Archive for December, 2005
Well as the year is coming to an end and many people will be out celebrating, we thought this would be a good time to talk about spot treatments. Though there is no overnight or immediate cure for a pimple, some things can be done to make individual blemishes disappear as quickly as possible.
In the prescription medication arena, probably the two best spot treaters are Sulfacet R and Vanoxide HC. Sulfacet contains sulfur and helps to dry up individual blemishes. Vanoxide HC is a combination of benzoyl peroxide, which helps to dry up pimples, and a touch of hydrocortisone which is good at calming inflammation.
Perhaps the newest weapon in the war on individual blemishes is the Zeno Acne Clearing Device. Zeno works by applying heat directly to the blemish which activates certain proteins in the body that fight bacteria. Zeno has been shown to clear 90% of treated blemishes in 24 hours. You can learn more and purchase zeno here.
December 31st, 2005
During the winter months, acne therapy can be quite irritating. Unfortunately, the way that many of the acne medications work is to create mild dryness and this can create redness, burning, and itching. If you can tolerated this irritation, you will gain the benefit that these acne medication can provide. In addition, many of them will become more tolerable the longer you use them.
If however you cannot stand the dryness or have super sensitive skin, you should look to use some of the more mild, less irritating acne medications. These include Klaron lotion, Clindagel, combination medications that are compounded at various pharmacies and some of the newer products that contain urea (Zoderm, Rosula). Each of these medications is particularly gentle. So, if you suffer from sensitive skin, ask you dermatologist about these medications as they can greatly help without causing excessive irritation.
December 30th, 2005
Many people believe that dirt can cause acne. This, however, is not true. Acne is actually a much deeper process involving the sebaceous follicles on the face. Because of the belief that dirt and acne are related, many people feel that the more you wash your face, the better. Again not true.
In fact, over-washing your face may even contribute to acne. That’s right, the mechanical forces created from over-washing can actually break down follicles and cause blackheads and whiteheads to form.
The ideal way to cleanse is to wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. There are some excellent over the counter cleansers including Cetaphil Cleanser and Neutrogena products (Oil Free Acne was and Foaming Facial Cleanser). In the prescription category, cleansers come in both benzoyl peroxides (Triaz, Brevoxyl, Zoderm, etc.) and sulfur/sodium sulfacetamide (Rosula, Rosanil, Clenia) variations.
So, remember to wash you face, just don’t over do it.
December 29th, 2005
Non-comedogenic is a term that you tend to see a lot these days. But what does it mean?
Well, a comedone is another word for a blackhead or whitehead. This is where all acne blemishes start. Sometimes they remain as a blackhead or whitehead, while other times they evolve into pimples, pustules, nodules and cysts.
‘Genic’ means causes. So, something that is comedogenic causes comedones. Thus, something that is non-comedogenic does not cause comedones and will not contribute to acne formation.
So, if you’re prone to acne, when you’re shopping for skin care products (soap, cleansers, make-up, moisturizers) make sure that the label says that the product is non-comedogenic.
December 28th, 2005
OK, so your acne is finally under control. Now what?
Well, if you ask the experts, it’s a good idea to use some maintenance medications. Perhaps the best medications for maintenance fall into the categories of the retinoids and benzoyl peroxide.
Retinoids are probably the best maintenance medication (Differin, Retin-a, Tazorac) becasue they prevent comedone (blackhead and whitehead) formation as well as fight inflammation. It is a good idea to continue to use a retinoid nightly, even after clearing to help prevent further breakouts.
Benzoyl peroxide products (Triaz, Zoderm, Brevoxyl, Duac, Benzaclin) are also good to use because of their success in fighting p.acne, the bacteria which contributes to pimple formation.
In our practice, we like to keep patients on a retinoid perhaps in combination with a benzoyl peroxide wash. This allows for more long term success in controlling acne.
December 27th, 2005
In a recent letter to the editor in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a study mentioned in one of our prior posts relating acne to dairy intake was criticized. The letter stated that the validity of the data collected was questionable due to the fact that information was based on recalling eating habits from the distant past. In addition, the author of the letter adds that confounding variables were not addressed including heredity, nationality, and socioeconomic status. She added that heredity clearly influences acne tendency as well as the fact that there are familial and ethnic patterns to dietary choices.
She conludes the letter by stating that the salient feature of the article was that foods including sweets, pizza, and French fries DO NOT cause acne.
December 26th, 2005
From everyone here at Everything Acne.com, we would like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. We hope you continue to visit so that you can stay on top of the most recent advances in acne and acne treatment.
Enjoy!!!
December 25th, 2005
Recently there have been two new vehicles that have joined the war against acne. As addressed in a prior post, the vehicle, or agent that carries the active medication, can be critical in the usefullness and compliance of acne therapy.
Evoclin foam introduces the foam vehicle to the acne world. This foam based clindamycin product can be used anywhere on the body and is great for those who suffer from acne on both the face and body. Other advantages are its once a day indication which can also increase compliance. The product is applied to the active areas and is heat activated. It simply melts into the skin and goes on clean.
Plexion cleansing cloths are also new and offer the power of sodium sulfacetamide 10% and sulfur 5% to be applied in a convenient wash cloth. The cloth is placed under water, lathered and then applied to the face. Simple and effective.
If you feel you may benefit from these medication, please speak with your dermatologist.
December 23rd, 2005
One of the unfortunate results that can occur from more inflammatory acne is scarring. In many people, getting the acne under control is just the first step. Once the acne is under control, many people would like to improve the texture of the skin that can often be damaged from acne.
In the past, most techniques for correcting acne scarring involved “intentional wounding” of the skin. This included modalities like dermabrasion and ablative lasers. With these forms of treatment, the skin was “injured” with the hope that as it healed, extra collagen would be produced and a smoother texture would result.
Recently, there has been a trend towards less aggressive treatments. Enter the non-ablative lasers. Non-ablative lasers do not injure the skin and are thought to penetrate deep into the dermis to encourage collagen production. Non-ablative lasers have been shown to help with fine lines and it was natural to see how they could help improve acne scarring.
A recent article in Dermatology Times addresses a study that is under way. Read the article here.
December 22nd, 2005
When it comes to isotretinoin (Accutane, Amnesteem, Sotret, Clarivis), the dosage administered is based on weight. The “recommended” dosage is to give 1 milligram per kilogram per day. What’s more important however, is that during treatment a total dose is obtained (120 mg/kg). It is less important how fast the total dosage is obtained.
In other words, if someone was 60kg their “full” dose would be 60mg a day. At this dose, the course of treatment would be completed in 4 months. If, however, the dose prescribed was 40mg a day, it would take 6 months.
Why should you use the lower dose you ask?
There are many reasons to use a lower dose for a longer period of time. To begin, there is something known as the cystic flare. Occassionally, by starting therapy at a higher dose, acne can actually worsen as many cystic type lesions occur. Perhaps more importantly however, a lower dose can often times decrease the risk of any side effects. As winter rolls in, perhaps the most common side effect of isotretinoin is dryness. A lower dose can make dryness less of an issue and the overall treatment much more tolerable. In our experience, most patients prefer the lower dose for longer periods of time.
And in the end, the results are the same: excellent!
December 21st, 2005
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