09/12/2021
"ACNE AND HOMOEOPATHY"
Acne is a skin condition that is commonly referred to as ‘pimples’. Acne occurs when skin pores, the tiny holes on the surface of the skin get clogged. Each pore is connected to the hair follicle from which hair is emerged out. At the side of the hair follicle the sebum gland is present which produce sebum an oily substance on the skin. Generally, oil glands help to keep the skin lubricated and protects from damage by the sun heat and other substances. when the sebaceous gland secrets more produces too much oil, the pores can become blocked, accumulating dirt, debris and bacteria. The more secretion of sebum is caused by the hormonal effects, especially the androgen hormones. At puberty in teen age the androgen hormone secretion is more, hence more acne are developed at this age.Although acne is a disorder associated with teenagers or Young age or Puberty but it can occur at any age of life. Acne usually appears on face, neck, back and chest due to the abundance of pilosebaceous units in these areas. The condition is not life-threatening, but it can lead to scarring of the skin, and hence, prompt treatment is essential.
WHAT IS ACNE-
Acne, or acne vulgaris, is a skin problem occurs when the HAIR FOLLICLES become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Some people call it blackheads, blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. Hair follicles are connected to oil glands or sebaceous glands. These glands secrete an oily substance called SEBUM to keep your skin oily. Sebum normally secrets along the hair shafts through the openings of skin pore. When your body produces an excess amount of sebum that accumulate inside the follicle and combining with dead skin cells form a SOFT PLUG. If the clogged pore becomes infected with bacteria, inflammation results and cause the follicle wall to bulge out that is called acne or pimples. Acne is very common in younger age group between 12 years to 28 years. But it may occur at any age. There is no age factor for acne development.It can occur at any age and in both s*xes. Some people who have severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed or upset even though they have only a few pimples.
* DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACNE:
It can be classified major two types:
1. Non- inflammatory ACNE: Non inflammatory acne includes blackheads and whiteheads. These normally don't cause swelling
• Blackhead
• Whitehead
2. Inflammatory ACNE: Pimples those are red and swollen are referred to as inflammatory acne
• Papules
• pustules
• Nodules
• Cysts
1. Blackheads: Blackheads are Clearly visible on the skin of face . They are black and appear on the surface of the skin. Blackheads are develops when a pore is clogged by a combination of sebum and dead skin cells. The top of the pore stays open, despite the rest of it being clogged.
2. Whitehead: Whiteheads are a mild form of acne that appears as small, round, white bumps on the skin’s surface. This type of acne occurs when a pore becomes clogged with sebum, dead skin cells, and debris, but does not open outside and is covered with a thin layer of skin. It appears white on its surface. Whiteheads may appear on the face, shoulders, neck, chest, and back.
3. Papules: Papules are a type of acne vulgaris that show up small bumps on the face. This sort of acne happen when a pore becomes blocked with sebum, dead skins cells and the inflammation set in. The inflammation brakes down the surrounding wall of the pores and form bumps like structures. The skin around these pores is typically pink and tender to touch.
4. Pustules: Pustules are similar to papules; they are clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are red at their base and have pus at the top so looks whitish or yellowish; they are painful to touch. When it comes to pustules as you should wait until a whitehead is visible.
5. Nodules: This nodular type acne is hard and larger than papules and postures. They are extensive, solid, painful and nodular like deep seated in the skin. These sorts of acnes are can cause more scar formation if not treated early .
6. Cysts: Cysts can develop when pores are blocked by a combination of bacteria, sebum, and dead skin cells. But theses blocks are deep within the skin and further below the surface than nodules. They are larger than nodules and appeared like a cystic structure. They are painful and filled with pus. Cysts can cause scars.
* THE CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO DEVELOP ACNE-
• NORMAL FOLLICLE:
Hair follicles are connected to sebaceous glands. These glands secrete the sebum an oily substance. When the follicle is "full", the sebum spreads over the skin surface giving the skin an oily appearance.
• OBSTRUCTED FOLLICLES:
If there is more secretion of sebum from the sebum gland and more formation dead skin cells, these combinations can form a soft plug that obstructs the skin pore. in later period bacreial growth appear and causes inflammation. That results to form an bumps like appearance which is known as the acne.
* FACTORS THAT STIMULATE SEBACEOUS GLAND TO SECRET MORE SEBUM-
° More androgen hormone secretion- The sebum glands are very sensitive to androgen hormone. Rising of androgen hormone levels cause the oil glands to more enlarge and to produce more sebum. Excessive sebum can break down cellular walls in the pores, causing bacteria to grow.
° Unhealthy food habits - Unhealthy food habits like taking of more junk foods, fast foods, fatty foods, also contribute a factor of more androgen secretion that results more sebum secretion acne formation.
° Faulty life style - Sedentary life style, lack of exercise, irregular habit of taking meals, late night sleep or insomnia condition are also one major cause for more acne formation.
° More stress- Staying constantly in a stressful condition, pressure packed life style, compromisation or suppression of natural emotions either due to situation demand or by the own nature can put a major impact on endocrine system including sebum gland. That can also a contributing factor for development of acne. The suppression of emotion of any form like anger, grieves, vexation, anxiety,jealousy, all affects the HPA axis (The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis) and thus your physical body.
° Medicines- Some medications that contain corticosteroids androgen and lithium those also increase the androgen hormone level and causes of more acne development. Starting and stopping Birth control pills can also cause acne.
