Clear for Life

Don’t use acne creams during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

The newspaper Hindu writes:

“Acne is a common problem faced by millions of women especially those who are pregnant. But use of anti-acne creams is completely avoidable as it can lead to abnormal babies even if taken one month prior to conceiving,” says Shivani Sachdev Gaur, a consultant gynaecologist with the Fortis Hospital.

“The cream gets absorbed from the skin, goes into the mother’s bloodstream and passes through placenta into the bloodstream of the foetus,” experts say.

I don’t like alarmism, so let me give you another perspective also.

One review study of the safety of topical acne treatments concludes:

Used appropriately, the above-mentioned drugs deliver, at most, miniscule amounts of active ingredient into the circulation. Clear-cut links to systemic toxicity in humans are practically nonexistent…

Caution is advised in special circumstances, such as during childhood, pregnancy, lactation and concomitant therapy with other drugs, because relevant studies are lacking. Animal data support avoidance of many topical agents, particularly known teratogens such as retinoids and salicylic acid, in pregnant women. Salicylate avoidance is advised during lactation, because aspirin use carries the risk of bleeding disorders in nursing infants.

Topical acne drugs: review of clinical properties, systemic exposure, and safety.

Most studies on the transdermal (through the skin in medical speak) absorption of topical acne treatments show the absorbed amounts are not clinically relevant. Meaning they are not linked to any visible symptoms.

Take that with a grain of salt.

Just because a drug doesn’t produce visible symptoms doesn’t mean it’s safe.

All of us carry more than 700 synthetic chemicals in our bodies. Nobody knows the combined health effects of these chemicals.

Short-term we are fine, but the cumulative effects over long-term can lead to disaster. Only a complete fool (or a person with a medical degree) would claim these chemicals have nothing to do with skyrocketing cancer rates.

These acne creams are one more drop in the bucket. Someday that bucket will overflow. And that’s when the shit really hits the fan.

If you want permanent freedom from acne, you need to start emptying the bucket instead of filling it.

Luckily that’s simple. I’ll take you by the hand and show you how to do it in Clear for Life.

Here’s one more reason not to take Accutane.

And this is a big one.

Accutane can permanently ruin your sex life.

How’s that for a bummer?

Here’s what Dr. Pezzi wrote about this

“Accutane® (isotretinoin) can permanently affect your sex life, reducing libido and sexual sensation. In some cases it may also induce sexual dysesthesias in which sexual sensations feel like “pins and needles” instead of being normally pleasant.”

http://www.sexualtips.net/accutane_affecting_sex.htm

If you’ve been on Accutane you know it can make your lips dry and chapped, dry your nose and cause nose bleeding and eye pain.

You know what’s common with all those situations?

They are mucous membranes. Your lips, insides of your nose and behind your eyeballs.

Sexual organs have similar mucous linings or membranes. And they are not immune to the effect of Accutane.

In rare cases Accutane may cause temporary, or even permanent, damage in those areas.

Here’s how one woman described her reaction to Accutane

“It has gotten to where I cannot have intercourse at all as insertion of anything feels like I am being stuffed with an extra large sandpaper dildo.”

http://www.sexualtips.net/accutane_affecting_sex.htm

In acne.org forums I’ve seen posts where people claim Accutane weakened their libido or caused other sexual problems.

So that’s one more to the long list of Accutane’s side effects.

Now I’m the first one to say these severe side effects are rare.

But even if you don’t get any severe side effects it doesn’t mean Accutane is safe for you. Your body just may be able to deal with the drug in a way that doesn’t produce acute symptoms. Poison is nevertheless poison - even if it doesn’t kill you.

And let’s not forget that Accutane was originally developed as a chemotherapy drug to ‘treat’ skin cancers. As you probably know chemotherapy drugs aren’t exactly harmless multivitamins.

To make things worse Accutane is often a temporary solution. Most people, like me, find their Accutane given freedom much too temporary.

Why would you risk Accutane when acne can be effectively and permanently cured with diet and lifestyle changes. Such as described in Clear for Life.

In the end acne may make it more difficult to have a sex life, but Accutane can make sure you’ll never enjoy it.

Dr. Pezzi has more on this. Click here to read about Accutane and sexual problems.