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A Home Microdermabrasion Kit Review
Microdermabrasion kits have been designed for medical professionals, estheticians, and, now, home microdermabrasion kits are available for anyone who pampers their skin. Quality and price vary widely. Most home microdermabrasion kits provide the...

Curing acne once and for all!
Acne affects a huge number of people all over the world and is one of the most problematic issues of teenagers and adults alike. The idea of a successful acne home remedy treatment is growing in popularity with all age groups. Effective...

How to Use Natural Remedies for Ulcers Caused by Helicobacter Pylori
One of the bacteria that live in your mouth and cause gingivitis is the helicobacter pylori or H. pylori. This bacterium is transmitted by kissing. Everyone have this bacterium in his or her mouth and stomach. You mostly likely got this when you...

Managing Acne and Dispelling Myths
Not only is acne a physical condition, a psychological component is present as well.   Acne sufferers can experience, behavioral problems, academic decline, social isolation, substance abuse, depression, even suicide. Improper...

Web site Offers Skincare and Beauty Advice to Meet Unique Needs of Teens With Darker Skin
(ARA) - Acne-prone teens with dark complexions have skincare and makeup problems unique to their darker skin tones, and also have difficulty finding skincare information that speaks directly to their needs. Now, teens with...

 
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Busting Acne Myths Requires Individualized Treatment and More Research

If you have acne, you know the deal- everybody has a cream or suggestion to help you get clear skin. But how do you separate myth, medicine and folklore to find an acne treatment that works for you? That’s what researcher Parker Magin set out to do in a study entitled, A systematic review of the evidence for ‘myths and misconceptions’ in acne management.

Magin and co-researchers from the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, conclude that clinicians cannot be “didactic” when making acne treatment recommendations that are based on diet, hygiene and sunlight exposure. According to Magin, acne treatments should be individualized.

Meanwhile, the Academy of Dermatology has published a press release touting, The Stubborn Truth About Acne: Myths and Misconceptions. Though this article discusses a recent Stanford University survey that examined acne myths held among young adults, it offers no solid advice for securing an acne antidote. Moreover, its meaning is paradoxical.

For example, the article headlines Alexa Boer Kimball, M.D. who is an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard University. Dr. Kimballs sums up the survey on acne by saying “that substantial differences still exist between popular belief and scientific support, yet this does not change the way patients attempt to care for their acne.”

Dr. Kimballs’s comments at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology casts a discrediting shadow over her groundbreaking research that aimed to separate acne fact from fiction. Just two years ago in 2003, Dr. Kimball was apart of a Stanford University study investigating the effect of stress on acne. Then, Dr. Kimball


concluded that, “increased acne severity was significantly associated with increased stress levels… while self-assessed change in diet quality was the only other significant association.” The results of this study suggested that the link between acne, and diet and stress are no longer hypothetical but warrant further examination.

Another investigation aiming to demystify acne came for Dr. Loren Cordain. Cordain and his associates explored the link between diet and acne in a study called Acne Vulgaris: A Disease of Western Civilization. Cordain noted that Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea and the Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay had no active cases of acne. This prompted the question, “So why does acne vulgaris affect 79% to 95% of the adolescent population in westernized societies?”

Cordain found that genes alone do not cause the disparity of acne incidences between non-westernized and modernized societies. Other factors must enter the equation.

Acne can arise from hormonal shifts, stress upheavals and a host of other causes. Your best defense against acne is observing yourself and noting what conditions, foods and emotions aggravate your acne situation. From there, you can use self-care to reduce acne flare-ups.


About the Author

Health author and Noixia campaigner Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include “Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne” (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work “Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we’re still not getting this dieting thing” (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005.
For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com.