Acne Cures - The Truth Revealed

Acne is a very cruel condition, because for the most part it affects us at a time in our lives, when we are keen to impress our peers and would-be girlfriends/boyfriends. At the stage in life, when you absolutely want to look your best, you are suddenly and inexplicably afflicted by this extremely unpleasant, sore and uncomfortable condition, which shows itself on your most visible feature, i.e. your face. Worse still, Acne can also affect your neck, shoulders and back so that you will be doubly embarrassed to be seen swimming or in the sports changing rooms. It can make adolescence and early adulthood absolute hell.

Most commonly, when faced with Acne, most people either head to the nearest drugstore or to their doctor and generally they end up paying a lot of money for antibiotics, creams and lotions, which may be moderately effective at treating the condition.

For the lucky few with only a mild case of Acne, that will be all that they require and the condition will be kept at bay by these methods, but for the more severe cases, there will be referrals to dermatologists and a spiralling cost of treatments like dermabrasion or laser treatment. Sadly, in many cases the regime will still not be successful and the patient is left feeling increasingly stressed, miserable and low in self-esteem.

The problem with the vast majority of the drugs, and over the counter products is that they are treating the condition, but they are not attacking the root cause of the Acne, so there is the likelihood that once the treatment stops, the Acne will return and in some cases, worse than before.

There are certain lifestyle choices, which will help, such as:

* Eating lots of fruit and vegetables, which are full of natural vitamins, particularly Vitamin A, which reduces the production of oil in the skin.

* Drinking at least 2 Litres or 4 Pints of water per day, which helps to flush the Acne causing toxins from the body.

* Using Glycerin-based soaps to wash your face, which cleanse the face of oil without leaving the face over dry.

Acne Research - What it Involves

Acne research is an ongoing process throughout the world. It is part of dermatology studies. One major issue that is extensively being researched on is the treatment of the disease. Some of the treatments being researched on include antibiotics, laser surgery, viral therapy, hormone suppression and benzoyl peroxide among others.

A new research that was published in U.S.A. In May 2004 showed that a specific bacterium is associated with severe acne. The research determined that propionibacterium was becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. The research suggested that antibiotic treatment may become less effective in future. British researchers have also discovered that a laser that is used to treat skin problems such as wrinkles and scars is effective in treating acne. These findings were published in The Lancet.

An acne research at the University of Leeds revealed that bacteriophage; a virus that is naturally found on the skin can attack and destroy the bacterium that aids in the formation of acne. This has only been tested in the laboratory and is yet to undergo clinical trials on human volunteers. Research is also ongoing on the drug isotretinoin that is effective in treating severe nodular and cystic acne. This drug has been linked to severe depression, psychological dysfunction and suicide. The study on this drug focuses on the chemical triggers that the drug affects. Studies also focus on the ways to make the drug safer for patients.

Through acne research, dermatologists have come to the agreement that the three-step solution is effective in treating the disease. The first step involves the use of Benzoyl Peroxide as an exfoliating agent that removes dead and dirty skin. The second step is when a toner is used to fight the bacteria. The third step involves repair and prevention where the Benzoyl peroxide cream is allowed to stay overall day. This prevents the recurrence of the infection.