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So what can be done about acne and blemishes? Blemishes
may be a upsetting for a young lass on the morning of her prom when she
wakes up with a zit on her otherwise perfect face. But these can be
treated topically with ease and covered up before she slips on her
stunning gown. Most of the products sold over the counter in drug stores
work better in clearing up blemishes than with more severe forms of
acne. (Americans spend well of $100 million on over-the-counter acne
treatments each year.) It's really the heavy-duty acne that causes the
heartbreak.
Acne includes pimples, blocked
pores (blackheads and whiteheads) and cysts and nodules that are deeper
in the skin. While it occurs mostly in teenagers, adults can be plagued
by it too, even into their 40s. Interestingly, young men tend to have
more severe cases of acne than do young women, but it's the women who
seek help from the dermatologist to clear things up. Often for females
the acne is hormonally related. Sometimes just taking birth control
pills can help clear it up. Of course, the long term effects of taking
birth control pills are really unknown, so it's a good idea to check
think carefully about the possible side effects before you use birth
control to clear up acne and blemishes.
Some people think that acne and blemishes are caused by poor hygiene, but this is not the case.
And often, washing more frequently just exacerbates the problem, causing
your oil producing glands to work harder, producing even more oil than
your skin can handle. Also, if you wash too vigorously, thinking this
will help, it will do the opposite. It will irritate your skin,
compounding the problem.
Some people say that acne is caused by
diet. Mainstream medicine says this is hogwash for the most part. But
M.D.s, dermatologists included, have minimal training in nutrition for
maintaining health. They're trained in treating disease. People who have
studied alternative healing modalities say that diet can be a big factor
in whether you get blemishes and acne, and it can be a big factor in
clearing up the skin. The link between diet and skin problems is
something that will be further explored as time goes on, and more
information is likely to be available on just how much out diet plays a
role in our skin's health.
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