Acne Uncovered

Acne is a problem that is well known all over the world because it hardly spares anyone. Most acne first appears during the teenage years when appearance is suddenly important as children reach puberty. Thus acne cause lots of needless embarrassment and can seriously affect self-esteem. Sometimes acne can continue right up through the early 20s.

Acne may be mild or severe and might take the form of pimples or cysts. Though it mostly appears on the face, it is quite common for acne to show up on the arms, back, and chest.

The common form of acne is merely annoying and temporary but the severe cases can lead to permanent skin scarring and pitting. Cystic acne is the most severe form of acne and needs to be treated as early as possible. 

Cysts are basically lumps under the surface of the skin. The lumps are made of skin tissue and pus but unlike pimples (blackheads and whiteheads) they do not break the skin surface. Cysts are responsible for blotched skin, uneven color, scarring, and other complications. In most cases the cyst will look like an acne nodule except that it is filled with pus. Most cysts are around 5 millimeters in diameter.

Cystic acne can be very painful and can leave permanent marks if not cured in time. If you suffer from cystic acne, it is very important that you never squeeze the cysts. This causes the infection to go much deeper and will result in even more painful inflammation and the healing time will be much longer. Go ahead with the treatment but do not touch the cysts. Just leave it alone.

It is recommended that if you acne becomes painful then you immediately get it checked by a dermatologist for cystic acne. Do not continue self-medication or use of cosmetics if the acne becomes painful. A qualified dermatologist can tell cystic acne from regular acne at a single glance and based on that, you may be prescribed some form of medication that will help with its treatment and ensure that there is no recurrence of this problem.

There are too many over the counter products in the form of cosmetics and medication that claim to cure acne. Some of them are quite effective, but every one of us has a unique skin type and all cures are not equally effective. If you do not find relief from over the counter cures within a short time, you should see a dermatologist before the acne problem becomes severe. Sometimes it takes prescription medication to cure this common problem, so stay in touch with your health care professional.

Poor hygiene is among the leading causes of acne development. Other common causes include hormonal changes and genetics. There is a common misconception that unclean skin leads to acne. This is completely false because acne appears on skin but its development begins in the glands. Because of certain hormonal changes the secretion of oil increases. This sebaceous gland opens at the surface of the skin but is located below it. When it begins secreting too much oil, the individual ends up with an acne condition.

Oily skin leads to clogged pores and that is why too much oil is recognized as the leading causes of acne. A pore clogged with oil becomes a good breeding site for bacteria that manifest as blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. Some skin types are naturally oily and these are indicative or extreme hormonal activity. The dead skin cells will clog the pore and provide even more food for bacteria and the upshot is an acne breakout. 

In cases of extreme acne, regular antibiotics and other remedies may not have much affect and the only option left is to reduce hormone levels in order to control the acne. These medications are typically available only by a prescription. The medicines are used to gradually lower the hormone levels in your body so that the root cause of acne is corrected instead of the superficial symptoms. Estrogen/progestogen contraceptive pills are among the most commonly used medications. Estrogen helps control oil secretion. Cyproterone, an anti-testosterone drug, is often used in combination with estrogen to treat acne.

It is important to know the various causes of acne in order to take the right steps to cure it and preventing future outbreaks. You only need to do some research in your local library or on the Internet and you will discover ample information to help you fight this common problem. You must know about the causes of acne, the treatments, any side effects, and how hormonal changes affect the human body. 

You must wash your face every morning and evening as a preventative measure. If you are prescribed antibiotics, use both the oral and the topical medicines. Topical antibiotics are also found in cosmetic and over the counter medication and include salicylic acid, adapalene, tretinoin, and tazarotene. Most topical treatments take around 5-6 weeks to show results. If you don’t find relief after this time, you must immediately consult your doctor as you might have an aggressive form of acne.

Sometimes, there may be no need for medication because stress is another among the numerous causes of acne. If you feel embarrassed or frustrated by random comments, do not let it get to you. The next acne breakout might be because of needless stress. Acne is a natural part of life and perfectly normal bodily function. You do not have to feel embarrassed by it.

Small changes in your lifestyle, diet and therapy regimen may make your skin healthier and help in controlling ailments like acne and other skin problems. Information given below is designed to help you lead a healthier life:

Coffee: According to research findings, coffee consumption is directly related to the increase of cortisol. Since coffee is known to accelerate acne, consumption should be restrained. Green or white tea is a good alternative. Coffee should be restricted if you are under stress.

