Say Goodbye to Acne

We today live in world where any and every information can be accessed by the click of a mouse. True, but everyone has his view, lots of products claim heaven and earth leaving the information seekers with an information overload. If you have ever gotten to this point in your search for Acne treatment and would love some help sifting the information you have managed to assimilate, then you need consult a dermatologist.

Most people can diagnose that they have Acne and for them that’s where it stops. Next thing is- look for a cure.

To effectively get a treatment, you need to first know that there are different kinds of Acne and we would take some time to review some of them.

Acne Vulgaris: This is easily the most common kind and it includes whiteheads, blackheads, papules and pastules. It is not unusual to find nodules and cysts in severe cases of this kind of Acne.

Pyoderma Faciale: Commonly found in women ages 20 – 40. It occurs on the face and can be painful.

Acne Rosacea: This is included here even though it is technically not regarded as Acne. It is prevalent among persons ages 30 and above. It can be seen as a red rash on the face. Though blackheads are not present, bumps, pimples and other skin blemishes are easily present which why it is mistaken for Acne.

Acne Conglobata: This is a variation of Acne vulgaries and easily the most severe form. It can easily result in serious scarring and damaging of the skin. It occurs mostly in males between the ages of 18 – 30.

Acne Fulminas: This is said to be the sudden occurrence of Acne Conglobata. This kin is accompanied by fever and aching joints. The scarring in this case can so severe as to result in disfigurement.

Visiting a dermatologist ensures that the right form of Acne is diagnosed and a suitable treatment prescribed. Your Dermatologist can during your visit take you through some procedures that would immediately improve your skin complexion. Some of such procedures available include:

Chemical peel: A process that removes blackheads and whiteheads allowing for new skin growth.

Acne surgery: Don’t let the word Surgery scare you. It is a simple office procedure that would remove blackheads and whiteheads.

Microdermabrasion: This procedure would remove the upper layer of the skin allowing fresh skin to grow.

Apart from the above, there abound a variety of Acne treatments. Lets look at a couple.

Topical Creams or Lotions: These are popular treatments. they could contain any of Vitamin A, benzoyl peroxide, and antibiotics.

Birth control Pills: It would interest you to know that some birth control pills may help since they can help reduce the level of hormones in the body.

Oral Antibiotics: For the reduction bacterial in the skin pores, it might be necessary to sometimes use these oral antibiotics.

After all the information made available to you now, you would agree making a choice is not the easiest of tasks now. Let your Dermatologist handle that for you.

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By: Chimerenka Odimba

About the Author:

Solve your acne & skincare problems at http://www.acnepimplezits.com

INTRODCUTION:

Acne vulgaris (acne) the bane of teenage existence occurs almost universally in both young men and women in their teens and early 20s. It is almost ubiquitous in teenage years. The peak severity is in the late teenage years but acnes may persist into the third decade and beyond especially in females who may experience flare-ups before menstruation. The hormonal changes responsible for premenenstral bouts, with acne are responsible for breakouts some women experience when taking oral contraceptives, during pregnancy or while undergoing menopausal hormone therapy.

Although acne is not dangerous, it is unsightly and can have a negative psychological impact on adolescents particularly at a time when they are most anxious about their appearance. Consequently, they seek all sorts of advice and medication so as to curb this “ugly” incidence. Being so “mirror-conscious”, they strictly follow these medications to retain their beauty. To make this situation even worse, acne is rarely cured. However, its symptoms can be controlled; acne eruptions can be reduced and scarring can be minimized with proper care.

This scourge has stolen beauty from many faces, generated undue worries and anxiety among the younger population, and presented a myriad of “unanswered questions” to health workers. Hence it is necessary to proffer solutions, on how to reduce its incidence lest it becomes a source of global worry.

DEFINITION: WHAT IS ACNE?

Acne is an eruption, predominantly of the face, upper back, shoulder and chest composed of comedones, cysts, papules and pustules on an inflammatory base. Simply put, it is an inflammatory eruption involving the pilosebaceous apparatus. The common name Pimple is usually used to denote the inflammatory lesion of acne. This condition occurs ina majority of people during puberty or adolescence due to androgenic stimulation of sebum secretion with plugging of follicles by keratinization associated with proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes.

CAUSES:

The cause if multifactorial, but there are 3 major pathogenic factors that clearly summarize its aetiology.

