The
Acne Page

Your Acne
Seriously
Affects
How
You
Look at
Yourself

Conventional
Western
Treatments

Chinese
Herbal
Medicine

An Alternative
Approach
that Works for Me
and
Thousands Others

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©1999
John Mok.
All rights
reserved.

I suffered from acne since I was 12 years old. Unlike people whose acne gradually disappear after their teen years, mine continued on for a couple of decades more. I know exactly how it feels as a teenager who agonizes over a big zit on the chin before a date. I also know how a grown-up can lose confidence after a serious breakout and react by canceling important meetings. For the long-term sufferers, I have stumbled along with you the battered psychological journey between high hopes of yet another new doctor and the dashed expectations of the same old result.

I began my study of acne when I was a graduate student at the University of Washington. At one time, I went to see a dermatologist in downtown Seattle. This doctor's office walls were decorated all over with pictures of himself and celebrities. I did the sun lamp for the first time there. When that didn't work, the doctor treated me with liquid nitrogen freezing. The next day, my face was covered with burnt spots all over. I couldn't believe my eyes. My complaint to the doctor was greeted with only a shrug. I vowed then and there to find out what I could about acne and if I could do something about it.

What I have found out is that acne is some disease that actually cannot be cured. The goal of treating acne is to control it by reducing the symptoms and to prevent permanent scarring of the skin. Anyone who tells you differently is not telling you the truth. 

Effective acne treatment slows the cellular turnover rate and the accumulation of dead skin cells in the pores; slows the production of sebum; and kills or inhibits P. acnes and other microorganisms in the pores. These actions together check the inflammatory activity of the enzymes they produce.

For most people, their acnes are not cured by their doctors but by themselves. Acne has the tendency to slowly improve over time and usually go away on its own after the teenage years. Some people who don't have acne earlier can start getting them in their 30's. A few can have acne all through their lives. After about ten years of trial and error, luckily, I've finally found a way to control my acne.

This approach combines Chinese herbal treatment with Western medicines and vitamin consumption. I was treated four years ago by a Beijing dermatologist who, for the first time, was able to clear up my face after a month of treatment. Today, I can still remember vividly the moment of elation and thankfulness I felt towards the physician.

When I talked to the old man, he told me he arrived at his treatment method through years of treating acne patients. He showed me his patients' before and after pictures. They were remarkable. He said he had successfully treated over 5,000 patients with a success rate of 99%. I volunteered to spread his good work over the internet but he didn't want to do it. He is from the old school and believes hoarding knowledge makes him indispensable.

Out of curiosity, I did more research on the subject and read up all the Chinese formulas I could find on treating acne. I experimented with different formulas on myself and friends and eventually came up with a health food that was as effective as the Beijing formula. The health food has been a convenient substitute for preparing herbal medicine. Since the herbs and the ingredients that make up the health food and the formula are all natural and have little side effect, this treatment option therefore provides a long term and safe solution to controlling acne breakouts. 

I am a lecturer of English in Hong Kong. I do this site for two reasons: One, I hope to contribute an alternative approach to help fellow acne sufferers. The information shared in this site should honestly help you control your acne, make a big change in the way you look and the way you feel about yourself. Two, I want to find out first hand how effective a medium of communication the internet is. This is my first website. If this spreads well, I will do more.  

John Mok                                                             

About this Website

This website is intended to be a useful source of information for those of you who have been troubled by acne. It is designed to help you effectively control your acne and to answer your questions. If you find something I have not covered, please let me know. I do intend to make this site an all encompassing source of information on the subject of acne.

There is a page with a description of acne and its many causes.  Another page is linked to the images of different kinds of acne. A pretty detailed account of the Western treatment options are discussed, followed by the Chinese herbal method. The approach I found workable for me is in a separate page.

I also include a page on the emotional sufferings of acne patients. For the fact that acne is something that does not affect general health, its effects on emotional injury, psychological insecurity and feelings of inferiority are to a great extent not appreciated or understood enough by our peers and parents.

If you like what we have, you are more than welcome to put a link to our site. Please go to the link exchange page for details. Further questions and opinions are welcome on our guestbook, or you can send an email to me at johnmok@acnecontrol.net.