Author: John Mowatt
Source: ezinearticles.com
When you have an acne problem it can be embarrassing and if it is very serious it can actually result in permanent scarring. Fortunately few acne cases are this serious and there are ways to obtain some relief and to clear up much of the acne. No cure is available to date however and the actual cause of acne is still not fully understood.
1. The first line of defense against acne is a proper diet. Your diet should contain plentiful quantities of fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and whole grains.You should cut your intake of fast foods and any greasy or sugar laced items. Selenium and zinc are two minerals which are known to be helpful in clearing up skin problems. These two minerals are to be found in brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and other types of nuts.Supplements can be taken if you feel that more selenium and zinc would be beneficial to you.
2.Be sure to drink plenty of water and fluids every day but avoid sugar laden soft drinks. The old adage of drinking 8 glasses of water daily is a good one. You don,t need to actually drink all of this in the form of water. It can be milk, juices, tea, coffee, soup or other fluids but should include several glasses of plain water. The important thing is to get a total of at least 8 glasses of fluids per day. This will keep your body water content up and your skin soft and well hydrated.
3.There is a mistaken idea that dirt in the skin pores causes acne. This is not so and scrubbing at the skin to remove dirt from the pores is not a good idea. This will result in the skin becoming overly dry and the body will take this as a sign that it should produce more oil which does not help the acne problem.
4.Stress is definitely not helpful if you are plagued by acne. Try to avoid sources of stress as much as possible. In addition good exercise in the form of running, jogging, bicycling etc is excellent for stress reduction. Meditation is an excellent way to ease stress and to be relaxed. Set aside twenty minutes once or twice a day and just meditate. You can get a book to teach you meditation if you don,t know how to do it. Yoga and Tai chi are very good ways to get exercise and relaxation. You can take part in organised sessions or just learn how to do it at home.
5.Sun tanning is definitely not helpful if you have acne.The ultra violet light will redden and irritate the skin and make your problem worse. If you must spend a lot of time in the sun use a UV protective lotion. Unfortunately many of these contain oils which are not good for acne problems. It is best if at all possible to just avoid strong sunlight. However you do need to get enough sunlight to enable your body to produce vitamin D. Sunlight triggers production of this important vitamin and if you are not getting much sun, as for example in winter, you should take a vitamin D supplement.
6.Don,t keep trying every supposed miracle cure for acne which comes on the market. These things are
usually trumpeted by advertising as the miracle cure you have been waiting for. It is simply not true. There is no cure for acne known to medicine at present. You can spend a lot of money trying all these alleged cures and end up poorer but still with the acne problem.
7.The most effective treatment for acne which has been found to date is benzoyl peroxide. This is available in the form of creams or lotions which are applied topically to the affected areas. It can be a little harsh and causes flaking of the skin but benzoyl peroxide is beneficial in the case of most people who have acne.
These are seven ways to help with your acne problem. None of them will give instant results but with patience all of them will benefit you.
John Mowatt is a writer who is interested in health and fitness. He writes on many other subjects also. See his website at portable DVD player deals and also at wigs for black women
