In this long, but still fairly informal hubpage I am going to talk about the ever-present questions and anxieties of acne sufferers;

• Is acne contagious?

• Teenage acne

• Acne at different ages

• Acne on different parts of the body

• If I try one product that doesn’t work, does that mean none will?

• Will one ‘cure’ solve acne forever?

• Precisely which acne treatment will work for me?

• Different acne treatments – how and when to use them

• Will I grow out of my acne?

• Will I ever get a girlfriend/boyfriend if I have acne?

• Will I be permanently scarred?

• Is acne caused by diet?

• Myths about acne

• Talking in depth about ‘Joanne’ – what she tried, what worked, what didn’t and what MAY have worked if she’d given it more time.

Is acne contagious?

This is a quick one to deal with – acne is not contagious although if you scratch or otherwise open your acne with your fingers it is possible to spread it.

Teenage acne

Amazingly three quarters of teenagers become infected with acne, usually in the majority of cases, mild or moderate acne vulgaris. This often leads to severe lack of self-confidence and esteem, making them feel embarrassed by their appearance, and often leaves them feeling that they are a social outcast. Regrettably a large number of adults, themselves unaffected by this problem, do not tend to appreciate the severity of the trauma caused to youngsters by acne.
It is probable, according to studies, that the acne will clear up by the time most sufferers get to twenty. However for those for whom the problem continues this is little relief.
It’s also very important for teenagers to understand why acne occurs, and to receive as much support as possible with their problem. Parents, and sufferers too, should research as much as possible in order to understand more about acne.
Teenagers should make a conscious decision to avoid becoming an outcast – generally they try to avoid going out, stop seeing their friends, avoid school and generally act as if they are invisible. Studies conducted by dermatologists have found that no matter how popular a teenager is, once they show signs of acne, they are treated differently.
It is also essential that a dermatologist be consulted. They can not only treat the outbreak of acne, but can also assure the sufferer that they are not alone.

Acne at different ages

Acne can affect people at all ages from babies to older adults, although it is more common amongst teenagers. As mentioned in the first video, different types of acne can strike at different age groups.
One of the most distressing forms of acne for parents is that which affects babies.
It generally first appears on the face and spreads to the neck and head, possibly spreading to the torso. This infantile acne, known as acne neonatorum, usually appears between the ages of three months and four to five years, and is far more prevalent in boys. There is very rarely any evidence of hormonal disorder but as with acne in teenagers there can be spots and cysts.
In most cases it will improve within a few years but there is a slight tendency for this type of acne to reappear during the teenage years.
One of the most effective treatments for this problem is applying a topical sulphur preparation to the affected area. One such example is ’Dalacin T’, although before embarking on any course of treatment I would recommend that you consult a dermatologist or Doctor.
Children should not be given TETRACYCLINE antibiotics, one of the most popular forms of treatment for teenagers and younger adults, as research has shown that these are now known to cause permanent brown or yellow discolouration of the teeth.

Acne on different parts of the body

Different types of acne affect different parts of the body, as discussed in the first video, as well as at different ages.

Acne Rosacea generally affects people over the age of 25 to 30 and as a rule acne rosacea sufferers do not have blackheads and the acne confines itself to the face and forehead.Acne rosacea is usually more common in women although when men have it, it is more severe.

Acne Conglobata is a form of acne vulgaris, although relatively uncommon. It is more prevalent in men and can cause severe damage to the skin resulting in scarring. It is found on the face, arms, chest, back, buttocks and upper thighs. Usually starting between sixteen and twenty-five, Acne Conglobata may remain a problem for several years.

Pyoderma Faciale is a facial acne, affecting females between the ages of eighteen and fifty.

If I try one product that doesn’t work, does that mean none will?

