Since 2002, acne vulgaris has become nearly
universal skin disease afflicting 79% to 95% of the
adolescent population in westernized societies. Not
only is acne prevalent among the young, but also in
men and women older than 25 years, 40% to 54%
have some degree of facial acne. Moreover clinical
facial acne persists into middle age in 12% of
women and 3% of men.
Source: Cordain L, Lindeberg S, Hurtado M, Hill K, Eaton SB, Brand-Miller J. Acne vulgaris: a disease of western civilization. Archives of Dermatology. 2002;138:1584-1590.
If you are going to decode acne, you must know what it is. Though
you may be tempted to define acne as some annoying condition that
you just wish would go away, it is in fact an autoimmune disease. An
autoimmune disease is a situation where the immune system attacks
itself.
When this happens the body confuses normal cells with foreign
cells. So the body reacts to these seemingly foreign cells with
antibodies and this causes inflammation. You can see it happening
before you very eyes just by looking at a zit. Is it a small, red and
superficial bump? Or is it deep within the skin’s tissue and painful to
the touch? Both cases represent inflammation. That is the evidence of
the body’s confusion.
You may still be puzzled as well and asked the trillion dollar question,
“So why do I have acne?” Well, you just have to figure out what
triggers this type of autoimmune response in your body. By earnestly
going through the information and exercises in this book, you will be
able to answer this question.
Please keep in mind however, that the
body is extremely wise, it has progressed for millennia and continues
doing so. Thus, though acne is an autoimmune disease, it is moreover
an auto- message. Specifically, acne is a message to the Self (that’s
you) to make adjustments so that your body can continue its path on
this planet in the healthiest state possible.
The symptoms, such as acne lesions, of an autoimmune disease can
arise from several sources. For example, excess toxins in the body,
poor digestion, and stress overload can trigger inflammation.
Now that we have a somewhat factual basis for dealing with acne, we
will go on to look at some of the myths surrounding this disease. Keep
in mind however that myths can sometimes oversimplify reality. For
this reason, I have formulated the upcoming chapter by offering the
myth with additional facts that subject the myth to further
examination.