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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 to 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 Arizona).

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