ACNE DISORDERS

Where does it come from?

Acne, blemishes or pimples (whatever you call it) can occur anytime in one's life. Usually it is seen during the teenage years in boys and girls in response to their sexual hormones. Some young people start seeing acne as early as 11 or 12 years old and some women can start their acne in their 30's or 40's for the first time. Although we know that the human hormones called androgens are responsible for this annoying skin condition, each person is more or less sensitive to their own hormones and so some get minimal to no acne while others develop a severe case and are left with lifelong scars (usually on their face, chest and/or back).

How do you treat it?

There is no real known way to prevent acne from happening in those that are genetically prone to developing it but certain lifestyles may worsen a persons acne and some people are more likely to develop it in a stressful environment. A thorough understanding of the causes of acne helps a person know how to control his or her acne better. Men can expect to grow out of their acne in their 20's but women may get some acne until menopause.

Dermatologists do not recommend aggressive skin cleansing to remove the oil from the skin. Your body will just make more oil to compensate and many strong acne cleansers can irritate a person's skin. There are many good over the counter gentle acne cleansers. Your dermatologist can recommend the right one for your skin type.

Topical Acne Creams, Gels and Lotions

There are many prescription topical preparations for acne which use benzoyl peroxides, salicylic acid, clindamycin antibiotic, vitamin A type compounds (retin A, differin and tazorac) and mixtures of these groups of acne preparations. Which to choose from can be very difficult and therefore one needs a medically trained professional to make recommendations. Usually a dermatologist or a dermatology trained physician assistant is the most knowledgeable person to give such advice. There are over the counter topical acne preparations but most people would not know which one's to buy and how to use them. There are companies that sell such products online or on the TV, but most who buy them that way are very disappointed in the results they get.

When topical medications are not enough and a person has severe enough acne to see scarring, it may be time to use oral antibiotics. The most popular and most effective of these antibiotics today are the tetracyclines (minocycline and doxycycline). These medications are very safe when prescribed and monitored by a physician. Often your dermatologist will use both topical and oral medications at the same time until the acne is under control.

When the above combination of oral and topical preparations is not enough to control a person's acne then other treatment options are used. Accutane is a pill form of Retin A and has been used for over 22 years around the world. Due to potential side effects, only certain physicians are able to prescribe and monitor its use. This medicine can be very effective with cystic, scarring acne in the right individual.

Laser Treatments

Some patients and their physicians prefer to use newer technologies to treat acne and recently skin lasers have been developed to treat moderate and severe acne. Many physicians now use these methods instead of Accutane and even antibiotics. You need to ask your dermatologist which laser is best for your skin. They are the skin laser specialists.

This is a relatively new treatment for acne and can be as effective as Accutane without the side effect concerns of Accutane. A persons acne affected skin (face, chest or back) are treated with a liquid called Levulan. The Levulan is left on for approximately one hour followed by exposure to the acne blue light or the V-beam laser for 10 minutes. The Levulan is activated in the large acne prone oil glands and causes them to shrink as well a killing the bacteria responsible for inflammatory acne. With 3-4 monthly treatments, people have found their acne controlled for a long time after.

CALL DR. KAY'S OFFICE NOW FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS YOUR DERMATOLOGY PROBLEM