PIMPLES treatment and remedies

PIMPLES - ACNE problems by Dr S. Chidambaranathan B.H.M.S, M.D Homeopathy Doctor Madurai   (Treatment avail for all people around the world)

From olden days people give much importance to complexion and personality. The skin problems of the face are the first offender of a teenager’s personality causing physical and psychological stress. Teenage people feel pimples as a sign of adolescence and feel happy initially, but later get worried with its suffering. To get rid of it, teenagers often do mask their face with cream, lotions and makeup’s obstructing the breath of the facial skin. Hence adolescent age person often faces the facial complaint of pimples.  It also produces an inferiority complex to the person when he/she has marks over the face and makes them feel it as an effect of sin and a clear, smooth, fair and beautiful skin as a blessing.

Acne is a term commonly used for numerous pimples and complexion problems. Acne is only a skin problem and does not affect general health unless otherwise get complicated. Pimples are the mild form of Acne which is a sebaceous gland disorder, mostly occurring in teenage people due to hormonal changes. It may occur in children and adult rarely. The pimples usually subside after the age of 23. It is a superficial infection of the skin forming blisters (papules) which may vary in size, shape, colour, course and effects. Pimples usually occur on the face involving the neck, chest, back and upper arms sometimes. It is usually caused by the blockage of skin pores or obliterated inflamed duct of sebaceous glands in the skin. So pimples are a combination of dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria. It later involves sebaceous glands and hair roots or follicles.

Stages of Acne

Acne progresses as inflammatory red spots (papule), blackheads (comedones) or whiteheads, and if it gets deeper, produces boil-like lesions called nodules or cysts. Bacteria are the common culprit to all forms of pimples. Skin produces excess sebum (for lubrication) during hormonal changes or bacterial infection, which may be felt as oily material in the face. This excess sebum attracts dust and forms plug which closes the pores of the skin. After this lesion heals, scars will form as permanent marks of the pimples occurrence in the skin.

The preliminary stage of a pimple is the Comedone- Blackheads which are open and dark in colour. These are caused by blockage of pores and get their dark colour through skin debris containing excessive melanin pigment

Whiteheads are dangerous form of pimple and contains pus. If we neglect this condition, the inflammation goes into the sebaceous gland and hair follicles, forming cystic mass which may be very painful. These cysts may rupture and become scar.

Types of Acne- There are several forms of Acne

Acne-Vulgaris (Acne-Simplex- pimples)– most common in adults with papule, comdones, nodules, and pustules.  
 Acne Indurata – deep seated infection which occurs mostly in back.

  Acne-Fulminans – highly inflammatory pustule usually accompanied with fever

 Acne-Cosmetica – low grade acne in teenagers who continously uses cosmetics

 Acne-Rosacea- an extensive form occurs in hot climate especially in the nose. It mostly occurs in old people with hypertrophied tissue

 Acne-Varioliformis- deep seated reddish leision which leaves a depressed or puckered skin like variola

      Acne-Artificialis-which occurs due to intake of salts of iodide or bromide or drugs which contain these substances or contact with tar or petroleum products.

Symptoms of Pimples- Initially it appears as red eruptive blisters or like rashes in face, neck, chest and back, but mainly in cheek, chin, temples and forehead, which turns to black or white heads. During this period, slight burning, soreness or pricking pain and redness may be present. It will approximately take 5-8 days to heal, if  resolves early. But if it goes deeper, it will take nearly 15- 20 days to resolve. Later if infection spreads, it becomes a painful pustule and involves near by glands also forming coalescence of many papules or pustules leading finally to a scar. Usually it gets more with rubbing, stretching, pressing, pinching, and scratching. In most infective form, fever may also occur.

Causes of Pimples - Science is not so much developed to pin point the exact cause and to rule out the same. But it is noticed in various circumstances why pimples erupt favourably. They are as follows

A) Hormonal changes- occurring during puberty, menstrual periods, pregnancy, and while start using and stop using birth control pills will mostly aggravate the pimples. The male sex hormone testosterone (also found in women) triggers the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum, making the skin greasy which in turn causes pimples.

• Period of Puberty- Is Pimple a sign of puberty? It occurs in both sexes due to excess sebum production, but predominately occurs in females.
• Premenstrual symptom- Is Pimple an indicator of periods?  Mostly in women, pimples are more frequently worsened at the time of menstruation.

B) Bacteria - The most common Bacteria’s which causes pimples are Propionibacterium acne, Corynebacterium acne, Staphylococcus albus & Pityrosporon ovale

C) Foods and intakes - Oily, fatty, pastry, spicy and fast foods, chocolates, nuts, and milk produces more sebum, leading to more pimples.

Bromine and iodine salts intake or medicines containing these substance, which are mainly used for cold, sedative, and analgesic will also cause pimples.

D) Environment - Increased exposure to ultraviolet rays (sun exposure) and also environmental irritants such as pollution and high humidity will also cause pimples.

E) Hereditary factors - it is often found to be run in families

F) Physical and mental stress- may aggravate the condition for a flare up.

G) Cosmetics-Greasy cosmetics stick to the skin and form a plug in pore causing pimples

H) Infection- Dental sepsis and Sinusitis sometimes cause pimples.

