I am not a doctor or dermatologist or anything like that. I sell blue light therapy products to dermatologists, estheticians, and, more importantly, normal people like you. I’ve heard story after story of people who have had acne for years, “tried everything,” and blue light was their last hope. The most painful of these stories to me were those of parents trying anything to help their teenager or preteen. Gratefully, blue light was successful for most of them. But there were those with severe cases for whom it did not work. I wondered why blue light did not work in every case, and I wondered what else could be done to help these people.
Here’s the questions I asked myself, and the answers I found. (These are generally accepted answers. Again, I am not a doctor.)
What causes acne vulgaris?
Clogged pores lead to infection and inflammation (inflammatory acne, or acne vulgaris.).
What causes clogged pores?
Too frequent and/or over production of oil in the oil glands of the skin.
What causes over production of oil?
Increased activity of the androgen hormone, a male sex hormone present in both women and men.
When I learned that the androgen hormone was responsible for oil production in the skin, I was struck by the idea that the cause of acne was hormonal.
I personally have had problems relating to my hormone balance. I’ve heard doctors tell me “there is nothing you can do to balance your hormones.” But as I turned to natural health alternatives, I learned there certainly are things you can do to balance your hormones, but they are just not as easy as popping a pill. (Too bad for all of us.) I learned that a key to hormone balance in the body is to get the insulin hormone under control. Insulin is directly related to what you eat, specifically sugar, and anything that turns right to sugar in your system, like processed grains. So I wondered,
Is there a connection between androgen, the hormone directly related to the cause of acne, and insulin, the hormone directly related to what you eat?
I found that there was. Here it is explained by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein:
“Acne results from the clogging and subsequent inflammation of oil glands. When androgen activity increases, the number and secretion of the oil glands of the body also increase. The higher the secretion of oil, the more likely it is that oil glands will become clogged, resulting in acne. Puberty and perimenopause are the two time periods when androgen activity increases. It used to be these times when women would complain of acne. Men generally experience acne only during puberty. But both women and men of all ages now complain of acne. The reason is that women and men are eating low-fat diets that are high in carbohydrates while also consuming stimulants. High carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, and when insulin rises, androgens are increased beyond “normal” ranges. Stimulants exacerbate this while increasing insulin and adrenaline.”
The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy, and Feeling Younger
pp. 168, by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D and Nancy Deville.
A recent 2007 Australian study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has made the connection between acne vulgaris, androgen production, insulin levels, and diet. In the study, Professor Mann, along with Robyn Smith, PhD and Royal Melbourne Hospital, divided forty-three males, between the ages of 15 and 25, into two groups. One group was given foods with a low glycemic load, and the other group was fed a more “typical” teenage American diet, high in sugar and processed foods.
After 12 weeks, the boys in the high protein-low glycemic load group showed significantly reduced free androgen levels, and a 50% reduction of acne.
In non-westernized societies, acne does not exist. Although heredity and some other factors may play a part, acne is in most cases a result of the severe hormone imbalance brought about by our diet and lifestyle. After a year of research into the cause of acne, I am convinced that acne can in fact be ‘cured,’ and that a healthy diet and correcting any Vitamin D Deficiency are the two major keys to the “cure.”
I will still sell blue light as a 100% natural, effective acne treatment, but our new website (look for launch around April 2009), will highlight all the above information, and every order will include it. I hope it helps you eliminate the need for any acne ‘treatment’ at all.
Links for more info, book recommendations, etc.
Yes, Acne IS related to Diet
Is Acne a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Three Easy Ways to Test for Vitamin D Deficiency
– A great little ‘quick-start’ guide to eating well.
The sun emits an unthinkable amount of energy, generally called electromagnetic radiation or the electromagnetic spectrum. This energy travels to earth in waves, and the wavelengths are measured in meters.
