Hi Guys,
I had to have a go at this, hope I don't bore you.

I think you have to know what causes acne before you can even consider a treatment, and this appears to be the missing ingredient in this discussion. First of all let us make ourselves aware of the myths, or alleged causes of acne that have now been dis-proven by research.

http://www.medicinenet.com/acne/article.htm#2whatcauses

http://www.medicinenet.com/acne/page3.htm#5whatcan

http://www.medicinenet.com/acne/article.htm

Here is what a large, sensible, alternative medicine website has to say on the matter

Welcome to www.internethealthlibrary.com
The UK's largest Alternative Medicine, Complementary Therapy and Natural Health Care Resource. In the Library, you will find all of our services are FREE! This includes access to Medical Research where we provide access to the medical databases where you can find out about ANYTHING that has been been published in medical journals all over the world

http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Healt...oblems/Acne.htm

One week ago I was in Borneo, 4.0 degrees north of the equator, and not being entirely stupid (most of the time), and being a born sticky beak, I wanted to learn as much as I could, in the short time I was there, about the local people. Malaysia has a population of 27.5 million people of which 53.3% are Malays, 26% are Chinese, Indigenous 11.8%, Indian 7.7% and others 1.2%.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2777.htm

Population (2008): 27.5 million.
Annual growth rate: 2.0%.
Ethnic groups: Malay 53.3%, Chinese 26.0%, indigenous 11.8%, Indian 7.7%, others 1.2%.

One of the things I noticed was the huge amount of acne in the population regardless of ethnicity, apart from the tribes people who didn't appear to have any, which would suggest a genetic cause, or predisposing inheritance amongst the others.

The temperature never changes much from one season to the next ( they only have 2 seasons wet and dry) - the very narrow range of temperature throughout the year - 32.0C to 35.0C approx. daytime, night time gets down to 27.0C - 29.0C with an average humidity throughout the year of 71.3%. You sweat continuously from the moment you leave the air conditioned rooms until you return, the rain forest dwellers that don't seem to have acne wear less clothes, are in the shade more frequently, and probably have developed skills to accommodate this harsh climate, such as moving slowly, resting often etc.( I forgot to ask this question, but observation of forest guides would suggest this was true).


I would love to see studies done on permanently sweating and acne, on acne and climate, and also on the type and numbers of bacteria inhabiting the skin of people living in these harsh conditions.


Another exogenous cause could come from something that influences hormones such as hormone mimics (wild hormones from grasses etc), a piece of research from Science Direct would suggest this could be true.

Referred to by: Commentary: Diet and acne
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Volume 58, Issue 5, May 2008, Pages 794-795,
Guy F. Webster
PDF (257 K)
Objective

We sought to examine the association between dietary dairy intake and teenaged acne among boys.
Methods

This was a prospective cohort study. We studied 4273 boys, members of a prospective cohort study of youths and of lifestyle factors, who reported dietary intake on up to 3 food frequency questionnaires from 1996 to 1998 and teenaged acne in 1999. We computed multivariate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for acne.
Results

After adjusting for age at baseline, height, and energy intake, the multivariate prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval; P value for test of trend) for acne comparing highest (>2 servings/d) with lowest (<1/wk) intake categories in 1996 were 1.16 (1.01, 1.34; 0.77) for total milk, 1.10 (0.94, 1.28; 0.83) for whole/2% milk, 1.17 (0.99, 1.39; 0.08) for low-fat (1%) milk, and 1.19 (1.01, 1.40; 0.02) for skim milk.
Limitations

Not all members of the cohort responded to the questionnaire. Acne assessment was by self-report and boys whose symptoms might have been part of an underlying disorder were not excluded. We did not adjust for steroid use and other lifestyle factors that may affect occurrence of acne.
Conclusion

We found a positive association between intake of skim milk and acne. This finding suggests that skim milk contains hormonal constituents, or factors that influence endogenous hormones, in sufficient quantities to have biological effects in consumers.

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; GUTS, Growing Up Today Study; IGF, insulin-like growth factor; PR, prevalence ratio



It would be interesting to know what the state of skin health was in native people from all climes of the world prior to the arrival of Europeans, but documenting this was not a prime consideration unfortunately.

Cheers

Acne is not purely a teenage predicament, 20 to 40% of the adults do encounter problems with acne. In fact, some people are only being paid the first visit in their 40s! The problems of Acne stems from many reasons, which include an overactive sebaceous gland, genetic factors, or lifestyle factors such as stress, excessive dead skin, damage to the skin caused by scratching, and clogging agents trapped on the skin when cosmetics used are not totally cleansed

Hi rimee,

I think you should look closely at what you are calling research, in the interest of establishing truth in patient advice. You might as well get your advice from Bart or Homer Simpson as a manufacture, or supplier of treatments. Honesty and truth goes out the window to be replaced by profit, most people know this but obviously you can still take advantage of those poor academically challenged people that do still believe manufacturer's hype, infomercials etc. Look what medicine says.


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* Acne Index
Acne

Medical Author: Alan Rockoff, MD
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD

* What is acne? What are the different types of acne?
* What causes acne?
* What other skin conditions can mimic acne?
* When should you start to treat acne?
* What can you do about acne on your own?
* What are other things you can do for acne?
* What is a good basic skin regimen for people with acne?
* What can the doctor do for acne?
* How would you sum up current-day treatment of acne?
* Pictures of Skin Problems - Slideshow View Skin Problems Slideshow
* Patient Discussions: Acne (Pimples) - Length Symptoms Lasted

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Doctor to Patient

What is acne? What are the different types of acne?

