Acne
- before & after
Acne is caused by Propionibacterium
acnes (P. acnes), bacteria that live on the
skin and in the oil glands. These bacteria
along with excessive oil gland secretions
can lead to acne breakouts. Hormones play
an important part in the acne story.
Young people start to produce hormones at
puberty and this is frequently when acne becomes
a problem. These hormones can lead to the
oil glands secreting excessive amounts of
oil (sebum) that make the skin cells by the
oil gland "sticky". This excessive
oil production and the sticky skin cells can
form a plug that prevents the oil secretions
from getting out of the pore. This trapped
collection of dead skin cells and the sebum
oil becomes a breeding ground for the P. Acne
bacteria. The infection and inflammation that
follows causes a "zit".
| To stop this sequence of
events, several things can be done. |
| 1. |
In females, hormones can be adjusted
with medications (usually birth control
pills) to suppress the acne cycle. |
| 2. |
Antibiotics can be used to treat the
bacteria infection. This suppresses the
acne infection and can help the appearance
of the skin. However, there are potential
problems with long term antibiotic treatment. |
| 3. |
The sebaceous oil glands can be suppressed.
This can lead to a reduction in acne lesions
and improvement in future breakouts. |
Frequently, a combination of agents is used
to attack the problems listed above. A young
female may go on a birth control drug that helps
acne along with an antibiotic and a topical
cream, such as Retin-A. This would attack the
hormone, the bacteria and the oil problems all
at the same time. Unfortunately, there are conditions
and individuals that do not respond well to
medications. Medical regimens also are expensive
and inconvenient.
Drug resistant acne is not uncommon and can
be devastating. If the usual medical treatments
fail or are inadequate in treating the outbreaks,
the person can feel desperate and depressed.
Teenagers are especially prone to depression
and social withdrawal from acne related problems.
The social isolation and stigma they suffer
can have long lasting effects including clinical
depression and in some cases, suicidal thoughts.
Anything that can be done to help this situation
can really affect lives for the better.
New light based devices have been developed
to treat all types of acne from mild forms
to the most severe. They work by different
mechanisms but the most successful are those
that affect bacterial growth and also reduce
oil gland function. After extensive research,
Surface has chosen to use the Palomar LuxV
IPL system. The LuxV system causes a reduction
of bacteria along with the modification of
oil gland function. This two fold attack on
acne is showing itself to be very effective
without the bother of daily medications and
lotions and their possible side effects. The
most common side effect is a slight redness
that can last for an hour or two. Light based
acne treatments such as the Palomar LuxV system
are revolutionizing the treatment of acne
with easy, quick and effective suppression
of acne without the problems associated with
daily medical therapies.
The development of these new acne technologies
come at a time when clinical studies are showing
that even mild acne during the teenage years
can be associated with emotional problems
as significant as clinical depression and
even suicide. Psychiatrists studying the psychological
effects of skin problems are encouraging parents
to seek medical treatment for their teenagers
who have acne.
"We found that the cosmetic impact of
even mild acne can cause a profound emotional
burden for some young people," said Madhulika
Gupta, MD, professor in the department of
psychiatry at the University of Western Ontario
and author of new research that was published
in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Fortunately there is help here now. New
treatments that have stemmed from hair removal
using light waves have been proven to be effective
in treating acne and have recently been given
FDA approval.
"The pulsed light treatments have produced
remarkable results", said Dr. Barson, Medical
Director of Surface. "We are treating acne
and other skin problems immediately and with
greater effectiveness than traditional therapies".
Here's how it works. A high energy pulse of
light is generated by a laser type machine
and applied to the treatment area in a burst
that lasts 1/400 of a second. The filtered
light is absorbed by the targeted subcutaneous
oil glands damaging and permanently disabling
them while destroying the bacteria that breed
inside the glands.
The procedure lasts about ten minutes and
although several visits may be needed, the
treatment boasts a nearly perfect record and
most patients feel only a mild snapping sensation.
The effects are nearly immediate and eliminate
the need for prescription drugs like Accutane
that have been proven to cause birth defects.
For patients suffering from the after effects
of acne, namely pitting and scarring of the
face, there is additional help. Through a
combination of Microdermabrasion, Collagen
replenishment and filler injections, the cosmetic
effects of acne may be greatly reduced.
And how well does it work?
"We've achieved results that were impossible
just a year ago," says Dr. Barson. "We're
seeing almost 100% reduction in some patients
after three treatments."
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