* Elevated sebum excretion

* Infection with Propionibacterium acnes

* Blockage or occlusion of the pilosebaceous unit.

There is a clear relation between the severity of acne and sebum excretion rate. Acne does not occur in complete absence of sebum. Therefore, sebum excretion is necessary for the development of acne but not sufficient to cause acne on its own. Androgen stimulation greatly determines sebum excretion. This accounts for the onset of acne in teenage years. Progesterone also increases sebum excretion while oestrogens reduce it. In another development, the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes colonizes the pilosebaceous ducts and acts on the lipids to produce a number of proinflammatory factors. Finally, the occlusion of the pilosebaceous unit contributes to the development of acne.

Acne can be exacerbated, or even caused by a number of factors including:-

* Genetic susceptibility leading to the hyperconification of pilosebaceous duct and its blockage.

* High humidity, frequent or prolonged sweating.

* Local irritation, friction, rough or occlusion clothing, which can be conducive to lesion formation of acneprone individuals.

* Long term use of hair-care products that contain occlusive petroleum of liquid petroleum, causing acne along the hairline (sometimes “pomade acne”)

* Drug such as corticosteroids which can sensitive hair follicles and produce “steroid acne” and other systemic drugs like androgens, some oral contraceptives, halothane and thyroid preparations known to precipitate acne eruption.

* Oil-based cosmetics can be occlusive and plug the follicles.

* Prolonged exposure to sun, prolonged stress and other emotional extremes.

CLINICAL FEATURES:

Acne presents in areas rich in sebaceous glands such as the face, back, shoulder and sternal (chest) area. The cardinal features are open comedones (black heads) due to plugging of the pilosebaceous orifice by kertain or sebum or closed comedones (white heads) due to accretions of sebum abd keratin deeper in the pilosebaceous ducts.

* Inflammatory papules circumscribed solid elevation up to 100cm diameter on the skin, which may be pedunculassted, sessile or filiform.

* Pustules circumscribed superficial elevation of the skin (about 1cm diameter) containing purulent materials.

Other clinical variants of acne include infantile acne, conglobate acne, acne fulminans, follicular occlusion traid, steroid acne and oil acne each with its distinctive features.

TREATMENT:

Self treatment should be limited to those patients who have non-inflammatory acne of mild-to-moderate severity (ie eruptions are limited to white heads and black head). The role of a detmatologist in severe cases of inflammatory acne (consisting of papules, pustules and nodules) must be south.

Treatment is aimed at decreasing sebum production, bacterial proliferation, normalizing duct keratinization or decreasing inflammation. Management starts with paying attention to exacerbating factors.

Topical agents such as:

* Benzyol peroxide (a keratolytic agent) and Fretinoin (A topical retinoid) should be used in individuals with fairly minor disease (particularly those dominated by the presence of comedones).

* Patients with anything but minor degrees acne will require therapy with antibiotics (local or systemic). Local antibiotics widely used include Clindamycin or Erythromycin. The principal oral antibiotic is Oxytetracycline. Monocycline may be used if oxytetacycline’s response is inadequate.

* If these topical and systemic agents fail to produce a sufficient clinical response within 3-6 months, treatment with Isotretinoin is considered. Remember, these drugs have their different modes of administration and side effects therefore, the physician’s role on prescription and monitoring of treatment is very essential.

Good skin care habits are essential in the treatment and management of acne. These should be emphasized by health workers. They include:

* Avoidance of prolonged exposure to the sun.

* Patient’s should be encouraged to switch from oil to water-based skin care products. If the hair is oily, frequent shampooing with water-based shampoo should minimized hairline eruptions.

* Patients should wash their faces 2-3 times daily using warm water, a mild medicated or unmedicated facial soap and a soft wash-cloth.

* Mild abrasive soaps (such as those containing pumice, polyethylene or Aluminum oxide) can be helpful in removing the outer layer of dead skin cells.

* Squeezing, pinching or picking at acne lesions can aggrevate the condition and cause permanent scarring. Avoid this!

CONLCUSION

The understanding of the basic aetiology and underlying pathology of any form of sickness is a great step in the pursuit of an effective treatment. Improper understanding may “rubbish” a good scientific treatment formular, or elicit a wide- range of side effects. With these steps for acne, the beauty and cosmetic concern of every individuals will be achieved.

