WHAT IS A PIMPLE?
Acne Vulgaris
is the term for pimples and complexion problems that trouble many young people. Pimples occur mainly on the face, but they may often involve the neck, chest, back, and upper arms. Acne is only a skin problem and has nothing to do with your general health.
What causes acne?
Acne is caused by the oil glands in the skin breaking open. At adolescence, the oil glands in the skin start producing an oily material called sebum. Sebum is discharged under the skin surface. Sometimes the wall of the oil gland breaks and spills the sebum within the skin. The sebum irritates the skin tissues and causes redness and swelling, in other words, a pimple. Complicating this picture are plugged oil glands. These are commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads. Blackheads are not caused by dirt. Removing blackheads will prevent pimples. Topical medicines that contain vitamin A products (like Retin-A, Differin, and Tazorac) are agents that are particularly effective in treating whiteheads and blackheads. The medical term for blackheads is open comedones and the medical term for whiteheads is closed comedones. In mild acne, only a few oil glands break open. In severe acne, many break open. How easily oil glands do this seems to be the result of genetics. Acne runs in families. It is impossible to prevent acne, since there is no way to change the way oil glands act in the skin and what the tendency is to form clogged pores.
Age and acne.
Acne usually begins in a mild form in the teen years. It gradually worsens and after a time improves. How long you have acne is impossible to predict. Acne gets worse and improves by itself. There is usually no explanation for these ups and downs. Do not assume that because your acne gets worse you have done something wrong. And, if you acne gets better briefly, it may not have happened because of anything you have done recently. In women, acne frequently worsens about the time of their menstrual cycle.
Skin hygiene.
Your face should be washed with a gentle nondetergent cleansing bar and plain water only as much as you need to keep it clean. Too much washing and scrubbing of the skin can cause irritation and make the acne situation much worse. Although some think cleanliness may be next to godliness, it does not help acne. Do not pick, squeeze, or otherwise manipulate your pimples, as this can cause long-term scars.
Diet and acne.
Foods do not cause acne. Many persons try all sorts of diets and are frustrated because these do not help. In some people, certain foods may make acne worse. The most common foods are chocolate, nuts, and cola drinks. A few people who drink large quantities of milk (more than one quart per day) may find that this worsens their acne. These trigger factors are rare; however, if you notice any of these foods tend to make your acne worse, you can avoid your personal acne triggers. Aggravation of acne by food varies from person to person. Many patients can eat chocolate without trouble, while others find that even a few pieces of chocolate will produce new pimples. As previously mentioned, if you notice there are certain foods that make your acne condition worse, certainly, avoid these.
STRESS and acne.
Acne is not caused by STRESS and worry, but may become worse under stress, such as examinations or pressure at Work. These are usually mild, temporary flare-ups. Some persons react to stress by picking, squeezing, or rubbing their pimples, and this will certainly not help and only make the condition worse.
Treatment:
There are many excellent treatments for acne. DETAILS SEE BELOW
CHEMICAL PEELING
Microdermabrasion works by gently removing the top layer of skin from your face. By removing the top layer of skin, your body is naturally encouraged to reproduce a fresh new layer of skin. Every time you perform microdermabrasion your skin heals and becomes slightly smoother and more even on the surface. After several microdermabrasion treatments your skin would have reproduced new skin several times removing those acne scars that were on the top layer of your skin.
Is microdermabrasion an effective treatment for acne scars?
The effectiveness of microdermabrasion in treating acne scars depends on several factors. In truth, there is not one single treatment that works best for all acne scars. Choosing the best acne scar treatment for you depends on your circumstances. Firstly you need to examine your own acne scarring and assess a few things about your scars:
- Number
- Size
- Location
- Depth
These four factors determine the severity of your acne scarring and form the basis of your decision about what the best acne scarring treatment is for you. Of course, if you have many large scars spread out all over your face the treatment you need will differ than if you only have a few small acne scars.
If you are considering microdermabrasion for your acne scars then the number, size and location of your acne scarring will definitely affect the number of treatments
that you’ll need before seeing great improvements. People with mild acne scars often see improvement as soon as the first treatment, although more extensive acne scars often need more than 10 treatments to subside.Some of the advantages of microdermabrasion for acne scar treatment include:
- Painless: Microdermabrasion doesn’t hurt. There is no need for anaesthetic.
