|
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."
[Home]
[forward
this page]
|