Acne (acne vulgaris, common acne) is not just a problem for teenagers; it can affect people from ages 10 through 40. It is not unusual for women, in particular, to develop acne in their mid- to late-20s, even if they have not had breakouts in years (or ever). On the positive side, those few individuals who have acne into their 40s may well grow out of it. Acne can appear on the skin as any of the following:

* congested pores ("comedones"),


* whiteheads,


* blackheads,


* pimples ("zits"),


* pustules, or


* cysts (deep pimples, boils). The pus in pustules and cysts is sterile and does not actually contain infectious bacteria.

These blemishes occur wherever there are many oil (sebaceous) glands, mainly on the face, chest, and back.

You can do a lot to treat your acne using products available at a drugstore or cosmetic counter that do not require a prescription. However, for tougher cases of acne, you should consult a physician for treatment options.

What causes acne?

No one factor causes acne. Acne happens when oil (sebaceous) glands come to life around puberty, stimulated by male hormones from the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. Sebum (oil) is a natural substance which lubricates and protects the skin, and under certain circumstances, cells that are close to the surface block the openings of sebaceous glands and cause a buildup of oil underneath. This oil stimulates bacteria (which live on everyone's skin and generally cause no problems) to multiply and cause surrounding tissues to become inflamed.

Inflammation near the skin's surface produces a pustule; deeper inflammation results in a papule (pimple); deeper still and it's a cyst. If the oil breaks though to the surface, the result is a "whitehead." If the oil accumulates melanin pigment or becomes oxidized, the oil changes from white to black, and the result is a "blackhead." Blackheads are therefore not dirt, and do not reflect poor hygiene.

Here are some factors that don't usually cause acne, at least by themselves:

* Heredity: With the exception of very severe acne, most people do not have the problem exactly as their parents did. Almost everyone has some acne at some point in their life.


* Food: Parents often tell teens to avoid pizza, chocolate, greasy and fried foods, and junk food. While these foods may not be good for overall health, they don't cause acne or make it worse. Although some recent studies have implicated milk and dairy products in aggravating acne, these findings are far from established.


* Dirt: As mentioned above, "blackheads" are oxidized oil, not dirt. Sweat does not cause acne, therefore, it is not necessary to shower instantly after exercise for fear that sweat will clog pores. On the other hand, excessive washing can dry and irritate the skin.


* Stress: Some people get so upset by their pimples that they pick at them and make them last longer. Stress, however, does not play much of a direct role in causing acne.


* Hormones: Some women break out cyclically, but most women (and men) don't. Some oral contraceptive pills may help relieve acne, but unless a woman has abnormal menstrual periods and excessive hair growth, it's unlikely that hormones play much of a role in causing acne. Pregnancy has a variable effect on acne; some women report that they clear up completely, and others get worse, while many others see no overall change.


* Cosmetics: Most cosmetic and skin-care products are not pore-clogging ("comedogenic"). Of the many available brands, those which are listed as "water-based" or "oil-free" are generally a better choice.

In occasional patients, the following may be contributing factors:

* Pressure: In some patients, pressure from helmets, chinstraps, collars, suspenders, and the like can aggravate acne.


* Drugs: Some medications may cause or worsen acne, such as those containing iodides, bromides, or oral or injected steroids (either the medically prescribed prednisone or the steroids that bodybuilders or athletes take). Other drugs that can cause or aggravate acne are anticonvulsant medications and lithium, which is used to treat bipolar disorder. Most cases of acne, however, are not drug-related.


* Occupations: In some jobs, exposure to industrial products like cutting oils may produce acne.

Cheers

Hi Guys,
I have just found this old abstract, and people should be wary of all abstracts more than 5 years old, science (cutting edge) is usually out of date before it has done it's round of peer reviews.

[Current aspects about the role of zinc in nutrition]. [Article in French]

Favier A Groupe de recherche sur les pathologies oxydatives, Universite de Grenoble, La Tronche.

Rev Prat 1993 Jan 15;43(2):146-51

The role played by zinc in biology is now better known, and numerous biochemical mechanisms, such as immunity or actions on several hormones and more than 200 enzymes, have proved to be zinc-dependent. Thus, many functions are disturbed when this trace metal is deficient, including, for example, taste and appetite, cell multiplication, growth, pregnancy, fertility, defence against bacteria and brain functions. Zinc intake has been found to be unexcessive and indeed, at the limit of sufficiency in the French population. Groups at risk, such as neonates, growing children, pregnant women and elderly people, should have a higher zinc intake provided by dietary measures or supplementation. Zinc supplementation has been shown to exert a beneficial effect in randomized studies concerning children's growth, acne, old people's immunity or low female fertility. Such supplementation must be balanced and given in moderate doses since zinc interacts with other foodstuffs, and an excess of zinc can be as bad as its deficiency in our nutrition.

Cheers

Occurrence of acne can be prevented if some care is taken by personal hygiene, avoiding artificial sugar, fried dishes and not meddling with your face all the time. If you wash your face twice or thrice a day and wipe it with a towel, thats is more than enough to keep acnes away.

Hi livehealthy,
Research has consistently disproved all of that advice, as the research above explained. Excessive washing is bad, diet has no effect.

Cheers