I'm 33 and I still have acne on my chin - is there a natural way to get rid of it

asks sporty:
A. Acne affects seven out of ten adolescents, and occasionally lasts until adulthood. The areas most affected are the face, back, shoulders and chest.

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Q. What causes it
A. The skin's sebaceous glands produce oil which blocks nearby hair follicles. They turn dark (blackheads) or get infected to form the red, pus-filled spots that can make your life such a misery. It's known that testosterone increases the sensitivity of the sebaceous glands. Testosterone is the male sex hormone but both men and women have it: in women, it is counteracted by female hormones.
(Sometimes women with polycystic ovary syndrome develop acne, and this is almost certainly because of abnormal hormones levels.)

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Q. Does chocolate make it worse
A. While research confirms that diet isn't the direct cause of acne, most experts agree that eating junk food will aggravate it. It makes sense that eating fresh fruit and vegetables will do your skin a lot more good than a diet of fried food and chocolate bars.

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Q. Does stress make it worse
A. Yes. Testosterone stimulates the sebaceous glands when you get stressed.

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Q. What can I do to clear it up
A. Apart from not eating chocolate or not getting stressed Well, you should wash your face twice a day with a mild medicated cleanser (don't scrub it as this will only aggravate it). Try facial steam baths which will help to unblock the pores. And - very important - never squeeze the spots as this will certainly lead to scarring.

Eat a diet rich in the following oils, vitamins and minerals:

• Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - natural sources include sunflower, soybean, corn or safflower oils, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds. Or take a Starflower or Evening Primrose supplement.
• Vitamin A - natural sources include carrots, watercress, cabbage, sweet potatoes, melon, pumpkin, mangoes, broccoli, apricots, asparagus.
• Vitamin B6 - natural sources include watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, broccoli, bananas, lentils, red kidney beans, onions.
• Zinc - natural sources include seafood, ginger root, pecan nuts, lamb, beef, pork, haddock, green peas, shrimps, turnips, whole grains, brazil nuts, peanuts.
• Chromium - natural sources include wholemeal bread, potatoes, green peppers, chicken, apples, butter, parsnips.
• Selenium - natural sources include tuna, mushrooms, herrings, cabbage, courgettes, cod, chicken.

Q. Which alternative therapies should I try
A. Acupuncture has been shown to be most effective therapy for treating hormonal disturbances. Find a practitioner through the British Acupuncture Council

or the British Medical Acupuncture Society

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By Sheena Miller

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