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Busting Acne Myths Requires Individualized Treatment and More |
by:
Naweko San-Joyz |
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.
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