Everyone who doesn't have acne seems to know why you have acne. Have you ever noticed that? It's like all those clear-faced people around you seem to have some advice to pass around. It's a catch-22 tho- On one hand, if they had acne then you would know whatever it is that they did wasn't working, but on the other hand, if they had clear skin, who knows if it was because what the did was working or if they wouldn't have had it in the first place regardless of their skin regimen? As they say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions...
So here you are, loathing the smooth skinned person in front of you who is lecturing you on Omega 3s or milk cleansers or light therapy...
(WHY IS IT THAT THEY ALWAYS ASK "HAVE YOU TRIED PROACTIVE?" Of course we have tried Proactive! You think that we have avoided the most heavily advertised acne product? You think we live in a shell in which the Proactive propaganda doesn't reach? You think that we would willingly avoid a "miracle" product that is actually affordable?)
(...to that end, yes, I know you meant well. It's not your fault anymore than it is mine. We know your trying to help. And we do appreciate it. Which is why I smile and say "yes" instead of bellow at you.)
... and you still can't figure out why you and not them. Well, doc's haven't figured that out yet either- they know the ingredients to the acne recipe, but they don't know where those ingredients come from.
Three things occur to create a zit- All three of these things happen in abundance when you have chronic acne. They are: bacteria, sebum (oil), and un-shed dead skin cells.
Almost all the acne treatments you will find on the market, regardless of their form, treats one of these three things. The product is either designed to be something of an anti-bacterial, to dry up the sebaceous glands, or to shed the buildup of skin cells.
That's it. That's what all those products do in one way or another. If it's clever, like Proactive, it does two of those things- three if you buy their sulfur mask.
For example: The cleanser of Proactive is an exfoliant of sorts (shedding skin cells). Then you follow up with a toner (useless and damaging). You finish off with their Repair Lotion (which is a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, an antibacterial of sorts). If you use their sulfur mask, then your treating the hyper-activity of your sebaceous glands (sulfur reduces oil production).
I'm starting to sound like an infomercial, so let me clarify by saying I am not telling you to go buy Proactive. I'm using this product as an example because it's widely known and contains treatments for all three parts of a pimple, therefore is an example of what logic should tell us would work. Unfortunately, that isn't so.
If we know the pieces of the acne puzzle, then why is it so hard to treat? There are, literally, only three parts to a zit and we know what they are. Mystery gone, right? Here's the kicker: those things have to be caused by something. Therein lies the problem- you can treat the bacteria, oil, and cell shedding, but all your really doing is treating the symptoms. It's as effective as taking a cough syrup for a cold. The cold will still be there, the cough syrup just makes is bearable. It certainly does not make the cold go away. And if that cough is caused by something more severe, like a respiratory infection, then even the highest quality cough suppressant isn't going to make the hacking go away.
And that's when it gets really frustrating. What is the problem that is causing the symptoms? And that's something no one has been able to figure out.
So let's recap:
Three main components that create a zit:
a) Bacteria
b) Excess Oil
c) Excess Dead Skin Cells
What do most products do, Rx or OTC? Treat the symptoms, but not the problem.
Why can't we treat the problem causing the symptoms? Because we don't know what the problem is.
Why me? Who knows? But, they haven't figured out a cure for the common cold yet so it's not like we are the only thing science is missing. Next time I'll talk about the different products available to treat the symptoms.
No comments:
Post a Comment