37 replies to this topic

[willow569]

Try naming a benefit to acne as you did with sickle cell anemia and you're argument may have a bit more value. Acne is an irritation caused by something we are doing differently in the environment, some may have better genes that can ward these environmental ills better, I don't doubt that. However, the only thing all of these products and remedies can hope to do is mask the symptoms of this irritation, they never treat the underlying cause. They are worthless and will only harm you in the end because they manipulate the natural order of your body.

We are still exploring all of these genetic factors and their links. There are still many unknown relationships between genes. I cited that sickle cell example to counter the previous person's agrument that things have to have a positive evolutionary purpose to be retained in our genetic makeup. This simply isn't true. Why do we still have schizophrenia and other serious (genetically determined) mental illnesses. Just what is their evolutionary benefit?

There is exisiting evidence to support the spainards spreading the cystic acne to american populations though. Its disucssed in Dr. James Fulton's book and in various journal articles.

There is also some evidence that diet and some topical products (things that are comedogenic) do worsen acne, but there is no medical evidence indicating that these factors are the root cause of acne. Unless you have some studies or journal articles that you aren't sharing with the rest of us?

[JR86]

They are worthless.

explain how they are worthless, if they eliminate acne symptoms. that is worth something.

[DitVit]

uh i remember i heard somewhere on tv that one of the egyption kings/prince had some acne but im not sure if that was correct ause its hard 2 remember wen ur depressed

[willow569]

uh i remember i heard somewhere on tv that one of the egyption kings/prince had some acne but im not sure if that was correct ause its hard 2 remember wen ur depressed

Yep - there is evidence that King Tut had acne (although remember that he was the "boy king" - so he may very well have been dealing with teenage acne!)

[acneconqueror]

Sounds similar to the myth about homosexuals existing in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, you people are so gullible. If you want to celebrate health problems and believe the fantasy world these hoaxsters invented to keep all the suckers ignorant and keep them giving their money away to doctors and pharmaceuticals, that's your problem.

[willow569]

Sounds similar to the myth about homosexuals existing in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, you people are so gullible. If you want to celebrate health problems and believe the fantasy world these hoaxsters invented to keep all the suckers ignorant and keep them giving their money away to doctors and pharmaceuticals, that's your problem.

I'm beginning to think we have a new troll in the neighborhood....

[acneconqueror]

I'm beginning to think this place has been compromised by pharmaceutical agents peddling Accutane and other expensive and harmful drugs and creams to gullible teenagers who are willing to compromise their bodily functions for vanity. And if you're wondering why i'm here, I was doing some research on what can be done for my acne scars, apparently not much, the laser 'treatments' seem to be as useless as the antibiotics and creams I took in my youth. As soon as I start sounding politically incorrect, meaning not believing into all the lies perpetuated by hoaxsters looking to make themselves rich at the expense of the health of others, i'm branded as a 'troll'. To hell with the establishment! Freedom now!

[WantToBeFree]

I'm beginning to think this place has been compromised by pharmaceutical agents peddling Accutane and other expensive and harmful drugs and creams to gullible teenagers who are willing to compromise their bodily functions for vanity. And if you're wondering why i'm here, I was doing some research on what can be done for my acne scars, apparently not much, the laser 'treatments' seem to be as useless as the antibiotics and creams I took in my youth. As soon as I start sounding politically incorrect, meaning not believing into all the lies perpetuated by hoaxsters looking to make themselves rich at the expense of the health of others, i'm branded as a 'troll'. To hell with the establishment! Freedom now!

Sounds more like he has paranoid schizophrenia

[bfg9000d]

Its very well documented acne has been around for a long time. A trip down to your local library will reveal this. One of the books I ran across had pictures that go pretty far back of people with acne some that are even tin back pictures. My grandparents knew all about acne. They knew their parents had acne and their parents had acne. So thats going well into the 1800's. So its a no wonder I have acne prone skin. Also black and white pictures tended to cover or lessen the look of acne. Thats why their appearance's looks softer then a color photo. Now one might make a case the severity of acne has increased. Which could be claimed on the poor western diet we have grown accustomed to. But even then this does not neglect the fact that acne has been around and in some people more worser then others.

[acneconqueror]

It was possible for people in the past to have nutritional deficiencies and strip their skin of its oils with soap, so I guess it's not impossible. I'm sure there were also a small number of obese people back then that overdid it with the processed white flour and sugar. The issue we have today is that it greatly increased from the past, making it appear that it never existed before because it was so rare.

Btw, what severity are you talking about? Acne isn't just acne, there are different degrees.

[AutonomousOne1980]

my dad had acne, and now i have acne. but my grandma and grandpa had none at all.

so if our genetics are supposed to get better, i dont see where that makes sense.

but for the argument of whether some topicals make acne go cystic or worse, is definitly an interesting idea,some studies of benzoyl peroxide have been shown to cause cancerous tumors on animals, and from what i know about acne is that it is related to cancer and thats why it is treated with a chemo therapy drug other wise known as accutane, perhaps they give out the benzoyl so people will develop severe acne and that brings them into the medical system where we can drag out the process as long as possible and empty your pockets and eventually put you on accutane, kinda like the auto industry they like to milk every auto repair job they can for the maximum dollar, perhaps the medical establishment is the same way. humans living like parasites off of other humans, they may be helping you out yea, but there is a fine line between help and exploitation and opression, there are definitly some who like to come right up to the line, tipping ever so slightly into the realm of oppression and exploitation.

