Category: Medicine

Acne is the scourge of the teenage years and a source of great distress and embarrassment at an age when young people are most conscious of their appearance. Almost no teenager, or adult for that matter, is spared a prolonged period of acne problems.

Pubescent girls are generally affected to a more serious degree because of the hormonal upsurges associated with the onset of menstruation. Basically, acne is the result of increased hormonal activity, which causes excess oil production in the skin’s sebaceous glands. Unfortunately, the areas most affected by acne are those which are almost constantly visible with today’s youthful fashion trends.

In extreme and far from rare cases, acne can lead to extensive and permanent scarring. Because of the emotional trauma attached to this disorder, it has assumed top priority status among problems that must be avoided at all costs, but this is easier said than done.

It has now been proved that oil-saturated foods, chocolate, poor skin hygiene and emotional upset actually play no role in acne occurrence at all, so there go a number of time-honored prevention targets. In fact, the most widely employed means of addressing the problem of acne – camouflaging cosmetics – are actually among the main acne aggravators. Many of them cause subtle skin changes that exacerbate acne occurrence. They can also cause the obstruction of the sebaceous glands, thereby preventing the free drainage of excessive oils. Often, this even applies to some of the so-called acne-prevention compounds.

While there is apparently very little an individual can do to prevent acne, there are now effective methods of treating it medically. However, for optimal results, these must necessarily be employed before serious disfigurement can take place. Since these treatments may involve hormone manipulation, they must take place under strict medical supervision.

Many skin care centers focus on treating acne and keeping it under control. The focus of such establishments is not symptomatic treatment but overall control and prevention. This often includes stress management, lifestyle advice, and personal counseling.

While the modus operandi may vary from center to center, most of them provide certain standard services. For instance, almost all acne care centers advocate the use of retinoids (which are Vitamin A-based) to prevent abnormal skin cell proliferation. Others will employ the use of therapeutic light (or photodynamic) therapy. All of them will include hygiene and exercise in their program, and quite a few even offer acne surgery where extensive scarring has taken place. This last option is, of course, a highly specialized medical field and can therefore, if advocated, be seriously considered at a certified acne care center.

Medical experts at these centers will also emphasize proper liver function, dietary adjustments, soundness of the digestive system and overall internal health. Depending on the orientation of its treatment program, the center will employ either pharmacological, homeopathic or organic (natural) treatment modules or subtle combinations of all of them.

There are various center specializing in acne care and treatment in America including the American Dermatology Center, Perfect Skin Laser Center, and the Fayces Skin Care Center.

People who feel that their acne needs overall professional care should contact an acne care center.

Scarring is an inevitable outcome of significant skin inflammation. The deeper the scars, the longer it takes to completely remove them. Acne scars are caused by either increased tissue formation or loss of tissue. The best possible means for prevention of acne scars can be its early and complete treatment.

The selection of the method for acne scar treatment depends mainly on the morphology of the scar. Dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, laser resurfacing, punch excision, subcision, skin grafting, dermal filler, and chemical peels are the commonly used scar treatment methods.

Dermabrasion involves the cutting down of the normal skin with a power-driven hand piece to make the scar look less pitted. Its use has decreased because of the associated risk of blood-borne diseases with it. Also, it fails as a therapy for all kinds of scars. Microdermabrasion is a new technique which achieves surface skin removal for acne treatment by making use of aluminum oxide crystals passing through a vacuum tube. This option for acne treatment holds the advantage of causing no additional wounds.

The technique of laser resurfacing holds the benefit of being more precise, safer, controlled and less operator dependent than dermabrasion technique. Lasers of various wavelength and intensity may be used depending upon the desired results. The carbon dioxide laser that emits light at a wavelength of 10,600 nanometer (nm) may be used to actually remove the tissue. The laser treatment has the requirement of a local or general anesthetic and potential of causing both bacterial and viral infection. The other disadvantages are its possible inability to remove very-deep scarring and causing further scarring (rare). This procedure cannot be used for hypertrophic and keloid scars.

The punch excision method makes use of a punch tool to excise the scar and thereby remove ice-pick scars. The procedure of subcision makes use of a surgical probe to detach the scar from deeper tissues and thereby elevate a depressed scar.

The method of skin grafting which implants a small piece of skin into the scar site helps treat pitted scar. Dermal fillers, a non-surgical procedure, are a means of supplementing the skin’s collagen to help treat scars.

During the chemical peel procedure, the top layers of the skin are treated with a chemical solution, most commonly alpha-hydroxy acids, such as glycolic, salicylic, or lactic acid. Chemical peel solutions help to unblock the pores, open the blackheads and whiteheads, and stimulate dermal regeneration.

Acne is a common skin infection that affects over 80% of youth and 5% of adults. When acne eventually heals, it leaves ugly blemishes called acne scars. These become permanent if they are not treated in time. Acne scars are damaging to the ego and personality of an individual, and a lot of time and money has been invested in research to treat this problem.

