How to Find the Right Acne Remedy For You
Acne is a difficult disease to treat successfully.
It's impossible to know what acne remedy is best because we still don't have a good understanding of the basic cause of acne.
You would think our knowledge of acne has improved a great deal since the 1920s, but that's how long we have been using our most common treatment, benzoyl peroxide cream and gel.
In reality, most acne remedies, whether they are over the counter or by prescription, are not very good unless you have mild acne.
What about a treatment based on a holistic acne remedy? Generations of doctors and pharmaceutical companies have attempted to discredit the obvious link between what you eat and acne.
The most recent studies have shown that the old way of thinking is no longer defensible.
(Source: Berra B, Rizzo AM.
Glycemic index, glycemic load, wellness and beauty: the state of the art.
Clinics in Dermatology.
2009:27:230-235) The interest in low-glycemic eating that started with the great success of the Atkins diet for weight loss, has uncovered the link between acne and food that was common knowledge within the world of holistic medicine but ignored (like the Atkins diet) by doctors everywhere.
Before the Atkins diet was proven, Atkins was ridiculed.
Is change coming for acne medicine? The great discovery is that what we eat (especially high-glycemic foods) have been shown to interfere with how our bodies react to androgen hormones, and it is androgen hormones that determine whether or not we have pimples.
A good diet may, in fact, be the secret acne remedy that we have been looking for.
Is there a conventional acne remedy that will work for you? Antibiotics, Topical and Oral.
Overuse of antibiotics to treat a range of conditions has led to the huge problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Dermatologists no longer routinely prescribe antibiotics because of this.
In fact, the P.
Acnes bacteria that infects pimples is now often found to be immune to antibiotics such as erythromycin.
To live healthily, we need "good" bacteria in our bodies but antibiotics eradicate all bacteria indiscriminately.
Antibiotics are not a great acne solution because they can't affect androgen hormones which are the real cause of acne.
Don't waste your time with antibiotics because in my experience, they aren't very useful and are a pain to use.
Benzoyl Peroxide Creams and Gels This acne remedy is actually quite good if you have only mild acne but is not effective if you have a serious acne problem.
If you have mild acne, you should try a 2.
5% benzoyl peroxide gel or cream which you can buy without a prescription from your local drug store.
You do not need, and should not use more powerful concentrations (including prescription strength) because studies prove that they are no more effective than 2.
5%, but they are more lucrative for dermatologists and drug companies while being harder on your skin.
You can increase the effectiveness by wiping your skin first with a salicylic acid pad.
You should apply the product thinly over the acne prone areas, not only on your existing pimples, and you must continue to use it or else your pimples will return.
Still, I think, benzoyl peroxide is a useful acne remedy if you suffer from a mild acne problem.
Hormonal Acne Treatments If you are a woman, you might find relief with an estrogen-containing birth control pill like Yasmin, or alternatively, a hormonal medication like spironolactone.
Much like the holistic programs, these methods will directly affect the androgen hormone imbalance that causes acne.
Talk to your dermatologist to find out if a hormone treatment is appropriate for you.
Accutane: Serious Medicine This is one of the best-known powerful acne medications.
The serious side effects associated with Accutane make it a treatment of last resort, even though it is sometimes effective.
Potential side effects include thinning hair, bleeding gums, liver damage, pain, depression and birth defects.
The fact that Accutane does not work overnight is another thing to remember.
You will want to hibernate for the six months to a year it takes to work because your face will be much worse during that time.
Your face and lips will be extremely dry and sensitive.
This product was recently taken off of the American market because of the serious side effects.
Do I endorse Accutane? It is problematic to recommend a pill that has such potentially dangerous side effects.
I think that someone who is considering Accutane should first try a holistic dietary acne remedy if they want to clear acne.
There is really nothing to lose.
Holistic, Natural Acne Remedies With the latest research suggesting a strong link between the food we eat and acne, the time to try a holistic acne program based on diet has arrived.
These programs have cured many people of their acne problems without drugs or doctor's bills.
These programs are very inexpensive and worth a try especially if you are thinking of going on Accutane.
A natural acne program will work more quickly than Accutane, and because they are guaranteed to work (or your money back), it is a good idea to at least test them out before committing to a powerful drug.
The one side effect of an acne diet is great health.
With the latest evidence starting to support the effectiveness of treating pimples through what we eat, acne sufferers who start a holistic pimple program may find that they have a lot in common with the early devotees of the Atkin's diet who, in spite of the ridicule from the so-called "experts," lost an awful lot of weight! Proof is in the results.