No it doesn’t, although I must stress that all treatments for acne should be given a reasonable period in which to show some effect. I know that it’s vitally important to acne sufferers that they can see an improvement in their condition, but it’s just not feasible to expect an overnight cure.
I have to say that some treatments may never work on some particular forms of acne, but if you consult your dermatologist he or she will be able to suggest the right treatment for your particular condition.
Remember that every face is different. Some are dry, whilst others are oily. What works for some may not work for you. You can treat your acne if you take the time to learn everything you need to know and apply what you learn. Once you are confident in what you need take action.
Certainly the hormonal or antibiotic treatments used on particular types of acne, as described in the second video are case specific and not only would not work on other forms of acne, they could be dangerous. Always consult a dermatologist or doctor.

Will one ‘cure’ solve acne forever?

Unfortunately the words cure and forever don’t tend to be very comfortable bed mates. Even the word ‘cure’ has been seized upon by businesses that are seeking to exploit acne sufferers’ desperation. Scientists and Medical Professionals clearly state that there is no such thing as a cure for acne. Some treatments work for individuals, others don’t. One acne fighting system I know to have worked is "Overnight Acne Cures" which is described at http://www.unusual-presents.com/recommends/This.html and I’ll be going into this in much more detail later.
It is extremely unlikely that any form of acne treatment will get rid of the problem forever, although the same treatment that has proved effective in containing or eradicating an outbreak in the past may well work again should a re-occurance happen in the future.

Precisely which acne treatment will work for me?

This is the question to which every acne sufferer wants to know the answer, and the one to which an answer is virtually impossible to give without extensive investigation into the particular type of acne the sufferer has.
A visit to a dermatologist is an absolute must, and after examining your skin type, your acne and many other factors they will recommend the most suitable treatment for your particular skin disorder. If required they will be able to prescribe treatments which are not available over the counter.
Try not to think of the dermatologist as a last resort, which is what most people do. At the first sign of an outbreak of acne make an appointment and try and nip it in the bud. It’s far easier to deal with an outbreak of acne while it’s in the early stages; just trying to deal with it by using over the counter products could result in lengthy delays and make your acne more difficult and time consuming to treat.

Different acne treatments – how and when to use them

It may sound obvious but, if an acne treatment is prescribed for a friend or relative NEVER use this treatment to try and treat your own problem.
The main aims of any acne treatment are (or should be):

• To reduce or eradicate the number of lesions present,
• To prevent or reduce the possibility of scarring, and to
• Reduce the psychological stress of having the condition.

Treatments for mild or moderate acne vulgaris include;

Gentle cleansing with a mild soap (such as Dove or Neutrogena).
Applying benzoyl peroxide (such as Benoxyl, Benzac, or Clearasil).
Applying salicylic acid (such as Clearasil, Propa pH, or Stri-Dex).

If these over the counter treatments don’t work, your dermatologist can give you a prescription for stronger lotions or creams. You may try an antibiotic lotion or one of the Old Wives Tales described on our website.

Treatments for Moderate to severe acne include;

Applying benzoyl peroxide.
Applying prescription antibiotic gels, creams, or lotions.
Applying prescription retinoids.
Applying azelaic acid.
Taking prescription oral antibiotics.
Taking prescription oral retinoids (such as Accutane).
Draining of large pimples and cysts by a health professional.

The application of taking of certain products will be detailed by your dermatologist.
The draining of large pimples and cysts by a health professional is clearly an extreme, although often necessary form of treatment and again, clearly will be undertaken to a schedule which is applied by the health care professional undertaking the treatment.

Treatment for acne scars

Treatment can improve and even remove acne scars.
These treatments for acne scars include:

Collagen injections that smooth the skin by plumping the skin under the scar

Dermabrasion, that uses a rotating wire brush to skim off scar tissue.

Laser resurfacing, that uses a carefully controlled laser to burn away scar tissue

Chemabrasion, that uses chemicals to peel away top layers of skin.

If after trying several treatments, your acne still hasn't improved, your doctor may recommend that you take an oral retinoid, such as isotretinoin (Accutane). This medication does tend to be a last resort, because it has some rare but serious side effects and is expensive.

