11 replies to this topic

[Corsair]

Hi, guys. Just to discuss that, after all these years we are still fighting acne bacteria. Oily skin can be controlled, but because bacteria is there we still have lesions. We need to find a way to kill bacteria effectively in order to solve this problem.

In order to improve an acne situation we must:

a) Keep our skin not oily or excesively oily. --Here we can use the cleansers/unclog pores and oil absorving sheets.
b) Keep our skin moisturize. --Dry skin will increase our oil factory production.
c) Handle bloody bacteria. Here we can use BP and Tea tree oil and antibiotics but they have their problems.

In my opinion, our body is not producing enough white cells and macrophages to deal with this issue. Why is it that some people handle very well the problem? Do we have a Hormonal imbalance? Our body simply cannot deal with bacteria and the only thing it does is to produce inflammation of the site? How can we help our body to kill the bastards properly? How can we boost our immune system to incease the production of white cells and macrophages?
Why are there people with oily skin, others who work in mines, their skin is dirty and they do not suffer this illness.

Edited by Corsair, 13 May 2010 - 08:53 AM.

[databased]

How can we boost our immune system to increase the production of white cells and macrophages?

Yeah, wouldn't want to do that. IMHO, it's the overactive immune system that's the problem. P. acnes hits a keratinocyte, keratinocyte responds by spewing superoxide anions, but then the normal immune system dampeners don't kick in (due largely to a screwed up melatonin cycle, melatonin being discovered lately as a key immune system controller), so more and more superoxide anions spew killing healthy skin cells, then the immune system thinks it's got real trouble and mounts a major inflammation/pus event.

I always cringe when folks want to "boost" their immune system. It was nearly 20 years ago that medical research began to show that the immune system is often the problem in disease, rather than the solution. Since folks without acne still invariably have P. acnes on their skin, the bacteria itself is clearly not the root cause (nor killing it the natural solution).

[Corsair]

I agree with you that bacteria is not the only problem. We need to add hormonal imbalance which may be related to oily skin. But when you already have pimples and your body only produce inflammation of the zone, the only thing to do there is to kill bacteria, that will reduce inflammation and redness. But we do not have a proper method to kill it faster.

[spectacled_owl]

While I don't know how exactly - I do think that the way our skin is shedding and our sebaceous glands are functioning plays a big role.

Oiliness alone does not cause acne, nor does p.acnes bacteria.

The things that affect how our body functions on these cellular levels come from our diet, sleep cycles, how active our lifestyle is, etc.

[Corsair]

The things that affect how our body functions on these cellular levels come from our diet, sleep cycles, how active our lifestyle is, etc.

Well I lived with my bro lots of years and we ate the same, we played futboll, we sleept a lot. So that is for later, when you already have acne. (my bro is OK, clear skin)
It is a difficult quest and it is tiresome to wait until we got older so our hormonal system kind of balance. But that time we lost our precious years.

Edited by Corsair, 13 May 2010 - 01:44 PM.

[DeeVoo]

I think that allot of it has to do with the acid mantle of the skin being disrupted by the commercialized cleansers and soaps that have been so deeply embedded in our society. The pH of your skin is very important;

pH-

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. On top of your skin you have an extremely thin film of protection called the acid mantle. I like to think of this as your skins immune system because it acts as a barrier to bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful contaminants. The acid mantle is your first line of defense. Therefore, it is very important to never disrupt it.

It is also important to keep your skin at its proper pH. On a scale of 0-14 (0 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral, and 14 being the most basic) the pH of your skin is at about 5.5, which is slightly acidic. Proper pH balance helps your skin to shed its dead skin cells at an even rate, getting rid of black heads and resulting in a desirable healthy glow!

It is important to remove dirt and makeup from your skin on a regular basis in order to keep pores clear. However, a general rule to follow would be to not use anything that foams or suds! Soaps and face washes can have a pH that is too ‘basic’ for your skin (ranging anywhere from 6-11) no mater how gentile they may be they will disrupt the acid mantle... Often times, a warm wet wash cloth and splashing with water, are enough to remove dirt and cleanse the skin.

