Acne Specialist believes there is a correlation between Vitamin B5 deficiency and acne (the most common skin disease), due to modern food processing.

Vitamin B5, aka pantothenic acid, serves the body in many ways. It is a member of the nutritionally elite group of eight vitamins lovingly called the Vitamin B complex. This powerful group of vitamins has a role in nearly every major body system and process. The Vitamin B complex keeps both body and mind functioning and in good health.

Vitamin B5, like all of the vitamins in the B complex, is essential to the body for a number of reasons (also see other sections of acne-specialist.com for more information):

-Pantothenic acid as coenzyme A is closely involved in adrenal cortex function and has come to be known as the “antistress” vitamin. It supports the adrenal glands to increase production of cortisone and other adrenal hormones to help counteract stress. Coenzyme A is vital in the synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol, steroids, sphingosines, and phospholipids. It also helps synthesize porphyrin, which is connected to hemoglobin.

-Through the above mechanism, Vitamin B5 is also thought to help prevent aging and wrinkles and is important for hair and healthy skin. As you can imagine, it is used in a variety of cosmetic products.

-It has the ability to utilize the food it takes in as fuel for its myriad of processes, great and small. As the coenzyme, Vitamin B5 is important in cellular metabolism of carbohydrates and fats to release energy.

-It works in the regular maintenance and repair of all bodily tissues, from the cellular level on up. This makes it a critical part of the body’s efforts to fight the physical damage to which excessive stress contributes.

-Vitamin B5 serves many important functions in the nervous system — for example, Vitamin B5 contributes to the production of neurotransmitters, which are important to the ability of the nerves to communicate.

-Through its adrenal support, Vitamin B5 may reduce potentially toxic effects of antibiotics and radiation.

-Vitamin B5, acting as a cofactor or partner to other members of the Vitamin B complex as well as other nutrients, has a great role in the functioning of the adrenal glands and also promotes normal growth of the body. This is due to its role in hormone production throughout the body.

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B5 is stable to moist heat and oxidation or reduction (adding or subtracting an electron), though it is easily destroyed by acids (such as vinegar) or alkalis (such as baking soda) and by dry heat. Over half of the pantothenic acid in wheat is lost during milling, and about one-third is degraded in meat during cooking. In many whole foods, Vitamin B5 is readily available.

Only recently the general public is becoming more aware of the importance of whole foods. Yet, diets of the majority of the population are still made up of mostly heavily processed foods (available Vitamin B5 activity is lost during refinement of foods) due to our fast pace, time poor lifestyle of the modern world.

“NO WONDER THE SERIOUS GLOBAL ACNE PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY AMONGST DEVELOPED NATIONS!!!”

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Vitamin B5 / pantothenic acid is found in yeasts, molds, bacteria, and plant and animal cells, as well as in human blood plasma and lymph fluid.

Good sources of pantothenic acid include the organ meats, brewer’s yeast, egg yolks, fish, chicken, whole grain cereals, cheese, peanuts, dried beans, and a variety of vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, green peas, cauliflower, and avocados. Vitamin B5 is also made by the bacterial flora of human intestines, another source for this important metabolic assistant or coenzyme.

Fatigue is probably the earliest and most common symptom of pantothenic acid deficiency. A diet high in refined and processed foods or a reduction or destruction of intestinal flora, most commonly by antibiotic use, can lead to a vitamin B5 deficiency.

Teenagers are more likely to experience a deficiency, because their diets often include high amounts of “fast foods” sugars, and refined flours (all low in B vitamins). And the problem may be compounded because the acne often associated with this type of diet is commonly treated with tetracycline antibiotics, which reduce the intestinal bacteria and thereby the production of pantothenic acid in the colon.

Studies of pantothenic acid deficiency in rats showed increased graying of the fur, decreased growth, and, in the extreme, hemorrhage and destruction of the adrenal glands. In humans, the decreased adrenal function caused by B5 deficiency can lead to a variety of metabolic problems. Fatigue is most likely; there may also be physical and mental depression, a decrease in hydrochloric acid production and other digestive symptoms, some loss of nerve function, and problems in blood sugar metabolism, with symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) being the most common. Pantothenic acid affects the function of cells in all systems, and a deficiency may reduce immunity, both cellular and antibody responses. Other symptoms of B5 deficiency include vomiting, abdominal cramps, skin problems, tachycardia, insomnia, tingling of the hands and feet, muscle cramps, recurrent upper respiratory infections, and worsening of allergy symptoms.

