Natural Acne Solution

Doctors describe acne as a disease of the pilosebaceous units (PSUs). Found over most of the body, PSUs consist of a sebaceous gland connected to a canal, called a follicle, that contains a fine hair (see "Normal Pilosebaceous Unit" diagram, below). These units are most numerous on the face, upper back, and chest. The sebaceous glands make an oily substance called sebum that normally empties onto the skin surface through the opening of the follicle, commonly called a pore. Cells called keratinocytes line the follicle.
The hair, sebum, and keratinocytes that fill the narrow follicle may produce a plug, which is an early sign of acne. The plug prevents sebum from reaching the surface of the skin through a pore. The mixture of oil and cells allows bacteria Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) that normally live on the skin to grow in the plugged follicles. These bacteria produce chemicals and enzymes and attract white blood cells that cause inflammation. (Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of tissues to disease or injury and is marked by four signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain.) When the wall of the plugged follicle breaks down, it spills everything into the nearby skin--sebum, shed skin cells, and bacteria--leading to lesions or pimples.

People with acne frequently have a variety of lesions, some of which are shown in the diagrams below. The basic acne lesion, called the comedo (KOM-e-do), is simply an enlarged and plugged hair follicle. If the plugged follicle, or comedo, stays beneath the skin, it is called a closed comedo and produces a white bump called a whitehead. A comedo that reaches the surface of the skin and opens up is called a blackhead because it looks black on the skin's surface. This black discoloration is not due to dirt. Both whiteheads and blackheads may stay in the skin for a long time.


Types of Acne Lesions

Illustration of lesion, Microcomedo

Illustration of lesion, Open Comedo (Blackhead)

Illustration of lesion, Closed Comedo (Whitehead)

All acne is a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, which is made up of a hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and a hair. These units are found everywhere on the body except on the palms, soles, top of the feet, and the lower lip. The number of pilosebaceous units is greatest on the face, upper neck, and chest. Sebaceous glands produce a substance called sebum, which is responsible for keeping the skin and hair moisturized. During adolescence sebaceous glands enlarge and produce more sebum under the influence of hormones, also called androgens. After about age 20, sebum production begins to decrease.

Several factors are known to be linked to acne:
* Hormonal activity
* Hyperactive sebaceous glands
* Accumulation of dead skin cells
* Bacteria in the pores
* Skin irritation or scratching of any sort
* Anabolic steroids
* Birth control pills, however many women have reported reduced acne while on the pill
* Exposure to high levels of chlorine compounds, particularly chlorinated dioxins, can cause severe, long-lasting acne, known as Chloracne

Here are some types of natural acne solutions:
* Modifying your diet to relieve symptoms
* Cleansing your internal organs
* Using herbs to provide nutrients to your liver and other organs, as well as for cleansing

Acne is caused by excessive moisture in the skin, but only if sebum production is high.

Since it is extremely unhealthy and unwise to mess with your natural sebum production and/or hormone metabolism, you had better prevent excessive water retention - by avoiding both the consumption of 'dirty' protein and the occasional salt/spices binge.

Extreme water retention is called edema.

In skin-edema the skin contains too much water - increasing the water-pressure in the skin. When water pressure is increased, sebum canals are pinched off. All persons with acne have at least mild facial edema, but not all persons with edema have acne, because if sebum production is low, pinching off sebum canals does not necessarily causes inflammations. If you have both facial edema and a high sebum production, you will definitely have acne. Many studies therefore found that facial edema is related to acne; in fact, acne is very related to facial edema.