It is simply one of the toughest trials of adolescence – having skin covered in unsightly marks. It has driven countless sufferers into the throes of despair, misery and even depression.

It gets worse, because there are three notable things about acne vulgaris, as the inflammation is commonly known, which make it the bane of countless people the world over:

1. It affects all ages – from adolescence to the latter part of our lives.

2. It strikes all body parts – face, neck, back, arms etc

3. No one really knows its cause. We know that it affects the sebaceous glands which hold the hair follicles but we are not sure why exactly the unsightly papules are formed.

What is more, untreated acne can turn into cysts and cause scarring. Complications abound and treatments vary from cosmetics to laser treatments costing thousands of dollars.

Are these treatments really needed? There are a few natural steps which the canny sufferer can follow to alleviate the symptoms and even potentially lead an acne free life.

Interested? Read on, all will be revealed.

Vitamins A and E

A leading study in the Clinical Experimental Dermatol has shown that patients with severe acne tend to have lower levels of vitamins A and E in their blood streams. For vitamin A make sure that you eat plenty of fish, liver, carrots, eggs and dark green & yellow vegetables. For vitamin E try eating spinach, sprouts and nuts. You may also want to consider taking supplements to ensure that your chances of fighting off the acne are maximised. It is also thought that Zinc, which is renowned for its immune and anti inflammatory properties, is effective in the fight against acne. Zinc is also thought to help regulate oil glands and the sebum that plays an important part in the formation of this skin condition. Zinc can be found in beef, lamb, pork, crabmeat, turkey, chicken, lobster, clams and salmon. For vegetarians pumpkin seeds offer one of the most concentrated non-meat food sources of zinc but it can also be found in peanuts, beans, wholegrain cereals, brown rice and potatoes.

Sugary foods

Recent studies seem to favour a hypothesis that food and drink high with refined sugar has a part to play in the formation of acne. Foods such as chocolate, sweets and soft drinks produce blood glucose, which in turn causes high levels of insulin which has proven to cause (amongst other things) increased levels of acne. Cutting down on refined sugars will also decrease the chances of diabetes, tooth decay and weight gain, so all round is good advice to follow.

Milk

A number of recent studies published by the American Academy of Dermatology have shown a link between acne and cow’s milk and its derivatives such as yogurts and cheese. It isn’t clear whether this is due to artificial growth hormones fed to the cows or just natural intolerance to non-human milk. If you are suffering acne try cutting down on your milk consumption – science suggests that you will see an improvement in your acne.

Living with acne is no walk in the park, and the emotional as well as physical effects of the condition are well recognised. Heed the advice within this article, however, and your chances of ridding yourself of this ailment will be maximised.