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Acne is a common skin condition that
afflicts most people, to a varying degree, during
the teen years. However, the disease is by no means
restricted to this age group; adults in their 20's
or 30's may have acne. Don't think that because acne
is common, treatment is unnecessary. Waiting to
"outgrow" acne can be a serious mistake. Medical
treatment can improve your appearance and self
esteem, and prevent the development of lifelong
scars.
The Cause of Acne
Acne is actually caused by a combination of several
factors:
1. Rising hormone levels cause enlargement and
over activity of the oil glands in the skin.
2.The canals that bring this oil
to the surface become blocked with keratin (a
protein that is part of the skin).
3. When these oil glands are
overactive and the canals are blocked, the bacteria
that normally live on the skin and in the oil become
trapped. They subsequently multiply, and cause
inflammation and irritation.
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Stages of acne |
-
normal
follicle
-
open comedo
(blackhead)
-
closed
comedo
(whitehead)
-
papule
-
pustule
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Basic attack plan of acne
treatments:
- Increase
cell turnover to keep pores from clogging
- stop the
bacteria growth
- Slow
down natural oil production
Cleansing and Cosmetics
Wash your face with a mild antibacterial soap
recommended by your doctor twice a day. If one's
skin is very oily, it may be washed more often. Over
washing or scrubbing tends to irritate the skin and
will make acne worse. Therefore, do not use any
abrasive cleaners or cleansing pads.
For covering blemishes, many preparations have been
formulated to match skin color. These cosmetics
should be water based (i.e. the first ingredient on
the label should be water) or
mineral makeup.
Greasy
applications such as Vaseline, cocoa butter, cold
cream, and vitamin E oil should be avoided. If the
face is dry, your doctor can recommend a moisturizer
for your type skin.
Diet
The idea that acne can be brought on by an unhealthy
diet has been debated
for years. For the last 30 years the conventional
wisdom has been that diet
plays no role in most cases of acne. While many
Dermatologists still
believe this to be true, another view is emerging.
Doctors were surprised
to learn that acne is virtually unknown in some
remote jungle tribes.
These people live off the land without the modern
staples of beef, dairy,
wheat and sugar. On the other hand, the age when
acne first emerges is
getting younger for teens in the USA along with the
age of puberty.
Could something in the modern diet be the culprit?
Some say yes, because
eating the wrong things can let loose the wrong kind
of hormones. These
hormones activate the oil glands in your face. High
levels of hormones are
present in cows milk, since most dairy cattle are
pregnant. The idea that
milk is an essential part of everyone's diet is
probably wrong. You can
easily get your calcium, vitamin D and protein from
other foods, or from
supplements. It may take 6 months off all dairy
products before any
improvement can be seen, but about 1 in 3 say this
helps their acne quite
a bit.
Another theory blames sugar and excess
carbohydrates. These push your body
to pump out insulin, which can throw off other
hormones as a result. Some
overweight women with acne have hormone imbalances
and excess insulin. In
these women bringing the insulin level down corrects
the hormone levels
and acne. While there is no proof sugar and
carbohydrates are important in
most cases of acne, there is also no doubt sugar and
excessive
carbohydrates are not good for you. Eating healthy
foods is a good idea
for acne sufferers.
There are still others who blame particular foods
for their acne.
Chocolate and nuts are commonly mentioned, but these
don't seem to play a
role in most people's acne. The importance of diet
may vary between
individuals, but the idea that diet plays no role in
acne is probably on
the way out.
Treatments for Acne
In recent years many effective forms of
therapy have been developed. Years of untreated acne
can leave a lifelong imprint on a person's face and
can have an effect on his or her self-image.
Mild acne is treated with one or a combination of
topical medications. In some people these creams may
cause the face to become a little dry, pink or feel
taught. This is normal. If your face becomes too
irritated or 'raw' feeling, just decrease the
frequency of application (i.e. apply every second or
third day).
Moderate to Severe Acne may not respond to normal
measures and in some cases resistance to antibiotics
renders them useless.
A breakthrough acne treatment procedure called
Aminolevulinic Acid
PhotoDynamic Therapy is now an
effective measure for controlling resistant acne
that includes cysts and painful inflammation. Photo
Dynamic Therapy is a two-part procedure utilizing a
special solution that is absorbed by the acne cells
followed by a light which activates the
bacteria-killing power of the solution.
Addition treatments are:
The LED Blue Light can be administered alone or
in conjunction with a topical application of ALA
(aminolevulinic acid), for the treatment of acne
vulgaris. Studies show that LED Blue Light provides
treatment for both active lesions and other inactive
sebaceous glands that are not creating active
lesions. LED Red light can be used in combination
with LED Blue to reduce inflammation. Pretreatment
with topical ALA may offer additional reduction
of lesions, pustules, and papules.
Accutane Therapy: In 1982 a new oral
medication, isotretinoin (Accutane),
became available for the treatment of patients with
severe acne not responsive to conventional
treatments. The duration of treatment is usually
five to six months, Use of this medication does
require a thorough understanding of its side effects
and precautions (e.g. the prevention of pregnancy).
Treatment of Acne Scarring
Prior to correcting acne scarring, it is generally
advisable to wait until acne activity has been low
or absent for several months. Scars improve with
time as the body softens their appearance. The color
contrast is often the most troublesome aspect of
resolving large acne blemishes. These lesions may
leave a flat or depressed red scar that is so
obvious, patients mistake the mark for an active
lesion. The color will fade and approach skin tones
in 4 to 12 months. Many patients are self-conscious
about the pitted and crater like scars that do not
fade. These remain as a permanent record of previous
severe acne. Your doctor may have a variety of
procedures for you to remove or revise these marks:
Chemical Peel:
Superficial acne scarring, and irregular
pigmentation of the skin are easily treated with
this technique. Chemical agents are applied to the
skin, which cause the outer layer to be removed.
Different chemicals and concentrations are used,
depending on ones skin type and degree of scarring.
Erbium
Skin Resurfacing:
More prominent scarring from
acne is best treated by this technique. With Erbium skin regeneration, the top
several layers of skin are removed with this high
energy laser. This action evens out the skin to
give it a smoother, more pleasing contour.
Micordermabrasion
and or Microneedling:
Alone or in combination with other collagen
stimulating treatment, a serial of microdermabrasion
and or microneedling
will help decrease acne scar.
IPL/Radio Frequency Collagen Regeneration:
Patients with a few soft depressed scars with smooth
edges respond well to this treatment. The
natural collagen is stimulated under the lesion to
elevate it to the level of the skin.
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