Truth Behind Acne - The culprit and solution

You wake up in the morning, and there's that moment in time where you dread to look in the mirror. We've all been there right? - Only to see a new zit, pimple, white head etc appearing ever so subtly situated on your face.

Now the first thing your most likely going to do is either reach for best selling OTC(over the counter products) and try to "scrub" or "cleanse" your acne away. If your like me (not recommended! Don't do it!) and you get frustrated enough and pop your imploding pimple, which potentially leaves scars behind the after math (ouch).

You see, I've been struggling with acne for approximately 9 years now. I'm in my early 20s, acne began when I was about 12 years of age. I'm writing this article to advocate the truth behind acne, this is not a blog to endorse nor sell products, I can promise you that. As you read on I will indicate the truth and the underlying causes of acne and why acne suffers tend to miss the mark in terms of treating their acne long term.

So your watching T.V and are bombarded by acne infomercials, Companies claiming they have the best miracle working cream concoction in their arsenal. You see they're selling you what is only a temporary or momentary fix. Why? So that you can come back again, again and again. Thus generating these companies massive amounts of revenue.

They fail to indicate what are the true major causes of acne. Food and diet play a crucial role in the production of acne. You are what you eat! To break it down in simple terms, Foods with highly concentrated refined sugars or foods considered to have a high glycemic index, promote a spike in insulin levels within the body therefore indirectly causing sebaceous glands to produce more sebum than usual. This is what helps enforce dreaded acne.

Acne can also be hereditary meaning genetics play a huge factor to whether you will be served mild, moderate or severe acne. - Some people don't get acne or very rarely! (this too is hereditary) you're you're reading this article you have most likely been dealt a bad hand in terms of genetics which have caused you acne . Don't fret! Its not doom and gloom, join the club with the 80% of people world wide who suffer from the skin disease known as acne.

Acne varies from person to person. Males usually suffer from more sever or aggressive forms of acne, due to excess testosterone. Females are also susceptible to severe acne as well but the vast majority of females have moderate to mild acne in comparison to males. A good mind set or mentality I've learned in life in terms of self-esteem and being satisfied with the way you look is, do not covet somebody else's complexion. Rather be happy in your own skin! Your unique and that should be enough to make you content.

Good news,there is hope for acne suffers! Continue reading and you'll find some helpful tips on foods and personal experiences of what products worked for me and what did not for acne. Keep smiling, I can guarantee you after reading this article you will gain the knowledge base for empowerment in your fight against acne and will either beat it or diametrically reduce the severity of your acne to "manageable". That I can guarantee!

Rule of thumb, eat any colorful looking fruits and vegetables,the more the merrier. So this is the section where I go into "diet" and its importance for healthy skin and the body generally speaking. Remember when I mentioned earlier, refined sugars and high glycemic foods? Well guess what, your going to have to stay away from those categories of food! So, fast or processed foods are a big NO, NO. Refrain from eating such because from my personal experience these foods tend to aggravate my acne and make it worse than it already is. After eating a meal of "fast food" I can actually feel the acne forming/ protruding from underneath my skin, a sizzling/bubbling sensation.

Junk food would be considered foods in the category of high glycemic index. Meaning you will have to stay away from that too! I apologize and I"m truly sorry if your a chocolate lover, because your going to have to refrain from eating chocolate if you want a clear complexion! No pain, no gain right? But a good substitution would be eating bananas, strawberries, pine apple, mango, etc. Rule of thumb anything natural in regards to fruits tends to work wonders for your skin from the inside out.

Reinforcing a diet with ample amounts of fruits and vegetable is a good start to pave the road to a clear complexion. Now lets talk about the carnivorous out there, chicken, beef, fish etc should be eaten in moderation. Now as for me, I personally stay away from beef generally speaking due to the many ailments recent research has linked beef to. I believe eating meats is alright, but again in moderation and you want to eat "LEAN meat" NOT processed or fried! Remember that . Dairy is something you should also stay away from as it has proved to spike insulin levels thus causing sebaceous glands to produce excess oil, indirectly producing acne.

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Before ending this article, I'd like to say there is NO one miracle cream or even "drug" that cures all acne. Simply because everyone's acne is treated and diagnosed differently, what works for you may not work for "John". Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar or is trying to sell you some sort of product.

From my personal experience, NO OTC products worked for me. My acne just would not quit. Diet did help, but did not eliminate the persistent acne. It is going to have to be a trial and error process for everyone out there looking for the elixir of clear skin. I've tried everything, and have wasted 100s- thousands of dollars on skin care regiment products, but to no avail. But it happened one day, the day I was prescribed a certain drug which for the long term eliminated 80-90% of my acne and gave me a complexion I could live with. That drug is called "Accutane" ,now again I'm not endorsing products but I am telling you what has worked most effectively for me.

You see I've tried Proactive and countless other skin care products which did reduce my acne but still could not tame nor control it. Accutane on the other hand got the "job done", which dermatologist are only allowed to prescribe and it should be taken under their close supervision. You See Accutane is a drug by which in simple terms "matures" the sebaceous glands, which ultimately stops excess oil build up and production from those glands.

Accutane is pill and is considered retinoid and vitamin A derivative, also called "Isotretinoin". This probably is the best drug to combat acne to date. Simply because its not a "quick" fix but works for the long term result(works internally). Please note, there are many complications that can be a result from taken this drug if not researched or taken appropriately. Things like birth defects, I personally had dry/flaky skin which was worth the trouble of clear skin at the end. I just used a lot of lotion and moisturizers. For the sake of keeping this article concise I will not go into detail of the ramifications, that you can do easily do with a Google search.

Anyhow, so yes accutane was what gave me moderate "clear" skin. Do I still wrestle with acne? Yes. Is it manageable? Yes. Before accutane I use to get dime-quarter sized zits(cysts), but after finishing a 6 month course of Accutane my acne was greatly reduced. Thus, for those who have tried everything from OTC products, antibiotics(useless), etc...Please discuss the possible option of taking Accutane with your dermatologist. Also it is very expensive, thus I would highly recommend having insurance. I've hope you enjoyed this concise and insightful article and wish everyone the best on their battle against acne!