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Arizona Laser & Skin
 
480-598-9733
 
Acne
 

 
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.

 

Stages of acne
  1. normal follicle
  2. open comedo
    (blackhead)
  3. closed comedo
    (whitehead)
  4. papule
  5. pustule

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:
 

LED Blue Light Treatment– the new way to treat mild to moderate acne

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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