Almost
everyone has experienced a bad case of acne at least once in their lifetime.
Though acne is common during a person’s puberty age where one is subjected to
high hormone levels causing changes in the sebaceous glands, one in every five
women with ages between 25 to 40 suffers from adult acne. Suffice to say that
acne is the most common skin-care problem for people around the world
regardless of a person’s gender, age, or race.
Acne may
come in different forms. It may appear to be whiteheads or that simple
blackhead, or the more severe form called cystic acne that would certainly
leave behind acne scars when cysts eventually fade. The common places for acne
to happen are on a person’s face, neck, chest, back and upper arms.
Traditional Methods of Treating Acne Scars
Traditional Chemical Treatments
There are
very few traditional chemical treatments in the market today that have been
scientifically proven to work. Two particular herbal treatments that have been
clinically proven to help stop acne and treat its scars are the tea tree oil
and the green tea cream.
The Tea Tree
oil is a natural oil derivative from a Melaleuca alternifolia. This variety of
tea tree is found exclusively in Australia and other subtropical regions in
South East Asia. It has been a traditional aboriginal treatment of Australian
natives who has been traditionally using this kind of medication practically
for just about anything because of its anti-bacterial properties. Just applying
several drops of the oil directly on the acne has shown to be the most
effective way to diminish acne scars.
Another
traditional chemical treatment is the Green Tea which is found to possess Catechins
or tea flavonoid that are natural
anti-bacterials. According to a study carried out by Dr. Jennifer Gan-Wong in
2003, through regular use of green tea creams, a person’s complexion and
appearance can lighten and improve. Its properties are similar to benzoyl
peroxide based creams but have fewer side effects.
Traditional Alternative Method
For
centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners have used acupuncture to
treat acne. A patient’s channel of energy is balanced by inserting needles in
specific points in a patient’s body to relieve any imbalance that caused the
acne outbreak. Acupuncture offers a holistic approach in treating acne while
improving a patient’s overall wellness state. Each acupuncture treatment is
customized according to a person’s need or pattern of diagnosis. In severe
cases, a traditional medical practitioner would often require Chinese herbs to subdue
the underlying causes of the acne outbreak in the patient’s skin and relieve
the skin from scarring.
A well
balanced diet is also required in traditional alternative medication. When food is not properly digested in the
body, a person’s spleen is overworked and it releases toxins that destabilize
the body’s harmony. Eating greasy, spicy, and heavy foods disrupt the function
of the spleen in digestion that can lead acne flare-up.
A diet that
involves squash, cucumber, celery, carrots, lettuce, potato, papaya, cherries,
dandelions, pears, raspberries, persimmons and watermelon would truly help
alleviate acne while preventing toxic accumulation in the body.
Remember, a
person’s food intake is reflected on the condition of his skin. By making healthy
dietary choices, the body is nourished from inside out. So take that step to
wellness to avoid acne problems in the future.
