Acne, or acne vulgaris, is a skin problem occurs when the hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Some people call it blackheads, blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. Hair follicles are connected to oil glands or sebaceous glands. These glands secrete an oily substance called sebum to keep your skin oily. Sebum normally secrets along the hair shafts through the openings of skin pore. When your body produces an excess amount of sebum that accumulate inside the follicle and combining with dead skin cells form a soft plug. If the clogged pore becomes infected with bacteria, inflammation results and cause the follicle wall to bulge out that is called acne or pimples. Acne is very common in younger age group between 12 years to 28 years. But it may occur at any age. There is no age factor for acne development. It can occur at any age and in both sexes. Some people who have severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed or upset even though they have only a few pimples.
Different Types of Acne
It can be classified major two types:
- Non- inflammatory acne: Non inflammatory acne includes blackheads and whiteheads. These normally don’t cause swelling.
- Blackhead: Blackheads are Clearly visible on the skin of face. They are black and appear on the surface of the skin. Blackheads are developing when a pore is clogged by a combination of sebum and dead skin cells. The top of the pore stays open, despite the rest of it being clogged.
- Whitehead: Whiteheads are a mild form of acne that appears as small, round, white bumps on the skin’s surface. This type of acne occurs when a pore becomes clogged with sebum, dead skin cells, and debris, but does not open outside and is covered with a thin layer of skin. It appears white on its surface. Whiteheads may appear on the face, shoulders, neck, chest, and back.
- Inflammatory acne: Pimples those are red and swollen are referred to as inflammatory acne.
- Papules: Papules are a type of acne vulgaris that show up small bumps on the face. This sort of acne happens when a pore becomes blocked with sebum, dead skins cells and the inflammation set in. The inflammation brakes down the surrounding wall of the pores and form bumps like structures. The skin around these pores is typically pink and tender to touch.
- Pustules: Pustules are similar to papules; they are clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are red at their base and have pus at the top so looks whitish or yellowish; they are painful to touch. When it comes to pustules as you should wait until a whitehead is visible.
- Nodules: This nodular type acne is hard and larger than papules and postures. They are extensive, solid, painful and nodular like deep seated in the skin. These sorts of acnes are can cause more scar formation if not treated early.
- Cysts: Cysts can develop when pores are blocked by a combination of bacteria, sebum, and dead skin cells. But theses blocks are deep within the skin and further below the surface than nodules. They are larger than nodules and appeared like a cystic structure. They are painful and filled with pus. Cysts can cause scars.
The causes and contributing factors to develop acne
Normal follicle:
Hair follicles are connected to sebaceous glands. These glands secrete the sebum an oily substance. When the follicle is “full”, the sebum spreads over the skin surface giving the skin an oily appearance.
Obstructed follicles:
If there is more secretion of sebum from the sebum gland and more formation dead skin cells, these combinations can form a soft plug that obstructs the skin pore. in later period bacterial growth appear and causes inflammation. That results to form an bump like appearance which is known as the acne.
Factors that stimulate sebaceous gland to secret more sebum
- More androgen hormone secretion: The sebum glands are very sensitive to androgen hormone. Rising of androgen hormone levels cause the oil glands to more enlarge and to produce more sebum. Excessive sebum can break down cellular walls in the pores, causing bacteria to grow.
- Unhealthy food habits: Unhealthy food habits like taking of more junk foods, fast foods, fatty foods, also contribute a factor of more androgen secretion that results more sebum secretion acne formation.
- Faulty life style: Sedentary life style, lack of exercise, irregular habit of taking meals, late night sleep or insomnia condition are also one major cause for more acne formation.
- More stress: Staying constantly in a stressful condition, pressure packed life style, compromisation or suppression of natural emotions either due to situation demand or by the own nature can put a major impact on endocrine system including sebum gland. That can also a contributing factor for development of acne. The suppression of emotion of any form like anger, grieves, vexation, anxiety, jealousy, all affects the HPA axis (The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis) and thus your physical body.
- Medicines: Some medications that contain corticosteroids androgen and lithium those also increase the androgen hormone level and causes of more acne development. Starting and stopping Birth control pills can also cause acne.
- Cosmetics: greasy cosmetics are also causing acne more. Cosmetic induced acne generally occurs on the chin and cheeks more than on the forehead. It presents as small, whitish bumps, sometimes referred to as “grains”, which are more noticeable when the skin is stretched.
