Acne (Pimples) - The Bane of youth!

The word 'acne' is Greek in origin, which means'the highest point'. Unfortunately the condition causes more of ‘low points’ in people who suffer from it.

The Great Indian Jugaad does not work.

Almost – anyone & everyone – will go through this condition at some point in their life. And being a wide spread condition there are enough myths associated with it.

In my career I have come across crazy beliefs ranging from ‘irregular bowel movements’ to intake of ‘heat causing foods like mango fruit’ to consumption of ‘dairy products’ being blamed for acne. And of course every ‘ma’ and ‘dadi-ma’ have a ‘ghar-ka-nuska’(home remedy) for it, from applying ‘multani-mitti’ (mud / clay) to applying garlic.

Unfortunately not a lot of these ‘reasons’ and ‘solutions’are based on science and facts and in each of these case I have seen the patient’s condition being aggravated by these crazy ideas. 

So what’s the truth?

Acne is dominantly hormonal in nature and is caused by change in hormones which cause an increase in production of sebum (oil).This sebum along with dead skin cells blocks hair follicles. This environment is great for naturally occurring bacteria in skin to multiply, causing inflammation and acne.

Acne is primarily seen in adolescents; but can occur between 12 to 45 years of age. It is sometimes even seen in neonates (babies) due to circulating maternal hormones. It can get aggravated by certain conditions like

a.      Stress

b.     Hot and humid environment

c.      Hormonal Imbalance Conditions

d.     Application of oil or oil based products

e.     Certain oral medications

Acne is commonly seen on face, chest, back and upper arms.

ShortTerm and Long Term Effects:

In addition to an immediate and obvious deterioration in cosmetic appearance, cystic and hard acne leaves behind scars and marks. Even picking or squeezing of acne causes more marks and scarring. I have seen that this deterioration in cosmetic appearance often leads to a lower self esteem and lack of confidence in young patients.

So what do I do?

Here are some helpful dos and donts:

DOs

Wash your face twice a day

Remove make up before sleeping

DON'Ts

Don’t scrub or rub the face

Don’t squeeze the acne

Don’t apply oil on face or scalp

Don’t use home remedies or over the counter medicines.

Don't Stress