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'I killed one yesterday''
'But I am scared to even touch them''
'Oh but these creeps are back again'woke up in the morning and was astonished to see one mocking at me sitting on my cheek and the other snoring right at my nose! Gosh'I am tired of them''

This is a usual conversation between two young pubescent individuals. The reason for their grievance is nothing other than acne. Many young people suffer from this problem. Acne designates the condition of skin when pimples, whiteheads or blackheads appear on it. This happens most often during adolescence but at times even in later years too. Our facial skin is most prone to acne along with our neck, chest and back. Once these pimples, blackheads etc. make their place on face, they conceal the entire facial charm. When they happen to be at other places too, it becomes quite difficult to wash or scrub that area. Generally the state of acne takes two to three weeks to disappear with no promise of not returning again but at times it may take months even. In many cases the elevated areas on the skin may acquire pus and develop in to pustules and even worst into cysts that end up with scars on that place.

There are several factors deemed responsible in causing acne. For instance dirty or oily skin, air pollution, digestion snags, inadequate diet, hormonal changes, lack of proper sleep, etc. Based on these there are different treatments prescribed for acne. However, acne treatments can be broadly divided as internal or external.

External Treatments - Curing acne through external means.

- The foremost precaution as well as cure for acne is to clean your skin regularly especially when you go out. Astringent lotions, oil-removing pads and medicated soaps act as wonderful cleansing agents. They prevent the growth of pimples to a large extent.

- Herbal face packs that are mostly prevalent in Asian countries like India are helpful in minimizing the effect of acne outburst.

- Routine exercise is also important for the sweat coming out of body also extracts the impurities/dirt beneath the epidermis.

Internal Treatments- generally youngsters are of the opinion that acne has nothing to do with their dietary habits, hormonal changes etc., but this is not so.

- The acne condition can be averted by a diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Some vitamins like vitamin A, B6, and minerals such as Zinc are considered important for an acne free skin. Green leafy vegetables, milk, fruits, and juices are a sure means to supply adequate nutrients to body.

- Drinking 12-15 glasses of water a day improves our skin and makes it look fresh and young.

- Homeopathy and ayurvedic medicines have also relieved people to a large extent.

- Allopathic drugs that are prescribed by doctors stabilize the hormonal imbalance in body.

However, an individual should not opt for any anti-acne medicine or lotion without consulting a dermatologist. We all have different kinds of skin and so the drug beneficial in one case may not be so for others. Moreover, do not mess with the pimples, i.e., do not 'pop' them or endeavor to peel them out. This can lead to development of undesired marks on the skin that take long time to disappear. The best way to pamper your skin is to clean it daily, eat a healthy diet, exercise and avoid stress.