of sebum (oil) the skin produces. This excessive oil then clogs the pores and results in the acneiform eruptions.
Women in their twenties, thirties or even older can get acne eruptions due to hormonal changes triggered by the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives and even pregnancy.
Other causes of acne include applying oil rich products to the face as these can clog the pores and result in a type of acne called pomade acne. Acne can also be a side effect of medications such as some anti-epileptic medications, lithium and iodine-containing medications. If one develops acne after starting these or other medications, they should consult their doctor first and not stop taking the medications.
There are several degrees of severity of acne. These range from mild acne with a few whiteheads and blackheads to the severe acne fulminans with boils covering the entire face.
Most types of acne have no long-term consequences on the physical health of the patient except for the scarring but they can seriously affect a person’s self-esteem and self-confidence especially if they develop acne during adolescence.
Acne vulgaris is one of the most commonly encountered skin diseases. It usually affects the face though it can also affect the chest, shoulders and back. It is a condition in which the pores of the skin become clogged resulting in pimples, whiteheads, blackheads and cysts.
Acne often begins at puberty due to the increased production of androgens (male sex hormones), which increase the amount of sebum (oil) the skin produces. This excessive oil then clogs the pores and results in the acneiform eruptions.
Women in their twenties, thirties or even older can get acne eruptions due to hormonal changes triggered by the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives and even pregnancy.
Other causes of acne include applying oil rich products to the face as these can clog the pores and result in a type of acne called pomade acne. Acne can also be a side effect of medications such as some anti-epileptic medications, lithium and iodine-containing medications. If one develops acne after starting these or other medications, they should consult their doctor first and not stop taking the medications.
There are several degrees of severity of acne. These range from mild acne with a few whiteheads and blackheads to the severe acne fulminans with boils covering the entire face.
Most types of acne have no long-term consequences on the physical health of the patient except for the scarring but they can seriously affect a person’s self-esteem and self-confidence especially if they develop acne during adolescence.
Foods for Acne Treatment
Natural therapies that are useful in the management of acne include dietary measures such as eating plenty of brightly colored fresh fruits and vegetables because they are rich in antioxidant vitamins. These include berries, mangoes, pawpaws and pumpkins which also have a high water content. One should also increase their water intake to at least 8 glasses of pure water each day.
Nutritional Supplements for Acne
Supplements that may help in the management of acne vulgaris and prevention of breakouts include beta-carotene. This is a form of vitamin A, which may help protect the skin since it is an antioxidant.
Vitamin C, which is also another antioxidant, is important as it is essential for collagen repair. Vitamin E, another antioxidant vitamin, enhances tissue repair and healing.
Minerals that are important include the antioxidants selenium and zinc which are vital for wound healing and healthy skin.
One should ensure that they get adequate amounts of the above nutrients from their diet but if they are not able to do so, they should take a well balanced daily multivitamin and multimineral supplement.
Lifestyle measures that help in the management of acne include practicing good skin care habits. The most basic of these it to clean the facial skin twice a day, in the morning and before retiring to bed at night. After cleansing the skin, and thoroughly rinsing off the cleansing agent, one should apply the correct acne products.
To adequately manage acne, one should avoid touching their face or squeezing pimples. A comedone extractor
should be used instead. A weekly steam bath for your face is also beneficial as it can open up and drain the pores. Regular professional facials can also assist in the deep cleansing of the pores. One should also avoid using make up or use water based makeup
formulations if they have to. In addition, one should never sleep with their makeup on and make up brushes should also be washed regularly and the sponges replaced frequently.
Stress Management for Acne Treatment
Since stress can trigger acne breakouts, one should learn effective relaxation techniques such as abdominal breathing. Practicing these stress management techniques regularly can help prevent stress from accumulating and increasing acne breakouts which will further contribute to increasing stress levels.
Regular exercise is helpful in managing acne especially for people with flare-ups during stressful periods. This is because physical exercise is an effective way of managing stress especially the aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, jogging and aerobics.
Holistic Treatment for Acne
For effective natural acne vulgaris treatment, one should therefore combine the correct acne products, good skin care habits, a healthy diet and effective management of stress so that they can reduce the frequency and severity of acne eruptions.
