Surface Medical Spas has started a free new program to help some local teens with acne.

Our teen acne program is treating two teens from the eight closest high schools. The students were chosen by each schools guidance counselors and are receiving a complete series of acne treatments without cost.

This new program comes in response to clinical studies show that even mild acne during the teenage years can be associated with such emotional problems as significant 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.

Using a standard 52-item rating scale for depression, Dr. Gupta and colleagues examined the prevalence of depression among 480 dermatology patients with four different skin disorders, including acne. They found that the prevalence of depression and suicidal thinking among patients with mild to moderate acne was similar to that among patients suffering from moderately severe psoriasis, a far more chronic and cosmetically disfiguring condition.

"This suggests that teenagers and young adults with acne may have greater difficulty adjusting to the cosmetic problems imposed by the skin disorder in contrast to older individuals with more chronic and disfiguring problems," Dr. Gupta said.

Dr. Gupta's new research, as well as studies that date back as early as 1948, shows that acne can affect all dimensions of a person's psychosocial well-being. According to Dr. Gupta, the effects may be expressed in a number of ways, including low self-esteem and self-confidence, negative body image, anger, and embarrassment leading to social withdrawal and lifestyle limitations.

Dr. Gupta suggests that seeking rapid correction of an acne problem rather than treating the problem with over-the-counter medications and taking a wait and see approach may be critically important for some people.

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 mitigated.

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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