But i dont want to paint just a gloomy picture of the medical "industry" their are many who exist to help and play fair, my last derm was actually one of them he was a cool guy, he may have not been to wealthy though!!!catch my drift.

my saying is that morality knows no profit, the more compassionate you are, the less money you make, the more you exploit and opress, well that could be very profitable indeed, isnt it agreeable that monopolys are profitable? just ask jd rockefeller he was the richest man ever, but you could also make money providng a good service woth the money you pay as well, so both are possible.

[AutonomousOne1980]

I'm beginning to think this place has been compromised by pharmaceutical agents peddling Accutane and other expensive and harmful drugs and creams to gullible teenagers who are willing to compromise their bodily functions for vanity. And if you're wondering why i'm here, I was doing some research on what can be done for my acne scars, apparently not much, the laser 'treatments' seem to be as useless as the antibiotics and creams I took in my youth. As soon as I start sounding politically incorrect, meaning not believing into all the lies perpetuated by hoaxsters looking to make themselves rich at the expense of the health of others, i'm branded as a 'troll'. To hell with the establishment! Freedom now!

yea i thought you were a troll as well, i guess some newbies will falsly get labeled as such, just stick around long enough and that label will fade, as long as you dont start peddling usless products that is.

[Joe Zit]

There aren't even that many people alive today that were alive in the 19th century.

Today's population is the largest in humankind, if that is what you mean. Back in the day, people had a far more devastating disease which left them disfigured and that was smallpox. Although Jenner devised the first system of vaccination in the late 1700's, smallpox continued to ravage whole populations during the 1800's.

People have suffered from acne from time immemorial. The ancient Romans prescribed sulfur to treat the disease.

I think you forget, too, that photographers even back in the day, had the ability to touch up photographs, and potrait painters have in general, always flattered their subjects.

Please do not suggest or imply that somehow the 19th or early 20 centuries were healthier. Diseases like tuberculosis and diptheria as well as cholera and typhoid fever swept through whole populations.

When I was a child there were no vaccines against measles, you were expected to get them. I also had whooping cough and was actually quarrantined for two months. In the early 1950's (before the Saulk vaccine was developed) there was a great polio epidemic and my parents lost two of their best friends to the disease, and yes I remember that epidemic quite well and how afraid my mother was.

Today we do not deal with public health problems the way we should, anti-biotics have become less effective or in some cases even ineffective (if there are those of you don't believe in evolution, BTW, then how is it that anti-biotic resistant bacteria, have evolved ?). Then there are those who disdain innoculations for their children.

Gotta get off my soapbox and get to work !

Joe Zit

[acneconqueror]

I had meant that there are very few people that were alive in the 19th century that are still living today.

I was not referring to bacterial and viral infections, i'm referring to chronic diseases such as acne and obesity which have clearly skyrocketed since earlier times. Bacterial and viral infections do have their purpose and that is to eliminate the weak of a population so that the stronger survive and reproduce. Last time I checked, acne isn't fatal and people with seemly ideal biological makeups are getting it (physical attractiveness is an indicator of this, i've seen beautiful girls on this website that are having acne problems). What this all means is that WE are causing acne and it really didn't exist in the numbers and severity that it does today though i'm sure they had mild versions of acne back in the day, people have been eating refined grain and sugar for a very long time.

[AutonomousOne1980]

I Last time I checked, acne isn't fatal and people with seemly ideal biological makeups are getting it (physical attractiveness is an indicator of this, i've seen beautiful girls on this website that are having acne problems). What this all means is that WE are causing acne and it really didn't exist in the numbers and severity that it does today though i'm sure they had mild versions of acne back in the day, people have been eating refined grain and sugar for a very long time.

nice observation. it doesnt seem to be a trait of completly bad genetics.

But still acne tends to run in families, there is a genetic component, but then again one of my sisters has like no acne on her she has a horrible diet and is a bit overweight, so its not really guaranteed. my brother has bad back acne and my mother now has acne in her late 40s well now she is 50.

so is there just a genetic susceptability?

[missypooh]

You are absolutely right, one of the best things you can do for your skin is to never wash it with anything but cool water perhaps once a week. Let your skin's natural process take over, stripping your skin of it's natural oils is completely idiotic, harmful and is one of the main reasons people have skin problems. Acne is not natural or genetic, acne was rare 50+ years ago and if you go far back enough, it didn't exist. Anyone who thinks we made "progress" in the field of dermatology doesn't have a clue, the condition of people's skin today is worse than ever before and that's a fact.

It wouldn't surprise me if you stop washing your face and still break out, most people's systems are fouled up from all the garbage they ate throughout their lives. Acne has multiple causes that you need to address before you get rid of it. This coming from someone who cured their own acne when the so-called skin experts couldn't.

I have an honest question...... If you've discovered this method of control for your complexion, why are you on an acne support website? I would think if your skin is in good shape, you'd be out living your life and enjoying your freedom from acne......not on a computer, by yourself, debunking the whole field of dermatology and the plethora of medications that have helped many people on this site gain some form of relief from their skin problems.

Were you really burned by a dermatologist THAT badly? It sounds like you were...... and I can understand your frustration with acne. We all have it to some degree. But if you've found YOUR cure, then get out from behind the computer screen and enjoy life!

[acneconqueror]

Was doing research on what can be done for acne scars.

[missypooh]

Was doing research on what can be done for acne scars.

Glad to hear it.... but based on your stated views of the medical community in general, you're not going to like the suggestions that you may find here regarding acne scars. The latest technologies involve either lasers and/or CO2 treatments, which usually are best performed by a qualified dermatologist. If you don't want to go that route, plastic surgeons have also entered into the realm of scar treatments.....

Good luck with your search..... P.