Acne

How You Can Recognize Acne     

• Bumps, which are small, flesh-colored or darkened raised areas of the skin that give it a rough texture. As the condition progresses there may also be

• Whiteheads, normally sized pores in the skin blocked by accumulated sebum but not inflamed,

• Blackheads, which are enlarged pores blocked by a plug of darkened, oxidized sebum,

• Papules, which are pores of normal size with a ruptured, inflamed wall,

• Pustules, ruptured pores draining the mixture of dead bacteria and dead white blood cells known as pus,

• Nodules, which are tender and inflamed due to the accumulation of pus within them, or

• Cysts, which are nodules of diameter greater than 0.2 inches (5 mm) not draining pus.

 The Causes of Acne

A condition of chronic inflammation to the skin's pores, acne is perhaps the most common of all skin conditions. During puberty, usually between ages of 11 and 14, more than 85 per cent of young people develop it. Acne can reappear in adults in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and even the 50s and beyond. In teens, scars from acne are more common in boys than girls. In adults, persistence acne is more common in women than in men.

No matter what people do to treat it, acne outbreaks typically clear over the course of a few months to a year. The scarring and disfigurement acne causes, however, can inflict lasting damage to self-image and self-esteem.

Acne originates in the sebum, the skin's natural lubricating oil. Sebum makes skin soft. It lubricates the pores surrounding hair, allowing it to move. Without sebum, our hair would permanently point outwards something like the quills on an agitated porcupine. Sebum also minimizes wrinkling, and enables the skin to act something like a raincoat, keeping moisture out of the tissues beneath it.

The two strains of bacteria that cause acne, Propionibacterium acnes (also known as Corynebacterium acnes) and Staphylococcus albus, normally act as the skin's clean-up crew. When the skin is healthy, these bacteria digest excess sebum to keep it from blocking pores. They release an inflammatory chemical as they process sebum, but this chemical is harmless, in fact, protective against other more aggressive strains of bacteria, unless the pore is blocked. 

Stress causes tension that blocks pores. People undergoing stress, whether temporary or chronic, at any stage in their lives, may experience acne. In teenagers, the etiology of acne is tied up with the pubescent body's production of testosterone. This hormone is found in both men and women, and it produced in its greatest amounts during the teenage years. Testosterone stimulates the growth of muscles and fuels sex drive in both males and females. It also stimulates the growth of a tough layer of keratin to protect the skin, sometimes locking sebum and the inflammatory chemicals they produce inside pores.

Testosterone levels are highest between the ages of 10 and 14 in both boys and girls. They are also high in women who suffer polycystic ovarian disease, and in bodybuilders who inject testosterone in an attempt to build muscle. Acne is also sometimes triggered by exposure to industrial chemicals, overdosing B vitamins, and overuse of cosmetics. Nothing, however, aggravates acne more than drying out the skin, which closes up the pores, by scrubbing the face too vigorously and by using harsh cleansers.

Herbal Treatment for Acne

Taken internally:

• Brewer’s yeast: 1 tablespoon of powdered yeast or 3,000 milligrams of brewer’s yeast capsules 2 times per day. 

Used externally:

• Tea tree oil (5 to 15 percent strength), never to be taken internally.

• Calendula soap

Avoid herbs that stimulate the production of testosterone, such as chrysin, eleuthero (Siberian ginseng), muira puama, oats (avena), pine pollen, stinging nettle, and Tribestan.

Herbs in the Healing Process

Many of the traditional recommendations for treating acne are just plain wrong. Eating chocolate does not cause acne. Fatty foods should be avoided for many reasons, but not because the fat in food somehow magically is directed to the face. The factors that result in acne are primarily hormonal, not nutritional.

High-chromium yeast increases the ability of the hormone insulin to transport glucose (sugar) out of the bloodstream and into the cells that need it. This increases the activity of macrophages, the large white blood cells that specialize in surrounding and digesting infectious bacteria and dead tissue. When macrophages are more active, more sebum flows from pores.

Yeast is also an ingredient in many cosmetics, because it makes the skin more elastic. Supple, elastic skin also allows more sebum to flow from pores. Although yeast are bacteria, they are not infectious on the face, and they may even increase the measurable results of antibiotic treatments for acne.

A preliminary clinical study reported rapid improvement in acne patients who took brewer’s yeast for acne. Yeast beta-D-glucan stimulates the activity of macrophages, the white blood cells that are responsible for eliminating bacterial infections.

Yeast is also thought to enhance the elasticity of the skin, and is used in many cosmetics. There are no reports of side effects from using yeast. Yeast may even increase the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments for acne.

Clinical researchers at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia found that a 5 percent solution of tea tree oil was as beneficial as a 5 percent benzoyl peroxide cream in eliminating pimples. Benzoyl peroxide got rid of pimples faster, but tea tree oil caused less irritation and redness. Tea tree oil checks 27 of 32 known strains of Propionibacterium acnes, the bacterium that most commonly clogs pores. It is safe to employ tea tree oil in a strength of up to 15 percent for the very worst cases of acne. Keep it away from children.

Calendula and marigold are the same plant, the term calendula used to name bath products and the term marigold referring to the herb used in healing. Calendula soaps kill Staphylococcus aureus, an infectious agent not affected by tea tree oil. The essential oil of calendula is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, not upsetting the stomach because it is put on the skin rather than taken by mouth. Be warned that approximately 1 in 500 people is allergic to this herb. The first time you use it, test it on a small patch of skin before using it all over your body. 

The information on this website is solely for informational and educational purposes only. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. If you feel that you have a health problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care provider.