An Overview of Acne Treatments

Although there is no cure for acne, treatments are available to help control breakout activity. Acne treatments are divided into three categories: topical, systemic, and procedural. The course of treatment is determined by the type and severity of acne.

Knowing the grade of your acne will help you choose the most effective treatment plan for your skin. Grade I and Grade II (mild to moderate acne) can generally be treated with over-the-counter products. A dermatologist must treat Grade III and Grade IV (moderately severe to severe, or cystic acne). You may also want to see your dermatologist if you are having trouble controlling your mild to moderate acne.

It is common to try several treatments before finding the one that works for you. Try not to get discouraged. And remember, with any acne treatment or therapy, consistency is key to a successful outcome.

Seeing a Dermatologist

A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the science of the skin, its treatment, and diseases. Your dermatologist is a great asset in the fight against acne. He or she can offer many treatment options, as well as advice and support.

Your dermatologist will work with you to develop a treatment plan that may include topical and systemic medications. If you suffer from Grade III or Grade IV acne, or cystic acne, you must see a dermatologist. Acne of this severity does not respond to over-the-counter treatments. You may also decide to see your doctor if you have mild acne, especially if it isn't responding to home treatment, or if you just need guidance in treating your acne.

• Find a Dermatologist

Seeing an Esthetician

An esthetician, or skin care therapist, specializes in the treatment and beautification of the skin. Estheticians are not medical doctors; rather they perform cosmetic treatments of the skin such as facials and waxing. Estheticians are required to complete 300 to 600 hours of education, depending on the state.

If you have mild acne, you may want to see an esthetician. They can recommend skin care products for acne-prone skin, and offer advice on daily skin care. Estheticians can also perform deep cleansing treatments to help ward off comedones. Estheticians work at day spas or skin spas. Many dermatological offices or medi-spas also employ estheticians to offer supportive therapy under the supervision of the doctor.

Topical Acne Treatments

Topical treatments are products such as creams, ointments, or lotions that are applied to the skin. They are used in the treatment of mild to severe acne, depending on the strength. Topical treatments are available both over the counter or by a prescription. Mild to moderate acne generally responds to over-the-counter treatments while more severe acne will need a prescription medication.

Topical treatments available over-the-counter include:

• Salicylic acid
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Sulfur
• Resorcinol

Topical treatments available by prescription include:

• Azelaic acid
• Topical retinoids - adapalene, tazarotene, tretinoin
• Topical antibiotics - clindamycin, erythromycin, sodium sulfacetamide

Systemic Acne Treatments

Systemic treatments work internally. They may be taken orally, as in pill form, or be injected into the skin. Severe acne and cystic acne must be treated systemically. Systemic treatments may also be used in cases of moderate acne when topical treatments are not enough. Systemic acne treatments are available by prescription only, and are often used in conjunction with topical treatments.

Systemic acne treatment medications include:

• Oral antibiotics - oral erythromycin, tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline
• Hormonal contraceptives - birth control pills, patch, etc.
• Isotretinoin - sold under the brand names Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret

Procedural Acne Treatments

Procedural treatments are therapies performed by a dermatologist, health care practitioner, or esthetician. They are used in the treatment of mild to severe acne, depending on the treatment. Procedural therapies are meant to be supportive and used in conjunction with topical and/or systemic treatments.

• Comedo extractions - Often performed by estheticians during a facial, comedo extractions involve gently coaxing plugs of sebum and cellular debris from the pore. By removing blackheads, milia, and soft closed comedones the overall number of breakouts can be reduced. Estheticians are not permitted to extract cysts or serious lesions. These may only be extracted by a dermatologist through surgical methods.
• Light chemical peels - Despite the name, light chemical peels do not "peel" the skin. Instead, they deeply exfoliate the skin using an alpha-hydroxy, beta-hydroxy, or glycolic acid. Light chemical peels improve acne by removing dead skin cells and helping to clear pores of debris. Estheticians may incorporate chemical peels into a facial for those with mild to moderate acne. Those with more serious acne should have their dermatologist perform the chemical peel.
• Microdermabrasion - This treatment may be performed at a skin spa or your dermatologist's office. A machine is used to rapidly discharge super-fine crystals over the skin's surface, blasting away dead skin cells. It is not painful. A microdermabrasion treatment deeply exfoliates the skin, loosening debris from within the pore. It is best for those who have non-inflamed acne, with many blackheads and/or whiteheads.
• Phototherapy - Phototherapy is the term used to describe any treatment utilizing laser or light. They work by killing P. acnes, reducing inflammation, or shrinking the sebaceous glands, depending on what therapy is used. There are many different light and laser treatments available including blue light, red light, and photodynamic therapy. Phototherapy can be used to treat all stages of acne, from mild to very severe. Your dermatologist can help you decide which treatment, if any, would be most effective for you.
• Corticosteroid injections - Cysts are serious lesions that damage skin tissue. Dermatologists can inject a cyst with corticosteroid, reducing inflammation and the chance of scarring. Corticosteroid injections speed healing of the lesion to just a few short days.