• Certain low-dose birth control pills may help control acne in women who tend to have flare-ups before menstruation.


Rosacea

Regretably, there is no ‘easy’ method or cure for treating rosacea, but there are several treatment options available, including oral and topical medicines. Oral antibiotics may include products such as tetracycline; these are commonly prescribed and can help to significantly reduce inflammation.
For more resistant or persistent cases other oral antibiotics such as cotrimoxasole and metronidazole may also be prescribed.

Topical treatments can include metronidazole antibiotic cream or gel that can also help to reduce inflammation and redness. This can be used either for long term or intermittent use, on its own for mild cases or in combination with other treatments for more severe cases.

If antibiotics are ineffective, isotretinoin (accutane) can be used, but as mentioned just now, this treatment does have several severe side effects and it is not suited to everyone.

Acne Conglobata

Yet again we find the main treatment for acne, this time Acne Conglobata is Isotretinoin. This obviously carries the risks mentioned before. Antibiotics may also be prescribed. Several courses of treatment may be necessary over a period of years. Even after effective treatment, the patient should have regular checkups by a dermatologist for any signs of recurrence. A dermatologist can also treat the scars.


A person who develops acne fulminans may have had unsuccessful treatment for acne conglobata.
Treatment for acne Fulminans may include Corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Attacks of acne fulminans may recur, and the patient may develop acne that requires long-term treatment with isotretinoin.

Nodulocystic Acne

Treatment for Nodulocystic acne often requires an aggressive treatment regimen that may include isotretinoin and antibiotics, or intralesional corticosteroids, which "melt" the cyst over a period of 3 to 5 days. Some very large follicular cysts that do not respond to medications may require drainage and surgical excision.

Gram-negative folliculitis

Gram negative folliculitis bacteria are often resistant to many antibiotics thereby reducing the effectiveness of this type of treatment. This brings us back to Isotretinoin, although antibiotics that are effective against Gram negative bacteria are used to treat this condition.

As mentioned before, anyone with acne should consult their doctor or dermatologist ‘sooner rather than later’.

Will I grow out of my acne?

Depending on the type of acne you suffer from, the answer is probably, if you treat it too, although to be frank acne isn’t something that you have for a set length of time.
As mentioned earlier, certain types of acne don’t appear until later on in life, but mild to moderate acne vulgaris usually tends to start to disappear by the late teens to early twenties. I’m sure some of you are now howling at the screen that you’re older than this, still have a problem and that I’m WRONG. All I can say is that is what generally happens – although as I’ve said all through this hubpage – everybody is different – and that you should consult your dermatologist, and if you don’t have one GET ONE TODAY!!

Will I ever get a girlfriend/boyfriend if I have acne?

This I’m afraid depends on a lot more than acne – your whole personality etc. etc.
Acne should not influence your potential for being in a relationship, but your self esteem may be low because of your acne – you may not want to stick your neck out etc. etc.
This question can only be answered by yourself, although I know a guy called Kevin who had severe acne vulgaris, and he had a constant stream of girlfriends – they were certainly not put off by his acne- he’s now married, has fairly bad facial scarring, and still has the occasional outbreak of acne. He never let his acne get him down.

Will I be permanently scarred?

The answer to this depends on a number of things – mainly how you react to your acne – do you scratch it, try to pop it etc. The type of acne you have, the severity, and so on.
All through these videos I’ve been urging sufferers to avoid unnecessary rubbing, touching or squeezing of their acne to ensure they reduce the risk of scarring.
Sadly, there is no ONE treatment to reduce or remove scarring, but there are plenty of treatments to help if you are unfortunate to be scarred. These treatments are both surgical and non-surgical.

Non Surgical treatment

Topical creams and gels (Tretinoin)
This treatment is for fine acne scarring and works by encouraging production of collagen in the skin, thereby tightening the skin and reducing and/or removing fine scars.