- Menstrual cycle: Acne appears during the menstrual cycle because fluctuating hormone levels around this time of menses (women) and sometimes in pregnancy.
- Family history: Acne have a family history of the disorder If one of your parents had severe acne, you are more likely to have it.
- Propionibacterium acne: Propionibacterium acne is a bacterium that lives on your skin and uses the sebum as nutrients for his growth. More sebum secretion makes a suitable environment for growth of P.acne and set up an inflammatory condition and develop acne.
Homeopathy management
Homeopathy offers a long-term cure to acne problems. It is because homeopathic medicines target the root cause or triggers factors of the disease thus gives a long-term cure. So, to give a long-term curative effect it is highly required to consider all of those emotional factors of the patient which are somewhat relates of its developments. Hence the treatment basing on those emotional suppression can help to maintain a normal and healthy endocrine function. Only the homeopathy treatment that target the different types of suppression of emotion and thus helps to regain back the healthy endocrine function and thus maintain healthy physical state. For various emotional suppression there are different homeopathic remedies. So, in homeopathy there is no fixed medicine to all acne patient as because there is not a single emotion expressed by all people. Thus, a homeopathy medicine is selected on the basis of the individual’s emotional picture that has been suppressed in past life. The other key symptoms are also taken under consideration to select a suitable medicine for that patient. This medicine can only able to give a long-term cure to this acne problem. It is called the constitutional homeopathy treatment. Besides that, the acute condition of acne like the pain, inflammation, swelling that are well treated by proper homeopathic remedies.
Homeopathic medicines
Psorinum
Psorinum is indicated for acne of all types – acne simplex, acne pustular and acne indurate. It is equally effective for acne in oily skin where the overactive sebaceous glands secrete excess sebum leaving the skin constantly greasy. Here Psorinum helps decrease oil secretion and treat acne. It is used in cases of conditions that worsen from eating sweets, chocolates, meat, and fatty food. It also treats intolerably itchy acne and that which worsens during the winter.
Kali Bromatum
Kali Bromatum works wonders in treating acne located on the face, chest, and shoulders. Marked itching may attend the acne. The acne may be simplex, pustular or indurated. Kali Bromatum is also prescribed where acne leaves ugly scars. Bluish-red pimples are a sure shot sign that Kali Bromatum will work.
Sulphur
Sulphur is advised for people with dirty, unhealthy looking skin covered in acne that itch a lot. Scratching worsens the itching. The itching gets aggravated during the night. Warmth, too, worsens the itching. Burning sensation may also be observed. Sulphur is also a good choice for acne that has been treated with external applications or ointments in the past.
Silicea
For acne on forehead, Silicea brings about quick recovery. It works even better for pustular acne. Itching may attend the acne. Excessive sweat may be noticed along with acne on the face, especially the forehead. It is also a wonderful medicine for cystic acne.
Berberis Aquifolium
Berberis Aquifolium is one of the majorly indicated medicines for acne that result in the formation of scars. This medicine helps clear off acne scars wonderfully well.
Bovista
Bovista is the most significant remedy that offers help in treating acne that arise or worsen with the use of cosmetic products. This acne is mainly papular. Swelling of cheeks may be noted along with the acne. Pain and itching may attend.
Pulsatilla
Pulsatilla is a very well indicated remedy for acne in women, especially when attended with menstrual irregularities of any kind. Acne occurring in young girls at puberty is another characteristic indication. Acne worsened with consumption of fatty foods will also heal effectively with Pulsatilla.
Natrum Muriaticum
It works as a remedy for many cases of acne. Hormonal disturbances such as PCOD or menstrual irregularities associated with or leading to acne may call for a study of Natrum Muriaticum. The face may be oily, a bit hairy, hypertrophied acne, ugly scars, in young girls and boys, may benefit from this medicine. It is useful in itchy acne on oily cheeks. Prickling pain in the acne is complained of. Natrum Mur is also prescribed for acne in girls who are anaemic.
Antim crude
There is acne of granular like eruption, lumpy, red, burning, suppurating postural like eruptions on the face with red areola have an inflamed base that is red, and sensitive. Acne is of in blotches type over cheek and a heat sensation. Postural type of acne. The emotional picture of the person is depression in the deep-seated triggers factor. Person is exhausted for his life. Generally, acne appears at teen age or in younger age group. Tendency to weight gain, fatty, obese children who are fund of taking more junk foods and fast foods. Person is mentally very exhausted for this big acne which making him/her to a depression state as because of ugly and dirty looking of facial skin.
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