ACNE: Till Death Do Us Part

Acne - blackheads, whiteheads, nodules and pimples - an enemy that invades the beauty of our skin. It invades our faces, backs, necks, upper arms, chests, etc. Some so bad that you would feel like hiding from the world till they clear. For most this demon pops up during adolescence and for the late bloomers, they pop up later in life. You can hardly get rid of them! Not even when you are older and "wiser".

I count myself lucky as throughout my life, I have not really encountered really bad outbreaks except for the times when my hormones go haywire for some reason. As women, we tend to face such an issue pretty often which is never an appealing sight.

In this world that constantly focuses on - beauty is everything - by the media, we are often shoved in our faces immensely on how important it should be. It makes it difficult not to be bothered by "ugliness" like an acne problem. For some, it's just a minor problem but for the less fortunate, it could be pretty severe that affects one's image and their psychological state - for instance, their self-esteem. Acne could be deemed a curse for most.

With the current state of air pollution, additives in edible and drinkable products as well as the chemical compounds in cosmetic products make it harder for our internal system to flush all the toxins out of our system. And the hormonal and chemical changes in our bodies may very well trigger acne.

How do people deal with and treat acne, vary from one individual to another. Some seek professional advice from dermatologists; others would try holistic medicine, etc. Which is the best method?

I interviewed some of my friends about this issue. They were asked on their perception of acne, their experiences dealing with, treating the problem and what worked best. They were also asked to give their advice to teenagers on maintaining better skin. Here is what they have to say.

        "I find it stressful. I have had really bad outbreaks in the past. I saw a dermatologist and took some 
        antibiotics; they helped in clearing my acne. I would advise seeking help from a dermatologist or 
        holistic treatments,"  Monta said.

        "I think it is a natural thing. I suppose it happens to everyone at some point. I don't get it too bad these 
        these days. I had used face wash and acne treatments when I was a teen. Now, I just use face 
        wash. I think Neutrogena is good. I would recommend not stressing out about it as that would make it
        worse," said Ash.

        "It can be really disfiguring but I was lucky and had very few problems. My skin is pretty OK. I would 
        suggest avoiding junk food and sweets - work best for me but that's hell for teenagers. I would advise 
        seeing a doctor or natural healer or whatever that works for you. It is a big psychological problem and
        can also have terrible scars," Michael said.

        "I had the odd pimple here and there, lots on my back. As a teenager, I used Clearasil. Once I took 
        some kind of pill that cleared it up. Acne is not an issue for me now. I would recommend eating 
        properly - no oily fatty junk food. That will reduce the outbreak a lot," said Scott.

       "I had nasty random outbreaks as a teenager and I do still get the odd pimple now. I hate acne. I used 
       a variety of different things when I was a teenager, including some pretty strong prescription drugs, but
       as an adult I generally just keep my face clean and moisturized. I like LUSH products! I don't 
       remember all that I used - I remember using Clearasil and tetracycline. I also used a dark green soap
       in Thailand that I don't remember the name. Tetracycline works quite well, but only for serious acne. 
       The other thing that worked was when I went on the pill, but it stopped being effective once my body 
       got used to the hormones. My skin was best ever when I was pregnant, believe it or not! For a lot of
       pregnant women, it's the reverse. I would advise to keep their faces clean and moisturized. They 
       should also watch their intake on oily stuff like chips," Jody said.

       "It was a problematic event growing up and quite painful. My face looked like a "pepperoni pizza". I 
       used to wash my face 6 times a day.  I had used Noxzema skin cream and I had my face resurfaced 
       when I was 18. I would advise not picking or squeezing them. Just wash and see a dermatologist," 
       Paul said.

       "I think acne is bad. I had bad outbreaks. My mom prescribed some treatment - homemade or 
       recommendations by mom's relatives. I don't know what works best. I would advise keeping your face 
       clean," said Kent.

As for myself, I feel acne could be stressful at times especially in times where I need to look "presentable" and "pretty". I haven't really had severely bad outbreaks just a few big pimples every now and then due to hormonal fluctuations or possibly lack of sleep, diet and not keeping my face clean enough. I sometimes use tea tree oil by The Body Shop or this antiseptic healing cream called Sudo cream. Although they are not often overnight miracles, the latter seem to work best for me. I would advise to learn about your body and how it works, then deal with the issue accordingly - finding what triggers the acne. Eating healthily would be a plus, too.

I believe everybody's "internal system" works differently and the triggers are essentially different for everyone as well. There are plenty of resources on the internet that you could obtain, but which describe your condition or which treatment would work best for you? Again, I believe first of all, knowing how your body works by self-diagnosis or seeking advice from professionals on your acne triggers could be the key to maintaining a much healthier and acne free skin.

At the end, it boils down to - To what lengths are you willing to go?

Published on: May 19, 2008 @ 22:57