Teaching Teens About Acne

Acne is not caused by eating French fries, or a dirty face. But many teens today still believe these myths and misconceptions regarding acne and its development. Unfortunately, the facts about acne can't always be completely explained during those time-crunched doctor visits.

But according to a report published in the February 2008 issue of the Archives of Dermatology, teen who read or watch a presentation about acne quickly learn the facts about this common skin condition, and the information sticks with them for a long time.

Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine had approximately 100 teens, ages 13 to 17, complete a questionnaire to assess their current knowledge of acne. Then the teens were randomly given a written handout or assigned to watch a computerized presentation about acne, its development, and treatment options. The researchers found that the teen's knowledge of acne immediately increased, and this information stayed with them when questioned again one month later.

Both the audiovisual presentation and the written handouts proved to be effective teaching tools. Researchers hope that by teaching teens more about their skin, they will be more likely to stick with their acne treatment regimens, which will ultimately give them better results.

So what does this mean to you? Learn all you can about acne and your skin. If you're a parent, make sure your teen has the facts about why and how acne develops, and how it's treated. The more teens know about acne, the better equipped they are to treat it.

WHAT IS ACNE?

Common people know it as acne or pimples, the most dreaded, rampant skin disease.

There is no other skin disease that causes so much mental trauma and social withdrawal. It hits the most visible and socially important area of the body: your face.

Know your enemy

Extra oil secretion by the pores in your skin blocks the pores. They then form blackheads and whiteheads. This is how acne is formed.

Poor hygiene and resulting infections can aggravate acne because the pimples fill with pus and leave scars.

Oil secretion is hormone-related. Teenagers with fluctuating hormone levels are always more prone to acne.

But nowadays, older people are also being affected due to stressful lifestyles, overuse of cosmetics, oral contraceptives, steroids used for body-building, etc

Prevention: always better than cure

i. Though we cannot control our hormones, we can surely clean the built-up grime and sebum that cause oily and blocked pores.

Use gentle face cleansers daily. It is a must. Green Pears soap (Rs 18.50, available in grocery stores and with chemists), Clean & Clear face wash (Rs 25 for 40 ml, available in grocery stores and with chemists), Cetaphil cleanser (Rs 86, available at all chemists) are all good for oil control.

ii. Tone your skin after cleansing it. Toning restores the normal balance of the skin and thus prevents bacterial colonisation.

Try Garnier's Purifying Face Toner (Rs 125 for 125 ml, available at all cosmetic outlets).

iii. Moisturising is a tricky question for acne-prone skin.

Switch to moisturisers that are water-based and non-comodogenic (any substance that invites the formation of blackheads on the skin).

Emolene (Rs 45, available at all chemists) or Garnier Sun Protecting Moisturiser (Rs 85, available at all cosmetic outlets) are good bets.

Acne dos and don'ts

i. During an acute attack of acne, the skin is irritated and inflamed.

I do not recommend any herbal or home remedies during this period.

Too many overzealous grandmas have ruined a young girl's face with garlic paste and abrasive gramflour scrubs.

ii. Keep the garlic in the frying pan where it belongs. Consult a dermatologist immediately so you can be assessed and treated individually.

iii. All the so-called blood purifying tonics have no effect whatsoever. Avoid them.

iv. Depending on your case, you may be prescribed benzolyl peroxide gels, retinoids, antibiotic gels or various combinations thereof by your dermatologist.

v. You must apply retinoids (a derivative of Vitamin A in the cream) at night, as they are sun-sensitising.