Therapeutic ranges are more like 250-500 mg daily and even higher, taken, of course, along with the other B complex vitamins. Individual needs vary according to food intake, degree of stress, and whether one is pregnant or lactating. Those people who eat a diet of processed foods, have a stressful lifestyle, or have allergies require higher amounts of pantothenic acid.

As with other B vitamins, there are no specific toxic effects from high doses of pantothenic acid. Over 1,000 mg daily has been taken for over six months with no side effects; when 1,500 mg or more is taken daily for several weeks, some people experience a superficial sensitivity in their teeth. However, it is possible that if B5 is taken without other B vitamins, it may create metabolic imbalance.

Acne is one of the most common problem teenagers are facing today. Adolescents are more prone to it because of the active hormonal changes present during the adolescent stage, this stimulates the oil glands to produce more sebum (oil produced by the adrenal glands to keep our skin moist) which gets trapped in our pores. With the presence of bacteria it creates the familiar swelling known as blackhead, whitehead or pimple. The good news is, for some cases acne disappear as you grow older.

The severity of infection varies from person to person, some worse than others. If not treated, acne will leave an ugly scar in your skins which are hard raised areas on the skin’s surface or pits of different depths.

There are different methods of treating acne and one of the most effective and has immediate results is laser treatment.

Laser acne treatment usually starts out with a review of your medical history and your physician will ask for any medication that you’re currently taking (this is important to determine if it is safe for you to undergo the treatment). The area needing attention will then be cleaned and a gel will be applied, your physician will then start the treatment by gliding the laser hand piece on the areas needing treatment. Depending on the size of the area that needs attention, each session could take up to 20 minutes.

How Does Laser Help Treat Acne?

An FDA approved laser system called Aura targets an organic compound produced by the Propionibacterium Acnes (p. acnes) bacteria called Porphyrin. This is done by delivering laser light impulses through the infected skin’s surface. These Porphyrins generate singlet oxygen 102 when targeted by the light pulses; this kills the p. acnes bacteria causing the infection.

The number of treatments needed will vary depending on the severity of the infection but it usually starts with a twice a week session for two weeks. Future sessions will then be determined by your physician depending on the outcome of the initial treatment.

Most people get good results after two weeks of treatment and rarely had to undergo another session, some people are unlucky though that repeated treatments are needed to maintain the desired result. There is no question about the effectivity of this procedure, recent clinical study shows that patient’s acne became 81% less severe following the treatments.

Is Laser Treatment Painful?

It will feel like a rubber band snapping against your skin but will be a bit more uncomfortable for severe conditions. A topical anesthetic may be advisable to make it easier. A normal swelling and redness on the treated areas will be noticeable after every session but it eventually fades out after a few days.

Costs associated with the procedure will vary depending on the physician or treatment centers that are offering the service. However the costs are usually outweighed by the benefits of undergoing a laser treatment. It provides a quick and noticeable result in as little as two weeks and if you follow your doctor’s advice in preventing future infections, you will not see any reason for you undergoing another treatment.

Acne is a lifelong problem for most people, adults and teenagers alike. Most people would want to get rid of acne due to vanity. But there is a deeper reason why people want to clear their faces of acne. Acne is understandably the cause of humiliation and self-consciousness for most people. Moreover, acne is also a cause of discomfort that it affects their professional and social performance.

There are now new ways acne can be treated, and they are available to patients. All they have to do is to choose the most appropriate medication according to their skin type. Acne is treated by various topical and oral remedies. When acne becomes inflamed, the aid of antibiotics may be needed. Moreover, other common treatments for acne are punch grafts, chemical peels and excision.

But another popular method to treat acne is through laser. Laser treatment can work as well as the aforementioned treatments. However, it also has the added benefit of lessening acne scars. As a matter of fact, this treatment is often recommended for acne cases where scarring already exists. Laser treatment can help lighten out the scars.

Laser as a treatment for acne has been around since the 80’s. It may be the perfect treatment for those people who are afraid of serious side effects of the drugs and medications.

