Zinc as an alternative

ZINC

The first natural alternative is the essential mineral zinc. Zinc is vitally important for the health fo the skin. It is involved in local hormone activation; the formation of vitamin A-binding protein; wound healing; immune system activity; inflammation control; and tissue regeneration. In relation to acne, low levels of zinc increase the conversion of testosterone to its more active form (dihydrotestosterone, DHT), while high concentrations of zinc significantly inhibit this reaction. The conversion of testosterone to DHT is the underlying factor in the development of acne. Not surprisingly, serum zinc levels are lower in thirteen and fourteen year old males than in any other age group.
Several double blind studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of zinc in the treatment of acne. In fact, these studies have shown zinc to yield similar results to tetracycline in superficial Acne and superior results in deeper acne. Although there are some studies of zinc in Acne patients in which improvements of this magnitude were not obtained, the inconsistency of the results can be explained by the differences in dosages or the form of zinc used. For example, studies using zinc citrate or zinc gluconate show improvements similar to tetracycline, while those using plain zinc sulfate have show fewer beneficial results, because zinc sulfate is poorly absorbed.
Although some people in studies showed dramatic improvement immediately, the majority usually required twelve weeks of supplementation before good results were achieved. There have been no studies to date using zinc picolinate or zinc monomethionine. These forms of zinc are more effectively absorbed than the forms of zinc used in the positive studies and, therefore, may produce even better effects. A safe and effective dose for zinc is 30 to 45 milligrams per day.