Case Study 1

Caroline Rind had great complexion as a teenager, which earned her the nickname ‘peaches and cream’.  However that changed when Caroline developed acne at the age of 27.  she developed painful swellings under the skin, she began to drink loads of water and changed her pillow case every night.  Her GP diagnosed her as having acne and prescribed her with oxytetracycline, however as soon as Caroline stopped taking the medication her spots flared up again.  Although Caroline’s acne died down after giving birth to her son, but later returned when she gave birth to her daughter in 2000. 

Caroline then decided to visit a different GP once the spots became very painful.  Her new GP referred her to another dermatologist who prescribed minocycline, Caroline’s skin cleared after a week, now it has cleared completely.

Case Study 2

David Ball 22, of North Lincolnshire had such bad acne that he refused to leave the house. David developed acne at the age of 14, his confidence plummeted and he was teased in school.  Over the years he spent over £500 on treatments but his condition did not improve.  David tried creams that the doctor gave him along with tablets however nothing worked.  Then David's mum heard about light therapy, which he used for 15 minutes each evening.  Gradually his confidence began to grow the effects were not immediate, but after a while his acne started to slowly disappear, with no side effects.  Now David is a part time DJ and works as a plant fitter. Last year he won an award for apprentice of the year.

Case Study 3

John Simpson 29, a student from Edinburgh enjoyed swimming until he had to quit at the age of 12 after acne breaking out on his back, chest and shoulders.  “They felt like splinters pressing into my skin.  My parents bought me lots of lotions and creams but they weren’t strong enough.”   John’s GP then referred him to a dermatologist who tried him on many antibiotics.  None worked until he tried Roaccutane.  He had a 16-week course there were some side effects and John had to have his blood monitored regularly. 

Case Study 4

Beth Moore 19, of Hurley surrey developed spots from the age of 14, they had developed very quickly and Beth’s confidence plummeted.  Her GP prescribed her various medications, however none of these worked.  Somebody then advised Beth to use a skin lotion. She began to apply the lotion in the morning and night after cleansing. After just three weeks there was an improvement and Beth's skin began to clear up.  However, skin lotion can be very expensive. 

Case Study 5

Craig Lewis 23, is a model from London that has suffered from low energy and acne vulgaris, a common skin condition.  Acne results from blockages in the sebaceous glands causing white heads, blackheads and inflammation.  Craig's face, back and neck where the sebaceous glands are highly concentrated, were covered with acne and his doctor suggested steroid cream however this made the problem worse.  A detailed questionnaire revealed acne and emotional problems in puberty, which had cleared at the age of 20 only to reappear at the age of 22.  This suggested that the acne was a hormonal problem, and this was confirmed by kinesiology when Craig was diagnosed with high testosterone levels.  The role of testosterone in acne derives from its ability to block pores.  It does this by causing the sebaceous glands to enlarge and produce excess sebum and by stimulating the overproduction of keratin, which is the main component of the outer layer of the skin. 

Craig was a vegetarian and ate a diet high in vegetables but low in quality vegetarian protein and fat.  He believed that the body did not need fat and was surprised to learn that we need small amounts of saturated, monounsaturated and unsaturated fats.  Balances of these fats are particularly important for skin problems, hormone balance and the immune system.  Craig changed his diet to include a variety of vegetarian protein and along with taking vitamin tablets he found that his acne began to clear up.