How To Combine Natural Acne Treatments With Oral Medications

I bumped into a couple of friends of mine when I was out yesterday. The topic of my blog came up and my friend asked me “why don’t you just take roaccutane”. I was kind of taken aback because I thought most people that knew me well would know that I don’t promote taking this product as the most desirable acne treatment …so I didn’t have a very good comeback at the time I think I mentioned suicidal thoughts as a possible side effect, which he said back to me that not everybody gets – which is true.

I realise that I may sound as though I’m 100% against oral medications and topical gels and creams for treating acne, but really I’m not.

However, there are two very good reasons why I choose not to promote oral medications as the best acne treatment, and why I prefer to exhaust natural alternatives first.

1. Oral medications such as roaccutane, antibiotics and the contraceptive pill can have unpleasant side effects.

Yes, these medications often do a damn good job at clearing up acne, but they can also make the condition worse or even not be effective at all. I have had great results with both antibiotics and the pill in the past, but the pill gave me a chronic case of vaginal thrush that lasted a year, and the antibiotics always make my skin very sensitive to sunburn and flushing, almost like rosacea.

In many cases I totally agree that severe acne does require medications to treat the condition. Mainly because the infection has spread so much that it’s hard to get a hold of the condition naturally while there is so much bacteria in and on the skin. At the same time, don’t rule natural treatments out. Karen Jessett is a great example. She had a severe case of acne and was recommended to take roaccutane by her dermatologist. She knew the possible bad side effects so chose not to take the drug. She did her own research instead. With a very disciplined diet and a natural skin care routine, she cleared her severe acne by 99%. Here is an excerpt from her book:

At the age of twenty-two, I went to a different doctor. I desperately wanted to get rid of my acne, which had now become severe even though I was now taking antibiotics at a dose four times that which is prescribed for tonsillitis. The doctor examined my face and admitted my skin was terrible. He suggested I be referred to a dermatologist who could prescribe Roaccutane, or similar. This he said would deal with the problem once and for all, but warned me of the serious side effects that could occur. This was the catalyst for me – I definitely didn’t want to take drugs that were that strong. I knew there must be a better healthier way.

I decided to come off the antibiotics and started to look into my diet and lifestyle with reference to skin problems. I read as many book as I could on the subject of nutrition and skin health. I ate more fruit and vegetables, reduced my intake of red meat, dairy products and refined carbohydrates, used natural products on my skin, took up exercise again and consciously made the effort to de-stress every day. Within a couple of months, my acne was visible better. I’ve turned my diet and lifestyle around, and in doing so my skin is now clear 99% of the time.

Karen’s story is very inspiring, but it sounds like it did take a lot of work. What we can take from Karen’s experience is the knowledge that it is possible to treat acne naturally, without the use of oral medications or topical gels and creams. But also know that if you feel a need to take these things then you can! You don’t have to choose one or the other either. You can take oral medications, while also treating acne naturally by eating better, exercising and using natural skin care products. The medications often just fix the condition in the short term anyway, so taking a more holistic approach is a great idea.

If you’ve been reading my blog then you’ll know that three weeks ago my skin totally freaked out. I don’t exactly know why this happened, but I have a hunch it was from using benzoyl peroxide which completely dried my skin out, terribly. Followed by switching to the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). My theory is that there was a heap of dead dried up skin on my face from the harsh chemicals which I just filled into my pores by using the OCM. In addition, taking the supplement maca during the wrong times in my cycle (ONLY take this supplement in days 1-14 of your cycle if trying this supplement girls) stimulated my hormones and increased my sebum production. Yes, a recipe for disaster. The result was too many blackheads and whiteheads to count, and a scattering of small inflamed pimples in areas that I broken out in, in years. And of course of lot of tears to go with it.

So I did end up filling out my prescription for antibiotics which I’ve decided to take while my skin heals. I’m taking a very low dose and it’s working very slowly, but it’s helping me work on healing the comedonal acne without getting too many inflamed spots.

I’m not particularly proud of taking the antibiotic, but I realised that my obsession with my skin, my depression and my skin picking and the tons of different quick fixes and product that I put on my face, did a good job at ruining my skin and it’s going to take me weeks to get it back to normal. The antibiotics are helping reduce the bacteria and preventing too many of the comedonal acne from becoming inflamed, while I work on treating my skin naturally by eating well, balancing my hormones and reducing my stress levels. This is a complete holistic approach and one which you can definitely take too.

So know that you can do both natural and conventional treatments at the same time. You do not have to choose one or the other. Just make sure that before you consider oral medications you’re fully aware of the possible side effects. Consult with your doctor and get them to explain to you the risks that are involved with taking that medication.

2. If you don’t fix the cause of your acne, your skin condition is likely to return once you stop taking the medication

Often the biggest problem with taking oral medications is the likeliness of your acne returning once you discontinue the use of the medication. This is why it’s so essential that you work on the cause of your acne as well, and try and fix the actual reason why you’re getting the skin condition in the first place. For me it’s stress, so I absolutely have to work on reducing my stress levels before my skin will become completely clear. I know that a heavy dose of antibiotics or the contraceptive pill would clear my acne beautifully, but I also know that if I didn’t work on my stress levels and my lifestyle in general, my skin condition would likely come back with vengeance once I stopped taking the medication.

This is why I feel as though natural acne treatments are so important, with or without the use of oral medications.

So next time someone tells me that acne sufferers should all just take roaccutane, I’ll try and remember this spiel so I haven something to reply with. I hope if you’re reading this you understand my point and you consider working on your skins health from the inside out, regardless of whether or not you’re taking medications.

Take care,

Fran

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If you would like to read Karen Jessett’s book, you can order online from her website: http://www.acne-advice.com/products/books/clear_skin/index.shtml