- Safe: There are no risks or side effects.
- Cost: Compared to other treatments, microdermabrasion is a lot cheaper
- Healing time: There is no post-treatment down time. You can be back to work as soon as the microdermabrasion application is finished.
PIMPLE SCAR REDUCTION BY PIXEL ERBIUM YAG LASER
Pixel Erbium Laser Treatments
The Pixel Laser is a fractional ablative laser that represents the best of both worlds for skin resurfacing: it combines the proven effectiveness of an ablative approach with the patient comfort level and convenience of a non-ablative approach. The new Pixel Laser allows you to go right back to work the same or next day.
The Pixel Laser can be used on the face, neck, chest, arms and hands – a much wider scope than traditional ablative technologies. Designed to treat aged and photo-damaged skin, the Pixel improves the quality and texture of the dermis while it stimulates collagen regeneration.
Recommended applications include:
- Wrinkles and fine lines
- Acne Scars
- Improving Skin Texture (especially under the eyes)
Skin resurfacing with the Pixel is a gradual process that happens over several treatments, usually one treatment every 4 weeks. A total of 4 treatments are usually recommended, with continued improvement occurring for up to 4 months after the last treatment.
What Happens After the Treatment?
The patient will experience a mild sunburn sensation for about an hour and then virtually no discomfort. The skin will have a pinkish tone for five to seven days. This is a normal sign that skin is healing deeply. Swelling is mild and generally resolves in two to three days. The patient may apply make-up or shave soon after treatment. Typically patients can return to work the following day.
New epidermal skin develops immediately, within 24 hours. This process of skin repair involves various stages. Your skin will have a bronze appearance that lasts anywhere from three to fourteen days, depending on the treatment level.
Your skin will naturally and vigorously exfoliate as the reorganized epidermal skin replaces dead tissue. Flaking, is similar to that of minor sunburn, but without the associated pain. Use of a moisturizer will mask the appearance of flaking.
You are required to use sunscreen to protect the skin from sun exposure during the healing phase. Applying a moisturizing sun block with an SPF of at least 30-plus is recommended.
CHEMICAL PEELING
What Is an Acne Chemical Peel?
When topical acne medications do not provide satisfactory results, a clearer, healthy-looking complexion may be achieved with a chemical peel for acne or acne scars. An acne chemical peel is performed by applying a chemical solution to the skin. The solution causes the skin to blister and peel over a period of several days. As the treated skin comes off, fresh new skin replaces it. This exfoliation caused by the acne skin peel eliminates or reduces the appearance of acne blemishes and scars. A cne chemical peel treatments provide benefits in addition to acne treatment — they can improve the skin’s pigmentation and make the skin smoother.
There are three general categories of chemical solutions used as acne chemical peel treatments: alphahydroxy acid (AHA) or glycolic acid peels, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels, and phenol peels. AHA peels are the lightest and most gentle; TCA peels are a bit stronger; and phenol peels are the strongest. Each type of peel has advantages and disadvantages.
The best candidates for acne chemical peel treatments are people with superficial acne or acne scars. Individuals with severe or very active acne may not be good candidates for acne chemical peels. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are not good candidates for a chemical peel to treat acne.
What to Expect after an Acne Skin Peel
The extent of recovery necessary after an acne skin peel depends on the type of chemical peel used — AHA, TCA, or phenol. Patients commonly experience some temporary chemical peel-related side effects such as redness, dryness, and flaking or scaling after undergoing an AHA chemical peel for acne, but these side effects are usually mild and do not prevent patients from returning to regular daily activities after treatment. A TCA acne skin peel can have the same side effects of an AHA peel plus significant swelling (depending on the strength of TCA used). A mild pain medication may be necessary after a strong TCA chemical peel for acne scars, and the skin may form a temporary crust or scab on the treated area. The swelling and discomfort of a TCA chemical peel subside within about a week, and after about 10 days the skin is healed enough that the patient can return to normal activities. After a phenol acne scar peel, the face may become very swollen, even to the point that the eyes are temporarily swollen shut. For this reason up to two weeks of at-home recovery are typically needed after a phenol chemical peel
NAEVUS REMOVAL
