Here is what I’ve got from skin care encyclopedia. Common name of basic acne is “acne vulgaris”, a very common inflammatory reaction in oil-producing follicles. While coarsest in adolescence, the trouble could impact people of any age, admitting infants and the middle-aged. Because it most commonly affects the face and could result to permanent wave scarring, acne can have profound and durable psychological effects (you know what I mean..!). In boys, acne typically starts out in ahead of time adolescence; it tends to be more severe than in girls and improves in the early to twenties. In girls, acne usually begins slightly later (mid-teens), and is often less severe. In some persons, acne can last into the thirties. Patients with serious acne often have a family history of severe acne. Acne is hereditary, and the tendency to develop the condition runs in families. If both parents have acne, then three out of four of their children also will have acne.
While there are many factors out trailing the infl ammatory changes in acne, one of the most crucial is the different degrees of bacteria found on the skin. While acne is not a bacterial infection, it is believed that inflammation results from the byproducts released by the bacterium “PROPIONIBACTERIUM ACNES”, found deep in the hair follicle. Emotional stress, cosmetics, and certain drugs (such as the birth control pills that have higher amounts of progesterone and lower amounts of estrogen) may worsen the condition. Estrogen, however, will improve acne; women who use an estrogen-dominant birth control pill usually notice their acne improves.
Treatment options
There are excellent types of therapy for all kinds of acne, including topical treatment, systemic antibiotics and other medications, and hormonal manipulation. A properly-structured regimen is required for all those with acne, but most people benefit from a combination of skin peeling, bacterial destruction, and comedo-affecting products. Patients should wash with soap and water every night, eat well, and exercise regularly. For milder cases of acne, medications containing BENZOYL PEROXIDE (beginning with a 5 percent solution) or those containing SULFUR, or a combination of sulfur and RESORCINOL or SALICYLIC ACID are effective.
Since oil accumulation attracts bacteria, and the bacteria’s enzymes produce fatty acids that irritate the skin and cause inflammation, one of the best ways to fight acne is to kill the bacteria. Those products that are effective in treating acne actually cut down the oil production of the glands slightly, and destroy (or decrease) bacteria in the follicles. The most popular antibiotics in the treatment of acne are tetracycline, minocycline, and erythromycin. For mild cases of acne, antibiotics are used directly on the skin. For more advanced disease, they are taken by mouth.
Retin-A, a drug made with TRETINOIN (an acid related to vitamin A) is an effective treatment for comedones, inflammatory papules, and pustules. It is also effective in reversing sun-induced skin aging. Retin-A is often used in combination with benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics.
Those with the most severe types of acne may be given a stronger vitamin-A related drug called Accutane (ISOTRETINOIN). This drug has more serious side effects, including birth defects, and requires strict medical supervision. No woman should become pregnant when taking Accutane. It is not safe to become pregnant until two months after the course of medication is finished. It is possible that some cases of acne can be controlled by regulating the androgen/estrogen hormone balance in those women who have an increased activity of the enzyme that converts testosterone (a male androgen) into a more potent form that affects the oil glands. These drugs could be in the form of high-estrogen birth control pills. However, this benefit should be balanced against the health risks associated with taking estrogen, including heart problems and breast cancer.