Acne is easily recognised as spotty skin on the face, neck or
back. It often appears in the teenage years and then may clear
up by the early twenties. Acne is more common in boys than in
girls, and in either sometimes leaves lasting scars on the skin.
Here follows, for the first time in history, the exact cause
of acne and how to stop it.
All of the human skin has hair follicles, although these are
not as numerous as sweat gland ducts. Some of the follicles, such
as those on the head, actively produce hair. Most of the follicles
have a growth of very fine small hairs that are hardly noticable,
or no hair at all. All of the follicles have a sebaceous gland
which slowly produces a very small amount of sebum, an oily substance
which passes from the gland along a duct to near the base of the
hair shaft. Normal sebum provides waterproofing for the hair and
has anti-microbial properties to assist sweat in protecting the
skin.
During adolescence gradual sexual maturity stimulates the production
of additional body hormones. These hormones cause an increase
in output of the sebum from the sebaceous glands. The increase
in speed of the sebum through the sebaceaous gland duct, which
is a modified sweat duct and a havard, causes, like sweat, a loss
of anti-microbial protection. Without this protection normal skin
microbes are able to enter the sebaceous gland duct and the immune
reaction to the presence of these microbes blocks the duct.
The sebum output is always continuous and under pressure, although
the speed of output is very much less than that of sweat. The
result of this output can be plainly seen on the faces of sufferers.
If the blockage is near the surface the force of the output of
mixed sebum and microbes can be seen oozing into the surrounding
skin in the form of blackheads, whiteheads, inflamed papules,
pustules and superficial cysts.
If the blockage is at a deeper point in the duct then there may also be
deep inflamed nodules and pus filled cysts, which
often rupture and become abscesses.
Treatment is aimed at preventing the ducts from modifying the
sebum in passage through the duct, so that it will not lose its
anti-microbial property. As the ducts are modified sweat ducts,
this can be done by signalling using ActivSignalTM
Sodium, which can be taken in the form of pills or tablets, or
worn on the skin. ActivSignalTM therapeutic products are not absorbed
into the body and so have no side effects.
The first commercial ActivSignal product is now under development.
In order to prevent the sebaceous gland ducts from modifying
the sebum in passage in the duct, the body must be able to detect
sufficient sodium in the body environment. If the acne sufferer
is habituated to a high carbohydrate diet, it is very likely that
there will be raised blood glucose. The body defends osmolality
above all else. If glucose is even slightly raised then sodium
is subtracted from circulation in order to maintain osmolality.
This lowering of circulating sodium is seen by the body as a deficit
of sodium and so the sebaceous gland ducts may not switch back
from adverse habituation to original habituation.
For good health it is necessary to get the blood glucose back
to normal. A good diet with little carbohydrate (no bun or dressing
for the burger) is the first line of defence, plus exercise to
burn off the glucose. If necessary, in addition, anti-diabetes drugs
may be used to normalise blood glucose.
