Herbal Remedies and other Non-Traditional Acne Treatments

Although over-the-counter acne treatments and traditional
prescription medications have been seen to be effective in
the reduction and sometimes elimination of acne, there are
other less traditional ways to approach the treatment of
acne that you should be aware of.  Approaches such as
acupuncture, herbal medicines, homeopathic medicine,
mind/body medicine, Ayurveda and Kampo as well as dietary
and nutritional considerations are some of the more common
ones. Let's take a look at each of these areas as they
relate to acne.

Herbal medicine: Some herbs are known to have
anti-inflammatory properties and, for that reason, they may
be helpful in the treatment of acne (as well as other skin
conditions).  You may have already heard of these:
Calendula, German chamomile, Witch hazel,  Licorice root,
Flaxseed and flaxseed oil, and also Tea Tree Oil.

The herbs that help reduce acne inflammation do so by
reducing the amount of the P.acnes bacteria produced by the
body as a reaction to clogged pores. Tea Tree oil has been
favorably compared to benzoyl peroxide in the reduction of
P.acnes and is said to have fewer side effects (stinging,
itchiness and dry skin).

The use of acupuncture in the treatment of acne has not
been scientifically proven but nevertheless has seemed to
produce results in reducing the symptoms of acne,

Homeopathic professionals evaluate the individual and then
tailor the treatment to the individual. Professional
homeopaths have found that certain homeopathic treatments
reduce certain symptoms of acne:

Biofeedback and Cognitive Imagery: Biofeedback and
cognitive imagery are relaxation therapies used because
emotional stress can have an aggravating effect on acne.
Biofeedback techniques train the individual to control some
internal processes such as heart rate and muscle tension.
Cognitive imagery (also called guided imagery) involves the
use of mental pictures to relax and evoke helpful physical
and emotional conditions. Together, when used properly by a
person who has mastered the techniques, these methods have
been shown to lessen the severity of acne breakouts.

Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine originated in
India. Ayurveda focuses primarily on diet and lifestyle.
Each person, as we all know, is unique and Ayurveda
treatments recognize this by tailoring recommendations to
the individual.

Kampo is a Japanese version of traditional, ancient Chinese
medicine. A Kampo treatment for acne, the treatment called
'TJ-50), has proven effective in some cases. TJ-50 consists
of seventeen herbs that have combined anti-inflammatory and
anti-bacterial properties.

It has been pretty well proven that, at least as a general
proposition, diet has no effect on acne but there are
certain foods that effect certain people in certain ways.
There are many reports from individual acne sufferers that
certain drinks or foods (it seems that nuts are
particularly suspect) make their acne worse. All that can
be said about this is pay attention to what you eat and how
it affects you over the next few days.

As is usually the case, a dermatologist should be consulted
if your acne condition doesn't improve when most of the
mainstream treatments have not yielded results.


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Author Tony Buel
http://www.acnetreatment-101.com/
Full article can be found at:
http://www.acnetreatment-101.com/Herbal-Remedies-and-Non-Tra
ditional-Acne-Treatments.htm