The universe is not just or we just get what we deserve. Acne can ruin the life of anyone rich or poor. The poor believe if they were only rich, the problem could be solved. The rich know better.
The solution does not lie with the economic resources but rather the democratic training of the physicians. Modern medicine assumes that we are all a variant on 7 billion identical twins. I am sure if you take a quick look at your bratty younger brother, you are positive that even close relative bear no resemblance to you in appearance, personality, or intellect.
This equality assumption is required in the testing of medical procedures, medicines, treatments, and devices. The academic community and the governments require that everything work for this theoretical 7 billion people with an error of only 5% two tailed; this assumption means 700,000,000 people don’t fit! Until about 1990’s, research for new treatments etc was tweaked for the individuals; now individualization is essentially forbidden. These restrictions are in part based on government health care cost containment.
Physicians are also trained as clinicians not as scientists. So although they do learn the science, they are no longer trained to think through the science for an individual to make a treatment work. Now we have also returned to the 1930’s where science has become so political that the interpretation of data is spun so that it fits into accepted theories. True science requires that the theories are based on the data.
Most doctors who see wealthy patients spend most of the day seeing patients on insurance and have been trained in cost containment. So democratically applied treatments are given to all comers rich and poor.
Boring facts; but it means that the doctor you see is likely to be untrained and unaware of treatment options or how to individualize treatments. You want perfect smooth skin; and you have the money to pay for it. The state of science and technology is such that one can potentially control acne to the point that no one knows you are prone to it and any traces of disaster have been long removed. So lets proudly bring back the mirror and enjoy it.
The computer geeks (yich) say it correctly: “Garbage in Garbage out!”
Whether you are rich or poor , if you don’t take good care of your body don’t expect it to be healthy. So, you must learn what it takes for you (not your cousin Ellen) to be healthy. Healthy does not mean the absence of a cold or cancer, healthy means your body is at its optimum functioning ability. Simply: NO acne - Acne is a form of diseased skin, Yes > 90% of teenagers will get acne. One, it should be trivial. But more importantly, who ever supposed that teenagers inherently live healthy life styles. Four thousand years of human experience concludes that the goal of a teenager is to avoid all that is healthy at all expenses. A few days ago, a teenager with scarring cystic acne on his face chest and back told me that he ate a low fat high fibre diet, drank plenty of water , exercised and had a healthy life style. I told him in over 30 years I have yet to see that true. He then admitted although he did not eat potato chips, he smoked, hung out with friends who smoke but only when they party which is 1-5 times /week. Yes, 99% of thousands of patients I have seen with scarring cystic acne smoke or live with smokers, or play with smokers. Unless you flunked geometry (by the way it is a logic system not some stupid proofs about what is obvious), “smoking is associated with severe acne” is not the same as “all smokers will get acne”.
The oils in acne are cholesterol and triglycerides. (Yep that stuff the old people are told to avoid) Many people with severe acne will already be showing signs of clogged blood vessels associated with diets too high in fats and meats. On the other hand, Miss Eye Em Perfect who is the vegetarian will likely get into a mess as well without some meats, fish oils, and animal based foods people can become malnourished and yep – get acne. There are ways to determine how much is right for you. The default always is that if your body is not healthy – you may be “doing” something wrong based on your genetics. There a people who just don’t have the proper genes to be healthy, but most of us do have a good set of genes (not Jeans, Susan). Some of the changes are easy; some may be life shattering such as avoiding everyone who smokes, eating healthy when everyone around you eats worse than a pig.
Summer: the sun’s radiation may dry up acne: but it makes more over a 6-8 week period. Since the 1800’s , acne aestivalis has been recognized as acne in people who get too much sun.
Then there are goodies like: water, hair products, skin products, toothpaste, makeup.
There are legitimate (even if not covered by insurance) blood tests, computer analysis which actually determine the nutritional status of people. These are not the alternative medicine tests but actual tests used for decades by government organizations when testing about industrial or environmental poisonings. Unfortunately, the existence of these tests are not known to most physicians who practice routine medicine/dermatology. They are not typically listed in the general laboratory manuals,
Typically, people try taking supplements: but if one takes too much of one supplement, it may cause another supplement not only not to work but may also lead to the loss of that nutrient despite it being supplemented. Too much makeup used to hide acne just makes someone look like they have a lot of makeup and too much acne.
Before the dark ages (no please no history)… Don’t get histrionic! Medicine assumed that people were different: some naturally warmer and greasier than others; some pale, cool , and dull. All kinds of combinations. Oh really, there are people who are red greasy and as boring dull as possible. These combinations need to be considered when diagnosing and treating any disease even acne. The ancient goal was to look for the ideal middle and take the person to that side of their natural self. The coolest hot girl ever.
Next time more…
Beauty history uncovered
Beauty and truth are often misrepresented by the press and Hollywood, surprised? Attached are pictures of Elizabeth Taylor playing the role of Cleopatra and then a coin minted by her showing what she looked like. Notice the blochy bumpy cheeks (they are red), the big nose swollen and bumpy. She had a common skin disease. Do you know the name. Since she decapitated young women with soft smooth silky faces, they started painting their cheeks red with iron oxides. The beginning of blush…. Iron oxides crushed into a powder is called rouge. Iron oxides are otherwise know by what common name? I taught the answers to a group of medical students in Florida.