Volume 3, Number 12: A New Look: Acne!?!

The Health Racquet
Volume 3
Number 12

A New Look: Acne!?!

By Allegra Tschappler

This semester, I'm going to take a new look at things besides eating healthfully and exercising. This is mostly geared towards teenagers, although adults and younger kids can learn as well.

Do you have acne? If you are a teenager, you probably do. According to OSF Healthcare, acne is THE most common skin disease in the United States. 85% of people between 12 and 25 have some sort of acne.

But don't be discouraged! There are ways to treat this annoying skin disease. Again, taken from OSF Healthcare, there are several things you can do at home without having to see a dermatologist:

1. Wash your face gently with a mild cleanser. Since acne is not caused by dirt, hard scrubbing with a strong detergent soap can make things worse.
2. Leave your skin alone. Don't try to squeeze the pimples, blackheads or whiteheads. Squeezing could cause them to rupture below the skin and result in scarring.
3. Be careful with cosmetics. Choose ones that are labeled noncomedogenic and oil free.
4. Moisturizers add oil and that's something you don't need. Watch out especially for lipstick with moisturizers.
5. Shave carefully. Use an electric razor or a sharp safety razor making sure the beard is softened well with soap and water before applying shaving cream.
6. Watch out for the sun. A tan may make the skin seem better and drier for awhile but it's temporary. The sun can result in premature aging and skin cancer. (Read about "Skin Cancer") In addition some medications for acne make your skin much more sensitive to sun.

I personally have been encouraged whenever I use pHisoderm. It contains 2% salicylic acid, which works for me (most of the time), but probably doesn't work for EVERYONE. Another idea is to try benzoil peroxide solutions. My aunt has acne, and she tried this stuff. She says benzoil peroxide has gotten rid of her acne like nothing else.

If you don't want to buy chemical solutions, try herbal ones like these: tea tree oil, echinacea and goldenseal. Aloe, chamomile, primrose oil, vitamin E and zinc are said to be helpful as well. That way you don't worry about chemicals doing weird things to your face.

A word of encouragement for those suffering from this skin problem: almost everyone has it, so they feel empathy towards your situation. Those who don't have it probably did at one point or another. So try to heal your face, and then don't worry about it. You are still beautiful in God's eyes, and since His is the only opinion we should truly care about, thank Him for giving you acne. He has created your body in such an amazing way, and we simple humans can't truly understand it.

For print version:

OSF Healthcare link: http://www.stayinginshape.com/3osfcorp/libv/k20.shtml
pHisoderm link: http://www.phisoderm.com/