Homeopathy is a form of alternative/complementary medicine, discovered and developed by the German medical doctor Samuel Hahnemann.

Homeopathy started in the late 1700s when Samuel Hahnemann a German doctor born in 1755, discovered the first principle of Homeopathy, that Like Cures Like.
After qualifying in medicine Samuel supplemented his income by translating various medical texts. 
In 1789 when he was 34, Cullen, the author of one of the texts he was working on, stated that the reason Cinchona Bark (Cortex Peruvianus) cured malaria was 'because it was bitter'. 
In his usual questioning way, Hahnemann didn't agree with this hypothesis, as plenty of other herbs were bitter, but they didn't cure malaria.  So he decided to take some doses of Cinchona bark himself and discovered:
'I became languid and drowsy; then my heart began to palpitate; my pulse became quick and hard; an intolerable anxiety and trembling; prostration in all limbs; pulsation in the head; redness of cheeks; thirst. Briefly, these were all the symptoms usually associated with intermittent fever and they all made their appearance. These symptoms lasted from two to three hours every time and recurred only when I repeated the dose. I discontinued the medicine and I was once more in good health' 
The symptoms that the Cinchona bark produced were exactly the same as the symptoms of malaria. What an amazing discovery! The fact that it produced the same symptoms as malaria itself was the reason it cured malaria. Bingo! This then set Hahnemann on a mission that lasted for the rest of his life.

Here Mary English, Homeopath and author of a Little at a Time, Homeopathy for You and Those You Love discusses alternatives to conventional treatment for acne.

It's All About The Money
An estimated $100 million (£65 million) a year is spent on solutions and creams for acne. 1.

Medical treatment in Germany for acne is estimated to be greater than 400 millions Euros. 2.

The standard line of treatment are creams. You might have tried a few already.

Their active ingredients are generally benzoyl peroxide (a form of bleach) topical retinoids (they remove the upper layer of skin), topical antibiotics (side effects are skin scarring and peeling of the skin) and azelaic acid  (side effects are itchiness, dry skin and redness of skin!) 2.

But what if there was another, less invasive/expensive, more natural way of treating your skin?



Different View
Homeopaths view the skin differently.

We see it as the important organ of the body that it is but one that doesn't need creams to keep it healthy.

One lady I treated had some very severe outbursts on her skin. They were red and raised and she felt embarrassed about them. Her skin had erupted when she suffered extreme stress at work. She was unhappy and upset that these outbursts had appeared and they were making her life miserable. After two weeks of treatment, her skin began to repair and the redness reduced and eventually cleared.

Homeopaths treat a lot of people with skin conditions because conventional medicine doesn't always bring relief. 4

If your acne has been caused by eating too many sweets, or candies, no amount of cream is going to alter how your skin reproduces and repairs.

Most worry about skin is during the teen years but it can happen at any time of life. If your face is covered in spots it can make you feel awkward or self conscious or worse; very depressed.



Individual Treatment

The criticism that homeopaths have with conventional medicine is that everyone with the same complaint, is treated with the same medicines.

Homeopaths don't group people this way. We group them by their life-style, or likes and dislikes.

We group people by their personalities rather than their conditions.

We analyse how they're affected by weather, what food they like or hate.

We even take into account their dreams, wishes and hopes.

The positive upside of this is that your treatment is totally individual to you, the person suffering from the condition, not the condition suffered by the person.

Treating People

We treat people.

Not diseases.

First Aid homeopathy works like conventional medicine and is used a lot that way too, but we can also analyse someone's acne in a more individual way.

Three main remedies for acne are:

Belladonna

Sulphur

and

Nat Mur

Even these three remedies have totally different characteristics.


Belladonna
Belladonna
The person needing Belladonna will be hot, with red skin and a flushed face. Acne is on the cheeks and nose. There can be erysipelas (a bacterial infection of the skin) and the skin is very hot and dry.


Flowers of Sulphur
Sulphur
The person needing Sulphur will have skin that is dry and scaly and looks unhealthy. They'll have pimply eruptions and pustules. Their skin is made worse from using creams and ointments and their skin can also be made worse from water and washing. It can be itchy and made worse from scratching.

Sea Salt
Nat Mur
Someone needing Nat Mur has oily, shiny skin on their face. They are more prone to greasy skin. They can also feel depressed and self-conscious about themselves and their skin if it's been a problem for a long time. They can look pale and sad.

So to treat acne well with Homeopathy, think about 'you' the person suffering from the condition, not the condition itself. Think about how your skin makes you feel.

Sometimes just working on releasing the feelings associated with your skin problem, can make having it less of a burden. Then when you feel better, you'll be less stressed and more able for your body to do what it does well, which is keep you healthy and in a state of homeostasis ~ Balance.

A Little at a Time, Homeopathy for You and Those You Love is available from Amazon and all good retailers.
Published by Ayni Books http://www.ayni-books.com/books/little-at-time


UK Amazon links E-Book http://amzn.to/1OYkoLPPaperback http://amzn.to/1IhqDtf
USA Amazon links E-Book http://amzn.to/1kUL0ls
Paperback http://amzn.to/1WS7jd4
References
1. Cost of non-prescription treatments for acne per year USA http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706091_9
2. Estimated the annual cost of treating acne in Germany to be greater than 400 million Euros. https://arms.evidence.nhs.uk/resources/hub/515073/attachment
3. Acne treatment NHS http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Acne/Pages/Treatment.aspx
4. Spotlight on Skin Dr Peter Fisher http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/bha-charity/how-we-can-help/articles/spotlight-on-skin/