Acne Vulgaris
Acne is a common disease which we all are faced in our adolescent life. It is a chronic skin disease characterized by small red painful or painless eruptions, blackheads, whiteheads and might be scarring. Acne appears due to the blockage of the hair follicles and their sebaceous glands. Blockage is caused by the excessive oil or dead skin cells. These eruptions can be inflammatory or non-inflammatory or both.
Who are more prone to get Acne?
Acne is more common in teenagers due to increased sebaceous activity. The common age for the occurrence of acne is 12-25 years but some older persons may also be affected. It develops earlier in females but more severe in males.
What Causes Acne?
Mainly increased serum production causes acne and it may be due to following reasons-
- Hormonal changes – At the time of puberty androgen hormones becomes more active and causes follicular glands to grow larger and produces more sebum, which causes acne.
- Hereditary factors – The tendency of specific individual for acne is may be due to the family history of acne.
- Dietary habits – A poor dietary habit which includes the diet rich in fat, oil, starch and low in nutrition values is a main reason of acne.
- Psychological reasons – psychogenic stress may cause acne flare.
- Medical conditions – Some type of diseases in which sex hormonal changes occurs like PCOD, Acromegaly may cause acne.
- Medications – Drugs that contain corticosteroids, androgens causes acne.
- Cosmetics – Excessive uses of greasy cosmetics also causes acne.
What is the Severity of Acne?
In moderate cases pores of the skin blocked due to dead skin cells. In some cases the blockage appears at the top of pores known as blackheads and whiteheads. And on the other hand in some cases blockage appears under the pores and gives small spots appearance known as pimples or papules.
In severe cases increased quantity of sebum gives a culture to bacteria to grow and multiply. Due to bacterial infection inflammation occurs and causes larger red sots which are filled with pus and causes large eruptions known as nodules and cyst.
Factors that worse the acne?
- Increased sweat and humid atmosphere may worse the acne.
- Squeezing or picking the eruptions also worse the acne.
- In females oral contraceptive pills may increase the intensity.
- Thick or greasy make up on a sensitive skin worse the condition.
- In females the severity of acne may relate with their menstrual periods.
- Eating too much oily and junk food also exaggerate the condition.
- Habit of drinking less water is not good for skin.
- Poor hygiene, low sedentary life, constipation and UV radiation all are factors which play a role to worse the acne.
How to Care the Acne Skin?
- Wash your skin thrice in a day with lukewarm water is ideal for the acne skin. Avoid too much washing.
- Always use mild soap or mild face wash to clean the skin.
- Avoid oily and junk food and drinks lots of water daily.
- Eat fibrous food to keep the digestion proper.
- Avoid humid atmosphere.
- Wear loose cotton clothes in summer which absorbs sweat.
- Avoid chocolates, to reduce the acne flare.
- Avoid use of greasy cosmetics on the acne skin
- Stress aggravates acne, so be happy and healthy.
Can Homoeopathy Cure the Acne Vulgaris?
Homoeopathy is the best treatment method for all type of skin diseases, because homoeopathy treats disease from the root level. It treats the patient with the Holistic approach. During the case taking homoeopathic physician takes all symptoms from head to foot. After that we evaluate the totality of symptoms and find out the cause of the disease, and then treat it by well selected medicine. Homoeopathic medicines have excellent role in acne problem. It also helps to stop recurrence of acne vulgaris.