(1) 2 Types of Laser Acne Treatment

Laser acne treatments are of 2 types. The first one is focused on restricting the bacteria’s growth in acne lesions. The other one is targeted to reduce the overactive sebaceous oil glands that are involved frequently in the development of blackheads and clogging of skin’s pores. The laser treatment can also reduce the breakouts and minimize the severity of acne.

(2) Duration of Laser Acne Treatment

Laser treatments usually last less than 30 minutes except in other cases where more treatments are required. Additional 3-5 laser acne treatments spread in months may be needed depending on the condition of the acne, whether severe or mild.

(3) Is Laser Acne Treatment Painless?

In general, patients should not feel pain with the laser acne treatment. Therefore there is no need for an anesthetic for the procedure. And this is just one of the advantages of this modern equipment for treating acne.

(4) What People Should Consider?

People should consider one’s skin color before having their acne treated with laser. The color of the acne scars will be different depending on the skin pigment. To ensure that no possible discoloration happens, or at least only a minimum occurs, one should talk to the dermatologist before treatment.

It is very important that the doctor is qualified to perform such procedure. The laser is not a cure but a treatment, and therefore should be treated with patience, like other forms of treatment. If one’s doctor is an experienced and licensed laser practitioner, there are minimum risks for patients.

A person who has an acne problem should make sure that the treatment chosen is the treatment they want to undergo. So, it’s best to talk to the doctor and ask for advice.

The information highway, especially online, is loaded with all kinds of answers to find an acne cure. You will see everything from someone giving you 12 steps to get rid of your acne in 3 hours to someone else telling you to put mud on your face and the next morning your acne will be gone.

So what is the real truth about finding an acne cure?

Everyone believes they have the answer. But is that the truth? Well, sometimes it is and sometimes what they are selling or trying to get you to believe has some validity to it. But most times, it’s a bunch of words used to fill up a page.

Is there really such a thing as an acne cure?

Not in the way that you think. But even with that being so, the answer is yes! There is an acne cure but it takes a bit of time and consistency. Unfortunately, there isn’t an absolute, bonafide miracle drug, cream or cleanser on the market just yet, but I have high hopes that there will be. Until then, be logical; use common sense. Your acne starts inside your body not on the outside of your body, so to help this condition and find an acne cure, you really should start from the inside out.

Where do I begin to find an “inside out” acne cure?

If you follow the advice below, you will get rid of your acne and it will stay away.

1. A Diet for acne – Yes, unfortunately, this is on the top of our list. Many will tell you that eating fried chicken and chocolate sundaes do nothing to contribute to your blemishes and you can find an acne cure without giving these up.

No matter what anyone says, including a dermatologist, eating like this and trying to find an acne cure is almost impossible, unless you take antibiotics or some other strong internal medication. Even then, when you get off of them, the acne comes back.

Include in your diet, Vitamin A, E, Selenium and Zinc. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and add some good fiber to your diet also. Drink plenty of water. This will set up an environment in your body to be able to counteract the bacteria that is causing your acne and prohibiting you from finding an acne cure. And as an extra bonus besides having beautiful, glowing skin you will feel better also!

2. Use correct medications – Make sure that when you purchase over the counter medications, cleanses and creams that you are aware of exactly what you are buying. If not, ask for help or go online before you go to the store and get reviews on certain products. Make sure you are aware of your skin type: oily, dry or normal. Also, be aware if you have any allergies to products. When looking for these products to find an acne cure, read the labels and try to get products that are as natural as you can find. Lastly, check the ingredients and buy the product that has the highest percentage of benzoyl peroxide and/or salicylic acid. They are two of the most effective ingredients to find an acne cure.

3. Try herbal and homeopathic remedies – Alternative therapies, medicines and remedies can be amazing when it comes to finding an acne cure. And they do not harm your health. But remember, when you are dealing with this kind of remedy, it is a hit or miss situation. It may take time to find what works perfectly with you and your skin type. But it is well worth spending the time because more than not, you will find an acne cure for life.

Follow the above plan and you will find an acne cure and in the short run, get your condition totally under control. If you cannot follow the above regimen your condition worsens see your family doctor or a dermatologist. The longer you leave your acne unchecked the more chance you are taking to have acne scars which can be permanent.

A lot of people think that medical acne treatments are enough for their acne cure but in reality, proper acne skin care matters much more and plays a vital role in every acne cure success. The first thing you should realize is to avoid oil based skin care products because these will clog up pores and will result in more acne breakouts. You should only choose water based make-ups, moisturizers, and other skin care products because these won’t cause any clogging of pores.

