What causes acne? Well, most dermatologists will tell you that the exact cause is not known. There can be many causes and, what may apply to one person, won't apply to another. We know acne starts to develop when the hair follicles (pores) of the skin become clogged with sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells. Sebum is an oily substance produced by the sebaceous (oil) glands. It's there to lubricate the skin and hair.
During puberty and throughout the teen years, there are increased levels of androgen hormones which stimulate the sebaceous glands to grow and produce more sebum. Excess sebum production can result in the follicle becoming blocked up. Something else that happens during puberty is that the skin cells of the follicle lining shed more quickly and they can form sticky clumps. Bacteria and dead skin cells can combine with the sebum in the clogged pore. The two things combined can cause an immune response resulting in inflammation.
So we know how acne develops, but, as I said, there are many factors that can cause the development to happen. In teens, obviously a major factor is the change in hormones that affect the sebaceous glands. But what is it that causes some teens to have severe acne while others have very mild, occasional acne and others have clear skin?
Heredity is known to be a factor in acne. If you had acne as a teenager, your child is likely to be susceptible. Diet, hormonal imbalance, or nervous system disorders can cause a person to be more prone to acne. For women, premenstrual acne starts a few days before each period, when progesterone hormones are at their highest. Then there are things like allergies to molds, foods, chemicals, cosmetics, and various other things that can also cause acne. There are some medications that can cause acne such as dilantin, lithium, isoniazid, iodine, steroids, and some birth control pills. In severe cases, candida-yeast overgrowth, toxic bowel, liver dysfunction and thyroid, gonadal or adrenal disorders can also cause acne.
Another important factor to consider is emotional stress and fatigue which can trigger, and exacerbate acne. Ted Grossbart is a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He is also the co-author of Skin Deep: A Mind/Body Program for Healthy Skin. He points out that the skin is intimately connected with the nervous system. With acne, emotional issues can trigger an outbreak or make it worse, even when there’s a clear physical cause. In addition to working with teen-age acne patients, he is seeing patients between 20 and 40 years old with very difficult acne problems. He's found that each of these patients is dealing with adolescent issues, i.e. sexual or professional identity, separation from parents, and anger. As he works with these adults on their teen issues, their skin clears up.
In most cases, the first stop for anyone suffering with acne will be a dermatologist and the most likely treatment will be conventional medication. These will usually include a mix of creams and tablets and probably the most common medication for severe acne, Roaccutane. Unfortunately, as with most medications, it comes with horrible side effects such as depression, psychosis, aggression and mood swings. The most common side effects are dry skin, lips, hair and eyes, headaches, nosebleeds and changes in blood lipids. If it is taken during pregnancy it can lead to major birth defects. It can cause damage to your liver and it raises your blood sugar levels.
It's not something I'd want to put my child on, that's for sure. As I said, there are many factors that can cause acne. The first step is to ensure that your child feels loved, secure and happy. Teenagers who suffer from acne will suffer from a lack of confidence and self-esteem which will only make their acne worse eventually IF you, as a parent, don't work hard to constantly build them up. Remember that kids can be incredibly cruel to each other. Names like "pizza face" are pretty common for teenagers suffering from acne. That is something that your child will carry into adulthood and it often leaves far worse scars than that actual acne itself.
Some dermatologists might recommend some supplements to help the skin heal and there is nothing wrong with supplements, provided they are not synthetic and are properly prescribed. Often people ARE suffering from malnutrition due to a bad diet and, in that case, supplements can help. The problem with supplements is that, if you are suffering from problems with your colon, it's pretty likely that your body won't even be able to absorb the nutrients from the supplements and, in that case, they won't be helping at all. The other thing is that supplements are really just substitutes for a good diet. That means that, if you ARE eating a good diet, those supplements should be totally unnecessary. They're really expensive so, to me, it would make more sense to forego the supplements and fix the diet.
So that would be the second step I'd take. Fix up the diet and the colon. Most people would cut out sweets and junk and be done with it but it goes much deeper than that. So many people these days have food sensitivities. Food sensitivities are not to be confused with food allergies. An allergy will have an immediate response on the system. It is potentially deadly and the symptoms will likely be itching, wheezing, swelling and a rash. The most common food allergies will be caused by shellfish, nuts, eggs, peanuts and dairy. Food sensitivities, on the other hand, usually take about 72 hours to show themselves. They may not be life-threatening in the short term, but they can have devastating effects in the longterm. Some of the most common food sensitivity symptoms include:
- Skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes etc
- Digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, cramping, bloating (all common symptoms of IBS)
- Headaches or migraines
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Difficulty losing weight or obesity
- ADD/ ADHD
- Arthritis
- Ear infections
- Sinus Infections
- Achy and painful joints
Those are just some of them but there are plenty more. Just to make things a little more tricky, food sensitivities can be triggered by perfectly healthy, whole foods which means we won't even suspect them. We'll keep feeding them to our kids thinking we are doing them a favour. Some examples of foods that trigger sensitivities are:
- Wheat/Gluten
- Grains (even soaked and sprouted)
- Dairy
- Eggs (often the white rather than the yolk)
- Nuts
- Soy
- Conventional meat
- Some fruits and vegetables
Often, simply cutting these out of a diet can fix the problem. Bear in mind, however, that it's not going to be immediate. You will need to give it some time and have some patience. It will be a process of elimination. Eliminate all of them. Give it some time and see if it clears. If it does, then slowly re-introduce them one at a time until you find the culprits. I would, however, recommend eliminating wheat and gluten permanently. While you are busy cleaning up your child's diet it's important to also clean out foods that aren't actually real foods. This means no more junk (at all), no more processed foods, no more sweet drinks like coca cola or even fruit juice and nothing that contains artificial colours or flavours.
I know that sounds incredibly hard but it's actually not. We have been eating like that for a year and a half and we don't feel in any way deprived. All you need to do is make sure that whatever your child eats is real food. In other words, you need to make it from scratch to avoid any of the wrong ingredients being put into it. There are loads of recipes on this blog that you can try out if you feel lost, from pizza to chocolate cake!
Start adding things like bone broth to your meals, only buy free-range meat, dairy and eggs and stay away from conventional produce. Stick to organic. These days it's easy to be organic. Woolies and Pick n Pay both have a lot of organic products on their shelves and the prices are affordable. If you are worried about the cost, just consider the price of the medication and supplements you will not have to buy and the side effects your child WON'T have to suffer from.
Nine times out of ten, if your child has a healthy colon, they will have healthy skin. Healthy skin leads to confidence which is going to further help their skin problem. They will also feel more energised and focused. You'll find this diet will help with any ADD and ADHD symptoms as well.
What do you have to lose by trying?
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