A good way to remove makeup and achieve a deeper cleanse is the Oil Cleansing Method.

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/OIL-CLEAN...Hi-t141871.html

[spectacled_owl]

The things that affect how our body functions on these cellular levels come from our diet, sleep cycles, how active our lifestyle is, etc.

Well I lived with my bro lots of years and we ate the same, we played futboll, we sleept a lot. So that is for later, when you already have acne. (my bro is OK, clear skin)
It is a difficult quest and it is tiresome to wait until we got older so our hormonal system kind of balance. But that time we lost our precious years.

Yeah, I do think that some people (for what reasons, I wish I knew) are just susceptilbe to acne while others aren't. For those of us that have chronic acne though, staying healthy is the way to go. Right now it's our best shot at stopping acne from it's "source".

It's not p. acnes that's the problem - it's how our bodies are managing it.

[Corsair]

I think you are right. Acne bacteria is there always. Then all translate to hormonal problems in puberty but when you are an adult mmm perhaps the problem is a little more complex.

The effective way to kill bacteria is for those people who have thos ugly red, sometimes inflamated lesions and need and urgent solution. So that's the reason I wrote about immune system. There was a news last week I think that said that people who do not get AIDS it's becuase their immune system produce far more white cells and macropaghes ... and also I have noticed that when I got a cold, my acne seems to improve.

[zillamosnta]

Drink coffee/sodas and eat chips/burgers/fried shit/dairy.

Follow these steps and you'll be acne free.


No but seriously, look at many cultures around the world who are COMPLETELY acne free...what do they do differently? I think a lot of it has to do with all the preservatives that are found in American food. Thats just my take, but it makes sense.

[spectacled_owl]

I think you are right. Acne bacteria is there always. Then all translate to hormonal problems in puberty but when you are an adult mmm perhaps the problem is a little more complex.

The effective way to kill bacteria is for those people who have thos ugly red, sometimes inflamated lesions and need and urgent solution. So that's the reason I wrote about immune system. There was a news last week I think that said that people who do not get AIDS it's becuase their immune system produce far more white cells and macropaghes ... and also I have noticed that when I got a cold, my acne seems to improve.

I think that when acne improves during a cold it has more to do with the fact that you're eating less, and perhaps even eating better food.

Do you have a link to that news story? It doesn't sound right to me - too many white blood cells is not healthy and is likely sign of an infection or another disruption of normal cell regulation.

Also, as far as attacking p. acnes bacteria, it is a very adaptable bacteria I think. So for someone that has a chronic acne problem it is highly unlikely that you will stop your acne permanently by just attacking the bacteria. You have to restore normal function of your body and the area where acne bacteria lives and grows, so that your body stops reacting to it.

I'm a good example of that as BP used to work wonders for me, now it doesn't really work at all.

Edited by skylyre, 13 May 2010 - 03:36 PM.

[Q_P]

and also I have noticed that when I got a cold, my acne seems to improve.

If acne is due to an overactive immune system, this makes sense. Your immune system probably changes its focus from stopping the bacterial invasion on your skin to stopping the viral invasion that's causing the cold. I know that a treatment for the auto-immune disorder Crohn's disease involves ingesting harmless parasitic worms that resemble more dangerous parasites, which gives the immune system something to attack other than the Crohn's sufferer's gut; perhaps a similar thing happens when you get a cold.

[Corsair]

When you have a virus in your system, you produce more white cells and macrophages so they try to stop the virus but they dont discriminate, they just try to kill them all. every stranger in the hood. That's the reason.

And the body will never be back to normal if you have an abnormal activity in your hormones. Women can deal with the problem taking birth control pills but men ... ?
People should deal with the problem by themselves, but sometimes bacteria wins the game and that is the reason we are here. Your body is unable to deal with bacteria, he just produce inflamation.

Edited by Corsair, 13 May 2010 - 07:13 PM.