Things You Should Know About ACNE

Dr.Santhosh Kumar S 

BAMS,DHHM,DNHE

Yauvan Pidika or acne vulgaris is one of the most common health problems faced by adolescent teenagers. Most teenagers are quite conscious about their looks. Since it appears on the face, it becomes a big concern to Teenagers all over the world.Acne recurs throughout the youth of the person even of undergoing a series of treatment.Ayurveda plays a important role, as it treats acne at the root of the problem and not at the surface.

What is Acne / Yauvan Pidika ?

Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disorder of the skin. The problem originates from the root of the hair follicles where they are associated with sebaceous glands. Such structures are called as pilosebaceous glands. When the blood circulating in these glands is impure, then it causes eruptions on the surface of the skin. These eruptions are commonly called as pimples or zits.

Causes of Acne / Yauvan Pidika

Yauvan pidika is an internal constitutional disorder of the body. It is not an infectious or a contagious disease.

According to Ayurveda, the main cause of yauvan pidika is an increased vata and kapha dosha in the person also increase in the rakta and medha dhatu can cause yauvan pidika. Ayurveda believes that yauvan pidika is a disease that is caused due to improper diet and other internal factors. Factors that can cause yauvan pidika is as follows :- 

(i)  An improper diet is the chief cause of yauvan pidika.People who like Tikshna (spicy) food,          sugary or oily food can have yauvan pidika.

(ii) Faulty eating methods can cause yauvan pidika. Some of the notable faulty eating methods          are:-

         a) Adhyashana – Consuming food at short intervals, due to which new food enters the                      body even before digestion of previous taken food.

        b) Virudhashana – Consuming incompatible foods together such as fish and milk, curds                   and milk, etc.

        c) Vishamashana – Consuming food with disregard to the bodily cravings, such as eating                 when not hungry or fasting when hungry.

(iii) Having more sexual desires in adolescence can lead to yauvan pidika. This is because                   increased sexual desires lead to overproduction of testosterone.

(iv) Deficiency of vitamin A (retinol) can cause yauvan pidika.

(v) Women who have menstrual problems, such as irregular or delayed periods, can                          have yauvan pidika. In general all women do have mild acne problems during their                      menstrual cycles, which becomes more if the periods are delayed.

Symptoms of Acne / Yauvan Pidika

(i) In the beginning stages, there are small pimples or zits that appear on the face. These                   pimples are observed more in the pores on the face, because they are the external openings        of  the sebaceous glands. Apart from that, the pimples can also appear on the shoulders,              arms, back and chest.

(ii) On the face, the pimples are more observed on the cheeks, forehead, nose and the chin.                Pimples can be painless, or they can be itchy with pain.

(iii) The pimples may appear as small pinheads, which grow with time. Pus may develop in              them and the pimples become hard. If pus develops, then the pimples get a yellow color on          the surface.

(iv) In a couple of days, the pimples erupt and dry off. This leaves behind a pockmark, which            causes disfigurement of the face.

(v) During an outburst of acne, the face becomes oily. The person may be depressed due to the         eruptions on the face. There is also increased sweating on the face, making the whole face            look more undesirable.

Diet for Acne / Yauvan Pidika

(i) Eat food that is suitably warm. Avoid cold foods.

(ii) Do not eat foods that are not compatible with each other.

(iii) Keep a suitable time gap between meals. A complete meal can take anywhere between                 three  to four hours for digestion. It is not good to eat anything else within this time frame.

(iv) Oily foods must be avoided. More abstinence from oily foods is needed in the summer                   season, or if you are living in a hot climate.

(v) Do not gorge on spicy and sugary food. Keep your diet a perfect balance of foods with                  different tastes.

(vi) Consume proper amounts of green leafy vegetables. This will provide the cellulose for                 roughage, which takes care of proper movement of bowels.

(vii) Include a fair amount of fresh fruits in your diet. This will build up proper water content            in your body, which will make the blood purer.

Precautions to be Taken with Acne / Yauvan Pidika

Yauvan pidika can be treated very simply by just taking a few dietary and mental precautions. If a person has a case of yauvan pidika, then the following precautions must be taken:-

(i) Observe the dietary regulations given above.

(ii) A daily bath is essential. Special attention should be paid to the face. Wash the face with             water and mild soap at least twice a day, and once after returning home from outside. After       each washing, rub the body with a towel to remove the dead cells from the surface of the             body.

(iii) Expose the skin to fresh air and sunlight often. This will help in opening the pores on the             skin and lead to better circulation.

(iv) Indulge in constructive activities like exercise and studies in the youth. This will prevent             thoughts of sex entering into the mind.

Best Treatment for Acne (Yauvan Pidika)

Ayurveda has several treatment methods for yauvan pidika with the promise of long-lasting results. Ayurveda attacks the root cause of the disease. This is achieved by the intake of a proper nutritive and balanced diet. There are many more home remedies that Ayurveda prescribes for yauvan pidika. Given below are some of them.

(i) Applying jamun (Syzgium cumini) seeds rubbed with water on the pimples will reduce the         growth of the pimples.

(ii) Squash a properly ripened and soft papaya in water. Massage the whole face with this                  paste. The paste will begin drying up after about fifteen to twenty minutes. At this juncture,       wash the face with clean water and wipe it with a rough towel. Then apply either sesame or         coconut oil on the face. Continuation of this procedure for a week will help a lot in removing       the pimples and their residual marks from the face. Apart from that, the face will look                 moister and get a youthful sheen.

(iii) Rubbing the face with the peel of an orange also shows good results.

(iv) One more method of combating pimples is to wash the face with buttermilk at least twice a        day.

(v) Make a paste of 10 grams of besan (flour of chickpea) and 10 grams of haldi (turmeric)               in dahi (curds). Apply this paste on the face using massaging techniques. Let the paste dry           on the face, and then wash it with plain water. This method provides relief within seven days       of continuous application.

(vi) A paste of lodhra (Symplocos crataegoides), dhania (coriander) and vach(Acorus calamus)         also promises results within seven days. This is one of the best acne treatments.

(vii) Extract the milk of the sharp thorns of the semal tree (cotton tree, Bombax ceiba). Apply          this milk on the pimples directly and wash after it is dried off. Continue this process for              just three days to get results.