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Acne is a devastating disease of teenagers and
young adults. Some people are not troubled at all until perhaps their
mid-twenties. More or less 80% of teenagers have, some pimples, and 20% develop
severe scars that may permanently change their lives.
 Acne
begins in the follicles (the pores) of the face around the age of puberty. A
normal skin follicle is illustrated in Figure 1. At puberty an
increase in circulating male hormone is taken up in the oil glands of the face.
More oil (sebum) is produced. About fifty percent of this sebum is ordinary fat
or medically, triglyceride, which nourishes the bacteria known as
Corynebacterium Acnes (c. Acnes) which is present in the follicles shortly after
a person is born. These bacteria multiply greatly at puberty.
ACNE IS GENETIC
Increased sebum production and increased
triglyceride (ordinary fat) breakdown occur in every person at puberty. However,
the pores of each person react differently to these irritating fatty acids. This
reaction is genetically inclined. Some individuals react violently, developing
acne, others do not react at all.
The first step towards acne is the retention in
the follicle wall of cells which are normally shed and washed away. During the
acne process, cells multiply at an increased rate near the opening of the
sebaceous ducts, as illustrated in Figure 2. The newly formed cells that
are retained, is the important event in the acne process.
The tendency to retain these cells is inherited
and thus acne is generic. Even though the increased oil of puberty is important
as well as the acne bacteria and increase in fatty acids, the unique factor is
the sticking or sludging up of dead cells in the pores, of certain families. If
both of your parents had severe acne, you too, will probably have significant
acne. If nobody in your family has had acne, chances are your case will be mild.
Although there are exceptions, they occur rarely.
THE COMEDO
(WHITEHEADS & BLACKHEADS)
These occur when several thousand cells sludge up
the follicle canal, and thus build what is known as a closed comedo or
whitehead. When the opening of the whitehead gradually enlarges it becomes known
as a blackhead.
In some, the face remains studded with
numerous closed comedones (whiteheads) that never open. On the other hand, the
lining of the comedo, or sac, may break down.
THE BREAKDOWN
(FIRST STEP TO SCARS)
 White
cells, the body's police scavengers which attempt to engulf and destroy harmful
intruders (such as bacteria), stream into the trouble spot and dissolve the
follicle lining. This sea of inflammation finally erupts at the surface as a
pustule. The results may be a permanent scar.
The disease process may differ from individual to
individual. Some patients, for example, have predominantly superficial open and
closed comedones; others develop large inflamed acne lesions, such as cysts.
These types of reaction patterns also run in families. Some families have
predominantly whiteheads; others less fortunate are of the cystic type and
should be brought to the attention of a dermatologist.
TIPS ON TREATMENT
CLEANSING-DIET-REST-STRESS-COSMETICS
The professional esthetician can be of great
service to the person with acne. Not only will they assess your skin, but teach
you the proper techniques of cleansing the skin and the appropriate cosmetics
you should utilize for your specific needs. Since the esthetician has a sound
knowledge base in nutrition as well, an individual diet regimen for overall good
health will be addressed.
The esthetician will introduce you acne care
products and may recommend using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser such as Pumice
Cleanser or Acne Wash. Since soap only cleans the surface of the skin and does
not reach the areas where the acne process exists, which is about two
millimeters below the surface. Pumice Cleanser with benzoyl peroxide penetrates
into the pores and kills the acne causing bacteria. Since it also includes
polyethylene granules it is excellent for its deep cleansing qualities. It is
recommended that it be used twice daily.
Our
Shine Free Solution
and Rescue Gel would be excellent to decrease the dryness that occurs
from the cleanser.
The diet should consist of three meals a day
consisting of a well balanced diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and
poultry are best for general good health. Dietary factors do not appear as
important as previously believed. There is no concrete evidence that chocolate,
for example, always makes acne worse however my theory is that one might be
allergic to chocolate which would make one’s skin react in an acneic fashion.
The one 'exception is excessive iodides (or iodine), excreted through the oil
glands which irritate the lining of the skin pore, flaring up acne. Avoid
multi-vitamins which contain iodides and also certain seafood’s as kelp which
are high in this mineral.
Acne frequently flares up and is very difficult
to treat successfully if eight to nine hours of sleep are not obtained. Severe
stress may cause acne to flare up. Ask your esthetician to recommend the use of
Vitamins with Zinc which are high in potassium, vitamin B complex and vitamin C
which enables you to combat stress. Since competitive sports too, are stressful,
they may have to be eliminated during severe episodes of acne.
Rely on your personal esthetician for your
cosmetic needs at this time. Since many commercially made cosmetics contain a
great deal of fatty acid derivatives it is imperative that you refrain from
their use. Many women develop what is called acne cosmetica. A condition usually
characterized by many open and closed comedones. The use therefore of cosmetics
over acne is unwise unless specifically formulated by your esthetician and are
free of fatty acid derivatives. The esthetician therefore will set up an
individual program for your skin needs and assess its condition with a regimen
of properly selected cosmetics.
After the initiation of the acne treatment
program comedones tend to move closer to the surface of the skin and can be
easily extracted. The patient should engage the services of a professional
esthetician who will assess the lesion. Don't pick!!!!! You may drive the lesion
deeper or cause a skin infection.
Be sure to follow the regimen of treatment
planned by your esthetician who will introduce you to all the acne care products
suited to your individual needs. With this active teamwork a successful
treatment plan will occur to combat this devastating disease and put you on the
road to recovery!
RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS
For mild to moderate acne: Pumice Cleanser with Benzoyl peroxide. When
applied to the surface of the skin, Pumice Cleanser penetrates into the pores
and releases oxygen. The oxygen acts like a bleach, killing the bacteria and
opening up the acne impactions. It is applied once or twice daily until dry
scaling occurs. Usually no new lesions appear after three weeks of treatments,
and after two months the acne problem is frequently cleared up. To prevent
recurrence, treatment is continued for six months or longer. Consult with your
esthetician in regards to the regimen to follow for your specific needs.
For severe acne of the cystic type: it is recommended that you seek the
advice of a dermatologist who may prescribe an antibiotic or a Vitamin A cream.
The Future
As research continues in this area, new creams, lotions and solutions will
continue to hit the shelves of your local pharmacist and estheticians. Your
esthetician should always be up-to-date with the new latest technology available
in the skin care industry.
You may contact Sondra –your BeautyPro at
Sondra@beautypros.com and ask her what she recommends or call her at
888-476.6372 (outside California).
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