° Cosmetics - greasy cosmetics are also causes acne more . Cosmetic induced acne generally occur on the chin and cheeks more than than on the forehead. It presents as small, whitish bumps, sometimes referred to as "grains", which are more noticeable when the skin is stretched.
° Menstrual cycle -Acne appears during the menstrual cycle because fluctuating hormone levels around this time of me**es (women) and sometimes in pregnancy.
° Family history - Acne have a family history of the disorder If one of your parents had severe acne, you are more likely to have it.
° Propionibacterium acne - Propionibacterium acne is a bacterium that lives on your skin and uses the sebum as nutrients for his growth. More sebum secretion makes a suitable environment for growth of P.acne and set up an inflammatory condition and develop acne.
* PATHOGENESIS OF ACNE-
The 4 major factors interlinked for development of acne
1. Excess secretion of sebum from sebaceous gland –
• The excess sebum secretion from sebaceous gland initiates the acne formation.
• The excess secretion of sebum from the sebaceous gland is influenced by the excess androgen hormone.
• The excess androgen hormone level in blood stimulate the sebaceous gland to secrets more sebum secretion.
• The more androgen hormone secretion is indirectly influenced by many factors like high stress level, suppression of grieves, suppression of anger, more anxiety or depression, unhealthy food habits, faulty life style, physical inactive.
2. Obstruction of sebaceous follicle.
• The more sebum secretion swelled up the skin pore and erodes the tissues at the margin of pore that causes more dead skin cells formation.
• The sebum with the dead cells form a soft plug that obstructs the skin pore.
3. The propionibacterium acne bacterial growth.
• Once the follicle is plugged, its lower portion becomes engorged and distended with sebaceous discharge and keratinocytes.
• The propionibacterium acne is one type of bacteria that lives on the skin and uses the sebum as nutrients for his growth.
• The more sebum accumulation in the follicle influence more P acne bacterial growth and initiates a inflammatory reaction.
• While the skin pore opening persist closed, that is called a closed comedo or whitehead. It is called white heads because looks white or flesh-colored.
• When the follicle enlarges more that stretches the skin pore and the content inside gets exposed to air and oxidization occurs. It causes a dark appearance of the lesion and that is called black heads.
4. The development of acne
• As dilation of the follicle continues, its inner content consist of sebum, dead skin cells, released out and spread over the skin.
• This leakage causes an inflammatory reaction and initiates the formation of the inflammatory lesion papules, pustules, and nodules.
• As inflammation continues to worsen, larger papules and pustules are created. Acne papules are pink or red in color.
• Acne nodules are solid, raised inflammatory lesions that are situated deeper in the skin.
* HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR ACNE:
• Homeopathy offers a long term cure to acne problems. It is because homeopathic medicines target the root cause or triggers factors of the disease thus gives a long-term cure.
• As discussed above the excess of androgen hormone in blood plays a major role in acne formation.
• The excess of androgen hormone secretion is caused by many triggers. Though we know during the teen age more androgen hormone is secreted, but there are many things which stimulate to secret more androgen hormones.
• The major factors that trigger more androgen hormone secretion are various unhealthy emotional states a person passing through in his life.
• There are various emotional states a person go through during his life time such as grieves, anger , agony, anxiety ,fear, depression etc.
• When anybody suppress those emotions like suppress the anger, suppress the grieves, suppress his desire, those all directly affect on the neuro-endocrino-immune path which disturbs the harmonious function of endocrine and immune system.
• So in case of acne the more androgen hormone secretion also has the same causative factor. So the more androgen secretion is somewhat related to suppression of various motional factors of the patient in the present or past life.
• More androgen secretion means more sebum secretion. More sebum secretion means more acne formation.
• So to give a long term curative effect it is highly required to consider all of those emotional factors of the patient which are somewhat relates of its developments . Hence the treatment basing on those emotional suppression can help to maintain a normal and healthy endocrine function.
• Only the homeopathy treatment that target the different types of suppression of emotion and thus helps to regain back the healthy endocrine function and thus maintain healthy physical state.
• For various emotional suppression there are different homeopathic remedies. So in homeopathy there is no fixed medicine to all acne patient as because there is not a single emotion expressed by all people.
• Thus a homeopathy medicine is selected on the basis of the individual’s emotional picture that has been suppressed in past life. The other key symptoms are also taken under consideration to select a suitable medicine for that patient. This medicine can only able to give a long term cure to this acne problem. It is called the constitutional homeopathy treatment.
• Besides that the acute condition of acne like the pain, inflammation, swelling that are well treated by proper homeopathic remedies.
* HEALTHY TIPS FOR MANAGING ACNE.
1. Wash your face with warm water and mild soap made especially for acne, no more than twice in a day.
2. Do not scrub the skin or burst the pimples. This may push the infection further down, causing more blocking, swelling, and redness.
3. Avoid popping your pimples, as this makes scarring on your face.
4. Consult to your doctor for a long-term cure of your pimples.
5. Abstain from touching the face.
6. Hold the mobiles or telephone away from the face when talking, as it is likely to contain sebum and skin residue.
7. Wash hands frequently, especially before applying any lotions, creams, or makeup.
8. Select makeup for your sensitive skin and avoid oil-based cosmetics products.
9. Always keep your hair clean, as it collects sebum and skin residue.
10. Donot use greasy hair products, such as those containing cocoa butter.
11. Try to avoid excessive sun exposure, it can cause the skin to produce more sebum. Several acne medicines also increase the risk of sunburn.
12. Avoid anxiety and stress, as it can stimulate to increase more production of cortisol and adrenaline, which exacerbate acne.
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