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Busting Acne Myths Requires Individualized Treatment and Mor |
by:
Naweko San-Joyz |
If you have acne, you know
the deal- everybody has a cream or suggestion to help you get
clear skin. But how do you separate myth, medicine and folklore
to find an acne treatment that works for you? That’s what researcher
Parker Magin set out to do in a study entitled, A systematic review
of the evidence for ‘myths and misconceptions’ in acne management.
Magin and co-researchers from the University of Newcastle, New
South Wales, conclude that clinicians cannot be “didactic” when
making acne treatment recommendations that are based on diet,
hygiene and sunlight exposure. According to Magin, acne treatments
should be individualized.
Meanwhile, the Academy of Dermatology has published a press release
touting, The Stubborn Truth About Acne: Myths and Misconceptions.
Though this article discusses a recent Stanford University survey
that examined acne myths held among young adults, it offers no
solid advice for securing an acne antidote. Moreover, its meaning
is paradoxical.
For example, the article headlines Alexa Boer Kimball, M.D. who
is an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard University.
Dr. Kimballs sums up the survey on acne by saying “that substantial
differences still exist between popular belief and scientific
support, yet this does not change the way patients attempt to
care for their acne.”
Dr. Kimballs’s comments at the Annual Meeting of the American
Academy of Dermatology casts a discrediting shadow over her groundbreaking
research that aimed to separate acne fact from fiction. Just two
years ago in 2003, Dr. Kimball was apart of a Stanford University
study investigating the effect of stress on acne. Then, Dr. Kimball
concluded that, “increased acne severity was significantly associated
with increased stress levels… while self-assessed change in diet
quality was the only other significant association.” The results
of this study suggested that the link between acne, and diet and
stress are no longer hypothetical but warrant further examination.
Another investigation aiming to demystify acne came for Dr. Loren
Cordain. Cordain and his associates explored the link between
diet and acne in a study called Acne Vulgaris: A Disease of Western
Civilization. Cordain noted that Kitavan Islanders of Papua New
Guinea and the Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay had no active
cases of acne. This prompted the question, “So why does acne vulgaris
affect 79% to 95% of the adolescent population in westernized
societies?”
Cordain found that genes alone do not cause the disparity of acne
incidences between non-westernized and modernized societies. Other
factors must enter the equation.
Acne can arise from hormonal shifts, stress upheavals and a host
of other causes. Your best defense against acne is observing yourself
and noting what conditions, foods and emotions aggravate your
acne situation. From there, you can use self-care to reduce acne
flare-ups.
About the Author
Health author and Noixia campaigner Naweko San-Joyz lovingly
writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include “Acne Messages:
Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne” (ISBN:
0974912204) and the upcoming work “Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we’re
still not getting this dieting thing” (ISBN: 0974912212) for
release in June of 2005.
For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com.
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