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Acne is perhaps the most common chronic skin
disease. It is an inflammatory condition of the sebaceous
( that is, fat ) glands and hair follicles usually found
on the face, the neck, chest and shoulders.
Approximately, eight out of ten young people between the
ages of 12 and 24 suffer from some degree of acne. It is
closely related to the disturbance in the hormones
experienced at puberty. The majority of patients recover
between the ages 20 and 30 years. But it is still common
in men over 30 years. In women, it rarely lasts beyond
the early thirties and is normally worse before each
menstrual period. The disease causes a great deal of
embarassment at an age when people tend to be sensitive
about personal appearance.
The skin, covering the entire body, is a marvellous and
intricate mechanism. It serves three main purposes,
namely protection of the inner organism, regulation of
body temperature and elimination of cell waste and
systematic refuse. The skin is directly connected to and
intimately bound up with the working of the whole system.
All skin diseases, including acne, are the outcome of
malfunctioning of the body as a whole.Symptoms
Acne is
characterised by the presence of comedones or blackheads,
pimples, small superficial sebaceous cysts and scars.
There are over half a dozen forms of acne. All of them
are connected with the sebaceous glands or the glands
connected with hair follicles. The most common form of
acne is blackheads. The areas chiefly affected are the
forehead, temples, cheeks, chin, the chest and back.In
rare cases, almost the entire body may be covered with
blackheads with extensive scarring.
Causes
All forms of
acne have their origin in wrong food habits, such as
irregular hours of eating, improper food, excess of
starch, sugar and fatty foods. Chronic constipation is
another major cause of acne. If the bowels do not move
properly, the waste matter is not eliminated as quickly
as it should be and the blood stream becomes saturated
with toxic matter. The extra efforts of the skin to
eliminate this excess waste result in acne and other
forms of skin disease. Yet another important cause of
acne is a devitalised condition of the skin resulting
from unhygenic living habits. Other contributing factors
to the disorder are excessive use of tea, coffee, alcohol
and tobacco, strenuous studies and sedentary habits which
lead to indigestion and general debility.
Dietary
Cure
The treatment
of acne by the administration of salves or ointment does
not serve any purpose. They only suppress the action of
the sebaceous glands temporarily. In nature cure, the
main emphasis is on diet and certain water applications.
To begin with, the patient should resort to an all-fruit
diet for about a week. This regimen should consist of
three meals a day, consisting of fresh juicy fruits, such
as apples, pears, grapes, grapefruits, pineapples and
peaches. Citrus fruits, babanas, dried, stewed or tinned
fruits should not be taken. Unsweetened lemon or plain
water, either hot or cold, should be drunk and nothing
else. During this period, a warm water enema should be
taken daily to cleanse the bowels and all other measures
adopted to eradicate constipation.
After a week of the all -fruit diet,the patient can
gradually adopt a well-balanced diet with a predominantly
alkaline base. Emphasis should be on raw foods,
especially fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds,
raw nuts and whole grain cereals, particularly millet and
brown rice. Further, short periods on the all-fruit diet
for three days or so may be necessary at monthly
intervals till the skin’s condition improves.
Strict attention to diet is essential for recovery.
Starchy, protein and fatty foods should be restricted.
Meat, sugar, strong tea or coffee, condiments, pickles,
refined and processed foods should all be avoided, as
also soft drinks, candies, ice cream and products made
with sugar and white flour.
The following diet should serve as a guideline :
- Breakfast
: Fresh fruits, and milk. For a change,
dried fruits may be added occasionally.
- Lunch
: Steamed vegetables, whole grain bread
or chappatis with butter and curd or butter-milk.
- Dinner
: A large bowl of raw vegetable salad
and sprouts, such as alfalfa seeds or mung beans,
with prunes or other dried fruit as dessert.
Two vitamins , namely,
niacin and vitamin A, have been used successfully to
treat acne. The vitamin therapy, comprising of niacin 100
mg. three times daily and vitamin A in large doses upto
50,000 units per day, should not exceed one month.
Vitamin E is also vitally important for preventing
scarring from acne and in removing old scars.
For local treatment, hot fomentation should be applied to
open up the pores and squeeze out the waste matter. Then
rinse with cold water. Sun and air baths, by exposing the
whole body to sun and air, are highly beneficial. Washing
the affected area with lemon juice has also proved
helpful. Healing packs made of grated cucumbers, oatmeal
cooked in milk and cooked, creamed carrots, used
externally, have been found effective. Packs should be
applied and kept on for half an hour and then washed off
with cold water. A hot Epsom salt bath twice a week will
be highly beneficial in all cases of acne. This bath is
prepared by adding three lbs. of Epsom salt to 60 litres
of water having a temperature of about 100 o
F. The patient should remain in the bath from 25 to 35
minutes till he perspires freely. After the bath, the
patient should cool off gradually.
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