Coping and Living With Acne

It is rare for acne to be a serious health risk. Unfortunately the consequences can be severe. The unsightly blemishes and the appearance of having unhealthy skin will probably cause depression.

An easy way to help defeat depression is to take all possible steps to reduce the effects of each attack.

Not everyone can readily afford a professional dermatologist on an ongoing basis. A single consultation can provide all the advice you need and a prescription. The value of this should not be under estimated. Although there is lots of information available today, it's helpful to have someone experienced who can explain it all to you.

The prescription or medication is vital, both to treat the disease and the psychological effects. As the sufferer sees a reduction in the spots and suffers less attacks, the depression will reduce. In most cases, even when acne is still present, knowing that one is doing everything possible to clear up the outbreak promotes a better attitude.

Passivity when faced with acne creates a downward spiral. The patient resents their damaged appearance. They don't like how they look to themselves and don’t want to expose themselves to other people.

Stoically accepting what, to them, is a major problem only worsens it. It tends to emphasize the mistaken belief that they can do nothing. If they don't think anything will help, they don't even try to help themselves. Because they do nothing, the acne continues and will probably last longer and more severely than need be. That provides false evidence that nothing can be done to cure it.

Seeking treatment helps ease the feeling of despair. In its worst forms, acne won't normally disappear in a day even with the best treatment but simply trying can lift your spirits, especially as the disease starts to clear up.

Acting in this way can give a more vital benefit, it builds up the inner resources that one needs to deal with the challenge. It helps to create the attitude that looks forward to the future instead of concentrating on one unfortunate - often short term - problem.

Over 85% people between the ages of 12 and 24 years will have an acne attack. Usually the attacks are mild and will clear up within two weeks with proper treatment. Because it is so universal, one needn't feel singled out. Because it happens to just about everybody now and again, it can be accepted as a normal, trial we must go through.

That's not a pleasant fact to accept. But it promotes a realistic attitude that things are not always ideal.

It should also be taken into account that much of the distress caused by acne is often created by people around the patient. Far too often thoughtlessness in what is said can badly affect someone who already feels that their world is coming to an end. Acne might attract sympathy but it should not be seen as a way to promote laughter.

Sometimes using a word can change the cultural reaction to its meaning

There's an obscure branch of science called semiotics. It studies the process called communication. How a message is passed from one point to another using signs and symbols. So, birds and frogs sing to attract mates. Other species of animals and plants release chemicals into the environment to mark their territory, tell each other when they are fertile and ready for action, and so on. Humans have developed language so that meaning is attached to sounds or images. At the simplest level, everyone will recognize the noises made when people are in pain or happy. Groans and laughter are universal. But then it gets complicated because different languages used in different cultures produce different meanings for the same sounds or images. For example, the several hundred million people in Indonesia and Malaysia (more than currently live in the US) think that the three letters "air" mean "water". In fact, groups of letters can be given any meaning. Some of these meanings will be kind, others less so. To understand these meanings, you have to be in the culture. Someone who is not a native speaker will never understand all the different shades of possible meaning in a given language. One of the most feared words is most cultures is "acne". It may only be four letters, but to people approaching puberty or their parents and family, this is something to dread. There seems to be no end to the cruelty of humans to each other. Once a difference emerges in a group, it's picked on as something terrible and the attacks begin. Only those who match the norms are safe. That means anyone whose skin suddenly erupts into pimples is treated as a plague carrier. Their personal hygiene standards are criticized and every aspect of their character is put under the microscope. This treatment is damaging to self-esteem. Confidence fades when you are victimized in this way. What should be a normal part of growing up that everyone accepts becomes a dangerous rite of passage. There are only two ways to deal with this problem. Either the culture must change to be more forgiving of difference or the medical profession must supply a "cure". Against this background, it's fascinating to see the spread of "acne" as a brand. Now emerging from Sweden on to the world market comes Acne, the fashion label, and Acne Paper, the fashion magazine. The fashion house has just opened its first store in New York offering a wide range of own-label clothing from fashion jeans to stylish dresses and blazers. It's also working on furniture, music and movies. The magazine is also about design (and fashion). It's mainly European in style. The importance of the use of this word is that it may begin the process of changing culture. If more people wear the clothes, sit on the furniture, read the magazine and listen to the music, the horror of the word may start to fade. People will still be cruel to each other but they may pick on different features (or just use different words). Until we get this cultural revolution, you can always rely on the drug market for relief. Buy accutane online and find an effective treatment almost every time. Better still, using an online pharmacy lets you buy cheap accutane — treatment is always better value when it's affordable.