They may also cause some dryness but this is part of the treatment.

If your case is severe, you may need oral antibiotics. Please take the antibiotics regularly as prescribed. Build a good rapport with your doctor to find out which antibiotics suit you best.

Newer acne therapies

i. Nowadays, oral isotretinoin is being used as treatment for the worst cases. This is basically an oral administration of retinoids in the form of tablets.

Under no circumstance should pregnant women or those planning to conceive take these tablets.

ii. Acne scars are a big discussion in themselves.

You can take heart. There are many treatments nowadays to reduce scars.

• Chemical peels: a chemical treatment where the uppermost layer of the skin is removed.
• Microdermabrasion: a physical agent, like silica particles, is used to remove the topmost layer.
• Cryotherapy: this uses liquid nitrogen at a low temperature to remove uppermost layer.

These treatments cost between Rs 500 and Rs 2,500 per sitting.

iii. If you do not get fresh acne, you may try applying glyco-A (Rs 95, available at all chemists) at bedtime.

If it is used over a few months, this will decrease the marks noticeably.

ACNE TREATMENT

There are many different types of acne treatment that people can use. Just about everyone you know has some kind of magical remedy. But where did they obtain their information? It is little wonder that there is a lot of misunderstanding on the subject. Acne is generally placed into one of three categories; mild, moderate or severe. The management for each of these stages varies significantly. Acne is a health condition and needs to be treated as such.

If you have acne and you feel that it is getting worse instead of better, the best thing that you can do is let a professional dermatologist have a look at your condition and prescribe an appropriate treatment for you. Mild acne is first treated by gently washing the area twice daily with warm water and soap. In addition to cleansing the area, an over-the-counter cream or similar otc products that incorporates benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid should be used. These can be found in most pharmacies, and kill the bacteria on the epidermis. Proper skin care is essential. It is important to comprehend that improvements take time and do not happen overnight, especially with topical solutions. Look for a gradual, steady improvement in the condition of your skin. Some physicians will recommend certain vitamins to help the appearance of the skin. Remember acne can occur nearly any part of the body, including the arms, neck, back, the legs, and the arms.

Acne is moderate when pimples (blackheads , whitehead, and comedones) cover approximately half of the face. If you have moderate acne, consult a dermatologist in order to quickly get a handle on your situation. Although acne can be very depressing for those that suffer from it, doctors say that most acne is completely treatable. Usually, a combination therapies is used to treat moderate acne. This would usually be a mixture of a physical treatment such as extraction or light therapy and a prescription treatment like an antimicrobial or retinoid cream. Sometimes, oral acne treatments or oral contraceptives have been known to work as well. Acne scars can definitely become more serious if it is not taken care of in the moderate stage. Therefore, it is very important to try to resolve acne as soon as you can.

When acne is severe, the symptoms will be very obvious to the individual suffering from it. Pimples and zits become deep, inflamed and cyst-like. Usually a lot of scarring and damage to the skin occurs, causing feelings of sadness and depression. Remember though that you can find acne treatment and, as much as possible, should be sought before the acne has reached this level.

Dermatologists will use very aggressive treatments to try to prevent the progression of severe acne. They will try to stop it in its tracks while at the same time, work to prevent permanent scarring. Oral antibiotics and medications such as accutane, may be used at this stage as well as drainage techniques and surgical incision, also known as Acne Surgery. Other acne treatments such as injections of corticosteroids can be used. This is primarily used to melt cysts over a period of a few days. The acne therapy chosen by your determatologist will be matched to the severity of the condition effecting your skin.

It is important to obtain well-informed information from a medical professional regarding your acne. Acne treatment requires patience as it usually takes between six to eight weeks of management before visible signs of improvement can be seen. One should follow an acne care regime prescribed by a doctor. Misinformation can have you using an ineffective remedy for a long period of time, in a desperate attempt to cure your acne. Mistakes can waste time, ultimately making your acne last longer. Be persistent and work with the prescribed medications and stick with the instructions given to you by your doctor. Adult acne care is different from adolescent acne care, as the hormones going through ones body are different. Therefore don't assume what you used to cure your teenage acne problem will cure your adult problems as well.