The effects of Skin fillers are similar to those of topical creams and gels, although they are generally applied via an injection. They involve introducing material (that is - the patient’s fat, polymer implants or collagen) into the scar void to lift it back to the level of the surrounding skin.

Chemical Peels (or AHA’s) involve the application of acid onto the skin, which then penetrates into the skin, under the level of scarring, and is then peeled from the skin. This type of treatment is only suitable for mild or moderate acne scarring.

Cover Ups are available if the above treatments are unsuitable for your particular skin type. This is generally a much more affordable treatment.

Surgical Treatment

Microdermabrasion is a form of treatment which is very similar to sand blasting. It uses miniscule particles to blast the skin, gently removing the scarred layer of skin. This is a low risk procedure and has a faster recovery time than normal dermabrasion – a treatment first used in the 1950s. With this treatment the skin is anaesthetised, then frozen and a rotating tool removes the scarred and damaged skin tissue.

Punch Excision is more commonly used for deeper scarring, and a punch biopsy tool is used to remove scarred tissue and the affected area is then patched with a piece of skin tissue from elsewhere on the recipient’s body.

Laser resurfacing is used to remove the top layers of scarred skin which in time heals with new, smoother skin.

Is acne caused by diet?

This has long been the subject of heated debate, although it is now becoming generally accepted that although diet does not directly cause acne, the enzymes and chemicals released during the body’s processing of various foodstuffs may influence factors causing or triggering off pre existing acne.
Acne is caused by extra sebum production which is stimulated by the male hormone testosterone. Many foodstuffs, but especially meat may contain hormones and hormone-like substances which may affect the hormonal balance in the body.
There have been cases reported in the United States by beauticians that women who regularly eat meat may be more likely to suffer from acne, which is possibly caused by the steroids and hormone traces present in meat.
Western diets, which contain high-fat content and dairy products, may result in acne spreading, whereas in countries with a more traditional diet, based on vegetables and fruits there is little evidence of acne.
Acne can also be affected by food which is hard to digest. A sluggish digestive system gives rise to all sorts of skin disorders. It is necessary for people affected by acne to take care of their diet and consume as much plant-based, fiber-rich food as they can because it will not burden their digestive system.
As mentioned earlier, people should drink lots of water, have daily servings of fruits and vegetables, eat oil rich fish three times a week or more, eat plenty of whole grain, root vegetables, lentils and beans, and avoid alcohol and caffeine as much as possible.
A healthy diet helps the body in maintaining healthy skin. Although there is no direct relationship between between adult acne and diet, certain diet considerations can help the body's immune system and directly affect acne treatment. A healthy diet is rich in fiber which will improve the digestive systems performance.
Eating different kinds of fruit daily provides body with antioxidants which help rid the body of acne. Drinking at least 2 litres of water daily helps to rid the body of toxins.
Diets high in fat or diets lacking any fat at all are both bad for acne conditions, as both conditions alter sebum production processes greatly. Some fat in your diet is necessary for the vitamins' absorption, but high fat content increases oil levels in and on the skin (sebum), which increases bacterial growth.
Acne is also promoted by the lack of antioxidants and plant-derived nutrients. These are essential in keeping the skin healthy. High fat diets cause poor blood circulation, making skin susceptible to acne.
People suffering from acne should avoid sugar and sugary foods such as soft drinks, jams, many cereals, biscuits and cakes. They should refrain from eating food containing white flour such as bread, pasta, biscuits and pastries. Chemical additives in canned food can also be harmful for acne conditions.
Fried, fatty and processed food should be avoided to save the skin and digestive system from toxins getting produced during metabolism.
Acne patients should not smoke at all.

Myths about acne

It’s caused because you’re dirty!