REFERENCES:

1. Barbara white Sax (2000): Acne and Wrinkles: Skin care for baby boomers and their kids; Pharmacy times (Oct. 2000); P. 55-57.

2. Christopher Haslett et al (2000): Davidson’s principles and practice of medicine, Churchill Livingstone; P. 1051-1082.

3. Kumar and Clark (2000): Clinical Medicine (5th Ed.); 1320.

4. Lippoincolt, Williams, Wilkins (1998); Steadman’s Medical Dictionary. (27th Ed.) p. 15-16.

By: Anyanwagu Uchenna Chidi

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Dietary Changes for Acne Treatment?

Acne, pimples or “zits” as many sufferers call it, can be a real cause for depression. It is the most common of all skin diseases with around 17 million people in the USA alone afflicted with an acne problem. The official term, Acne Vulgaris describes a condition whereby the sebaceous glands of the skin become inflamed. If proper acne treatment is not sought these may develop into unsightly pustular cysts, and the end result may be permanent acne scars.

The causes of acne are varied and may include hormonal activity, stress, accumulation of dead skin cells and allergy to bacteria which are present in the pores of the skin. Sometimes it is a reaction to anabolic steroids and medication containing halogens, lithium, barbiturates or androgens. Some research suggests a role for food allergy, in the development of acne which implies the elimination of trigger foods could be helpful in the treatment of acne.

There are two types of acne: acne vulgaris and acne rosacea. Acne vulgaris is usually a bacterial infection of cysts deep within the skin. This could cause acne scarring if left untreated. Acne rosacea is a chronic inflammation of the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, and eyelids. These show up as red eruptions. The teenage years seem to be the most troublesome for acne sufferers but it can also occur in adulthood and well into middle age.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and a healthy nutrient intake may improve its tone and quality. Although a diet of fried food, chocolates and other junk food does not directly cause acne, there is evidence that changes in diet may be helpful in the treatment of acne.

A study conducted by the US Colorado State University showed a link between refined carbohydrates and processed foods like sugar, white bread, pizza, cake and pastries, and acne. These cause a series of reactions in the body that increase the production of acne-causing bacteria. Refined carbohydrates also cause the body to produce a high level of insulin which increases the production of male hormones that cause acne. A decrease in your intake of refined carbohydrates may be beneficial in the treatment of acne. Instead try to include more whole grains, pulses and complex carbohydrates.

Furthermore it is now thought that obesity and insulin resistance may also play a role in the development of acne so dietary changes to assist in achieving an ideal weight are likely to be beneficial to the treatment of acne.

There is some research linking higher milk consumption intake to acne. If you normally include large amounts of milk in your diet, you could try reducing this and seeing if this is an effective acne solution for you. Ensure you include other calcium rich foods instead such as green vegetables, fish with soft bones, almonds and soymilk.

Omega 3 fish oils and antioxidants vitamins may also be important. Vitamin A (also in the form of beta-carotene which is converted in vitamin A) is thought to reduce acne symptoms. It is involved in strengthening the protective tissue of the skin and reducing sebum production. Additionally it helps in maintaining and repairing skin tissue and increasing toxin excretion which may be an important part of the acne solution.

Chromium supplements may be a useful adjunct in the treatment of acne via the role in clearing infections and preventing further breakouts. Zinc is a good antibacterial agent; it helps control the oil-producing glands of the skin. Eating zinc-rich foods could help in reducing acne, such foods include red meat and offal, pumpkin seeds, and mushrooms.

A role for vitamin E in the treatment of acne has also been suggested due to its anti-oxidant action and regulatory effect on vitamin A levels within the body. Vitamin E requirement can be easily met through natural sources such as almonds, corn, eggs and leafy green vegetables. However you can also try supplementing with synthetic forms and monitor any changes in your acne.

One of the most important aspects of your acne treatment is to drink at least eight glasses of water. This cleans the body of waste and keeps it free of toxins. Water helps in circulation, digestion, absorption and excretion.

Unfortunately changes in diet alone may not provide a total acne solution. There are a variety of drugs available for the treatment of acne, in addition to an array of natural remedies. It may be advisable to visit a dermatologist for a proper consultation in conjunction to any dietary changes you want to introduce.