Acne Treatments
Dermatologists estimate that 30 to 50 percent of adult women suffer from acne conditions such as blackheads, whiteheads and cysts.
"Adult acne is mainly caused by a genetic predisposition to the condition, combined with a change in hormones," says Katie Rodan, M.D., a dermatologist in San Francisco.
How acne starts: First, shedding skin cells form a plug in the pore. Then hormones trigger the production of oil that gets stuck in the clogged pore.
This creates an ideal environment for the bacteria to thrive, and given that we have about ten thousand pores on our faces, there's plenty of opportunity for bacteria to grow.
The resulting inflammation rears its head as an acne pimple. According to Rodan, it takes two weeks for an acne pimple to develop into a full-blown zit - meaning that the chocolate bar or fried chicken you ate yesterday has absolutely nothing to do with your new breakout.
- Your best acne treatment is a good offense. "You can't just treat one pimple at a time," Rodan says. "The key is to treat your entire face on a continuous basis."
- For mild to moderate acne conditions, Rodan recommends a three-pronged acne treatment that includes an exfoliator to unplug pores, a toner to cleanse away excess oil, and benzoyl peroxide to heal blemishes.
- For severe acne, Accutane remains the gold standard in acne treatments. It's the only prescription medication that has potential to "cure" cystic ache. However, side effects such as extremely dry skin, a possible link to depression and birth defects in babies make this treatment a last resort.
- The pros swear by combination acne treatments: Kate Somerville of Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts in Los Angeles (Janet Jackson's aesthetician) extoliates the skin and unclogs pores with an enzyme scrub, then carefully applies a warm cloth to the skin for two minutes before using a lance or two cotton swabs to extract blemishes.
- To maintain results between spa visits, consider a dally or nightly application of a benzoyl-peroxide product on acne blemishes and a weekly application of an acne mask. Clean & Clear, Neutrogena and Noxzema are readily available and affordable lines that carry such products.
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