Effects of the Acne- Acne may cause black marks or discolourations or permanent scar and sometimes psychological depression when attending any gathering.

Diagnosis of acne: Appearance of the skin itself indicates the diagnosis. Normally no tests are required for pimples.

PREVENTION- The secret lies in keeping the skin clean from dirt, allergens, bacteria or viruses. Simple washing usually helps in maintenance of skin by removing germs.

Do’s

·         Clean Skin by washing at least 3 times a day

·         Cleaning Skin by steaming is the best to open the pores of skin and to keep it fresh

·         After exercise wash sweats immediately to wipe of salty deposition

Take

·         Lot of water to keep Good Body Hydration

·         Fresh fruits and vegetables for healthy skin

·         Vitamins A, C and zinc in the diet for better healing and healthy skin

Always Use

·         Gentle and mild cleanser for facial wash

·         Use soft water for washing the face.

·         Use mild moisturizers and makeup’s

Use Carefully - Some will feel better with application of

·         Egg yolk since it is rich in Vitamin A

·         Sandal since it gives a pleasant cool feeling

·         Lemon extract since it clears the pores by its cleansing or bleaching effect

Avoid

·         Washing face with strong chemical soap

·         Picking or squeezing or peeling the papule since it will cause scar by damaging skin.

·         Hot sun (even though pimples tend to less prevalent in the summer, but very hot sun may give dehydration & cause cracks and out breaks). Also UV rays can intensify acne by stimulating oil production, which cause clogged pores.

·         Excessive applying of powders directly to face (it is better to rub the powders in the hands and apply gently and mildly.

·         Cosmetic beauty products and make up’s

·         Over moisturizing the skin

·         Oil application to face since it absorbs the dirt and hold with it

·         Greasy cosmetics or creams, which aggravate acne.

·         Food with high content of fat like chocolate, nuts, cheese, chips, oily foods, fast-foods

Surgery- If the size of the pimple is more with pain and if symptoms do not respond with drugs, removal or drainage of cysts is done. This often produces scars.

Medication- in Allopathy, mostly medicines are not prescribed, but in extreme cases antibiotics are used to control the infection. But prolonging the course of antibiotics, often manage the situation temporarily and usually recurs after stoppage.

External applications

·         Antibacterial cream –acts as a bactericidal, germicidal and also opens pores

·         Cleansers- a mixture of oil and water which cleans and moisturizes dry skin

·         Cortisone (steroid) cream- temporarily vanish the symptoms of the pimples

·         Exfoliating cleansers of salicylic acid peels the outer layer of the skin as flakes to open pores. This will cause redness and soreness.

·         Skin toner of diluted alcohol, water and glycerine will be useful in oily skin.

·         Applying Vitamin A – retinol – helps in promoting skin peeling. It often produces hypersensitiveness to sunlight

Hormone treatment – Birth control pills (containing an oestrogen and a progestrone) can improve acne symptoms. Dryness of the skin and headaches may come as adverse effects

 Homeopathic approach - 

                                 

Treating the skin disorders is very tough, since it is the outer most part of the body and also often exposed to irritants or pollutants or frictions which hinders with the action of the drugs. Also recurrence is common in skin disorder, giving no exception for Pimples. Recurrence often produces permanent scarring. In case of pimples, habit of picking, pinching, rubbing also hinders the cure process and adds infection. Also when the cure is not in the proper way, disease often repeats and become tendencies.

Homoeopathic treatment can give permanent relief to recurrent pimples. The early you treat, you get speedy and complete cure with out any scar.  All forms of pimples are due to an internal disorder, so the usage of external application does not yield permanent results, since it usually suppress the condition and prone for skin thickening. Tendency to eruption or pimples is in the body, not in face itself to cure with ointments, so always it is better to avoid topical applications as much as possible. You can notice this with people often using face fair creams which maintains the skin during the time of use only. If they discontinue the usage, it will become worse than before.

Some people  relate pimples with heat cause, sleep, hairy constitution, more sweat, more sebum secretion and they try to eliminate it and treat for that. But What ever may be the reason or reaction, if we get energized or immunity, disease will not affect us. 

The Internal Homoeopathy Medicine is often the best natural option to stop the recurrence of acne by raising natural resistance towards acne without side-effects. The correct direction of cure is not like shutting off. It will slowly come down in occurrence, size, intensity and duration. If we suppress it with ointments or external applications or steroids, it goes off immediately but will again flare up after gaining force. After taking homoeopathic medicine, the disease will not go off, all of a sudden, but recurs with less intensity and short duration with out pain and much disturbance. It will also heal fast and finally fade to cure. This is Right direction of safest and permanent cure.

Medicines commonly used for acne –Belladonna, Beri Beri Aq, oleum jac, Acid nit, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, Hepar sulph,  Bacillinum, Kali Brom, Pyrogen,  Art Vul, Calc phos, Lycopodium, Staphysagria, Carbo animalis, Thuja, Anti crud, Calc carb, silicea, Graphites, Sulphur, Nat mur, etc. These medicines should be taken under the advice and diagnosis of a Qualified Homoeopath.