Milk:  Some acne patients react badly to milk or other dairy products. Acne control medicines may not be able to help. Restricting consumption helps.

Diet:  One of the most important factors in keeping good skin health is a balanced diet. Even acne can be kept under control by a good diet. Foods rich in anti-oxidants like colorful fruits, vegetables are a must for the cure of acne and other skin problems.

Smoking:  Recent research shows that smoking is directly proportional to the degree of acne. The more you smoke, the more you have acne. And non-smokers run a lower risk of developing acne than smokers.

Stress:  Body produces steroids when under stress, which is related to the development of acne. Stress is bad for the skin and especially acne.

Of course, one can not avoid stress completely. But learn to recognize the early signs of stress and re-vamp your cleansing/washing schedules. This might prevent acne getting flared up. Return to your normal cleansing schedules, as soon as the stress situation is over.

Wheat:  Strange but true. People, who could never get relief from acne with various products, found that the source of their acne was wheat. This wheat-induced acne can be tackled with a minor change in your diet.

Benzoyl Peroxide Cautions:  You should be aware of the risks and side effects of this ingredient before you decide to use it for acne treatment. Redness of the skin may occur due to its ability to produce free radicals in the skin. This often results in early aging of the skin. Of course the damage is related to the frequency and duration of use.

Sun Exposure:  It is a matter of debate still whether sun dries the skin, reduces the oiliness and therefore cures acne. The effects of the sun have not been found to be good for acne treatment. Free radicals are produced in the skin when exposed to the sun, which aggravates acne. So acne patients should avoid sun exposure.

Skin Cycles:  The largest quantity of sebum is produced by the skin during early afternoon and the least in the middle of the night. Thus acne treatment produces best results if done in the late afternoon.

Linens and Headgear:  To keep skin healthy, you must regularly change clothing and accessories like towels, washcloths, hats, sweatbands, pillowcases, etc., as they accumulate bacteria. Changing them every 2 or 3 days will prevent your exposure to bacteria which cause acne.

CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals have just announced phase II clinical trial data showed its experimental acne treatment was indeed successful in controlling acne.

During the study in which over 300 patients took part, CollaGenex discovered that the minimum effective dose of its acne treatment incyclinide was 10 mg, but that a 20 mg dose was more effective. Incyclinide was also found to have a similar side effect profile to placebo.

Although the company claim the study was not powered for statistical significance (the benchmark the FDA uses to determine effectiveness) during the study incyclinide showed a statistically significant clinical benefit when compared to placebo at particular dosages.

After 3 weeks, a 25.9% reduction in acne was found in patients given 20 mg of incyclinide, compared with 9.4% in the placebo group.

Six weeks into the trial, incyclinide patients were found to have a reduction of 36%, compared with a 17.5% reduction in the placebo group.

An early trial of a new approach to treating acne, combining light therapy with skin suction, has provided positive results.

Researchers says during the small-scale test, after as few as two to three weekly treatments, fifteen sufferers of severe acne experienced significant improvements in their acne conditions.

The findings were reported at the 27th Annual Conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) in Texas, by study researcher Gilly Munavalli, MD.

The new approach is known as photopneumatic therapy (PPX), and uses a vacuum device to combine pulsed light treatment with skin suctioning. It is thought the suctioning helps clean blocked pores and intensifies the effects of the light treatment by bringing the oil glands nearer to the skin’s surface.

“The suction really unclogs the pores, which allows the oil to flow more normally to the surface,” Munavalli reveals. “The light helps kill the bacteria that cause acne.”

However, despite the encouraging results from this small study, experts suggest more research is needed.

The enrollment of around one-hundred-and-twenty patients into its investigation study into the treatment of acne scarring has been completed by acne research company Isolagen.

Focussing on moderate to sever acne scars, the acne treatments are underway and being administered at 7 different clinical US sites.

Isolagen CEO, Declan Daly, explains Isolagen have committed resources in order to advance this acne program and seeking additional funding.

“Concerning Isolagen’s pivotal clinical program on wrinkle correction, we expect to review the 6 month efficacy data on the Phase 3 study before 1st September this year.”

For more information of Isolagen, visit their website.