Another very important acne skin care is to avoid rubbing, pressing, picking, or squeezing of pimples because this will spread out the bacteria in other areas that will cause further pimple outbreaks. You can kill the bacteria on the surface of your skin by applying lemon juice that is diluted in water. Its antiseptic quality is the most effective acne cure in most cases.

Applying tea tree oil and mint toothpaste as well as the juice of a raw papaya can help cure pimples because these natural ingredients will penetrate deep down inside the pores and dry out pimples fast. If you have an active acne outbreak, this acne skin care regimen will certainly eliminate them in no time.

In addition to proper acne skin care, you should also consider rethinking your daily diet. A diet that is high in fatty and oily foods will just disrupt your acne cure practice because these foods affect your glands to produce excessive oils thus leading to further acne outbreaks.

You should drink plenty of water and vegetable or fruit juices because they will help in flushing out the toxins of your body. Vitamin A rich foods also help in rejuvenating your skin. You can find this essential vitamin in tomatoes, peaches, watermelons, squash, and carrots.

The acne cure stage doesn’t stop when the pimple outbreaks are gone since you still have to deal with the acne scars that resulted from it. You can use cucumber and other fruit and vegetable facial packs to cure your pimple scars. In addition, rubbing potato slices all over your face can also help in getting rid of blemishes and acne scars. This is one of the main secrets of acne skin care.

Even if you have found effective acne cure commercial products in the market, when you don’t have the proper acne skin care, your acne will just resurface on your skin. It is very important for us to know these acne skin care regimen to avoid acne from coming back. A lot of people are now enjoying acne free lives because they have perpetually followed every guideline on this article.

I’m sure thousands of people suffering from acne still have no clue about how acne skin care can help them cure their acne. These simple and easy to follow steps are the only way they can get rid of their skin condition. If you know someone suffering from acne, you can help them discover the hidden gem secrets of acne skin care.

About 98% of the total world population had encountered acne at least once in their lives, whether they were in their teenage years or as an adult. This high encounter rate is due to the fact that all of us experience hormonal changes within our system. Hormones are responsible for the development of certain areas of our body and they keep on changing to provide a perfect balance within.

Acne cure comes from different sources such as acne medication, skin care, commercial products, and other specialized treatments. The most commonly used among these acne cure sources is the acne medication that can be bought over the counter even without the prescription of a medical professional.

Acne medication comes in many forms as well such as topical medications and oral medications. The topical acne medications are formulated into bactericidal, antibiotics, and retinoid treatments. Each one’s effects vary from person to person. A mild acne sufferer can use these topical products for their acne cure and they say that these have little or no side effects at all.

Natural treatment remedies for acne cure like tea tree oil, zinc, Aloe Vera, lemon juice, and lime juice are also very effective. These natural remedies can easily be bought from the store nearest you and they’re cheap alternatives to acne medications as well. Some acne medications such as ibuprofen, azelaic acid, and refocoxib help in lessening the pimple inflammation brought by acne. These elements kill the bacteria on the surface of the skin as well.

These aforementioned acne medications are just a few over the counter products you can buy from the pharmacy. The only downside of about finding the best acne medication for your case is the extensive research and manual experiment whether these products will prove to be effective on your acne cure or not. Some acne cases are caused by constant hormonal imbalance. When this happens to be your problem, you will need to consult a doctor for the appropriate acne medication to treat the hormonal imbalance within you. Some doctors will prescribe contraceptive pills to women suffering from acne because the pills help bring back the balance to their hormones.

Most of the effective acne medication products contain benzoyl peroxide, a compound that kills bacteria-causing acne on the surface of the skin as well as deep inside the pores. You can find it in the form of gel, cream, bar soaps, facial foams, and other acne cure skin care products. Benzoyl peroxide can effectively cure acnes that are moderate to moderately severe. Another effective ingredient is the salicylic acid which works like benzoyl peroxide but in a milder form. This can be used in acne cure for mild to moderate acne especially for those who have sensitive skin types.

Always remember that finding the acne medication on your own can be a tough challenge because of the hit and miss outcome of each product used. If you want a faster acne cure, you can consult a dermatologist about your skin condition because they have years of experience as well as extensive medical study to back up their diagnosis.