Colloquially, acne vulgaris, simply acne, is called zits, pimples, or blemishes. It is formed when the growth of sebaceous glands lying beneath the skin’s surface is controlled by male hormones. These glands and the hair follicles, or the pores, within which they are found, are called sebaceous follicles. These follicles open onto the skin through hair follicles. At puberty, increased levels of male hormones cause the glands to produce excess sebum. Too much sebum blending with dead and sticky skin cells results in the formation of a hard plug called comedo that blocks the pores. After the plugged pores are invaded by Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium that inhabits the skin, and other bacteria like Malassezia and staphylococcus epidermidis.
When the pores are clogged, these bacteria propagate. Enzymes Propionibacterium acnes produce can decompose sebum cutaneum making free fatty acid that stimulates the pores to have an inflammatory reaction. Propionibacterium acnes can also form low molecular peptide which has chemotaxis on neutral granulocyte. Owing to the hydrolase formed by the latter, the wall of a hair follicle leaks and even breaks, causing the contents of a hair follicle to enter dermal tissue and thus triggering inflammation and cystis.
On traditional Chinese medicine view, acne happens under the following conditions: steaming from the heat of lungs, hot blood filling in skin; eating excess spicy, fatty foods, causing damp and heat to block the formation of skin; or dysfunction of spleen changing damp pathogen into heat and this damp heat with phlegm residing in skin.
Dermatologists normally treat acne with vitamins, estradiol, antiluteotrophin, and other female hormones. However, they won work after most acne patients take them for seven months.
Traditional Chinese medicines treat different kinds of acne with different remedies. Chinese medicine pratitioners use combined therapy of Chinese herbal medicine and acumoxi to adjust hormone secretion in the body by expelling toxin with cooling, dissipating phlegm, softening hard mass, and eliminating abdominal mass.
Usually after one course of treatment and one-and-half month Chinese medicine taking, acne on face will vanish, and no more medicines taken is needed. Six months later, pigmentation fades away; then bright, beautiful skin on an acne suffer抯 face revive. Miss. Xu, for instance, an international student, visited my office in the summer, 2003. Her face was red covered by many pimples, which really frustrated her. After one month treatment with Chinese herbs and acumoxi, the red pimples on her face disappeared. Six months later I saw her, her face became white and bright. No one could guess she had acne before. She told me with joy that she no longer feared acne return even when she ate spicy food.
Another effective healing case is a boy, called Konstanti, whose face had many cherry-sized pimples because of acne. He had taken some medicines prescribed by a dermatologist for seven months without any effects. While waiting for another dermatologist treatment, he came to my office to try his luck. After one month treatment with Chinese herbs and acumoxi, red cysts on his face were almost flat. At the time when he would visit the second dermatologist, I suggested he should go there. Unfortunately, this dermatologist treated him the same way as the first dermatologist. Therefore, his parents decided to continue my treatment until their son face fully recovered. These cases tell you that when you suffer from acne, take some Chinese medicines. You acne will get cured after less than two months? treatment with Chinese medicine and acumoxi as long as you don be afraid of the bitter taste of Chinese herbs.