Alternative Treatments for Persistent Acne

Acne is not life threatening, although its presence can undermine not only your confidence and self esteem but also how others perceive you as well. You cannot put your best face forward is it is covered in acne. There are plenty of treatments out on the market as well as home remedies which are aimed at treating and eradicating acne for good. The problem is that it rarely happens. Plus, each person’s body chemistry and skin condition is different so what may work for one may not work for another.

The primary goal of treating acne is to reduce the number of outbreaks as well as prevent scarring from them. But what if over the counter medications and even prescribed ones are not effective enough? Sometimes, you have to consider alternative forms of treatment in order to get a handle on your acne. Do you know what constitutes alternative? Basically it is a treatment you have not tried yet that is not prescribed by your doctor, although they may say that these alternative treatments could be beneficial.

Diet and Nutritional Supplements

Some people believe that the food they eat can cause acne. There is no definitive link however of this. Nevertheless, some people will experiment with food and eliminate some of them from their diet. You could simply add a zinc supplement as it has shown possibilities in reducing acne, especially the kind that is inflammatory.

Certain herbs have properties which can reduce inflammation, especially in acne. Calendula and flaxseed are popular and more known herbs which are safe to use either in an ointment or a pill form. Witch hazel, licorice root and chamomile are other herbs which can reduce the swelling. Tea tree oil is a great alternative treatment for acne as it has some antimicrobial properties. This means that if the acne is caused by bacterial or you have picked on them to create an infection, the tea tree oil can be applied on the area to reduce the inflammation as well as get to the root of the infection.

Acupuncture is an alternative treatment that has shown some promise at reducing acne lesions from forming. Homeopathy is another avenue to pursue in other types of acne treatment. A homeopath takes into account your health and constitution before devising a treatment whereas a doctor may prescribe a one size fits all type of medication and hope it works.

Biofeedback is another type of alternative treatment that can be investigated. Stress is often said to trigger acne outbreaks or make your acne prone skin more volatile. Biofeedback uses guided imagery to relax you and teaches you the techniques so that you can do them yourself at any time. Hypnosis is another area which can be used to guide you to a state of relaxation so your worries don’t show up in the form of acne on your face and body.

Just remember – your own body and chemical make-up is different from everyone else’s. Therefore, the latest alternative treatment that works for your friend may do absolutely nothing for you and vice versa. Unfortunately, it takes time and effort and a lot of experimenting to find an alternative solution that could work for you.

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