Adult Acne

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Adult Acne

 

 

Of all the conditions most likely to generate low self-esteem and

prolonged depression, adult acne is the worst. Sufferers cannot hide

the eruptions which occur mostly in full view on the face, and

strangers meeting them for the first time cannot help but flinch at

the painful sight of those red and angry welts that most people

thought they had seen the last of by the end of their teens.

 

Sadly, adult acne is not only a fact of life - it is on the

increase. There are now 12 different types of acne affecting some 3%

of the population and contrary to popular belief, it is not caused

by junk diets or poor hygiene but by a hormonal imbalance, the

skin's reaction to this upset, and a bacterium called

Propionibacterium acne (P. acne) which has become increasingly

resistant to the antibiotics that are the conventional treatment

route.

 

If are you given antibiotics and you take them for a prolonged

period of time, there is a risk that you will, inadvertently,

exacerbate the very condition you are taking them to treat because

antibiotics can damage the lining of the gut. In one study, tests

showed 50% of those with a severe acne problem also had higher

levels of toxins in their bloodstream.

 

What this suggests is what the holistic skin specialists have been

arguing for some time - that treating acne has to start from the

inside. To replenish the microflora wiped out by the prolonged use

of antibiotics, for example, take a probiotic supplement and eat

bananas, which act as natural probiotics.

 

Teenage boys suffer spots and acne because of a surge in the male

hormone, testosterone. In adults of both sexes, the same condition

has been linked to the abnormally high levels of an enzyme called 5-

alpha-reductase. Enzymes are the catalysts that trigger the body's

chemical reactions. What this one does, unhelpfully, is convert

testosterone to a more potent form called dihydrotestosterone, and

it is this substance that is now believed to play the key role in

causing the condition.

 

As well as a hormonal imbalance, researchers have identified an

inability among sufferers to digest saturated fats. This means that

eliminating dairy products and all animal fats, especially red

meats, should help manage the symptoms. Both tofu and soy are

phytoestrogens - substances that can help naturally rebalance the

hormones in both sexes, so eating these foods at least three times a

week will also help. Sufferers need to avoid yeast and white sugar.

 

A calcium-rich diet has been found to help reduce the severity of an

acne infection and while the obvious source is milk, if the lining

of the gut is damaged, sufferers are likely to be intolerant to and

unable to digest lactose (the sugar in milk), making green leafy

vegetables, broccoli, tofu, and shellfish better natural sources.

 

Vitamin A is important for maintaining all the surfaces of the body,

inside and out - good dietary sources include all yellow fruits and

vegetables, unpolluted fish oils, and, of course, carrots. Zinc,

which helps boost the immune system and enhances the absorption of

vitamin A, is lost in food processing or simply missing from non-

organic food that has been harvested from nutrient-poor and heavily

treated soil. Excessive sweating also depletes the body's zinc

resources causing the loss of up to 3mg a day. Foods that are rich

in this mineral include shellfish, pecan nuts, turkey and wheatgerm -

so include plenty of these in your diet.

 

Drinking pure water (not from the tap), is crucial. Aim for 2 litres

a day to flush out toxins, and increase your intake of dietary fibre

to further help colon health by sprinkling a tablespoon of psyllium

seeds on your cereal or salad each day.

 

The skin specialist, Helen Sher, who has helped thousands of acne

and rosacea sufferers, believes water on the outside of the skin is

important too. She has devised an entire skincare programme, which

includes splashing body-temperature water onto the face to rehydrate

the affected areas twice a day. The Sher System includes make-up for

sufferers, but there are no harsh exfoliators.

 

If you want to get to the root cause of your condition, try and get

an appointment at The Alternative Centre in London, where the

practitioners are more like detectives. They use Mora-Therapy, which

is similar to vega-testing but more in depth, to determine vitamin

and mineral imbalances, find which foods may be triggering the

problem, and which remedies you need. The homeopathic medicine you

leave with is tailor-made while you wait, and the Centre - which may

also recommend light therapy and Dead Sea Salt treatments for acne -

has had fantastic results with all skin problems.

 

Sandra Gibbons, the founder and managing director of the Centre who

suffered from psoriasis herself, is a former member of the

Government's all party parliamentary committee on skin. She

says: " You don't expect to be suffering from acne after your teens

and because it makes the skin oily and greasy, and can leave scars

and pock marks, people who don't suffer think those who do must be

dirty. Of all the conditions we treat, this is the one that causes

the most distress. "

 

*Higher Nature's Omega 3 Fish Oil is unpolluted and sourced from

Norwegian salmon. It costs £4.70 for 90 x 500mg capsules. Call 01435-

882880 for mail order. Take 15mg of zinc daily.

*Solgar's best-selling probiotic is Acidophilus Plus, which costs

£4.30 for 60 tablets. For stockists call 01442-890355 and take one a

day, half an hour before eating.

*Psyllium seeds are available from all good health shops.

*Contact The Alternative Centre on 020-7381 2298. Sandra Gibbons

charges £70 for a two-hour consultation.

*Contact the Sher Skincare System on 020-7499 4022. A one-to-one

consultation with Helen Sher costs £75. For the younger age group

Helen's associate, Anita, offers a consultation for £50.00. For

mail order consultations, or those on a budget, there is a £20.00

postal analysis that includes a teaching video.

*Treat acne scars with Rosa Mosqueta - an oil from the rosehip,

which was originally devised to banish wrinkles. Available from the

Rio Trading Company, (01273-570987) a 20ml bottle costs £9.99.

 

*For further reading, the nutritionist, Kathryn Marsden, suffered

from acne until the age of 30 and is the author of the excellent

Super Skin (Thorsons, £5.99).

 

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