![]() Blue light is used to treat for both active blemishes and inactive sebaceous glands to prevent future breakouts. Blue Light PhotoDynamic Therapy is a procedure that uses certain wavelengths of light (blue), to produce free radicals that kills this bacteria. acnes is the bacteria responsible for causing acne breakouts. The chronic nature of this condition can be frustrating, but the above therapies can be helpful in the treatment.P. BPO/clindamycin and topical dapsone can typically be used effectively in this patient group.* Hormonal therapies, particularly birth control pills with despirdone, do have a place in blocking the effect of testosterone on sebaceous gland overactivity.* If a female is not considering conception spironolactone can also be used. The drugs listed above are useful as topical agents.* However, topical retinoids are often difficult to use around the mouth due to the over-absorption of topical retinoids causing a drying of the area. There are often hormonal triggers for adult-onset acne. It is often characterized by inflammatory lesions, particularly around the mouth and chin areas. This can be seen in women who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even 50s. They are useful initially over the first number of weeks.* After a period of 2-3 months, the topical therapies and systemic agents can have a much more reliable and profound effect.* We do hope that photodynamic therapy with a deeper penetrating red light aimed at eliminating the overactive sebaceous glands will someday provide help for those with cystic acne.* However, at this time our pharmacologic agents remain the cornerstone of therapy.Īnother important patient subset of acne vulgaris are women with adult acne. We have done studies using some of these devices. ![]() These therapeutic modalities can be helpful, but they do not have the track record that our topical and systemic agents have demonstrated over many years of use. Many individuals have discussed the use of lasers, lights, and photodynamic therapy. We have done numerous clinical studies that have demonstrated enhanced efficacy by the use of these combined agents, not only for inflammatory acne but also comedonal-acne. This prevents the over-proliferation of p-acnes and many of the aspects of inflammatory acne characterized by pustules or pimples.* Topical retinoids also have anti-inflammatory properties.* While we use these sometimes as single agents, they are best used in combination with benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin. Topical retinoids are another important pillar in the treatment of acne vulgaris.* These treatments normalize skin growth in follicular ducts, thereby permitting the free flow of sebum or oil from the sebaceous glands through the constricted ducts to the surface of the skin. We have also included an article on resistance in acne vulgaris. Please refer to the chapter we wrote on benzoyl peroxide if you want more information on this product. Tanghetti has been actively imploring the FDA to ban the use of topical antibiotics alone since this can lead to the proliferation of bacteria like MRSA, which are a health care nightmare! We have done many clinical studies with the use of BPO and clindamycin in the treatment of acne vulgaris and found this combination especially effective for acne treatment. However, when used in combination with BPO, resistance is prevented despite continued use of the antibiotic.*ĭr. In fact, chronic use of an antibiotic as a single agent does invariably lead to resistance. Treating acne involves the use of multiple products in combination to address the key pathophysiologic elements of sebaceous gland hyperactivity, comedone formation, and inflammation elicited by p-acnes.* One of the important cornerstones of acne treatment is benzoyl peroxide also known as BPO.* This impressive product is basically a high oxidizing agent that directly kills p-acnes and does not involve the use of an antibiotic. Acne Treatment Options Benzoyl Peroxide (BPO) This inflammatory aspect of acne is extremely important to control since it can lead to scarring. When this occurs, our body’s immune system steps into action creating an inflamed papule that is also known as a pustule or “zit.” In some instances, there is such an intense inflammation that a large cyst can form. In other words, this bacteria prefers to grow in the oxygen-deprived environment of the comedone. ![]() The primary organism is p-acnes which is an anaerobic bacteria. There are resident bacteria on the surface of the skin and in the follicle. This proliferation and sebum overproduction results in a clogged gland visible as a blackhead or invisible as a micro comedone. When stimulated, the glands cause an overgrowth of the skin cells lining the ducts. These acne lesions arise from hormonal stimulation of the sebaceous glands associated with the hair follicle. Acne Vulgaris is characterized by an abnormality of the hair follicles on the face, chest, and back.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |