Acne treatment begins from within
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Lee Sung-hun
By Lee Sung-hun
It is only June, but we have already seen days with the temperature going above 30 degrees Celsius.
This rising temperature is unwelcome news to those with acne troubles.
It is said that with every 1 degree rise in the ambient temperature, there is about a 10 percent increase in sebum production.
What this means is that in the summer heat, increased sebum secretion and sweating can block pores which can lead to an acne break out.
Depending on the age of the acne breakout, acne cases are divided into either teen (prior to 25, slightly older than the typical “teen” age) acne or adult (after 25) acne.
Approximately 75 percent of adult acne is simply continued from their adolescent days, while the rest is independent of it.
Teen acne occurs because those teen years (generally coinciding with puberty) are when the body has overabundant yang-qi that causes heat to accumulate, and combined with the overproduction of sebum from hormonal changes, it is almost like a perfect storm for small inflammations leading to acne.
Teen acne tends to break out on the face, mostly on the nose and in the T-zone and also on the front chest.
On the other hand, adult acne is caused by waste products being stagnant in the body due to stress, irregular lifestyle, drugs, oily foods, smoking or menstruation. Females are three times more likely to suffer it than males and most adult acne represents as inflammatory lesions.
It is generally concentrated around the U-zone area (below the cheek bones, jaw and neck area) where the skin layer is very thin and blood circulation is slow.
Oriental medicine explains acne in association with the “cold” and “heat” inside our bodies.
Whiteheads and blackheads, which are non-inflammatory, are likely to occur in those with “cold” bodies. With a cold constitution, pores can be easily blocked to aggravate the symptoms.
A cold constitution also means that the body’s overall metabolism is slow, which can in turn slow down the shedding of dead skin cells, or secretions from the sebaceous glands.
Papules and pustules are inflammatory acne that are more likely to occur in those with lots of “heat” in their bodies.
With a hot constitution, or if heat has accumulated in the body due to stress, such heat has a tendency to rise and concentrate around the face area. This heat in turn can stimulate the sebaceous glands, leading to inflammatory acne.
Those with indigestion problems or irregular periods are said to have “cold” stomachs with improper circulation.
Poor circulation can lead to cold-qi accumulating in the stomach, leaving the face relatively heated and leading to inflammatory acne.
Oriental medicine’s treatment of acne then puts emphasis on controlling the cold and heat in our bodies to prevent further breakouts of acne rather than addressing the dermal lesions locally.
To adjust the cold and heat in the body, Korean Oriental medication is prescribed according to the body’s constitution.
Generally, Korean Oriental medicinal treatments for acne bring about improvements after about three months of continued administration. Patients are unlikely to see an immediate effect, but after about three months they may notice marked improvements.
One of the major concerns for acne patients is the red marks and scars left after the acne is treated.
At Oriental clinics, we use acupuncture needles to create thousands of tiny holes to promote the regeneration of the skin.
Another Oriental treatment combines acupuncture with herbs to generate a new skin layer and gradually remove the outer skin layers, unlike a chemical peeling where dead skin cells are removed with chemicals.
Popping pimples with dirty fingernails is one way to ensure that there are lasting scars afterwards, and thus it is strongly recommended that patients seek professional care at a clinic.
Everyday care is important
As previously mentioned, those with indigestion issues brought on by cold stomachs are prone to acne breakouts, and thus require monitoring and dietary changes.
Many adult acne patients tend to have only one or two meals per day with the time of their meals being different from day to day. Patients’ ability to digest their meals properly is often linked to having regular meals.
Studies have also shown that foods with a high glycemic index (GI) that cause a sudden hike in insulin secretion, such as sweets and most instant foods, can lead to acne breakouts.
Excess amounts of insulin are linked to an increase in epidermal keratinocytes, testosterone and sebum secretion.
The indigenous people of Papua New Guinea and South America, who are known to have skin without acne, tend to eat foods low in GI. Such low-GI foods include whole grains, vegetables and seaweed that have plenty of dietary fiber.
To avoid the rising heat concentrating around the face, which can cause more acne, alcohol, spicy foods, stress and excessive exercise should be avoided. Also, an adequate amount of sleep is known to help balance our hormones, and especially decrease androgen secretion.
Androgen makes the sebaceous glands larger and causes them to produce more sebum.
The hours between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. are when the hormones that help skin rejuvenation are the most active, and therefore it is best to go to sleep at least before midnight.
The writer practices Oriental medicine at the UN
Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul.