Article best acne treatment

For some people
acne represents nothing more than the key to the door into adulthood - almost a rite of passage as the body changes. As the most common disease in the world
it is often taken for granted that spots
blackheads and greasy skin will stake their temporary claim on the faces of almost everyone in the world.

However
for approximately 15% of people
these spots will persist
or be widespread and scarring. With surprisingly poor
inadequate information available to teenagers about acne management
many do not even realise the pharmacy assistant and pharmacist are able to provide help.

How much do you really know about acne and its causes? Do you know that there is no proven link with diet and acne? Did you realise that not everyone grows out of having acne
with 5% of women and 1% of men in their 40's still suffering from a 'teenage' problem?

What are the Common Acne Myths?

The starting point of correct acne management should start from clearing up the myths:

1
Acne is caused by food. Scientific studies have not found a link between diet and acne. Prisoners in the United States were enrolled on a trial to determine whether chocolate had a direct effect upon the sebaceous glands. At the end of the trial
it was concluded that acne was not affected by chocolate consumption. However
it is always sensible to advise a healthy
balanced diet
whilst reassuring that food will not affect acne.

2
Acne is contagious. Doctors have studied the effect of extracting pus from one spot and injecting it directly into unaffected skin. This experiment concluded that it did not spread spots.

3
Acne is caused by dirt. Spots are caused by activity beneath the skin and therefore surface dirt will play only a small role in the formation of acne. People think that the black in a blackhead is caused by dirt
but it is the skin's natural melanin
which turns black once it comes into contact with the air. Some people will even claim that over-washing can cause acne
but this may be hard to prove.

4
Acne is caused by too many hormones. Hormones have a large role to play in the formation of acne
but it is easy to misunderstand this as the body producing too many hormones. In one acne clinic held at a top Leeds centre for acne research
all patients attending that day's clinic were asked to provide a blood sample
which was later analysed for hormone levels. There was no significant increase in male hormones in these patients
which suggested that it is therefore sensitivity to male hormones present in normal levels in the skin that is to blame.

5
Everyone grows out of acne. Acne usually has a four to eight year timeline from start to finish. If you get it when you are 12 you should se the end of it between 16 and 20. The average age range for acne is 14 to 22. However Acne can persist into adulthood and 8% of acne sufferers are over 40 It is rare to have acne for a lifetime
but some people will not grow out of their acne. Research from Leeds University suggests that acne lasts on average for eight years.

6
Acne and spots are not same. Many people will try to distinguish between acne and spots. In fact
acne is just the medical name doctors give for spots. However
someone with the occasional
mild spot would not be described as having clinical acne. Approximately 15% of all people who have 'spots' will require further help from a doctor to treat their skin.

7
Stress causes acne. The ordinary stress in day to day living is not an important factor in acne. Only situations of extreme stress
such as divorce
exams or death of a close family member may induce acne or make existing acne worse; however this is not common and will usually respond well to usual acne treatments.

CONTINUED IN PART 2
COMING SOON!