One day, they might be saying "I told you so.
"
It's impossible to know what acne remedy is best because we still don't have a good understanding of the basic cause of acne.
You would think our knowledge of acne has improved a great deal since the 1920s, but that's how long we have been using our most common treatment, benzoyl peroxide cream and gel.
In reality, most acne remedies, whether they are over the counter or by prescription, are not very good unless you have mild acne.
What about a treatment based on a holistic acne remedy? Generations of doctors and pharmaceutical companies have attempted to discredit the obvious link between what you eat and acne.
The most recent studies have shown that the old way of thinking is no longer defensible.
(Source: Berra B, Rizzo AM.
Glycemic index, glycemic load, wellness and beauty: the state of the art.
Clinics in Dermatology.
2009:27:230-235) The interest in low-glycemic eating that started with the great success of the Atkins diet for weight loss, has uncovered the link between acne and food that was common knowledge within the world of holistic medicine but ignored (like the Atkins diet) by doctors everywhere.
Before the Atkins diet was proven, Atkins was ridiculed.
Is change coming for acne medicine? The great discovery is that what we eat (especially high-glycemic foods) have been shown to interfere with how our bodies react to androgen hormones, and it is androgen hormones that determine whether or not we have pimples.
A good diet may, in fact, be the secret acne remedy that we have been looking for.
Is there a conventional acne remedy that will work for you? Antibiotics, Topical and Oral.
Overuse of antibiotics to treat a range of conditions has led to the huge problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Dermatologists no longer routinely prescribe antibiotics because of this.
In fact, the P.
Acnes bacteria that infects pimples is now often found to be immune to antibiotics such as erythromycin.
To live healthily, we need "good" bacteria in our bodies but antibiotics eradicate all bacteria indiscriminately.
Antibiotics are not a great acne solution because they can't affect androgen hormones which are the real cause of acne.
Don't waste your time with antibiotics because in my experience, they aren't very useful and are a pain to use.
Benzoyl Peroxide Creams and Gels This acne remedy is actually quite good if you have only mild acne but is not effective if you have a serious acne problem.
If you have mild acne, you should try a 2.
5% benzoyl peroxide gel or cream which you can buy without a prescription from your local drug store.
You do not need, and should not use more powerful concentrations (including prescription strength) because studies prove that they are no more effective than 2.
5%, but they are more lucrative for dermatologists and drug companies while being harder on your skin.
You can increase the effectiveness by wiping your skin first with a salicylic acid pad.
You should apply the product thinly over the acne prone areas, not only on your existing pimples, and you must continue to use it or else your pimples will return.
Still, I think, benzoyl peroxide is a useful acne remedy if you suffer from a mild acne problem.
Hormonal Acne Treatments If you are a woman, you might find relief with an estrogen-containing birth control pill like Yasmin, or alternatively, a hormonal medication like spironolactone.
Much like the holistic programs, these methods will directly affect the androgen hormone imbalance that causes acne.
Talk to your dermatologist to find out if a hormone treatment is appropriate for you.
Accutane: Serious Medicine This is one of the best-known powerful acne medications.
The serious side effects associated with Accutane make it a treatment of last resort, even though it is sometimes effective.
Potential side effects include thinning hair, bleeding gums, liver damage, pain, depression and birth defects.
The fact that Accutane does not work overnight is another thing to remember.
You will want to hibernate for the six months to a year it takes to work because your face will be much worse during that time.
Your face and lips will be extremely dry and sensitive.
This product was recently taken off of the American market because of the serious side effects.
Do I endorse Accutane? It is problematic to recommend a pill that has such potentially dangerous side effects.
I think that someone who is considering Accutane should first try a holistic dietary acne remedy if they want to clear acne.
There is really nothing to lose.
Holistic, Natural Acne Remedies With the latest research suggesting a strong link between the food we eat and acne, the time to try a holistic acne program based on diet has arrived.
These programs have cured many people of their acne problems without drugs or doctor's bills.
These programs are very inexpensive and worth a try especially if you are thinking of going on Accutane.
A natural acne program will work more quickly than Accutane, and because they are guaranteed to work (or your money back), it is a good idea to at least test them out before committing to a powerful drug.
The one side effect of an acne diet is great health.
With the latest evidence starting to support the effectiveness of treating pimples through what we eat, acne sufferers who start a holistic pimple program may find that they have a lot in common with the early devotees of the Atkin's diet who, in spite of the ridicule from the so-called "experts," lost an awful lot of weight! Proof is in the results.
One day, they might be saying "I told you so.
"
Source...