This is so untrue, in fact, if you are too vigorous in your cleaning you could make acne worse by irritating your skin. Although acne is not caused by debris on the skins surface, any excess oil, dead skin and other materials should be removed by gentle washing, cleansing and cleaning – not hard scrubbing. Gently wash your skin , at least four or five time daily with a mild soap, gently pat it dry and use an appropriate treatment as recommended by your dermatologist.

It’s just cosmetic!

Acne certainly affects the way you look, and although it is not thought to be a serious danger to your general health, it can result in serious scarring, severe lack of self esteem and other long term problems, certainly for suffers of acne rosacea, as mentioned in earlier videos.

Your diet causes it!

Although as mentioned just now, there is not believed to be a direct link between diet and acne, some people do say that certain foods trigger of increases in acne activity – although this is simply a problem for the particular individual and can only be dealt with by that individual avoiding these types of food. If, say pizza sets off your acne – just avoid eating it. A healthy balanced diet is a must, even if it doesn’t directly affect your acne.

Get stressed – get acne!!

There is no proven link between acne and stress, indeed we all need a bit of stress in our lives, although excessive stress is proven to be detrimental to your health and can cause very serious health problems such as heart failure/attack. It is believed that some of the drugs used to combat stress can cause acne as a side effect, although at present there is no conclusive evidence. If you believe you have acne as a side effect of taking stress busting drugs consult your doctor immediately.


You just have to live with it!

Well, if you believe in just sitting there and taking all the junk life throws at you – fine, but the fact is that acne can be treated and you should get treatment – fast – really as soon as you see the first signs of acne breaking out.
With the amount and variety of products available these days, either over the counter or prescribed by your dermatologist there is no reason why you should ‘just live with it’.



A Case Study – ‘Joanna’

In case you hadn’t guessed ‘Joanna’ is not the acne sufferers real name, but that is the only thing that is untrue about this case study.

Joanna had mild to moderate acne from her mid twenties, and it progressed rapidly until she was diagnosed with Pyoderma Faciale.

She had attended her dermatologist regularly and had, in addition to many over the counter products, been prescribed Roactin and Pregnisolone (a steroid) but her acne just got worse and worse.

In total desperation and as a last resort she consulted a homeopathic specialist. By this time her face was terribly inflamed, infected, swollen, broken and literally dripping with pus. Joanna had long before given up hope of any improvement, never mind ‘a cure’, and was doubting that her planned wedding would ever take place.
Her face was inflamed from the nose to below the jawline, and if that wasn’t enough her throat glands were enlarged and if any of her spots dried – her skin took ages to heal.

She was prescribed by her homeopath Zinc, Silica, Calcium Sulphate, Selenium ACE and a traditional herbal tincture to aid the liver. One month later there had been noticeable improvements made and as time went by the remedies prescribed altered as her symptoms changed, but the basic pattern remained the same – treating the problem from both the inside and the outside.

Eighteen months later (what did I tell you – don’t give up after a couple of days) Joanna’s spots were gone and her skin had healed completely. Her planned wedding went ahead and in the wedding photos her skin is shown to be perfect. The photos were the one thing she was dreading right from the first time she consulted her homeopath.
She still attends the homeopath for regular top ups and to ensure she is permanently on top of her acne problem.

By the way, selenium is a powerful, natural antioxidant which can be found in any reputable health product shop. A great number of benefits are attributed to it including helping to fight cancer, coronary heart disease and the body’s natural aging process.

Thank you for reading this far without being too bored, taking on board some, or all of the suggestions and hopefully finding a means of improving or eradicating your acne problem. You can find a whole load of free information at our blog

If you take nothing else from the videos please at least take heart from the true story of Joanna and also DO DO DO consult a dermatologist about your acne – especially as early as possible.

Get Your FREE copy of our latest book - Understanding Acne which covers the causes and types of acne, together with the treatment options available.

Once again – thank you and best wishes…………..GOODBYE

The photographs used in this hubpage are from http://www.beatpsoriasis.com