Vitamins And Natural Cures For Severe Acne

Avoid the sun. Overexposure to the sun can worsen acne.
Use cosmetics sparingly. Use only hypoallergenic, oil-free cosmetics.
Wash face gently with unscented, oil-free cleansers and keep skin clean. Remember: Acne is not caused by dirt. Scrubbing inflamed skin makes acne worse.
Resist the urge to squeeze, scratch or pick at acne lesions. Let them drain when they are ready.
Try products that contain benzoyl peroxide for mild-to-moderate acne.
Young men with moderate to severe acne should use a new razor blade every time they shave to lessen risk of infection.
Avoid alcohol-based aftershaves. Instead, use herbal alternatives that include essential oils of lavender, chamomile, or tea tree oil.
Eliminate foods high in fat, hormones, and iodine.
Eat a range of whole, natural foods, especially raw foods. Avoid processed foods with additives and trans-fatty acids.
Drink adequate liquids, especially pure water and green tea.
In addition, the following nutrients may be considered:

Vitamin A—5000-10,000 international units (IU) daily
Vitamin E—400 IU, with 200 milligrams (mg) gamma tocopherols daily
R-Lipoic acid—150 to 300 mg daily
Zinc—50 mg daily
EPA/DHA—1400 mg EPA and 1000 mg DHA daily
Niacinamine—As a topical gel
Tea tree oil—Topical oil, as needed
For people who cannot find relief with the above recommendations, prescription medications may be warranted. Consult a medical professional if acne does not respond to self-treatment. Your physician may consider several drug therapies including Retin-A®, Accutane®, antibiotics, or anti-androgens.

Oral and topical antibiotics help prevent new blemishes by killing bacteria and breaking down sebum into free fatty acids. Prescription-strength antibiotics must be obtained from a physician. However, some lesser-strength antibiotics are available as over-the-counter preparations. For women who do not respond to other therapies, birth control pills may be prescribed.

WARNINGS

Acne Safety Caveats
An aggressive program of dietary supplementation should not be launched without the supervision of a qualified physician. Several of the nutrients suggested in this protocol may have adverse effects. These include:

EPA/DHA

Consult your doctor before taking EPA/DHA if you take warfarin (Coumadin). Taking EPA/DHA with warfarin may increase the risk of bleeding.
Discontinue using EPA/DHA 2 weeks before any surgical procedure.
Lipoic Acid

Consult your doctor before taking lipoic acid if you have diabetes and glucose intolerance. Monitor your blood glucose level frequently. Lipoic acid may lower blood glucose levels.
Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree can cause contact dermatitis (skin irritation).
Vitamin A

Do not take vitamin A if you have hypervitaminosis A.
Do not take vitamin A if you take retinoids or retinoid analogues (such as acitretin, all-trans-retinoic acid, bexarotene, etretinate, and isotretinoin). Vitamin A can add to the toxicity of these drugs.
Do not take large amounts of vitamin A. Taking large amounts of vitamin A may cause acute or chronic toxicity. Early signs and symptoms of chronic toxicity include dry, rough skin; cracked lips; sparse, coarse hair; and loss of hair from the eyebrows. Later signs and symptoms of toxicity include irritability, headache, pseudotumor cerebri (benign intracranial hypertension), elevated serum liver enzymes, reversible noncirrhotic portal high blood pressure, fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver, and death from liver failure.
Vitamin E

Consult your doctor before taking vitamin E if you take warfarin (Coumadin).
Consult your doctor before taking high doses of vitamin E if you have a vitamin K deficiency or a history of liver failure.
Consult your doctor before taking vitamin E if you have a history of any bleeding disorder such as peptic ulcers, hemorrhagic stroke, or hemophilia.
Discontinue using vitamin E 1 month before any surgical procedure.
Zinc

High doses of zinc (above 30 milligrams daily) can cause adverse reactions.
Zinc can cause a metallic taste, headache, drowsiness, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea.
High doses of zinc can lead to copper deficiency and hypochromic microcytic anemia secondary to zinc-induced copper deficiency.
High doses of zinc may suppress the immune system.