Recently I cam across a question about acne. Someone wanted to know if rubbing alcohol would cure acne. Such ideas about acne are widespread. It is not only rubbing alcohol, but also whites of eggs, toothpaste, tanning and other miracle cures for acne. Let us find out if rubbing alcohol will help.
Acne- why it forms?
Once you understand why acne forms, you can decide what will help. Because of hormonal changes in the body, the sebaceous glands that are always open start getting blocked. Because of this block the sebum that is produced by the glands gets accumulated inside the gland. This is the beginning of acne. If the gland were open the sebum would have gone out on the skin. We now have a gland that is everyday getting bigger with more sebum. The bacteria P.acnes loves this sebum and begins multiplying in the gland. This infects the gland. Now we have a gland that is full of sebum, dead cells and bacteria. The body sends white cells to fight the bacteria. So pus also gets inside the gland. This inflating gland that is called a pimple, bursts when it can no more hold the matter inside. You land up with acne scar.
Acne- treatment
the acne treatment is directed towards keeping the gland open, reducing sebum production, and killing the multiplying bacteria. If one can take steps to treat all these three issues the acne will get cured. Rubbing alcohol will only kill any bacteria that are present on the skin. It will not help in keeping the gland open or reducing the sebum production. It is also doubtful about how much alcohol will reach inside the acne and kill the bacteria there. It is therefore not advised to try treating acne with rubbing alcohol.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advice and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for all your medical concerns. Please follow any information given in this article only after consulting your doctor or qualified medical professional. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from any information obtained from this article.
