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Acne

What you need to know:

This must be the bane of so many teenagers’ lives, particularly as it so often seems to flare up just as they’re planning a hot date or have an important job or college interview. This will be no consolation to them whatsoever as they peer into the bathroom mirror inspecting the latest crop of spots, but they aren’t alone. Studies have shown that 80 per cent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 have some degree of acne - and nearly all of them grow out of it.

There are nutritional changes that may help - although they might not seem that attractive to the take-away generation.

Dietary changes that may be beneficial:

Eat more:

Dark green and orange fruit and vegetables - for their beta-carotene
Citrus fruits - for their Vitamin C
Nuts and seeds - for their Vitamin E
Cabbage - because it helps to regulate hormone levels
Complex carbohydrates - potatoes (but not as chips), brown rice, pasta, wholemeal bread and beans
Tropical fruits like pineapples, mangoes, paw paws, kiwi fruit - for their healing enzymes

They won’t like you for this, but they need to give up:

High-sugar convenience foods, like some breakfast cereals, apple turnovers, Danish pastries etc.
Chocolate
Ice cream
Salt
Burgers
Hot dogs
All processed meat products, like pork pies, pasties, salami, sausages

These dietary changes will help their skin from the inside, but there are also natural preparations which they can use on the affected areas.

Other useful advice:

Tea Tree or bergamot oil patted gently on the spots or used in a face steamer. An easy DIY face steamer is to get a bowl of boiling water, add the oils, cover your head with a towel and put your face over the bowl. You can also put these oils in the bath, soak a flannel in the water and use it as a compress on the affected area
Massaging the skin with a mixture made up of one small carton of yoghurt mixed with a tablespoon of coarse sea salt. You need to do this very gently and not when the spots look like - apologies about this - custard pies. If they nick the top off them they’re likely to get infected and they’ll be in an even worse state

It’s obviously tempting for teenage girls - and boys these days - to try to cover up the zits with heavy make-up. That’s not a good idea, as the additional oil will just add to the problem. And it almost goes without saying that having a good pick while they’re watching a favourite television programme or poring over homework is . . . well, silly.

Homoeopathy

The homoeopathic remedies kali bromatum, calcarea sulphuricum and sulphur may also help. So will sitting in moderate sunlight for half an hour or so a day. They need to be careful, however, that infected skin doesn’t get burned - that’s another recipe for infection, discomfort and disaster.

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The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.