You look onto the mirror, to see your pretty face,

But don’t see anything else, except a haze

A big pimple now has occupied the space

All you can hope that it leaves no trace!

The Pimple

With the hormonal changes taking place and body constantly evolving, pimples give a traumatic time with ugly break outs here and there on the face. In severe cases it may appear on upper chest and on the upper parts of the shoulder hitting our self-esteem and putting us in an all-time low situation. The insecurity and dejection is hard to cope with, especially in an age bracket of 13-23 years.

Growth of the pimple

Each of the hair follicles in our body is connected to a gland that secretes an oily substance to lubricate skin. To do that, a substance known as sebum needs to move up the hair shaft and out the opening of a follicle. But sometimes the sebum acts almost like a glue to dead cells being shed by the skin. Together they form a soft plug that blocks the shaft while the sebaceous gland continues to produce sebum. The growing blockage can stimulate local bacteria like staphylococcus to reproduce. Increased bacteria will lead to reactions from the immune system, pimple being the visible evidence of this process. White pus is formed from the accumulation of sebum, dead cells and bacteria; the redness is caused by the inflammation as the immune system tries to kill the bacteria.

Ayurveda’s Perspective

Ayurveda attributes the growth of a pimple mainly to the faulty food habits and the triggering hormonal changes inside the body. Excess Kapha, which controls the production of sebum, results in clogging of the pores. An imbalance in Vata results in impaired digestion and accumulation of toxins. The imbalance of Pitta affects the blood resulting in inflammation. This combination of impaired digestion, accumulating toxins, inflammation, and over-production of sebum creates the perfect environment for the overgrowth of bacteria resulting in pimples. The overgrowth of bacteria is only an effect of the underlying imbalances, but not the ultimate cause of pimple. Ayurveda advices well balanced diet and healthy time-schedule for the intake of food. The irrational food habits include Adhashana (consuming food at short intervals), Virudhashana (consuming incompatible foods like fish and milk together) and Vishamashana (which involves consuming food with disregard to body cravings).

Prevention and Treatment

PANCHAKARMA

Panchakarma is effective in correcting imbalances and eliminating the harmful Ama out of our system through the body’s own channels. Panchakarma purifies the skin at a very deep level and involves daily massages, oil baths, herbal enemas and nasal administrations. Ayurveda recommends panchakarma as a seasonal treatment for maintaining beautiful skin free of pimples. Some of the processes of panchakarma effective in curing pimples are:-

VAMANA OR MEDICATED VOMITING: Suitable medicines are orally given to induce vomiting. This procedure is very useful in blockage of subtle channels or srothas of facial skin.

VIRECHANA OR MEDICAL PURGATION: It is a cleansing method, performed by giving bitter, astringent and sweet herbal purgatives which bring down abnormally increased pitta principle. This procedure is beneficial in stages of inflammatory changes.

NASYA: This Ayurvedic treatment is beneficial for all doshas, particularly vata and kapha. Nasal administration of suitable medicine is effective in chronic clinical conditions of pimple.

AYURVEDIC HERBS

Ayurvedic medication involving herbs has been effective in treating pimple problems. Various medicinal herbs are used in Ayurveda which effectively help in eliminating the scars.

Neem – All components of the neem tree are strongly anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. This excellent cleanser is used for a wider array of skin problems.  Scrape the neem trunk with a small knife, wash them thoroughly and dry them in the sun. Powder them and make a paste out of it with water and apply on skin. Repeat this procedure regularly. Neem’s concoctions are effective in removing excess oil resulting in a healthy skin.

Fenugreek - Fenugreek can be an excellent ingredient for your homemade beauty product. Fenugreek is also used in face packs to help prevent blackheads, pimples, wrinkles, etc. A paste made from fresh fenugreek leaves applied regularly to scalp before bath helps hair growth, improves hair complexion, and reduces dandruff.

Cinnamon - Cinnamon has anti-bacterial and de-clogging properties which help in drying out acne. The most important property of cinnamon is that it brings blood and oxygen to the surface of the skin aiding in blood circulation. Make a mixture of cinnamon powder & honey and apply on your pimples before you go to bed. Wash it with warm water when you wake up in the morning. Do this for a fortnight and watch your pimples disappear.

Diet

Ayurveda recommends the usage of fresh fruits and vegetables for beautiful skin. Since skin is the largest organ of the, drinking plenty water daily will help body’s self-cleansing, self-purifying systems to be in perfect working condition to protect skin from toxicity. Eating foods rich in beta carotene such as carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe and other yellow-orange fruits & vegetables is effective for healthy hair. Avoiding spicy, oily, bitter, sour and processed foods will be highly beneficial.

So, why wait? Try Ayurveda, try at ayusanjivani, the natural way of healing.

Let your pimples disappear, and never come back again. After all, face is the reflection of your mind. A smiling face means a happy you! Keep smiling!