Acne scars are classified by size, shape and appearance they are identified as Icepick, Boxcar and Rolling. They are also tagged as early or permanent on the basis of their duration. Early scars respond well to topical medications. Permanent scars require surgical intervention. Presently, scars are treated with combinations of topical skin care medications in tandem with carefully selected surgical and skin resurfacing procedures.

At least a half dozen surgical procedures are also performed to repair acne scars. Each has benefits and pitfalls and a surgeon will closely examine the patient’s age, sex, medical history, skin type and type of scarring before agreeing to perform surgery. Cost is also discussed, as it can be quite expensive.

When dermal fillers are used, a surgeon will inject fillers such as collagen and hyaluronic acid derivatives into the skin. This raises the base of the scar to the level of normal skin. The “punch excision” procedure is used in

icepick and boxcar type scars and relies on making incisions in the skin with a punch biopsy tool and stitching the skin edges together. The new scar heals, leaving a clear skin. Punch excision with skin graft replacement is a variant of the punch excision method. Instead of suturing the skin after excision, surgeons use a skin graft to repair the scar. Punch elevation is used on deep boxcar scars that have sharp edges and normal appearing bases. Here the base of the scar is excised and elevated to the surface of the skin. Sutures and glue are used to join the edges together. Subcutaneous Incision is used for treating rolling scars and centers on the use of a special beveled needle that is inserted under the skin and used to cut the binding tissue in the scar. The resulting bruises fade after about 1 week. Laser resurfacing is used to burn the top layer of the skin and reduce it to the same level as the base of the scars.

Prevention is always better than cure. Simple precautions such as avoiding strong sunlight, using medications like tretinoin and alpha hydroxyl acids, avoiding picking scabs, regular exercising and dietary control go a long way in preventing acne scars and saving a lot of embarrassment and expenses.

Experts agree, picking at your acne to make it go away is a bad idea. Picking leaves scars that may never heal. Better to keep your hands in your pockets and find a product to do the job.

There are plenty: Clearasil Clearstick, Kelo-Cote, Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Wash, Neutrogena Men Skin Cleaning Face Wash, Neutrogena Clear Pore Treatment, Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Vanishing Formula, Proactive Solution Acne Treatment, Klear Action Acne Treatment System, and Dermaclear. Many contain Benzoyl peroxide and Salicylic acid, excellent for unclogging blocked pores and killing germs. Sulfur lotions also reduce and check acne formation. And Retinoid, which is a variant of Vitamin C and available in creams, can be used to remove scars.

Besides these essential ingredients, scar-removing Dermaclear also contains Laurel Sulphate; Tartaric Acid, which improves skin quality; Allantoin, to reduce dryness; and 8 HO Quinoline, to fade scars.

Burt’s Bees Doctor Herbal Blemish Stick with Tea Tree Oil and Zia Natural Skincare Acne Treatment Mask are natural ways to combat acne scars. Enriched with Tea Tree Oil, an excellent shield against germs and bacteria, the these products reduce the appearance of blemishes. ZEN MED Scar and Hyperpigmentation Treatment Kit consists of ZEN MED Dermabrasion Complex with active ingredients Green Tea and Comfrey, and ZEN MED Skin Eraser for fading blemishes. Syprex and Sycream Scar Cream, Stretch Mark Cream, and Alpha Lipoic Acid also help erase scars, while Derma e Microdermabrasion Scrub lifts dead cells to make scars appear lighter.

So rest assured, there are many products available to help you make acne scarring a memory.

When it comes to acne product quality, savings and efficiency, research is a consumer’s most valuable tool.

And brands like ZEN MED and Proactiv have been well-researched. ZEN MED Derma Cleanse is a completely natural acne treatment featuring topical creams to unclog pores, herbal tablets to purify, add essential vitamins and fight bacteria from within. Proactiv with Benzoyl Peroxide, consists of cleansers and cream to cleanse pores leaving only a slightly dry skin.

Exposed, another herbal product has produced few side effects and is especially suited for those who may find Proactiv somewhat harsh. Among natural products composed of essential oils such as Tree Tea Oil, vitamins, and herbs, Desert Essence, Kiss My Face, PhytoMe, Bio Skin Care, Burt Bees, and St Ives offer a variety of cleansers, toners and scrubs, which gently clean pores.

Affordable favorites among teens are Clearasil, Clean &Clear, Cetaphil, and Neutrogena, for face and body in cleansers, lotions, pads, toner, face washed and more. Those with sensitive skin have found Cetaphil cleansers especially soothing, while those with oily skin have preferred Clean & Clear and Neutrogena. Those who have tried Murad and Klear Action products found a clear difference and felt improvement within weeks.

Products, such as Actimine, AncEase, and 10 1E Acne Getaway, which are based on essential ancient Chinese herbs, have also been highly rated in clearing acne-prone skin.

With so many choices available, a smart consumer will shop around to find her best route to a flawless complexion.