Lina Mohamed-Writing Assignment 6
Lina Mohamed Professor Kowach
MHC Writing Assignment 3
Natural Medicine Continued-Acne
One of the most common struggles that teens and young adults go through these days is acne -Acne Vulgaris and Acne Conglobata. The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Medicine gives many reasons as to why people suffer from acne while providing natural relief and treatments. Sufferers of acne tend to turn to pimple creams, harsh face scrubs, and even pills to adjust hormone levels that may be causing acne. People do not tend to go deep and try to figure out the causes of these acne such as stress, eating habits, makeup products, hair products and tons of other causes. Most acne is caused by certain life style choices, habits and can be easily changed. For example, if one’s diet consists of too much sugar or fatty foods (foods high in trans fats and high-fat goods), this can be a major acne contributor and can be easily avoided. Limiting foods high in iodine and milk products can reduce acne incidences by a drastic amount.
Also another major tip is cleanliness and face care routines that minimize dirt and bacteria on the face, neck, shoulders and other acne prone areas. Acne can be escalated if one has clogged pores and pores that are being exposed to bacteria and other types of dirt. “P.acnes releases lipases, hydrolyzing sebum triglycerides into free fatty acid lipoperoxides, promoting inflammation” (…Handbook of Natural Medicine, 2016). Clean skin is essential to clearer skin and this can be achieved with natural methods rather than man-made products found everywhere in drugstores. For example, daily cleansing with Calendula soap.
Spot treatments for acne are also becoming prevalent in drugstores and beauty stores. However, there are natural alternatives for topical treatment of acne. For example, tea tree oil (5% to 15%) preparations can be extremely helpful to acne and act as skin disinfectants. Tea tree oil is very strong and that is why it must be used only when diluted and used with caution. However, most topical treatments are also harsh on the skin so why not use a natural method instead of a man-made chemically filled treatment.
Certain vitamins can be taken to supplement natural treatments to adjust hormone levels and work from within. Vitamin C is highly effective in improving symptoms of acne. Also, Vitamin E and selenium are great for acne treatment. Vitamin E with selenium regulates retinol levels and normalizes red blood cell glutathione peroxidase, especially in men. Their treatment inhibits lipid peroxide formation and improve acne by targeting internal problems. Vitamin A also “reduces sebum production and hyperkeratinization of sebaceous follicles” (…Handbook of Natural Medicine, 2016). All of these suggested treatments and supplements require time to work. Therefore, one must be patient when treating acne especially when trying to cure the roots of the problem and not just exterior effects. Most over the counter acne products simply try to solve exterior acne and will work for a while then stop working. Also, our bodies tend to get so used to these man-made products which is not favorable. To conclude, natural alternatives fix the whole problem and not just certain parts.
References:
–Multivalent Carbohydrate-Lectin Interactions. Molecules,2016. The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products
Haidan Yuan 1,2, Qianqian Ma 1, Li Ye 1 and Guangchun Piao 1,2,*
1-College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
2-Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of Changbai Mountain and Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
Retreived from Google Scholars: http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/21/5/559
–The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Medicine
By Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., Michael T. Murray, Herb Joiner-Bey. 2016 by Elsevier. Third Edition.
Retrieved from Google scholars: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LYwtDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=doctors+on+natural+medicine&ots=ADrvEz9UGN&sig=Lg6t2XZV7qEp6P0l4dYSnSDAJxs#v=onepage&q=doctors%20on%20natural%20medicine&f=false
-(NCCIH, 2008). Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved from:
https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/2007/camsurvey_fs1.htm
-(2011) Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the US. CDC. Retreived from:
http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/painkilleroverdoses/
-Image retrieved from : http://purelyprimalskincare.com/?hop=galus
-Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (2nd Edition)– June 6, 2002 Retrieved from Google Scholars: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OyrhatOdk9gC&oi=fnd&pg=PA270&dq=natural+alternatives+to+painkillers&ots=68fhOAE58y&sig=-malo2jqTO8ylS5N_CVlAN-PFSo#v=onepage&q=natural%20alternatives%20to%20painkillers&f=false
