In order to control acne, you have first to control your hormones. Acne occurs when the pores in your skin become blocked with oil, bacteria and toxins, and there is a relationship between the oil and toxins and the production of certain hormones by your glands. The bacteria, normally anaerobic, work on both the oils and your skin to stimulate an inflammatory response, all which combine to form acne.
The beliefs that acne is caused by chocolate, fatty foods or poor personal hygiene are nothing but myths: true, washing the skin twice a day might help to reduce the symptoms, but insufficient washing doesn�t cause it. Neither personal hygiene nor diet is a significant factor, except in respect of the essential fatty acid content and removal of surface bacteria, though it is not these that cause the problem
So what are these hormones that make your skin so oily, and how are they connected with the generation of toxins in your body? They are, in fact, a type of hormone called androgens, or male hormones that all men and women produce to one degree or another. They come to the pore during puberty, which is why children do not get acne. They might get other skin conditions such as eczema, but not true acne.
However, it is not just in puberty that androgens are released in large numbers, but also during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Your skin contains glands known as sebaceous glands that secrete sebum or skin oil, to the surface of the skin. Sebaceous glands are situated over the majority of your body, although not so much on the feet and hands. They are most numerous on the back, chin and forehead, and also around the genitals and inside the ear. Although most of these glands open onto hair follicles, some open onto the surface of the skin. They become active before birth, so acne has nothing to do with inactive glands suddenly becoming active.
The purpose of sebum is not completely clear, and many claim it to help your skin remain supple, protect it from environmental factors that cause dermatitis and reduce the rate of water evaporation, and so help prevent it drying out.
None of these have proved, and some believe that sebum has no use to modern man (or woman), but there is a growing body of evidence that it contributes to the homeostasis of skin. Whatever its use, when androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands and expand the pores in your skin so that more sebum is secreted, the triglycerides it contains are broken down into free fatty acids by bacterial enzymes known as lipases. These become impacted, and the pores can become blocked and infected by bacteria. This initiates the immune response with accompanying inflammation and leukocyte activity which generates the pus of whiteheads, or zits.
However, it is not only through their effects on sebum that hormones cause acne. Generally the liver regulates hormonal balance, and eliminates excess hormones from the body. When production of androgens such as testosterone increases, the liver is unable to maintain a balance or to eliminate the excess effectively, and also fails to thoroughly eliminate toxins that are then expelled by bother means.
This combination of toxins, excess sebum and impacted fatty acids and bacteria result in acne. The best way to control acne is get your hormones back into balance and strengthen your liver. However, this is not easy to achieve, and there are many other remedies by acne sufferers to control their condition. For example, some contraceptive pills can help to regulate hormones, but don�t use these without medical advice.
It is not only teenagers that suffer, although they tend to suffer from acne more than any other group due to the sudden increase in hormonal production, particularly the introduction of androgens to their bodies. Women often experience mild acne starting about a week before their period, and there are a number of medical conditions that can lead to high levels of androgens such as glandular diseases, obesity and liver disease.
Inflammation can be reduced by essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 is found in flaxseed oil, and is increasingly used to fortify foods such as margarine. Omega 6 in particular is an effective treatment, and evening primrose is a good source of this essential fatty acid that has to be consumed in your diet because your body's biochemistry is unable to synthesize it.
The oils obtained from borage seed and the seeds of blackcurrants are also a good source of omega-6, but evening primrose oil is much more common and less expensive even though the flowers last only one day. 500 mg taken thrice daily is a good dose for acne, but let's have a look at why evening primrose oil is so effective.
The active ingredient, omega-6, is GLA, or gamma linolenic acid. When applied topically, studies have shown GLA to block androgen receptors, and to effectively decrease levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by inhibiting the 5-Alpha-Reductase that is responsible for the production of DHT. Less DHT equals less acne.
The effect of evening primrose oil on acne is described as a dilution of the sebum, the production of which is stimulated by testosterone or DHT. This reduces the likelihood of sebum blocking the pores and leading to skin lesions through the effect of the inflammatory response of the immune system. However, this is a simplification of the effect of prostaglandins. Essential fatty acids stimulate the production of the prostaglandins that help to maintain the balance of hormones in your body.
This ensures that the correct amount of sebum is produce by the sebaceous glands, and so avoiding the excess emission that results in acne. Prostaglandins are essential components of your body's biochemistry and essential fatty acids, particularly GLA, are necessary for their synthesis. However, prostaglandins are not enough, because the hormones that have done their job have to be destroyed.
As previously inferred, that is the job of the liver and without a healthy liver the excess hormones will build up in the body and produce excess sebum that helps bread bacteria and acne.